Author and reviewer Darren Johnson has three published books to date, with ‘Slade in the 1970s’ recently published by SonicBond Publishing. Here we find out more about his introduction to rock music, why he loves glam rock in particular, all things Slade and how to use being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman to good use…
What was the band and song/album that first got you into rock music?
My dad was a huge rock fan, so from being a young kid I was always used to hearing rock music at home, The Stones, AC/DC, Deep Purple and so on. As a young teenager I ended up taping some of my dad’s albums or putting together my own compilations from his massive record collection. My first home-made compilation was Status Quo. It was around the time that ‘What You’re Proposing’ came out and my dad helped me select the songs for my own Quo compilation: ‘Caroline’, ‘Down Down’, ‘Most Of The Time’ etc.
First, last & always… (first album you owned, latest one you have bought & your ‘go to’/all-time classic album)
Excluding the home-made compilations, the first album proper I owned was AC/DC’s Highway To Hell. Both my dad and my older step-sister had a copy when it came out in 1979. However, a year or so later my step-sister gave me her copy as she had got more into bands like the Stranglers and Stiff Little Fingers.
My latest album is Shades of Blue, a new solo album by former Manfred Mann singer, Mike d’Abo. I saw him performing at one of those 60s package shows here in Hastings recently with several other artists from that era. He was signing albums in the interval and I got to chat with him. A talented song-writer and a great chap.
I’ve got many classic albums that I keep going back to so it’s hard to pick just one but as my ‘always’ choice I’m going to go with another album I picked up as a school-kid: Deep Purple In Rock. A school-friend sold it to me. He decided he was a punk not a metalhead and this album became surplus to requirements so I bought it off him for 50p.
What was your first published review and interview?
Although I’d been a fan of music since I was at school, I didn’t start writing about it until I was in my late 40s. All of my writing prior to that tended to relate to my work in politics so I was writing about things like climate change and the housing shortage rather than my favourite bands.
When I stepped down as a local councillor and suddenly had my evenings freed up I started up my own music blog. My first gig review was for Uriah Heep at Koko in 2014 but over time I began writing for other outlets, too, including Get Ready To ROCK! My first interview was with an unsigned band in Devon called the Stretch Report who had done a cover of ‘Police Car’ by Larry Wallis, the original guitarist from Motorhead.
What appeals to you about writing and reviewing?
What I like about writing and interviewing is that it gives me an outlet to express my love of music while utilising many of the skills that I’d honed over the years in the world of politics and campaigning.
I’ve been grilled by Paxman on Newsnight and was a regular guest on Andrew Neil’s Daily Politics show so I certainly learnt a thing or two about interviewing from the other side of the table. Hopefully, I don’t give my interview subjects quite that kind of grilling though.
In your latest book on Slade, did you manage to interview any of the band? Also, how do you start to compile your ideas and information on a band like Slade?
I had previously interviewed Jim Lea and interviewed Don Powell more recently so I was able to draw on both of those as material for the book but I also spent a lot of time delving into press archives.
The ‘Decades’ series, of which this is part, is a year-by-year look at an artist’s career over a particular decade, including their recorded output, concerts and impact on the wider music scene so I drew from contemporary reviews and interviews published at the time.
Once I’d pulled together the research I needed it was then a matter of thinking about how I wanted to tell the story in a way which is hopefully interesting and compelling for those reading. I think with books of this type it is important to tell a story that people reading can empathise with, not just assemble a collection of facts in chronological order.
Do you think the original line-up of Slade would ever reform, even if just for a one-off?
No, I think that opportunity has long gone. Dave Hill and Don Powell worked together for many years before that ended with some acrimony. Don has now reconnected with Jim Lea and they’ve recorded a couple of things together but there is zero chance of a full-scale reunion. It’s a shame it never happened but at least I saw the original band live three times before they spilt.
What is your favourite cover version of a Slade song and why?
I’ve never really been too fussed about covers of Slade to be honest. If I’m listening to Slade songs I generally want to hear Noddy Holder’s voice, not someone else’s. However, two covers stand out as being of particular importance to the band’s legacy and enduring appeal: Quiet Riot’s cover of ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ which helped introduce Slade to US metal fans in the early 80s and Oasis’s cover of the same song at Maine Road which helped ensure Slade got the seal of approval from Britpop fans in the mid-90s.
What are your recollections of seeing Slade live?
I first saw Slade at the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington in 1981 when I was 15. It was not only my first ever festival but also my first ever live rock gig of any type. It still remains my favourite gig of all time, in particular the set by Slade that afternoon. I write about the intensity of the performance and Noddy Holder’s masterful ability to connect with the crowd in the final chapter of my book.
If Slade had continued past the early 1990′s do you think they would have maintained their popularity?
There was an attempt to have another hit after ‘Radio Wall Of Sound’ charted in 1991. They followed it up with a track called ‘Universe’ but it bombed. I can quite understand why Noddy Holder felt it was time to move on and call it a day.
I think it would have been something of a struggle if they had carried on, both commercially and personally. But had they gone their separate ways and then announced a reunion say, ten, fifteen or twenty years later it would have been absolutely massive. Sadly, it was not to be.
You have previously written books on Sweet and Suzi Quatro. Are there any other glam rock titans you would like to write about?
Maybe! I absolutely love the glam era and it’s been a joy writing about these three artists but I’ve no definite plans for another book at this stage or, indeed, whether it would be about another glam icon or a different type of artist altogether.
Why do you think bands like Slade and Sweet still have a big appeal nowadays? Have the use of songs on movie soundtracks like Guardians of the Galaxy helped?
I was surprised and delighted when the latest Slade compilation got to number 8 in the UK album charts back in 2020, as were all four of the original members. It was their highest placing in the album charts since 1974! I think various film soundtracks have definitely helped consolidate both bands’ appeal over the years – and put the focus firmly on the power of the music and the strength of the song-writing rather than it all just being about the outrageous costumes and the glitter.
Any good rock ‘n’ roll tales to tell…
When I was still in politics, spending an evening with Jimmy Page was quite a highlight. I bumped into him at a drinks reception in London for the 2012 Olympics. We got chatting on the way in and once we got inside he looked around and said he didn’t really know anyone there and would I mind if he spent the evening with me. A fun night followed…
What are you planning next writing wise?
After writing three books in as many years, I’ve not got any concrete plans for the next one yet and thought I’d give myself a bit of breathing space when this one came out before I start on another.
I’m still continuing to write, however, whether it’s reviews or interviews for my website, or the music PR work I’m involved with. Whether it’s been working with unsigned independent artists or icons like Glen Matlock and Clem Burke on the recent Lust For Life tour, the PR side has been interesting and satisfying.
Book review (Suzi Quatro in the 1970s)
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