Ruby Red (1982)
Ruby Red is Slade's third single from their tenth studio album Till Deaf Do Us Part. Released by RCA on 4 March 1982, it reached No. 51 in the UK and remained in the charts for three weeks. The song was written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, and produced by Slade.
Background
Following their revival after their performance at the 1980 Reading Festival, Slade signed a deal with RCA Records the following year. In November 1981, the band released the album Till Deaf Do Us Part, which included the UK Top 30 hit "Lock Up Your Daughters". In March 1982, "Ruby Red" would be released as the follow-up single. It reached No. 51 in the UK, lasting on the chart for three weeks.
"Ruby Red" had been written around 1978 but the band felt their original recording of it did not meet their expectations. Shortly prior to the recording sessions for Till Deaf Do Us Part, Holder and Lea further developed the song and the band then recorded it for inclusion on the album. Speaking of the song and its history in a 1981 interview, Holder revealed: "It's a number that we've had around for a long time. Me and Jim wrote it maybe two or three years ago. We tried to record it before but we never managed to get it down how we actually wanted it. Recently, when we were looking through the songs that we'd got for the album, we remembered that we'd never been able to get "Ruby Red" down on tape properly, but that it was a good, strong, commercial sound. So we added some new riffs to it and got it down and it's a good commercial song. It might be in line for the next single."
Release
"Ruby Red" was released on 7" vinyl by RCA in the UK only. The B-side, "Funk Punk & Junk", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides. The first 20,000 copies of the single were released as a double pack edition, containing a free vinyl with two live tracks; "Rock and Roll Preacher" on the A-side and "Take Me Bak 'Ome" on the B-side. In a 1986 fan club poll, Slade fans voted "Ruby Red" as having the best picture sleeve with a Slade single.
Music video
A music video was filmed, but was never shown at the time of single's release. It was directed by Eric Boliski. The video featured the band performing on stage, interspersed with other shots showing a lady portraying "Ruby" in the song. Looking back on the video in 1986, Lea recalled that some footage of a girl running through a forest had also been filmed.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
Retrospective reviews
Chart performance
UK Singles Chart: #51
Formats
7" single
Personnel
Slade
Background
Following their revival after their performance at the 1980 Reading Festival, Slade signed a deal with RCA Records the following year. In November 1981, the band released the album Till Deaf Do Us Part, which included the UK Top 30 hit "Lock Up Your Daughters". In March 1982, "Ruby Red" would be released as the follow-up single. It reached No. 51 in the UK, lasting on the chart for three weeks.
"Ruby Red" had been written around 1978 but the band felt their original recording of it did not meet their expectations. Shortly prior to the recording sessions for Till Deaf Do Us Part, Holder and Lea further developed the song and the band then recorded it for inclusion on the album. Speaking of the song and its history in a 1981 interview, Holder revealed: "It's a number that we've had around for a long time. Me and Jim wrote it maybe two or three years ago. We tried to record it before but we never managed to get it down how we actually wanted it. Recently, when we were looking through the songs that we'd got for the album, we remembered that we'd never been able to get "Ruby Red" down on tape properly, but that it was a good, strong, commercial sound. So we added some new riffs to it and got it down and it's a good commercial song. It might be in line for the next single."
Release
"Ruby Red" was released on 7" vinyl by RCA in the UK only. The B-side, "Funk Punk & Junk", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides. The first 20,000 copies of the single were released as a double pack edition, containing a free vinyl with two live tracks; "Rock and Roll Preacher" on the A-side and "Take Me Bak 'Ome" on the B-side. In a 1986 fan club poll, Slade fans voted "Ruby Red" as having the best picture sleeve with a Slade single.
Music video
A music video was filmed, but was never shown at the time of single's release. It was directed by Eric Boliski. The video featured the band performing on stage, interspersed with other shots showing a lady portraying "Ruby" in the song. Looking back on the video in 1986, Lea recalled that some footage of a girl running through a forest had also been filmed.
Critical reception
Contemporary reviews
- Liverpool Echo stated: "Double single bonus - with a free live single. "Ruby Red" should pull in the plays though. It's just Slade doing what they do best, playing it loud 'n' proud."
- Julie Burchill of New Musical Express wrote: "Unlike their balding peer [Steve Harley, 'I Can't Even Touch You'], Slade do not suffer from the stigma of falling flat on their coy enigma. A good old-fashioned beery belch of celebration - that's Slade's cup of nauseous rock and roll revelry. Is it uplifting or disgustipating? Well, you pays your money and you... are sick all over your platform boots, either way."
- Sunie of Record Mirror commented: "This lot can never reclaim their old turf and thus their old standing: it's just not there any more. Given this fact, I don't know why they don't have the bottle to go wholeheartedly HM, instead of dithering about in a sort of no-mans-land between their original terrace pop and real hard rock. "Ruby Red" inhabits said terrain, and a pretty unimpressive effort it is too."
- Jennie Matthias of the Belle Stars, as a guest reviewer for Melody Maker, commented, "Nothing like a meaty song with mindless lyrics. I shouldn't really like this but as I like noise I've got no choice with this record. Pure heavy metal. It's an obvious Slade single which means, shame, shame, shame, it won't be a hit. Still like to hear someone impersonate Noddy Holder though. If that's possible."
- Jim Whiteford of The Kilmarnock Standard stated: "Cheering, raucous, pop-rock held together by Noddy Holder's foghorn vocals and some simple but effectively playing by the group. Just the number to wake the nation up after the spell of sleeping sickness inspired by "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" chart-topper (yawn!)"
- In a review of Till Deaf Do Us Part, Kerrang! wrote: ""Ruby Red" and "She Brings Out the Devil in Me" put a size nine boot through the door and there's plenty more positive noises on side two."
Retrospective reviews
- In a retrospective review of Till Deaf Do Us Part, Geoff Ginsberg of AllMusic commented: "The wonderfully Slade-esque "Ruby Red," which failed as a single, makes a good album track."
- In an AllMusic review of the 2007 Salvo compilation The Collection 79-87, Dave Thompson said: "Songs like "Ruby Red" may veer a little closer to generic hard rock than Slade really ought to, but that was the sound of the '80s, just as the glam stomp was what powered their years of omnipotence."
Chart performance
UK Singles Chart: #51
Formats
7" single
- "Ruby Red" – 2:53
- "Funk Punk & Junk" – 2:57
- "Ruby Red" – 2:53
- "Funk Punk & Junk" – 2:57
- "Rock and Roll Preacher (Live version)" – 5:19
- "Take Me Bak 'Ome (Live version)" – 4:33
Personnel
Slade
- Noddy Holder - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, producer
- Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals, producer
- Jim Lea - bass, organ, backing vocals, producer
- Don Powell - drums, producer