After several albums featuring few original compositions from the quartet came and went (1969's Beginnings, 1970's Play It Loud), the group began to write their own tunes, grew their hair long, and assumed the look of the then-burgeoning glam movement, joining the same cause championed by such fellow Brits as David Bowie and T. Rex. This new direction paid off in 1971 with the number 16 U.K. single "Get Down and Get With It," which soon touched off a string of classic singles and led to Slade becoming one of the most beloved party bands back home. They released Slayed? in 1972. Slade also utilized another gimmick, humorously misspelled song titles, as evidenced by such singles as "Coz I Luv You," "Look Wot You Dun," "Take Me Bak 'Ome," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," "Gudbuy t'Jane," "Cum on Feel the Noize," "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me," and "Merry Xmas Everybody" (the latter of which re-entered the charts every holiday season for years afterward). Several attempts at cracking the U.S. market came up empty (with track listings between their U.K. and U.S. full-lengths differing), although such albums as Slade Alive! and Slayed? are considered to be some of the finest albums of the glam era.
Slade continued to score further hit singles back home, including such correctly spelled tracks as "My Friend Stan," "Everyday," "Bangin' Man," "Far Far Away," "How Does it Feel," and "In for a Penny," but with glam rock's dissolution and punk's emergence by the mid-'70s, the hits eventually dried up for the quartet. Despite the change in musical climate, Slade stuck to their guns and kept touring and releasing albums, as the title to their 1977 album, Whatever Happened to Slade, proved that the group's humor remained intact despite their fall from the top of the charts. A large, dedicated following still supported the group as they offered a performance at the 1980 Reading Festival that was considered one of the day's best, resulting in sudden renewed interest in the group back home and Slade scored their first true hit singles in six years with 1981's "We'll Bring the House Down" and "Lock up Your Daughters."
Slade received a boost stateside around this time as well, courtesy of the U.S. pop-metal outfit Quiet Riot, who made a smash hit out of "Cum on Feel the Noize" in 1983 that resulted in a strong chart showing for Slade's 1984 release Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (issued as The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome in the U.K. a year earlier). Slade then enjoyed a pair of U.S. MTV/radio hits, "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My." Holder and Lea also tried their hand at producing another artist around this time as well, as they manned the boards for Girlschool's 1983 release Play Dirty. Despite another all-new studio release, Rogues Gallery, and Quiet Riot covering another classic Slade tune ("Mama Weer All Crazee Now"), Slade was unable to retain their newfound American audience or rekindled British following and they eventually faded from sight once more, this time without a comeback waiting around the corner. During the '90s, a truncated version of the group dubbed Slade II was formed (without Holder or Lea in attendance), while Holder became a popular U.K. television personality as well as the host of his own '70s rock radio show. A 21-track singles compilation, Feel the Noize: The Very Best of Slade, was issued in 1997 (re-released under the simple title of Greatest Hits a couple of years later), which proved to be a popular release in England.
Discography
Beginnings (as Ambrose Slade, 1969)
Play It Loud (1970)
Slayed? (1972)
Slade Alive! (1972)
Old New Borrowed and Blue (1974)
Slade in Flame (1974)
Nobody's Fools (1976)
Whatever Happened to Slade (1977)
Return to Base (1979)
We'll Bring the House Down (1981)
Till Deaf Do Us Part (1981)
The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (1983), re-released in 1984 as:
- Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (1984)
Rogues Gallery (1985)
Crackers - The Christmas Party Album (1985)
You Boyz Make Big Noize (1987)
Keep on Rockin' (1994) (as Slade II), is the only studio album by Slade II. The album was released in 1994 and has seen various re-issues and guises under alternative names such as Wild Nites (1999), Cum on Let's Party! (2002) and Superyob (2003).
There are other artists with the same name:
2. Slade less commonly refers to Grady Slade, Jr, a Rap artist
3. Slade also refers to a rapper who made music from 2013-2016 under the label, Chapter 9. He currently makes music under a new alias, Dante Oasis.
Thanks For The Memory
Slade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have a housemaid on your knee
Eat an apple everyday
An onion keeps everyone away
Have an athlete on your feet
Have a love-smell on your sheet
Eat an apple everyday
Chorus
He'll tell you
Thanks for the memory
Thanks for it all
Wham bam thank you mam
Thanks for the ball
Have a burglar alarm
Have a milkmaid on your farm
Can you raise a ballyhoo
If only there's nothing else to do
Have some butter with your fly
They said bananas could get you high
Eat an apple everyday
For the doctor has gotta earn his pay
Chorus
He'll tell you
Thanks for the memory
Thanks for it all
Wham bam thank you mam
Thanks for the ball
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
(Wham bam thanks you mam)
Break
Come a-west us chickadee *
Tap the water on your knee
Eat an apple everyday
The doctor has gotta keep away
Chorus
He'll tell you
Thanks for the memory
Thanks for it all
Wham bam thank you mam
Thanks for the ball
He'll tell you
Thanks for the memory yeh
Thanks for it all
Wham bam thank you very much mam
Thanks for the ball
The lyrics to Slade's song "Thanks for the Memory" are a playful and humorous take on how to live a healthy and enjoyable life. The opening line, "Como estas chickadee" is a Spanish greeting that translates to "How are you, little bird?" The song goes on to suggest various ways to stay healthy and happy, such as having a housemaid on your knee, eating an apple every day, and having a love-smell on your sheets. The chorus is a tongue-in-cheek way of thanking someone for everything they've done, saying "Wham bam thank you mam, thanks for the ball."
As the song continues, it gets more absurd, suggesting having a burglar alarm and a milkmaid on your farm, and even eating butter with your fly. These nonsensical suggestions are paired with the idea that eating an apple every day will keep the doctor away, as the doctor "has gotta earn his pay." The song ends with a slightly modified chorus, adding "very much" to "thanks for the ball."
Overall, "Thanks for the Memory" is a lighthearted and goofy song that encourages listeners to enjoy life and take care of their health in a humorous way.
Line by Line Meaning
Como estas chickadee
How are you, dear?
Have a housemaid on your knee
Have a housemaid sit on your lap
Eat an apple everyday
Consume an apple on a regular basis
An onion keeps everyone away
An onion's smell can repel others
Have an athlete on your feet
Wear athletic shoes
Have a love-smell on your sheet
Spray perfume on your bedsheets
The doctor has gotta keep away
By eating an apple every day, you can avoid having to go to a doctor
Chorus
Refrain
He'll tell you
He will express to you
Thanks for the memory
Thank you for the memories
Thanks for it all
Thank you for everything
Wham bam thank you mam
Thank you and goodbye
Thanks for the ball
Thank you for the entertainment
Have a burglar alarm
Install a security system
Have a milkmaid on your farm
Employ someone to milk your cows
Can you raise a ballyhoo
Can you create a commotion?
If only there's nothing else to do
Only if there is nothing better to do
Have some butter with your fly
Have buttered bread with your fly (as bait)
They said bananas could get you high
There is an urban legend about the effects of bananas
For the doctor has gotta earn his pay
The doctor needs to make a living
Break
Instrumental interlude
Come a-west us chickadee *
Come on, let's go
Tap the water on your knee
Make some noise by tapping the water with your knee
He'll tell you
He will say to you
Thanks for the memory yeh
Thank you for the memories, yes
Wham bam thank you very much mam
Thank you very much and goodbye
Thanks for the ball
Thank you for the entertainment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: HOLDER LEA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mickey misa
I was so lucky to be in school when these masters were giving us the great sounds.
Christian Fischer
I remember my teacher rockin' slade in his car on his way home from school 🤟
INTP
@Christian FischerHow do you know? Was his way home your way home? 😂
Martin Wills
Never get tired of listening to Slade, if only the band would come out of retirement with Noddy, I'd pay any amount of money to watch them perform again 👍
Mark Gillease
Definitely ahead of it's time, rockin' feel-good tune!Love it!
Rahju
Listened to the Bside of this single when I was 12 and it altered my life forever! Raining in my champagne! Great liberating energy from one of the greatest rock bands ever.
bigmagic96
Still love listening to The Mighty Slade. They will never be surpassed, the greatest ever!
Michael Myers
Sorry but The Beatles are forever the greatest!
bigmagic96
+Slaztro Many agree with you, I too think they were wonderful, so Beatles and Slade forever, but Slade for a bit longer! :)
Ye Olde Football Channel
Slade? Beatles? BOOOH! All Hail the Bay City Rollers!