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I've finally ordered a copy of....




Flame by John Pidgeon

Mark wrote: "The novel, Flame, by a gentleman named John Pidgeon, is equally enjoyable and well worth searching out. Doubtful it'll ever be trotted back into print, tarted up for a new generation of shiny young discriminating literati, so a battered old paperback would probably be your best bet."

I was inspired by Mark's post and, also, another Mark, Mark Kermode who loves the film and his latest Kermode on Film podcast is all about the film. During his musings he says how much additional background information is in the novel, and which had to be left out of the film so it could get a "A" certificate, meaning young kids could watch it.

I'll report back when I've read it

And reposted from another thread, and seeing as it is vaguely relevant....


Nigeyb wrote: "



Always good to rewatch Slade In Flame. Here's a photo I took on 30 July 2013, off the TV, of Johnny Shannon - a regular face on British TVs in the 1970s. In Flame he plays Ron Harding, the band's agent in the early scenes. Film critic Mark Kermode has described Flame as "the Citizen Kane of British pop movies". It *is* very good."

I'm probably the only person here to care about his film. I finished it last night. Very enjoyable. A good ten years since I last watched it - and it still stands up.

Now then, ever wondered what Don Powell made of it all. No, me neither.

It includes a list of the locations - some of which I recognised...

Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park, North London
Hammersmith Palais - West London
Converted biscuit factory - Kensal Rise, London
Grand Hotel - Brighton
Portland Hotel - London (now demolished)
Maunsell Forts - Thames Estuary
Jack Barclay Cars - Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London
Pinner, London Borough of Harrow
Sheffield
Park Hill Flats - Sheffield
Portobello Road Market, London
Public Toilets - Portobello Road / Talbot Street
Bluebell Line - Kent
Wandsworth Town Hall - now Wandsworth Art Centre
Sherwood Rooms, Nottingham (now called Oceana)
Strip Club - Soho, London

Mark wrote: "Along similar lines, last year saw the dvd premier of a brilliant little film titled 'Never Too Young To Rock' [1975], which featured not only Slade, but also Mud, the Glitter Band, The Rubettes, etcet. If you dig 'In Flame,' you'll dig this. Simple as."

In related news, finally ordered a copy of...

'Never Too Young To Rock'



^ Dodgy quality, but still joyous, life reaffirming stuff

Next up for me is....


Slade in Flame by John Pidgeon

In late Summer of 1974, Slade, at the peak of their fame, filmed the movie Slade In Flame.

The film was a mild success in the UK, but subsequently has achieved critical and cult acclaim.

When the film was reviewed on Film '75 Barry Norman said - "For all it's failings it has a gritty realism which you can't escape and in fact it has some kind of attraction at the end of the day."

This was a prophetic statement in many ways, because Slade were expected to make a slapstick comedy however did the opposite which showed the unseemly side of the rock business. Whether the fans really wanted this expose is debateable.

Critic Mark Kermode says it's one of his favourite films describing it as the Citizen Kane of British pop movies.

Once the Flame film was in the can, a novel was commissioned - Slade in Flame by John Pidgeon - based on the original screenplay by Andrew Birkin.

John Pidgeon based it on the film - but made it tougher. The sex and violence were beefed up.

Slade in Flame was published by Panther Books in January 1975.

Eight pages of black and white stills from the film were included in the middle of the book.

The book sold 150,000 copies in 1975. "Pretty good for any book" said Nick Webb, the editorial executive at Panther Books at the time.

I'll let you know how it goes.



Flame by John Pidgeon

Mark wrote: "Along similar lines, last year saw the dvd premier of a brilliant little film titled 'Never Too Young To Rock' [1975], which featured not only Slade, but also Mud, the Glitter Band, The Rubettes, etcet. If you dig 'In Flame,' you'll dig this. Simple as."

My DVD of this has arrived. Hurrah

Man, how the hell did I miss the additions to this thread? Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ must be acting up.

Really glad to hear that you got the Never Too Young To Rock film, and are tucking into the paperback of Slade In Flame... you’re onto winners with each! I may have to reach up and pull my own copy down for a re-read.

I'm really enjoying Slade in Flame


Despite not having watched the film for a few years, and at just over the halfway point, I have the film playing in my head whilst reading the book. It's generally very faithful to the film.

I do need to remind myself about when, in the film, Jack Daniels steals the band's contract from Ron Harding. In the book Daniels gets a really extreme beating which I don't think is the case in the film. Indeed I'm not even sure if Daniels steals the contract at all or if that is an addition to the book. I know Ron Harding tries to get some money from the new management.

I'll be re-watching the film once I've finished the book.

I really enjoyed the novelised version of the Slade in Flame tale. The story involves the rise of the group Flame, who start as two separate groups, from local gigs to the big time. They are given a helping hand by a wealthy patron who wants to apply his branding techniques to marketing a pop group. Lurking in the background is the group's old manager, a gangster, who tries to get a cut of the action. Tensions within the group emerge as they become more successful. It's a cynical and world weary view of the music business. The film informed how I saw it all in my mind's eye but that is no bad thing. The book doesn't really add much to the film but is no less enjoyable for that. If you have fond memories of Slade, or the film, then I can guarantee you'll enjoy reading the story too.

Here’s my review

4/5

It sounds like you had as much fun with the book as I did, and your review has done the job of making pull out the dvd, pull down the novel, and spend a bit of time revisiting both. Which is really something I should do every few years anyhow.

I'm going to be rewatching the film imminently. I listened to the soundtrack a couple of times whilst reading the book. I really like the tunes on it - though perhaps, in hindsight, they deviated too far from the old template?

Hard to say, really... some bands are able to trot out the same old templates until their dying day and get away with it. See: Ramones, Motorhead. I only have time for one band like that, and for me it's always been the Ramones. Conversely, the Clash album that I find myself returning to most these days is Sandinista, and the older I get, the more I marvel at just how very far they were able to deviate from the old template. Some would argue that they didn’t deviate successfully, but I’d disagree.

So, yeah, bit of a tricky situation, that one.

For the sake of making a cheap argument, though, I’d say that Slade deviated more successfully -- ie: with better tunes -- than Sweet did. Hell, give me Run Runaway over Love Is Like Oxygen any day of the week!

But I totally agree with you -- the Flame soundtrack is included in that massive Slade vinyl boxed set, and I reckon it more than holds its own.

All good points and I'm certainly not saying groups should just stick to what they do best.

I'd agree with your Sweet and Slade comparison, then again the leap from Wig Wam Bam to Blockbuster was seismic and although both tunes were by Chinnichap it was Sweet's desire to get a bit of hardness into the singles that initiated the change, and I believe they had quite a hand in the arrangements thereafter.

I know I'm preaching to the converted but that four single run - Blockbuster, Hellraiser, Ballroom Blitz, and Teenage Rampage - is as strong a run as anyone has ever managed

Got to say I admire Sandinista more than love it. Definitely got a few good tunes on it though and it is really varied. London Calling on the other hand is wall-to-wall solid gold. I love every single tune on it.

Back to the Flame soundtrack, I agree that it stands up well and I always like the Slade slowies like Far Far Away, and How Does It Feel. Heaven Knows is another great tune from that album, as is closer Standin' On The Corner. Hell it's all pretty damn fine and it's interesting to hear them with a brass section. And, of course, I could listen to Nod sing the telephone directory. One of the all time great singing voices. Unbelievable. I still get goosebumps ever time I hear the intro to Cum On Feel The Noize.

Good point about the growth between Wig Wam Bam and Blockbuster. I just remember hearing Love Is Like Oxygen for the first time, when it came out, and scratching my head. For me, it was a massive letdown. Mind you, I never really ventured too deeply into latter-day Slade, possibly because I’d always sensed disappointment looming and decided to give it a swerve. Maybe I’m missing out on a gem or two?

Also a good point about London Calling which, if I had to choose, would likely be the Clash album that I rate highest. But, while London Calling [as well as Eternally Yours, the second album from The Saints] completely flew in the face of what "punk rock" was expected to be, Sandinista disproved expectations in an even bigger way. It took me a few years, admittedly, but I eventually learned to absolutely love its sense of adventure and exploration. They truly went out on a limb -- or many limbs, more like -- but I eventually found that sense of experimentation to be more exciting. Still, I can sorta understand the naysayers� cries of self-indulgence.

But, back to Slade... I’ve just had an email notice from Amazon UK saying that, finally, Don Powell's book will be coming out in paperback in early October! Needless to say, it’s jumped to the very top of my to-buy list!

Glad to learn you'll finally get to read Don's book.


Yep, can certainly see the appeal of Sandanista - plenty to enjoy there.

I need to revisit Eternally Yours right now

I agree on Sandinista - a very brave, pioneering effort which is what The Clash were all about. They invited the Coventry Specials (playing ska and bluebeat, of course) on to their 1978 Give Em Enough Rope tour, and the punks seemed to accept that, in light of Police and Thieves having fed them a reggae titbit on the debut album. Suicide were also on the bill at the band's invitation, and Vega was superb, facing down the disgusting gobbing and missiles that came his way for being different, but far more in keeping with the chimeral ethos of 'punk' than the spitting safety pin kids. GEER rarely gets a mention in Clash discussion though, and it's the one that I never owned, along with anything post-Combat Rock. Might it be re-appraised and rehabilitated, I wonder?

Don's book will be interesting, especially given his post-accident memory loss. An acquaintance who shared a bill with Slade when they toured the ballroom circuit on the cusp of success, said that the band were great guys apart from Don. This surprised me, as Dave Hill and he were the originals and the best of mates, and one might have assumed that they were of similar outlook.

Give ’em Enough Rope has more than its share of fantastic songs, and it deserves a place in anybody’s Clash collection. I think most of the slagging that it gets is due to its production values -- but those who accuse it of having been over-produced never seem to have a problem with the first album having been under-produced, so it’s an argument that I never understood or saw much merit in.

Post-Combat Rock could only mean Cut The Crap, and I’ll cop to having a tenuous relationship with that one. The seeds of some potentially brilliant songs are on that one but, when all is said and done, This Is England is the only track that truly shines... and it shines far more than it’s given credit for doing.

Alan Vega? God bless him! That first Suicide album is a classic!

So, David... safe to assume that you were at one of the Clash/Specials/Suicide gigs? If so, I truly envy you the experience and tip my hat to you.

Hi Mark

Yes, I was there, Aberdeen Music Hall, Summer 78. All three bands in great form, but Alan Vega’s performance remains the one that sticks in the memory.

I’d seen The Clash previously on the White Riot tour (I so wish I still had the poster) where Subway Sect and (I think) Johnny and the Self-Abusers (later Simple Minds?) supported. My, but it was raw and sabre-toothed. I think everybody who attended stole a guitar from Woolworths and formed bands next day.

I must get around to listening to GEER 41 years on. I do remember Drug Stabbing Time and The English Civil War, but little else.

I saw them one more time, in 82, just after Joe disappeared and re-surfaced in Paris. We were bussed 100 miles from the original venue to the show at Inverness Ice Rink (yes, really). They were superb that night. Even before I used this app as a means of cataloguing my reading, I can recall that I spent the outward journey getting into Bernard Crick’s mastetful biography of George Orwell.

In these worrying times, I think I may have to arrange a riot of my own.

Mark wrote: "Along similar lines, last year saw the dvd premier of a brilliant little film titled 'Never Too Young To Rock' [1975], which featured not only Slade, but also Mud, the Glitter Band, The Rubettes, etcet. If you dig 'In Flame,' you'll dig this. Simple as."

I've now watched about half of...

'Never Too Young To Rock'

I love the live musical clips but the "plot" that holds it all together is totally bizarre and a bit annoying.

Still, worth it for Mud in the cafe with all the football fans, and the Glitter Band rampaging around on a boat in their glam finery. Yet to encounter Slade or the Rubettes yet.

I had no recollection of Bonzo's spin off The Whoopee Band but they were quite entertaining too