Slade (September 28, 1973) – "My Friend Stan" b/w "My Town" Single: United Kingdom
"My Friend Stan" was released on September 28, 1973 as the first single from Slade's fourth studio album, Old New Borrowed And Blue. Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, the song marked the band's first major release following drummer Don Powell's near-fatal car accident in July 1973..
The accident briefly cast uncertainty over the future of the band, but Powell recovered sufficiently to participate in the recording sessions for the new album. "My Friend Stan" was among the earliest songs recorded for the project, with Powell still requiring assistance and using a walking stick during the sessions.
The single represented a noticeable stylistic shift from the band's recent chart-topping hits. Rather than relying on the stomping glam-rock approach associated with releases such as "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me", the song adopted a lighter and more melodic direction.
Released during one of Slade's most successful commercial periods, retailer demand was so strong that 250,000 advance orders were placed before release, forcing Polydor to import an additional 100,000 copies into the United Kingdom.
RECORDING
The song originated from a melody created by Jim Lea on piano. After hearing the piece at Lea's home, manager and producer Chas Chandler encouraged him to finish developing the composition.
Recording took place during sessions for Old New Borrowed And Blue. Don Powell participated despite still recovering from injuries sustained in his July 1973 car accident.
Produced by Chas Chandler for Barn Productions.
STYLE & THEMES
"My Friend Stan" retained Slade's glam-rock identity while introducing a more relaxed and melodic approach than many of their earlier singles.
Contemporary reviewers frequently highlighted the song's less aggressive style, describing it as subdued, refreshing and markedly different from the band's recent chart successes.
The B-side, "My Town", was generally regarded as closer to the harder-edged Slade sound audiences had come to expect.
TRACK‑BY‑TRACK NOTES
• My Friend Stan — A melodic glam-rock single written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. The song became the lead single from Old New Borrowed And Blue and one of the band's biggest international hits.
• My Town — The accompanying B-side, written by Holder and Lea and produced by Chas Chandler. Contemporary reviewers noted its stronger connection to Slade's established sound.
RELEASE HISTORY
"My Friend Stan" was released in the United Kingdom on September 28, 1973 through Polydor Records.
Demand for the single was exceptionally high. Following advance orders of a quarter of a million copies, Polydor reportedly imported additional stock from overseas pressing plants to satisfy UK demand.
The song became another major Slade success, reaching number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and spending eight weeks on the chart. Internationally the record achieved chart success across Europe and reached number 1 in Ireland.
CHARTS & CERTIFICATIONS
EUROPE
UK Singles Chart — Peak: 2
Ireland — Peak: 1
Belgium (Flanders) — Peak: 7
Belgium (Wallonia) — Peak: 8
Finland — Peak: 10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) — Peak: 13
Netherlands (Single Top 100) — Peak: 10
Norway — Peak: 5
Switzerland — Peak: 6
West Germany — Peak: 5
PACIFIC
Australia (Kent Music Report) — Peak: 44
CERTIFICATIONS
UK — BPI Silver — October 1973
AWARDS
None supplied.
PERSONNEL
Slade
Noddy Holder — lead vocals, guitar, songwriter
Dave Hill — lead guitar, backing vocals
Jim Lea — piano, bass, backing vocals, songwriter
Don Powell — drums
PRODUCTION
Produced by Chas Chandler
Produced for Barn Productions
Label: Polydor Records
Published by Barn Publishing Ltd.
NOTES
• Released in a Polydor company sleeve in the UK.
• UK copies were issued with red injection-moulded labels.
• Pressed by Phonodisc Ltd.
• Due to demand, copies carrying the UK catalogue number were also pressed in the USA and France.
RELEASE VARIANTS TABLE
Artist | Title | Label | Country | Catalogue | Date | Format |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | UK | 2058 407 | September 28, 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Angola | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Australia | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Austria | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan / My Town | Polydor | Belgium | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | France | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Germany | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Ireland | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Italy | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Japan | DP 1922 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Netherlands | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | New Zealand | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Philippines | PRO-3369 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Portugal | 2058.407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Scandinavia | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Singapore | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | South Africa | PS 279 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan / My Town | Polydor | Spain | 20 58 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | Switzerland | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | Polydor | USA | 2058 407 | 1973 | 7" Single |
Slade | My Friend Stan | PGP RTB / Polydor | Yugoslavia | S 53724 | 1973 | 7" Single |
TRACKLIST TABLE (ALL FORMATS)
Format | Catalogue | Tracklisting |
7" Single | 2058 407 and international variants | A. My Friend Stan (2:38) B. My Town (3:02) |
7" Single | DP 1922 | A. My Friend Stan (2:38) B. My Town (3:02) |
7" Single | PRO-3369 | A. My Friend Stan (2:38) B. My Town (3:02) |
7" Single | PS 279 | A. My Friend Stan (2:38) B. My Town (3:02) |
7" Single | S 53724 | A. My Friend Stan (2:38) B. My Town (3:02) |
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