Slade (9 May 1975) Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam) – 7" Single (UK/US)

Slade
May 9, 1975
3 min read

A driving, keyboard‑coloured glam rocker marking Slade’s return after the Slade In Flame film, Thanks For The Memory became their final Top 10 hit of the 1970s.

Artist: Slade

Title: Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)

Release Date: 9 May 1975 (7" release)

Label: Polydor Records

Format: 7" Vinyl

Catalogue Number: 2058 622 (UK) / international variants

Country: United Kingdom / worldwide

Length: 7:21 (combined A/B sides)

Thanks For The Memory was Slade’s first new single following their film Slade In Flame. Although the film later gained acclaim as one of the greatest rock films ever made, its initial reception was mixed, surprising fans with its darker tone. Released four weeks after the film’s theme single How Does It Feel, Thanks For The Memory reached number 7 in the UK and remained in the charts for seven weeks. It sold 200,000 copies in its first two weeks and became the band’s last Top 10 hit until 1981’s We’ll Bring The House Down.

TRACK LISTING

7" Vinyl – Polydor – 1975

Side A

Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam) – 3:30 (approx)

Side B

Raining In My Champagne – 3:51 (approx)

SLEEVE DETAILS

Sleeve Type: Standard Polydor company sleeve (most territories)

Photography: Promotional images from the Slade In Flame era

Design: Polydor Records art department

Variants: Issued across Europe, Scandinavia, Yugoslavia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan; UK Smiths Crisps flexi-disc version

“Very fast, driving single… difficult to gauge what it’ll do, but I don’t think it’s going to be one of their biggest hits.” — Record Mirror

THE STORY BEHIND IT

Following the darker tone of Slade In Flame, the band returned with a more upbeat single, though one that introduced a new sound: keyboards. Jim Lea played the part himself after a session player failed to capture the feel the band wanted. Noddy Holder later cited the track as one of his favourites, and Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham told Lea he wished he could have played on it. The B‑side, Raining In My Champagne, was exclusive to the single until its later appearance on the 2007 B‑Sides compilation. A promotional video was filmed, and the band performed the song on Top Of The Pops and Shang‑A‑Lang.

PUBLICATION

Release Type: 7" Single

Date: 9 May 1975

Country: United Kingdom / worldwide

Catalogue Number: 2058 622 (UK)

Formats: 7" single, Smiths Crisps flexi-disc

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: Release of Slade’s first post‑Flame single

Era: 1975

Tone: Energetic, keyboard‑driven glam rock

Artwork: Standard Polydor sleeve or promotional imagery

Audience: Glam rock fans, Slade collectors, UK chart listeners

CONTEXT AND NOTES

The single marked a stylistic shift with its prominent keyboard part. Despite strong sales and a Top 10 peak, it reflected the beginning of Slade’s commercial slowdown in the UK. International releases were widespread, and the Smiths Crisps flexi-disc remains a notable collectible.

DISCOGRAPHY SIDEBAR

How Does It Feel — 1975

Thanks For The Memory — 1975

In For A Penny — 1975

ERA MINI-TIMELINE

February 1975 — Slade In Flame film released

March 1975 — How Does It Feel single released

9 May 1975 — Thanks For The Memory released

1975 — International issues and Smiths Crisps flexi-disc

OTHER FORMATS

7" Flexi-disc — Far Far Away / Thanks For The Memory (Smiths Crisps)

International 7" issues — multiple Polydor catalogue variants

CHART PERFORMANCE

United Kingdom:

UK Singles Chart — #7 (7 weeks)

International:

Released widely across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan

GLAM FLASHBACK

Thanks For The Memory captures Slade at a turning point: still powerful, still inventive, but moving into a more mature and musically adventurous phase. Its keyboard‑driven sound, sharp humour, and high‑energy delivery make it one of the band’s most distinctive mid‑70s singles.

SOURCES

Record Mirror

Thanet Times

Aberdeen Evening Express

Greenford & Northolt Gazette

Slade discography archives

Polydor Records release documentation

All artwork, photographs, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This 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.