Wheels Ain't Comin' Down
Encyclopedia
"Wheels Ain't Coming Down" is a single
from rock band Slade, released in 1981 from the album We'll Bring the House Down
although it was originally featured on the previous 1979 album Return to Base..... It was written by lead singer Noddy Holder
and bassist Jim Lea
. The single peaked at #60 in the UK, spending 3 weeks on the chart. Although it was not a hit, the track kept enough momentum going.
The first 20,000 copies of the single were in a picture bag.
as it was a previous Slade track and not new material for the time. Slade's comeback at the Reading festival in 1980 attracted many metal-band fans. The most likely reason for this track's failure to be a hit was likely due to not being heavy enough in sound as many new Slade fans were mainly interested in heavy metal.
The meaning of the lyrics were based on a plane flight that Holder and Lea were on to Los Angeles
where the plane looked as though it was going to crash. The song's line "me and Midlands Misery" referred to Lea's nickname.
The b-side Not Tonight Josephine was previously the b-side to Slade's 1979 single Sign O' The Times from the album Return to Base..... "Not Tonight Josephine" was later issued to CD via the 2007 compilation "B-Sides" and the remaster of "We'll Bring the House Down".
A promotional video was created for the single which has been officially unavailable since creation. It has surfaced on youtube in recent years. This video was never released at the time of the single either. The video was filmed onthe 10 March, at the Southampton Gaumont, in the afternoon before the band's live gig there.
In a March 1981 interview with Daily Star, the newspaper wrote "The song called 'The Wheels Ain't Coming Down' was written about a ride had in a plane in America when Lea and Holder thought they had just 45 minutes to live." Holder stated "Jim and I were on the way to a radio station when the captain told us he could not get the wheels down to land. We were diverted to another airport for a crash landing. It's not a great feeling knowing you might have only 45 minutes left in life. We drank all the booze there was going. Happily the pilot brought the plane down safely."
The single was recorded, mixed and cut at Portland Recording Studios.
Record Mirror
stated "Slade might be able to bring the house down, but they're a bit stuck when it comes to flying on a plane when the wheels won't come down. Funny sort of thing to sing a song about really. Actually you wouldn't know it was Slade if it wasn't for the chorus. There's an uncharacteristic musical sophistication. Anyway keep your head low, because if this one lands it might bring all the houses down."
Sounds
wrote two reviews around the time, one stating "after such a promising start Slade return to the mire with this disappointing follow up--a plane disaster song in case you didn't guess. On initial hearings the song is so corny in verbal content it almost has a kitsch value about it, but after a few hearings you realise its just plain bad. I don't think this will appeal to the punters who put the bands last single "We'll Bring The House Down" and compilation album in the charts." The other stated "nowhere near the rebel rousing quality of 'House Down' and a blatant rip off of 'Free Ride'. Glossy Americanised heaviness and a smooth Holder vocal. Distinctly lacking in raucous glambamming."
One positive review came from Melody Maker
which wrote "marvellous to see Slade back on the tube, if only for the outlandish variety of head/hair pieces paraded by Dave Hill. "We'll Bring The House Down" was also wonderfully riotous: this is more tautly constructed, not so insanely vigorous. The chorus though is maddeningly infectious: No doubt it will be nagging us all silly for weeks."
Geoff Ginsberg for allmusic stated the track ranked among the band's best work.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from rock band Slade, released in 1981 from the album We'll Bring the House Down
We'll Bring the House Down
We'll Bring The House Down is an album by English rock band Slade. It was released on 13 March 1981 and entered the UK charts at number 25. This was due to the Reading Festival success the previous year, when they had stood in for heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. Slade got exactly what they...
although it was originally featured on the previous 1979 album Return to Base..... It was written by lead singer 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 bassist 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:...
. The single peaked at #60 in the UK, spending 3 weeks on the chart. Although it was not a hit, the track kept enough momentum going.
The first 20,000 copies of the single were in a picture bag.
Background
The track was considerably lighter than the previous hit single We'll Bring The House DownWe'll Bring the House Down (song)
"We'll Bring The House Down" is a single from rock band Slade from their 1981 album We'll Bring the House Down. It was written by lead singer Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea...
as it was a previous Slade track and not new material for the time. Slade's comeback at the Reading festival in 1980 attracted many metal-band fans. The most likely reason for this track's failure to be a hit was likely due to not being heavy enough in sound as many new Slade fans were mainly interested in heavy metal.
The meaning of the lyrics were based on a plane flight that Holder and Lea were on to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where the plane looked as though it was going to crash. The song's line "me and Midlands Misery" referred to Lea's nickname.
The b-side Not Tonight Josephine was previously the b-side to Slade's 1979 single Sign O' The Times from the album Return to Base..... "Not Tonight Josephine" was later issued to CD via the 2007 compilation "B-Sides" and the remaster of "We'll Bring the House Down".
A promotional video was created for the single which has been officially unavailable since creation. It has surfaced on youtube in recent years. This video was never released at the time of the single either. The video was filmed onthe 10 March, at the Southampton Gaumont, in the afternoon before the band's live gig there.
In a March 1981 interview with Daily Star, the newspaper wrote "The song called 'The Wheels Ain't Coming Down' was written about a ride had in a plane in America when Lea and Holder thought they had just 45 minutes to live." Holder stated "Jim and I were on the way to a radio station when the captain told us he could not get the wheels down to land. We were diverted to another airport for a crash landing. It's not a great feeling knowing you might have only 45 minutes left in life. We drank all the booze there was going. Happily the pilot brought the plane down safely."
The single was recorded, mixed and cut at Portland Recording Studios.
Critical reception
At the time of release, many reviews were overall negative.Record Mirror
Record Mirror
Record Mirror was a British weekly pop music newspaper, founded by Isadore Green and featured, news articles, interviews, record charts, record reviews, concert reviews, letters from readers and photographs. The paper became respected by both mainstream pop music fans and serious record collectors...
stated "Slade might be able to bring the house down, but they're a bit stuck when it comes to flying on a plane when the wheels won't come down. Funny sort of thing to sing a song about really. Actually you wouldn't know it was Slade if it wasn't for the chorus. There's an uncharacteristic musical sophistication. Anyway keep your head low, because if this one lands it might bring all the houses down."
Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
wrote two reviews around the time, one stating "after such a promising start Slade return to the mire with this disappointing follow up--a plane disaster song in case you didn't guess. On initial hearings the song is so corny in verbal content it almost has a kitsch value about it, but after a few hearings you realise its just plain bad. I don't think this will appeal to the punters who put the bands last single "We'll Bring The House Down" and compilation album in the charts." The other stated "nowhere near the rebel rousing quality of 'House Down' and a blatant rip off of 'Free Ride'. Glossy Americanised heaviness and a smooth Holder vocal. Distinctly lacking in raucous glambamming."
One positive review came from Melody Maker
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...
which wrote "marvellous to see Slade back on the tube, if only for the outlandish variety of head/hair pieces paraded by Dave Hill. "We'll Bring The House Down" was also wonderfully riotous: this is more tautly constructed, not so insanely vigorous. The chorus though is maddeningly infectious: No doubt it will be nagging us all silly for weeks."
Geoff Ginsberg for allmusic stated the track ranked among the band's best work.
Chart performance
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 60 | 3 |
Personnel
- Noddy Holder: Lead vocals and guitar
- Jim Lea: Bass guitar and backing vocals
- Dave Hill: Lead guitar and backing vocals
- Don Powell: Drums
Additional personnel
- Producer on "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" - Slade
- Arranger on "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" - Slade
- Writers of "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" - Noddy Holder; Jim Lea
- Producer on "Not Tonight Josephine " - Slade
- Arranger on "Not Tonight Josephine " - Slade
- Writers of "Not Tonight Josephine " - Noddy Holder; Jim Lea