"face the music" - slade

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Slade They say you can tell a diner's good if trucks stop there. Few people know it, but this also holds true with British rock bands who write and play songs like "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Mama Weer All Crazee Now." As the clip for Slade's "My Oh My" clearly shows, the truck stops here. For a performance clip that's not a performance clip, relates Brit director Keith "Keef" McMillan, "We decided to spruce things up by having a truck with a stage set up in back pick up Slade on the way to a concert. The story is very simple really. They play on the truck and then arrive at a megagig." Keef, whose credits as a rock promo director for the past 10 years include both the giants and the dwarves of rock'n'roll, insists he "didn't really have a conceptual clip in mind. lt's a performance clip, it really is, but one with a twist." The final concert scene, where scores and scads of rabid Slade Fans are driven to a musical frenzy, was actually shot with just 500 extras. "We used a series of devices called 'flying miniatures,' which duplicated the extras many times over to make it look like 20,000 people at a concert," Keef explains. "The same technique was used for the crowd scenes in Ben Hur." The ersatz concert-goers were gotten with radio ads for extras and were shot at a warehouse-cum- studio in London's dockside East End. The overall two-day production also went on loca- tion to the farmtown region of Lambourne, about 60 miles west of London. Shot on 16mm f ilm, the clip's budget was a bargain-basement $25,000. The trick? "ll was paid for in US dollars, which are very strong right now. ln America, $25,000 is no budget at all, but in England, converted to pounds, it's enough for a good clip." Then, too, nothing untoward happened on the set to delay things and run up costs. "No one fell off the truck," reports Keef. "Everything went smooth- ly. Working with Slade is great fun. They kept the crew amused." Or as Slade might put it, amuzed. -Frank Lovece rrl \ t i i RUIV, RU]YAWAY I like dreaming black and white Dreaming in black and white You like black and white Run, runaway. See chameleon lying there in the sun, All things to everyone, Run, runaway. lf you're in the swing, , Money ain't everything, lf you're in the swing, Run, runaway. See chameleon lying there in the sun, All things to everyone, Run, runaway. *From Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply by Slade and J. Lea. Copyright = '1983 Whild John Music Ltd. All lf you got a crush, Don't beat about the bush, Whenlgotacrush Run, runaway. See chameleon lying there in the sun, All things to everyone, Run, runaway. Oh, now can't you wait, Love don't come on a plate, Oh now can't you wait, Run, runaway. See chameleon lying there in the sun, All things to everyone, Run, runaway. Run, runaway. Run, runaway. (CBS Associated). Music and lyrics by N. Holder rights reserved. Use by permission. 62 FACES

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SladeThey say you can tell a diner's

good if trucks stop there. Fewpeople know it, but this alsoholds true with British rockbands who write and play songslike "Cum On Feel the Noize"and "Mama Weer All CrazeeNow." As the clip for Slade's"My Oh My" clearly shows, thetruck stops here.

For a performance clip that'snot a performance clip, relatesBrit director Keith "Keef"McMillan, "We decided tospruce things up by having atruck with a stage set up in backpick up Slade on the way to aconcert. The story is very simplereally. They play on the truckand then arrive at a megagig."Keef, whose credits as a rockpromo director for the past 10years include both the giants

and the dwarves of rock'n'roll,insists he "didn't really have aconceptual clip in mind. lt's aperformance clip, it really is, butone with a twist."

The final concert scene,where scores and scads of rabidSlade Fans are driven to amusical frenzy, was actuallyshot with just 500 extras. "Weused a series of devices called'flying miniatures,' whichduplicated the extras manytimes over to make it look like20,000 people at a concert,"Keef explains. "The sametechnique was used for thecrowd scenes in Ben Hur." Theersatz concert-goers were gottenwith radio ads for extras andwere shot at a warehouse-cum-studio in London's docksideEast End. The overall two-day

production also went on loca-tion to the farmtown region ofLambourne, about 60 miles westof London.

Shot on 16mm f ilm, the clip'sbudget was a bargain-basement$25,000. The trick? "ll was paidfor in US dollars, which are verystrong right now. ln America,$25,000 is no budget at all, butin England, converted to pounds,it's enough for a good clip."

Then, too, nothing untowardhappened on the set to delaythings and run up costs. "Noone fell off the truck," reportsKeef. "Everything went smooth-ly. Working with Slade is greatfun. They kept the crewamused." Or as Slade mightput it, amuzed.

-Frank Lovece

rrl\

ti

i

RUIV, RU]YAWAYI like dreaming black and whiteDreaming in black and whiteYou like black and whiteRun, runaway.See chameleon lying there in the sun,All things to everyone,Run, runaway.

lf you're in the swing, ,

Money ain't everything,lf you're in the swing,Run, runaway.See chameleon lying there in the sun,All things to everyone,Run, runaway.

*From Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply by Sladeand J. Lea. Copyright = '1983 Whild John Music Ltd. All

lf you got a crush,Don't beat about the bush,WhenlgotacrushRun, runaway.See chameleon lying there in the sun,All things to everyone,Run, runaway.

Oh, now can't you wait,Love don't come on a plate,Oh now can't you wait,Run, runaway.See chameleon lying there in the sun,All things to everyone,Run, runaway.

Run, runaway.Run, runaway.

(CBS Associated). Music and lyrics by N. Holderrights reserved. Use by permission.

62 FACES