Gypsy Roadhog

Album: Whatever Happened to Slade (1977)
Charted: 48
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • On page 17 of the January 22, 1977 issue of New Musical Express is a full-page advertisement for Gypsy Roadhog, which was Slade's new single. It is doubtful if the advert paid for itself because the song spent only two weeks in the charts and peaked at #48, the worst performance ever for Slade in the 1970s at a time they were riding high. Even an appearance on Top Of The Pops two days earlier could not boost sales.

    Written by group members Jim Lea and Noddy Holder, produced by Chas Chandler, this uptempo number runs to 3 minutes 20 seconds, and was released on Barn Records backed by "Forest Full Of Needles."
  • A decade and more later in a TV interview with Tony Blackburn and Jenny Hanley, Noddy Holder said that after they wrote the song, they were asked to appear on the popular children's magazine program Blue Peter, where they went out live (although they didn't actually perform live). The song, he said, was actually an anti-drugs song although it was about an American cocaine dealer. Unfortunately, the next day Keith Richards appeared in the newspapers in connection with possessing cocaine, and the details given included the use of silver spoons, something alluded to in the song. The people at Blue Peter were furious, and Radio One banned the song.

    Keith Richards appeared in court on January 12, 1977 where he was fined £750 after cocaine was found in his car following a crash. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments: 1

  • David from Hawarden, United KingdomSlade were certainly not "riding high" in 1977. The hits had long since dried up following the ill-fated years in America and the arrival of punk in the UK. Around the the time Gypsy Roadhog was released, Slade were playing at tiny clubs, desperately trying to claw their way back. Not until their appearance at the Reading Festival in 1980 did they begin their resurgence which lasted until the mid 80s. The album which featured Gypsy Roadhog, however, Whatever Happened To Slade, was a stunner. It failed to chart but was received warmly by every hardcore Slade fan I know. I must add that the performance of this song on Blue Peter, with the band pretending to be driving along in some silly "car" on a show for children was my most embarrassing memory of Slade in the 70s. The anti-Slade kids at school (there were many!) took the micky for weeks after that.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jeff Trott

Jeff TrottSongwriter Interviews

Sheryl Crow's longtime songwriting partner/guitarist Jeff Trott reveals the stories behind many of the singer's hits, and what its like to be a producer for Leighton Meester and Max Gomez.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."