Ambrose Slade (9 May 1969) Beginnings – Fontana STL 5492 UK Promo LP.

May 9, 1969
1 min read

This Fontana Records stereo promotional pressing of Beginnings marks the debut album by Ambrose Slade, the band that would soon become Slade.

Released in the United Kingdom on 9 May 1969, catalogue number STL 5492, the LP captures the group’s formative mix of self‑penned material and adventurous cover versions.

Label: Fontana Records Catalogue Number: STL 5492 Country: United Kingdom Format: Vinyl LP (Stereo Promo) Release Date: 9 May 1969

Matrix/Runout:

A side – 886766 1Y//2 420 1 1 < 

B side – 886766 2Y//2 420 1 1 2 Sticker: “Sample Record / Not For Sale” on Side 2

 Heritage Auctions –

Side A

Genesis — Hill, Holder, Lea, Powell
Everybody’s Next One — Kay, Mekler
Knocking Nails Into My House — Lynne
Roach Daddy — Hill, Holder, Lea, Powell
Ain’t Got No Heart — Zappa
Pity the Mother — Holder, Lea

Side B

Mad Dog Cole — Hill, Holder, Lea, Powell
Fly Me High — Hayward
If This World Were Mine — Gaye
Martha My Dear — Lennon, McCartney
Born to Be Wild — Bonfire
Journey to the Centre of Your Mind — Nugent, Farmer

Recorded during the band’s transition from The N’ Betweens to Ambrose Slade, Beginnings showcases their raw energy and eclectic influences — from Steppenwolf and Frank Zappa to The Moody Blues and Marvin Gaye. The album’s cover photo, shot on Pouk Hill in Walsall, became infamous after the band were asked to pose shirtless in freezing weather, inspiring the later song Pouk Hill on Play It Loud (1970).

Though commercially unsuccessful at release, Beginnings is now prized among collectors for its early glimpse of Slade’s developing sound — a blend of garage grit, psychedelic flair, and proto‑glam attitude.

Source: Fontana Records UK Promo LP STL 5492, Heritage Auctions Catalogue. All album artwork, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.