Wikipedia

Everyday (Slade song)

"Everyday" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1974 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Old New Borrowed and Blue. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder, bassist Jim Lea and his wife Louise Lea (uncredited), and was produced by Chas Chandler. It reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart and spent seven weeks in the top 50.[1] The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in April 1974, only three days after its release.[2][3]

"Everyday"
German/Yugoslavian cover of "Everyday".
Single by Slade
from the album Old New Borrowed and Blue
B-side"Good Time Gals"
Released29 March 1974
Length3:05
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Chas Chandler
Slade singles chronology
"Merry Xmas Everybody"
(1973) 		"Everyday"
(1974) 		"When the Lights Are Out"
(1974)
Audio sample

In 2013, the song was used in a UK advert for the Nexus 7 tablet. As a result, it re-entered the UK chart in late November and peaked at number 69 the following month.[1]

Background

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With the release of Old New Borrowed and Blue in February 1974, the band's manager Chas Chandler suggested "Everyday" be released as the second single from the album. The band's popularity in the UK meant that there was a big demand for a new release. However, the band, particularly Lea, did not feel the song was single material. On a flight to Australia for a short tour there, Chandler and Lea argued about the idea; however, Chandler ultimately won, and "Everyday" was released as a single in March.[4] Being a piano-led ballad, which was an unusual style for Slade, the band knew they were taking a risk.[5] "Everyday" reached No. 3 in the UK and would go on to become a regular sing-a-long inclusion at the band's concerts.[5]

The idea for "Everyday" came out of an evening at Lea's house where he was entertaining friends. Responding to the question of how he wrote songs, Lea said "easy, anyone can do it" and each person then attempted to come up with their idea for a song on the spot. Lea's wife Louise had come up with an idea, which formed the basis of "Everyday"'s verse. Lea later developed her idea further to become a Slade song.[6] Once he had finished the music and some more of the lyrics, Holder finished the final lyrics off. During the recording of the song, guitarist Dave Hill was abroad on his honeymoon so Lea played the guitar solo.[7][5]

During a 2017 live question and answer event with Lea at the Robin 2 club, Lea was asked whether his wife received a writing credit for the song. He replied: "No, she didn't. I feel really bad about that and I have spoken to Nod about it. She should have a credit, it should be Lea, Lea, Holder. Why I didn't credit Lou on it was because it wasn't that long before with the John and Yoko thing going on, where Yoko was in the studio all the time and it was messing about with the Beatles. And I didn't want to have that sort of pressure. I mean, Lou wouldn't have done it anyway, she would never have pressured me. She should have a credit now I think, I should put it to the publishers that that's what we should do."[8]

Release

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"Everyday" was released on 7" vinyl by Polydor Records in the UK, Ireland, across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan.[9][10] The B-side, "Good Time Gals", had also previously appeared as an album track on Old New Borrowed and Blue.[11]

Promotion

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In the UK, the band performed the song twice on the music show Top of The Pops (28 March and 11 April), and on Clunk Click.[12][13] The band also performed the song on the Dutch AVRO TV show TopPop.[14]

Critical reception

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Upon its release as a single, Peter Jones of Record Mirror noted the "quite remarkable change of style" for Slade, trading in their "stomping, barnstorming, rabble-rousing" sound for a "gentle ballad". He felt the song showed the "plaintive side" of Holder, though "the rasp has not vanished from [his] voice", and concluded, "This lull, this leaning on lilting rather than lambasting, is not only welcome – it's great stuff. Lovely little melody; nice performance. Smash hit. And already one of my favourite Slade efforts."[15] Michael Hewins of the Coventry Evening Telegraph awarded four stars and wrote, "As much as it's undeniably Slade – no one sounds like Noddy – it's undeniably totally different from anything they've come up with before. A ballad with a catchy melody line that hooks you and won't let go. It can't fail."[16]

In a retrospective review of Old New Borrowed and Blue, Dave Thompson of AllMusic wrote, "'Everyday' held the secret of the band's future, a crowd-swaying singalong of such scarf-waving majesty that it might well be single-handedly responsible for every great record U2 has ever made".[17] In 2005, BBC Radio 2 ranked the song at number 9 out of 100 in their "Sold on Song" library and commented on Holder's "decidedly affectionate and most un-Slade-like lyric". They added, "It was a rare sentimental concession from the band who built their reputation on some of the best-loved rock 'n' roll of the 1970s."[5]

Track listing

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7-inch single

  1. "Everyday" – 3:05
  2. "Good Time Gals" – 3:28

Personnel

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Slade

Production

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] 13
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[19] 13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 22
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[21] 9
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[22] 7
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[26] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 3
West Germany (GfK)[29] 17
Chart (2013) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 69

Year-end charts

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Chart (1974) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[30] 93

References

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  1. ^ a b "slade | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Home". BPI. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  3. ^ Slade Fan Club Newsletter, June–July 1974.
  4. ^ Slade Documentary Perseverance 1986
  5. ^ a b c d "Radio 2 - Sold on Song - Top 100 - no. 9: 'Everyday'". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Jim Lea Q & A at The Robin 2 November 5 2017 Part 4". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. ^ "CD Album - Slade - Greatest Hits - Feel The Noize - Polydor - UK". 45worlds.com. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Jim Lea Q & A at The Robin 2 November 5 2017 Part 5". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  9. ^ "ALL Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Slade - Everyday at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Slade - Old New Borrowed And Blue at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  12. ^ "1986 - Slade Fan Club". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  13. ^ Slade International Fan Club Newsletter, June–July – August 1986.
  14. ^ "Slade - Everyday • TopPop". YouTube. 9 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  15. ^ Jones, Peter (30 March 1974). "Singles UK". Record & Radio Mirror. p. 28. ISSN 0144-5804.
  16. ^ Hewins, Michael (28 March 1974). "Pop Review: Slade all set to slay 'em". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 7. Retrieved 25 October 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ Thompson, Dave. "Slade - Old New Borrowed and Blue - Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Slade – Everyday" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Slade – Everyday" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Slade – Everyday" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Everyday". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Slade" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Slade – Everyday" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  26. ^ "Slade – Everyday". VG-lista. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  27. ^ "Slade – Everyday". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  28. ^ a b "Slade: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  29. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Slade – Everyday" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  30. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. 30 December 1974. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
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