Slade – My (life in) music lists

100 best covers: #39 Great Big Sea “Run runaway”

Great Big Sea has long since been a household name here in Canada and is relatively well-known elsewhere as well, counting amongst their fans actor Russell Crowe. They are likely the most famous band to come out of Newfoundland and for a while during the late 90s and into the 2000s, were one of the best-selling groups here, their high-energy folk and updated interpretations of traditional sea shanties obviously finding a home in the hearts of good Canadian youth.

It certainly found me on first listen with this very cover of Slade’s* “Run runaway”. I remember catching the video at some point in the summer of 1995 or 1996 on MuchMusic, right around the time their video for “Mari Mac” also caught my attention. It wasn’t long at all before these two songs could be heard from open residence room doors and through the open windows of student apartments all around Toronto. Both are excellent tunes but it was this re-interpretation that first sold me.

Slade’s original came out around the time that I was just finding my own feet with music, branching out from my parents’ oldies radio listening in the car and regularly watching the chumFM top 30 countdown on CityTV. I didn’t, of course, know this at the time, but this was Slade’s second go round and comeback venture, their biggest inroads into the North American market. They had been flirting with glam rock throughout the 70s and were quite popular at home in England. It took a cover by metal band Quiet Riot of their 70s hit “Cum on feel the noize” to finally drum up interest in the US, leading to a signing with a US label, and the first single released was, of course, “Run runaway”.

Recorded for their 11th studio album, “The amazing kamikaze syndrome”, “Run runaway” was very much of its time. It has soaring guitars that put together a stadium-ready hook and there’s those shout-along vocals that had me along for the ride, even though I didn’t understand them. But it was far from a sellout. Slade didn’t stray far from their roots, employing electric violin and adapting traditional Scottish jig elements for a hard rock world.

Then, more than a decade later, Great Big Sea, removed the rock and upped the traditional. Their cover has flutes, accordions and fiddles and is sung like a shanty. They even made it more upbeat, which I wouldn’t have thought possible as a pre-teen.

And though the original has the nostalgia factor going for it, I gotta give the edge to the cover here.

Cover:

Original:

*This is, I believe, the second cover of a Slade tune to find its way on to this list.

For the rest of the 100 best covers list, click here.

100 best covers: #56 Oasis “Cum on feel the noize”

<< #57 | #55 >>

So here’s a great Friday tune. A rip-roaring number that, if you aren’t already, will get you all revved up to go out on the town, now that we can somewhat go out on the town again. A tune to blast out at eleven and… well… before I get too ahead of myself, let’s get back to some context.

During the mid-1990s, the Manchester quintet known as Oasis had a pretty terrific run of new music, one that I would have to say could rival any band in history, in terms of being prolific and the quality of their rock and roll. And I’m not just talking those brilliant first two albums. They also released a string of hit-making singles in this same period that showcased some pretty amazing b-sides*.

The fourth such single to be released from their sophomore record, “(What’s the story) morning glory?”, was the Noel-sung ballad, “Don’t look back in anger”. And of the three additional b-sides included on the CD single I managed to find as an import, each were great, but I actually recognized the fourth track as a song from my youth. Little did I know that even the commercially successful version from 1983, the one I remember singing to myself while walking to school in grade five, recklessly done by LA metal group, Quiet Riot, was also a cover.

Indeed, I was amused to learn that the original was actually done way back in 1973** by glam hard rockers, Slade. I, of course, knew of this group only by their 1983 hit, “Run runaway”, and though I liked that one well enough during my music video youth, I never felt the urge to check out their version of “Cum on feel the noize” until I sat down to write this post.

I always really liked this Oasis cover for the way it was just fun and raw, rock and roll, and captured that lightning-in-a-bottle live energy of theirs. But really, all of these versions of “Cum on feel the noize”, by such very different musical groups, were all approached from the same direction. All of these are loud and brash and a hell of a good time.

Personally, I’m still going with the Oasis one here over the others: I just don’t see myself cranking up the other two all that often. But… it’s Friday. Crank whichever one floats your boat and just giv’er!

Cover: