My Friend Stan

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"My Friend Stan"
German/European cover of "My Friend Stan".
Single by Slade
from the album Old New Borrowed and Blue
B-side"My Town"
Released28 September 1973
GenreGlam rock
Length2:38
LabelPolydor Records
Songwriter(s)Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s)Chas Chandler
Slade singles chronology
"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me"
(1973) 		"My Friend Stan"
(1973) 		"Merry Xmas Everybody"
(1973)

"My Friend Stan" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1973 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album Old New Borrowed and Blue.[1] It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 2 in the UK, spending eight weeks on the chart.[2] The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in October 1973.[3]

Background[edit]

"My Friend Stan", alongside the compilation Sladest, was Slade's first release following drummer Don Powell's near fatal car crash in July 1973. The accident threw the band's future into doubt, however Powell survived and was soon able to join the band in recording material for their new album Old New Borrowed and Blue. One of the earliest songs to be recorded, "My Friend Stan" saw Powell still walking with the aid of a stick. He had to be lifted onto his drum stool during recording.[4] After Lea had come up with the song's melody, the band's manager Chas Chandler persuaded him to complete it after he had heard Lea playing the melody on his home piano.[5]

Release[edit]

"My Friend Stan" was released in the UK on 28 September 1973.[6] In the run-up to its release date, 250,000 advance orders were placed by retailers and, due to the high demand, Polydor had to import 100,000 copies of the single into the UK.[7][8][9]

Music video[edit]

The song's music video was filmed at Olympic Studios in London and portrays the band recording the song, with guitarist Dave Hill using his trademark Superyob guitar.[10][11]

Critical reception[edit]

Upon its release, Pete Jones of Record & Radio Mirror called "My Friend Stan" a "much slower Slade offering" and "really rather subdued". He concluded, "An obvious number one, and in some ways more memorable than some of the earlier rampagers."[12] Deborah Thomas of the Daily Mirror commented, "One in the eye from Slade to prove the Wolverhampton stompers haven't lost their shine."[13] John Hutson, writing for the Thanet Times, considered the release to be a "refreshing change from the Slade singles we have come to expect" and one which is "bound to be topping the charts within a couple of weeks". He described "My Friend Stan" as "quite a pleasant tune" and the B-side, "My Town", as being "much more like the Slade we are used to".[14] Widnes Weekly News called it a "real change for Noddy and the boys", with the song being "much slower than anything they've done since 'Look at Last Nite' and very subdued in comparison with 'Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me'". The reviewer continued, "And, possibly because it is such a change, it is an incredibly refreshing single. No need to predict the reception!"[15] James Belsey of the Bristol Evening Post described it as a "cheerful, breezy sort of bouncer", but felt it was "not really packing the impact we've come to expect from Slade".[16]

Track listing[edit]

7-inch single

  1. "My Friend Stan" – 2:38
  2. "My Town" – 3:02

Personnel[edit]

Slade

Production

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "My Friend Stan"
Chart (1973) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[17] 44
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[19] 8
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[20] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[21] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 13
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 10
Norway (VG-lista)[24] 5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[26] 2
West Germany (Official German Charts)[27] 5

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Slade - Old New Borrowed And Blue at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1974. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. ^ "SLADE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Home". BPI. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  4. ^ Old New Borrowed and Blue - 2006 Salvo remaster booklet liner notes
  5. ^ "CD Album - Slade - Greatest Hits - Feel The Noize - Polydor - UK". 45worlds.com. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Don Powell's biggest test". Record Mirror. 22 September 1973. p. 6. ISSN 0144-5804.
  7. ^ Tony Jasper, ed. (6 October 1973). "Chart Parade: Slade miss out". Record & Radio Mirror. p. 3. ISSN 0144-5804.
  8. ^ "1973 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  9. ^ Slade Fan Club Newsletter December 1973
  10. ^ "1986 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  11. ^ Slade International Fan Club newsletter June - July - August 1986
  12. ^ Jones, Pete (6 October 1973). "Singles UK". Record & Radio Mirror. p. 22. ISSN 0144-5804.
  13. ^ Thomas, Deborah (25 September 1973). "Tuesday Scene: Short Plays". Daily Mirror. p. 14. Retrieved 24 February 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ Hutson, John (2 October 1973). "New Slade disc refreshing". Thanet Times. p. 2. Retrieved 24 February 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Billy bids for success again". Widnes Weekly News. 5 October 1973. p. 29. Retrieved 24 February 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ Belsey, James (29 September 1973). "Pops". Bristol Evening Post. p. 22. Retrieved 24 February 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 277. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ^ "Slade – My Friend Stan" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Slade – My Friend Stan" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  20. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Slade". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 237. ISBN 978-952-7460-01-6.
  21. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – My Friend Stan". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Slade" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Slade – My Friend Stan" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Slade – My Friend Stan". VG-lista. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Slade – My Friend Stan". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  26. ^ "Slade: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Slade – My Friend Stan" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
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