Mama Weer All Crazee Now

"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1972 as the lead single from their third studio album Slayed?. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 1 in the UK, giving the band their third number one single, and remained in the charts for ten weeks.[2] In the United States, the song reached No. 76.[3]

"Mama Weer All Crazee Now"
Spanish & European single picture sleeve
Single by Slade
from the album Slayed?
B-side"Man Who Speeks Evil"
Released25 August 1972
Recorded1972
GenreHard rock, glam rock[1]
Length3:45
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s)Chas Chandler
Slade singles chronology
"Take Me Bak 'Ome"
(1972)		 "Mama Weer All Crazee Now"
(1972)		 "Gudbuy T'Jane"
(1972)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Alternative covers
Dutch single picture sleeve
Alternative cover
Belgian single picture sleeve

Background

During 1972, Slade recorded their third studio album Slayed?, with the lead single "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" being released in August that year. The single reached No. 1 in the UK and Ireland, and was a hit across Europe and beyond.[4] With the single, Slade and their manager Chas Chandler attempted to reach number one on the first week of release - a feat that had not been achieved since The Beatles' 1969 hit "Get Back". Initially, the band's label Polydor did not think it could be achieved, however when "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" reached No. 2 in its first week, the label changed their minds. A strategy was soon developed which saw "Cum On Feel the Noize", the band's next single, reach No. 1 in its first week of release in March 1973.[5]

"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was the first tune Lea wrote entirely on his own. Holder got the idea for the lyrics at the band's concert at Wembley Arena in London. After the show, he looked at the remains of the auditorium's smashed seating and thought "Christ, everyone must have been crazy tonight."[6][7] The song was originally titled "My My We're All Crazy Now". When Holder and Lea played the song acoustically to Chandler for the first time, he thought Holder was singing "Mama We're All Crazy Now".[6] The name was then changed accordingly as Holder and Lea felt Chandler's title was better.[8]

In a 1984 interview with Record Mirror, Lea spoke of "Mama Weer All Crazee" and "Cum On Feel the Noize": "I was at a Chuck Berry gig in '72 and everybody was singing his tunes. He kept stopping and letting the crowd sing and it wasn't just a few people, it was everyone. I thought it was amazing and thought – why not write the crowd into the songs, and so we got round to "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" and "Cum On Feel the Noize" and all the chants were written into the tunes." In his 1999 biography Who's Crazee Now?, Holder recalled: "We had hit on our benchmark sound. It was perfect for Slade, very raucous, but catchy and pop. It was a real powerhouse record. Everyone loved it and everyone knew all the words."[6]

Release

"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" was released on 7" vinyl by Polydor Records in the UK, Ireland, across Europe, Scandinavia, Yugoslavia, America, Turkey, Israel, South Africa, Angola, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines and Japan.[9][10] The B-side, "Man Who Speeks Evil", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides.[11]

Promotion

No music video was filmed to promote the song.[12][13] In the UK, the band performed the song on the music show Top of the Pops. In Germany, the song was performed on the TV shows Disco and Musikladen. The band also performed the song on the Dutch AVRO TV show TopPop.[14] Later in 1977, the band performed the song on the UK show Supersonic while promoting their new single "Gypsy Roadhog". In 1981, while promoting "We'll Bring the House Down", the band performed the song on the ITV show Moondogs.[15]

Critical reception

Upon release, Record Mirror noted the song's "hard-driving beat" as being "full of sheer bloody-minded slay them enthusiasm", while retaining a "commercial hook".[16] New Musical Express predicted the song would reach number one, adding: "I consider this their best by far from the fuzzed out guitar intro to the rocking; stomping, chorus through to the crowd singing along at the end".[17][18] Disc stated: "With howls they tear straight into another huge boogie. By the time this one ends you could believe, so dense does the sound and the atmosphere become, that 50,000 people were roaring along with the band in some distant dark stadium."[17][18]

In a retrospective song review by AllMusic, Dave Thompson described the song as a "full-on adrenalin monster, ear-splittingly loud with its lyrics a raw-throated bellow".[7] In a review of Sladest, Paul Tinelli of AllMusic included the song as one of the band's "finest moments" and described it as an "arena rocker that would get kids up off their seats".[19]

Track listing
7" Single
  1. "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
  2. "Man Who Speeks Evil" - 3:15
7" Single (Argentinean release)
  1. "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
  2. "Take Me Bak 'Ome" - 3:13
7" Single (US promo)
  1. "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43
  2. "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - 3:43

Chart performance
Chart (1972) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[20] 3
Austrian Singles Chart[21] 6
Belgian Singles Chart[22] 11
Dutch Singles Chart[23] 7
French Singles Chart[24] 30
German Singles Chart[25] 6
Irish Singles Chart[26] 1
Swiss Singles Chart[27] 5
UK Singles Chart[4] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 76

Personnel
Slade
Additional personnel

Cover versions
  • In 1973, Les Humphries Singers & Orchestra released a cover of the song on their album Sound '73.[29]
  • In 1973, German composer and big band leader James Last recorded an instrumental orchestrated version of the song for the album Non Stop Dancing 1973.[30]
  • In 1978, American rock band The Runaways recorded a cover of the song and included it on their 1979 album And Now... The Runaways.[31]
  • In 1984, American heavy metal band Quiet Riot recorded a version for their album Condition Critical.[32] It was released as a single and reached No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[33]
  • In 1984, Irish hard rock band Mama's Boys recorded a cover of the song for their self-titled album. It was also released as a single.[34][35]
  • In 1988, Spanish heavy metal band Ángeles del Infierno included a cover of the song on their 1988 album 666.[36]
  • In 1990, Glam rock tribute band The Metal Gurus released a cover of the song as a B-Side for their single "Merry Xmas Everybody", another Slade cover. The single was produced by Holder and Lea, and reached No. 55 in the UK. Sales of the single raised proceeds for the Childline charity.[37][38]
  • In 1996, John Springate of glam rock group The Glitter Band released a cover on the glam rock tribute album Wham Bam Thank You Glam.[39]
  • In 1996, the English rockabilly band Big 6 released a cover of the track on the album Ready to Rock.[40]
  • In 1997, Welsh anti-fascist Oi! band The Oppressed included a cover of the song on their extended play "The Noise" which also featured covers of Slade's "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Gudbuy T'Jane".[41] The three covers were also included on the 1998 album More Noize For The Boys.[42]
  • In 2009, American ska punk band Reel Big Fish released a cover of the song on the album Fame, Fortune and Fornication.[43]
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References
  1. Rivadavia, Eduardo (17 March 2013). "Top 10 '70s Glam Rock Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  2. "SLADE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  3. "Slade - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  4. "slade | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  5. Charlesworth, Chris (1984). Slade, Feel the Noize!: an illustrated biography. London: Omnibus Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-7119-0538-X.
  6. Noddy Holder (1999). Noddy Holder – Who's Crazee Now?. Ebury Press. ISBN 0-09-187503-X.
  7. Song Review by Dave Thompson. "Mama Weer All Crazee Now - Slade | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  8. "CD Album - Slade - Greatest Hits - Feel The Noize - Polydor - UK". 45worlds.com. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  9. "ALL Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  10. "Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  11. "CD Album - Slade - B-Sides - Salvo - Europe". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  12. "1986 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  13. Slade International Fan Club newsletter June - July - August 1986
  14. "Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now • TopPop". YouTube. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  15. "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  16. Record Mirror magazine 26 August 1972
  18. Slade Fan Club Newsletter October - November 1972
  19. AllMusic Review by Paul Tinelli. "Sladest - Slade | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  20. "Go-Set Australian charts ~ 1972". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  21. Steffen Hung. "Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  22. "Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now". ultratop.be. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  23. Steffen Hung. "Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  24. "InfoDisc : Tout les Titres par Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  25. musicline.de / PhonoNet GmbH. "Die ganze Musik im Internet". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  26. Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  27. Steffen Hung. "Slade - Mama Weer All Crazee Now". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  28. "Slade - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  29. Steffen Hung (17 March 2012). "The Les Humphries Singers & Orchestra - Sound '73". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  30. "Vinyl Album - James Last - Non Stop Dancing '73 - Polydor - Germany". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  31. "Vinyl Album - The Runaways - And Now... The Runaways - Cherry Red - UK". 45worlds.com. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  32. AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Condition Critical - Quiet Riot | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  33. "Quiet Riot - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  34. "Recording: Mama weer all crazee now - Mama's Boys". Second Hand Songs. 20 January 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  35. "Mama's Boys - Mama Weer All Crazee Now / Face To Face - Jive - USA - JS 1-9213". 45cat. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  36. "Ángeles Del Infierno - Biography". Metal Storm. 25 June 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  37. "CD Singles - The Metal Gurus - Merry Xmas Everybody / Metal Guru - Mercury - UK - GURCD 1". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  38. "METAL GURUS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  39. "Medium: Wham Bam Thank You Glam - (1996)". Second Hand Songs. 10 February 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  40. "Big Six: Ready to Rock". Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  41. "Oppressed, The - The Noize E.P (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  42. "Oppressed, The - More Noize For The Boys (Vinyl, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  43. "Reel Big Fish - Fame, Fortune And Fornication at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
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