Background
By 1975 Slade had peaked in Britain and Europe. This led to the band agreeing to move to the States, the only major territory that had held out against Slade's onslaught. The band held out in the States for almost two years. They had limited success; on one hand, their reputation as a reliable and exciting live rock act was enhanced, on the other hand, Slade were unable to translate that reputation to significant airplay and record sales.
Slade returned to the UK early 1977 to face the UK music business much changed from the way they left it. Punk had now exploded and had become the dominant influence on youth culture and the music press. Despite Slade's reputation as one of the great high energy bands of their day, in this environment Slade had become irrelevant. Regardless, Slade were determined that they were now a better live act than ever and refused to call it a day.
There had been no new product since the Nobody's Fool single had been lifted from the Nobody's Fools album in April 1976 and bombed. The first that was heard of Slade in 1977 was the single Gypsy Roadhog which appeared in February, a pounding tale of the exploits of an American cocaine dealer. Amazingly, the BBC kids show Blue Peter allowed Slade to promote the single with a mimed performance before the producer noticed the lyrics. A complaint followed, the BBC then banned it and the record stalled at #48.
The album that followed didn't have much chance after that. Titled by Slade's manager Chas Chandler after a piece of graffiti spotted painted on a London bridge, Whatever Happened to Slade, while undoubtedly intended as a defiant, ironic comment on their absence from UK shores, was more likely received as a virtual admission of how far the group's star had fallen. And no one beyond a mere fraction of their old fan base was in the mood to contradict them.
Whatever Happened to Slade was released March 1977 to no airplay and very little press. It failed to chart. It was the group's lowest-selling LP to date. However, those faithful few who took the trouble were amazed by the record. The heaviest, dirtiest (in all senses), most decadent Slade music ever made, Whatever Happened to Slade made Gypsy Roadhog sound like "The Teddy Bear's Picnic" and remains many Slade connoisseurs' favourite of all their albums.
Read more about this topic: Whatever Happened To Slade
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