Coz I Luv You
Encyclopedia
"Coz I Luv You" is a song by Slade
, written by Noddy Holder
and Jim Lea
and produced by Chas Chandler
. It was the band's second hit single in the UK and the first of six number one singles. It was released on 30/10/1971 and was last seen on the charts on 05/02/1972 at #44. According to Noddy Holder's autobiography the single sold half a million copies in only two weeks.
Typical of Slade's brash, stomping glam
style, it prominently featured Jim Lea's electric violin and quickly reached number one on the UK singles chart
, where it stayed for four weeks in November 1971. Originally, the first week of being released, the single hit #26, followed by #8 the next week and #1 the following after. The single was #1 for 4 weeks and stayed at #3 for 3 weeks after.
The single peaked at #82 for 1971 on rateyourmusic and #4062 for overall singles.
The song had no promotional video for the single but was performed on numerous TV shows, both English and European.
Ritchie Blackmore
spoke of the song in an interview "Is this the MM
staff band? I think I recognise it now the guitarist is speeding up. The song isn't bad. I like the violin. It's very course, but the guitar needs speeding up a lot. It can't be East of Eden, and it's certainly not Family. Slade, yes? They are a good group because the don't care about the notes and there is a public wanting that. Another group might be too inhibited to do what they do."
In a November 1980 Sounds magazine interview, Lea spoke of the song. "I didn't even like some of those old ones. We all hated 'Gudbye T' Jane' when we made it, it was knocked up in half an hour at the end of one of our studio sessions. The same for our second single, 'Coz I Luv You'. It was namby-pamby to us, a throwaway for an album. It shot to number one in two weeks and we thought, 'What a pile of shit!' It was so wet."
The song was voted #3 of the top three Slade songs that fans would most want to hear live in the Slade Fan Club Poll of 1979.
The song was later used in the film Velvet Goldmine
and in an advert for the Ford Transit
van.
More recently the song was used in the casting of BBC drama, Life on Mars
. The song plays on series two, episode four as a group of swingers
in middle-class suburbia dine at a wife swapping party.
The song also features in the film El Lobo
, a political thriller revolving around the Spanish
terrorist group ETA
.
7" Single (Polydor "Golden Greats" series reissue)
NME magazine released a review of the single upon release which incorrectly defined the release as a double a-side single. "A good follow-up to the recent hit by Slade, and one which could give the outfit its second successive chart entry. The only drawback is that this is a double a-side disc, and I feel that artists are foolish to try and grab the best of both worlds. In the process, sales are often split down the middle, with the result that neither side is a hit! In this case, I would have thought that "Coz I Luv You" is the obvious plug side because it should satisfy both the mainstream pop and the heavy brigade. It's a rousing hard-hitting number, generating bags of electricity and urgency, but nevertheless blessed with a strong melody line and a chorus with which it's easy to join in. The flip is more progressive and is something of a rave-up with, I imagine, more limited appeal. All the same, a meaty set from Slade and a tight production."
In 2011, The Guardian published a small article based on the single. "It was all about the stomp: Coz I Luv You's bootboy rhythm anchored its swirling, menacing violin line and the two combined to give this single – Slade's first Number 1 – its frightening, primitive edge. The band went on to become the most successful UK singles act of the 70s, but their music – setting aside their Christmas pension plan – never totally lost this hint of muscle and threat. As for the look, there's still something more startling about the band's brickies-in-platform-heels image than any amount of crafted androgyny."
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
, written by Noddy Holder
Noddy Holder
Neville John "Noddy" Holder MBE is an English musician and actor. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist with the rock band Slade....
and Jim Lea
Jim Lea
Jim Lea , is an English musician, most notable for playing bass guitar, keyboards, violin, guitar, and singing backing vocals in Slade.-Career:...
and produced by Chas Chandler
Chas Chandler
Bryan James "Chas" Chandler was an English musician, record producer and manager of several successful music acts....
. It was the band's second hit single in the UK and the first of six number one singles. It was released on 30/10/1971 and was last seen on the charts on 05/02/1972 at #44. According to Noddy Holder's autobiography the single sold half a million copies in only two weeks.
Typical of Slade's brash, stomping glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
style, it prominently featured Jim Lea's electric violin and quickly reached number one on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, where it stayed for four weeks in November 1971. Originally, the first week of being released, the single hit #26, followed by #8 the next week and #1 the following after. The single was #1 for 4 weeks and stayed at #3 for 3 weeks after.
The single peaked at #82 for 1971 on rateyourmusic and #4062 for overall singles.
Background
Chas Chandler had put Lea under pressure to write a new track for a single. Lea turned up at Holder's home unexpectedly with his guitar and violin with an idea for a song with a Django Reinhardt/Stephan Grapelli hot club sound. The track was written in half an hour. This began the writing partnership of Holder and Lea which would carry on throughout Slade's career. Originally the band felt the song to be too soft and so clapping was added to the recording. The misspelt titles also became a trademark for Slade, causing a great furore among teachers up and down the country.The song had no promotional video for the single but was performed on numerous TV shows, both English and European.
Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
spoke of the song in an interview "Is this the MM
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
staff band? I think I recognise it now the guitarist is speeding up. The song isn't bad. I like the violin. It's very course, but the guitar needs speeding up a lot. It can't be East of Eden, and it's certainly not Family. Slade, yes? They are a good group because the don't care about the notes and there is a public wanting that. Another group might be too inhibited to do what they do."
In a November 1980 Sounds magazine interview, Lea spoke of the song. "I didn't even like some of those old ones. We all hated 'Gudbye T' Jane' when we made it, it was knocked up in half an hour at the end of one of our studio sessions. The same for our second single, 'Coz I Luv You'. It was namby-pamby to us, a throwaway for an album. It shot to number one in two weeks and we thought, 'What a pile of shit!' It was so wet."
The song was voted #3 of the top three Slade songs that fans would most want to hear live in the Slade Fan Club Poll of 1979.
The song was later used in the film Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy...
and in an advert for the Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
van.
More recently the song was used in the casting of BBC drama, Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
. The song plays on series two, episode four as a group of swingers
Swinging
Swinging or partner swapping is a non-monogamous behavior, in which both partners in a committed relationship agree, as a couple, for both partners to engage in sexual activities with other couples as a recreational or social activity...
in middle-class suburbia dine at a wife swapping party.
The song also features in the film El Lobo
El lobo
El lobo is a 2004 film directed by Miguel Courtois. It stars Eduardo Noriega.-Plot:Lobo is based on the life of Mikel Lejarza, an agent of the Spanish intelligence service in the 1970s...
, a political thriller revolving around the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
terrorist group ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
.
Formats
7" Single- "Coz I Luv You" - 3:24
- "My Life is Natural" - 3:12
7" Single (Polydor "Golden Greats" series reissue)
- "Coz I Luv You" - 3:24
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now " - 3:43
Critical reception
Record Mirror magazine reviewed the single upon release, "Written by Slade men Holder and Lea, this is a natural born successor to "Get Down and Get With It". As they've been riot-raising round the British Isles of late, I've no doubt that this staccato building production will make it. And make it big. Touches of violin, yet, a sturdy foot-pounding sort of build up. Less frantic than of yore, but a really persistent ear-bender."NME magazine released a review of the single upon release which incorrectly defined the release as a double a-side single. "A good follow-up to the recent hit by Slade, and one which could give the outfit its second successive chart entry. The only drawback is that this is a double a-side disc, and I feel that artists are foolish to try and grab the best of both worlds. In the process, sales are often split down the middle, with the result that neither side is a hit! In this case, I would have thought that "Coz I Luv You" is the obvious plug side because it should satisfy both the mainstream pop and the heavy brigade. It's a rousing hard-hitting number, generating bags of electricity and urgency, but nevertheless blessed with a strong melody line and a chorus with which it's easy to join in. The flip is more progressive and is something of a rave-up with, I imagine, more limited appeal. All the same, a meaty set from Slade and a tight production."
In 2011, The Guardian published a small article based on the single. "It was all about the stomp: Coz I Luv You's bootboy rhythm anchored its swirling, menacing violin line and the two combined to give this single – Slade's first Number 1 – its frightening, primitive edge. The band went on to become the most successful UK singles act of the 70s, but their music – setting aside their Christmas pension plan – never totally lost this hint of muscle and threat. As for the look, there's still something more startling about the band's brickies-in-platform-heels image than any amount of crafted androgyny."
Chart performance
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 9 | 14 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 6 | 11 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 2 | 11 |
| French Singles Chart | 21 | 22 |
| German Singles Chart | 9 | 16 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 | 9 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 24 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 | 15 |
Cover versions
- In 1971, Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers released a cover of the song on the album "Six Top Hits".
- In 1973, Vandyke Brown, Unicorn Express and Indigo Blue recorded the song along with Slade tracks Cum On Feel the NoizeCum on Feel the Noize"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number-one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one...
and Take Me Back 'Ome for the album Million Copy Hit Songs Made Famous by Slade, T. Rex, Sweet. - In 1991, British rock band Go Crazy recorded the song as a tribute to Slade. Go Crazy member Ian Edmundson recorded and produced this cover on his own however it was released under the band's name.
- In 1992, British alternative rock band The Wonder StuffThe Wonder StuffThe Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band, originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England.-Origins:...
recorded the song for the various artists compilation album "Ruby Trax - The NME's Roaring Forty". - In 1994, Slade's ex-bassist Jim LeaJim LeaJim Lea , is an English musician, most notable for playing bass guitar, keyboards, violin, guitar, and singing backing vocals in Slade.-Career:...
recorded his own version of the song and released it as a single under the name Jimbo Feat Bull. - In 2000, Slade's ex-singer Noddy HolderNoddy HolderNeville John "Noddy" Holder MBE is an English musician and actor. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist with the rock band Slade....
recorded an acoustic version for English TV show The Grimleys starring Holder himself. The song was released as an MP3 download in 2008 under Slade's own label Whild John Music Ltd. - In 2002, German hard rock band Böhse OnkelzBöhse OnkelzThe Böhse Onkelz were a German rock group that existed from 1980 to 2005. Although being ignored by the mass media for their controversial past, since Viva los tioz in 1998 almost every album reached number one on the German album charts. According to record certifications and additional sources...
recorded the song as a b-side for their single "Keine Amnestie für MTV". - Since 2006, English singer James BluntJames BluntJames Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005...
began performing the song at his live concerts. - In 2007, the song was sampled by Evidence for the track titled Things You Do which was included on the album "The Weatherman LP".
Personnel
- Noddy Holder: Lead vocals and guitar
- Jim Lea: Violin and backing vocals
- Dave Hill: Bass guitar and backing vocals
- Don Powell: Drums