Slade in Flame (1975) – Film Review
Director: Richard Loncraine
Cast: Don Powell, Jim Lea, Noddy Holder
Certificate: 12
By Sarah Morgan
How does it feel to have a newly restored Blu-ray edition of the greatest rock movie ever made?
Pretty damn good, actually.
In The League of Gentlemen, one of Mark Gatiss’s regular characters was Les McQueen, the former rhythm guitarist of 1970s band Creme Brûlée, who often opined that showbiz was “a sh*t business”, and that idea is also writ large across Slade in Flame, which has been released in part to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary.
“Struggling to make a living”
When it first came out in 1975, it wasn’t well received by fans who had expected something more light-hearted to fit in with Slade’s happy-go-lucky image, but members Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Dave Hill and Don Powell didn’t want that (believe it or not, one plot idea involved a spoof version of The Quatermass Xperiment). Instead, they opted for a darker, more realistic approach and now, the result is regarded as something very special indeed – and deservedly so.
The story begins by charting the experiences of Flame, a group struggling to make a living, performing at weddings and clubs, fronted by hopeless Elvis wannabe Jack Daniels. Eventually, they give him the boot and bring in Stoker, the frontman of their former arch rivals.
After believing they have parted ways with their menacing manager Ron Harding, Flame are signed by slick marketing man Robert Seymour and quickly become a huge success. However, as tension mounts between the members, Harding rears his ugly head again, determined to get the cut of the money he believes he’s owed.
The screenplay was written by Andrew Birkin, writer of actress/singer Jane Birkin, who came up with the story after he and director Richard Loncraine joined Slade on a US tour. The moments they witnessed and the stories told to them by Noddy and co were incorporated, so almost everything you see is true to life; it didn’t necessarily happen to Slade, but it happened to somebody at some point.
“Extraordinary”
The lads are pretty good, but the stroke of genius is the fact that Loncraine and producer Gavrik Losey surrounded them with seasoned character actors to carry much of the drama, and to perhaps give them some words of advice.
The likes of Tom Conti and Johnny Shannon as the rival managers are magnificent, while Kenneth Colley offers strong support as Seymour’s henchman. Michael Coles appears as a musician and Diana Dors’ third and final husband, Alan Lake, delivers a typically – but fitting – over-the-top performance; the scene in which Harding’s hired thugs take their revenge on him is absolutely terrifying.
Of course, there’s some amazing music to enjoy too. The likes of ‘Far, Far Away’, ‘So Far So Good’ and my particular favourite, ‘How Does It Feel’, are standouts.
Special features include a ‘making of’ documentary from 2007, featuring interviews with the cast and crew, as well as a modern chat with Conti and a delightful short film from 1973 entitled This Week: Men’s Fashions, featuring some extraordinary clothing.
“Utter masterpiece”
Slade in Flame is a cautionary tale for anyone who fancies a music career, but it’s unlikely it will put anyone off – the thrills involved are too high. Nevertheless, it’s an utter masterpiece, a snapshot of the mid-1970s, reflecting a grim and grimy period in British history.
If you’ve never seen it, you’re certainly in for a surprise, and if some of the locations look familiar, it could be because it was partly filmed on location in Sheffield; sadly, many of the places depicted no longer exist.
Oh, and if someone knows where to buy the yellow Flame T-shirts worn by fans during the film, please let me know, because I’d rather like one.
Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.
Special features:
• Newly remastered and approved by director Richard Loncraine
• Newly recorded audio commentary with director Richard Loncraine and film critic Mark Kermode
• Make Way For Noddy (2025, 9 mins): actor Tom Conti discusses the making of Slade in Flame
• Noddy Holder Interview (2002, 54 mins): Noddy speaks to broadcaster Gary Crowley in the uncut, full-length version of an interview that later featured in The Making of Slade in Flame
• The Making of Slade in Flame (2007, 58 mins): featuring interviews with all four members of Slade, director Richard Loncraine and actor Tom Conti
• This Week: Men’s Fashions (1973, 5 mins): meet Tommy Nutter, the rebel tailor of Savile Row, as flamboyant fashions get thoroughly road tested in this glam 1970s fashion short
• Trailers
• Slade in Frame – a collection of promotional images from the film’s original release
FIRST PRESSING ONLY – Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Graham Rinaldi, other essays by JT Rathbone and Barry Forshaw, notes on the special features and credits
Slade in Flame is released on Blu-ray, DVD and digital by the BFI
