🔘 That’s What Friends Are For – Single: Apr. 1987

Released: April 20, 1987 (UK)

Label: RCA Records

Catalogue Number: PB 41417

Format: 7" Vinyl Single

A bright, upbeat late‑’80s Slade single — backed with the punchy rocker Wild Wild Party.

Issued during the You Boyz Make Big Noize era, the track continued Slade’s polished, radio‑friendly sound of the mid‑to‑late ’80s.

🔘 Overview

Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, That’s What Friends Are For showcased Slade’s melodic instincts with a warm, optimistic tone. Released on April 20, 1987, the single followed Still the Same and formed part of the band’s final major studio campaign.

Backed with Wild Wild Party, the release leaned into Slade’s trademark mix of camaraderie, hooks, and rock‑driven energy. Though not a major chart hit, it remains a key entry in their late‑era RCA catalogue and a favourite among collectors of the band’s 1985–87 output.

🔘 Track List (Common Configurations)

7" Vinyl — PB 41417

A. That’s What Friends Are For

B. Wild Wild Party

12" Vinyl — PT 41418

A. That’s What Friends Are For (Extended Version)

B1. Wild Wild Party

B2. That’s What Friends Are For (7" Version)

Written by: Noddy Holder, Jim Lea

Produced by: John Punter

🔘 Release Details

Label: RCA Records

Formats: 7" Vinyl / 12" Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1987

Notes:

- Third single of the You Boyz Make Big Noize era

- Polished late‑’80s Slade sound

- 12" includes extended version

- Issued in standard picture sleeve

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

UK – RCA – PB 41417 (1987)

Format: 7" Vinyl

Variant 2

UK – RCA – PT 41418 (1987)

Format: 12" Vinyl

🔘 Chart Data (BBC / Official Charts Company)

Peak Position: UK — No Chart Entry

Weeks on Chart: —

Chart Run (Official Charts):

No UK chart position recorded.

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

Punter’s production emphasises clean guitars, layered vocals, and a bright, contemporary sheen — typical of Slade’s 1987 output.

Collector Notes

12" extended versions are the most sought after. Clean PB 41417 sleeves remain desirable due to the single’s relative scarcity.

Legacy

A warm, upbeat Slade single — melodic, polished, and emblematic of their final RCA era.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single

Still the Same (1987)

Next Single

We Won’t Give In (1987)

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Still the Same — 1987

That’s What Friends Are For — 1987

We Won’t Give In — 1987

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

Apr. 20, 1987 — UK single released

1987 — Part of the You Boyz Make Big Noize campaign

🔘 Glam Flashback

A friendly burst of late‑’80s Slade spirit — upbeat, polished, and full of heart.

🔘 Sources

RCA Records

Discogs

Official Charts Company

Slade archival documentation