"Run Runaway" was written by lead singer Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea and was produced by John Punter the b - side was produced by Jimmy Lea for Perseverance Ltd. The single was released via RCA Record Label on 27th January 1984.
This single reached number 7 on the U.K. chart, for a total of 10 weeks. It proved to be the band's last U.K. Top 10 hit single. The song was also released in mid 1984 via CBS Record Label in America, becoming Slade's 1st and only top 20 hit there. CBS Record Label had signed the original band who wrote "Cum On Feel The Noize", which had gave American rock band Quiet Riot a huge hit, also on the CBS Record Label.
"Run Runaway" appeared on their 1983 album "The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome" and the 1984 American version "Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply".
Background
In 1984, the single "Run Runaway" was released, helping their album "The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome" push from number 70 to number 49 on the U.K. chart. More importantly, the song became the band's biggest U.S.A. hit, benefiting from heavy play on MTV, reaching number 20 and spending a total of 8 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100's Top 40.
"Run Runaway" was produced by John Punter, who was hired to produce the song with "My Oh My", both expected hit singles. The b - side "Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind" was produced by Jim Lea himself. The song was originally exclusive to the single, eventually being released on CD via the 2007 Salvo compilation "B - Sides" and the remaster of "The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome". For the American and Canadian release, "Don’t Tame A Hurricane" was used as the b - side, produced again by Jim Lea. On "Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply", the song was retitled "Can't Tame A Hurricane".
The melody for the song is inspired by the hymn 'There Is A Happy Land'. Noddy Holder himself perfectly summed the song up as "a rocky Scottish jig".
Recording
"Run Runaway" was released via RCA Record Label on 27th January 1984.
The video for this single was a Tim Pope video for GLO productions that cost RCA Record Label £16,000 to have made. The filming was made entirely at Eastnor Castle at Ledbury. As the song had a ‘Highland Jig’ feel to it, so did the video. The band were featured live in front of an audience dressed in tartan. Sequences were of a marching bagpipe band, an enormous kilted scotsman (Ron Tarr) grappling with a caber and Dave Hill looking very mysterious on the castle ramparts.
The band were let down by the film crew so much as Don Powell was not featured properly in the video at all, he can only be seen in the background. Jim Lea stated that the only requirement that Slade insist upon when they make a film is that all the band are featured, and this wasn’t the case when they saw the finished version of this video. The film was a great success in the U.S.A. peaking at the top of the playlist chart. It’s constant showing on MTV helped "Run Runaway" become Slade’s biggest American single, reaching the top 20. Jim Lea recalled that 1 video jockey even announced; "…and believe it or not that set in the video was an actual castle, it wasn’t constructed just for the film…"
Release
"Run Runaway" was originally released on 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl.<br>
Dave Thompson of Allmusic reviewed "Run Runaway" in a single song review, stating "Celebrating their commercial comeback in the finest fashion imaginable, Slade entered 1984 with their 1st ever U.S.A. Top 20 hit, the storming "Run Runaway". Building on the anthemic power of the earlier "My Oh My" itself their biggest U.K. single in 9 years "Run Runaway" is raucous chanting, swirling guitars, wild violin, and even a taste of heavy metal bagpipes, helped along by a drum sound that is pure early '80s. Noddy Holder himself perfectly summed the song up as "a rocky Scottish jig." The impetus for the band's rebirth was, of course, Quiet Riot's success with a cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize" "I knew our time would come again," Jim Lea explained. "The main thing is having faith in your own abilities." He conjured up the melody while listening to bandmates Noddy Holder and Dave Hill tune up in the dressing room, while Noddy Holder contributed some of most intriguing lyrics yet, including the immortal catch phrase "See chameleon lying there in the sun, All things to everyone."
Promotion
A music video was created for the single, filmed at Eastnor Castle in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England.
The track was also performed on many U.K. TV shows including Top of the Pops, Hall of Fame and a filmed performance at the Rhyl Sun Centre. The song was also performed on an unknown German TV show, an unknown Swedish TV show along with "My Oh My" and on an unknown European TV show.
The track was performed at Montreaux Festival in 1984 along with "Slam The Hammer Down". In America, the song was also performed with the 1984 hit single "My Oh My" on American Bandstand.
In 1985, the band performed the song on the U.K. show Saturday Live along with their single "7 Year Bitch". This performance featured live vocal and a different backing track for both songs. In 1987, the band mimed the song on the U.K. show 'The Tom O'Connor Show', along with the bands current single of the time "Still The Same".
Chart Performance
"Run Runaway" reached number 7 on the U.K. chart.
Track listing - 7" U.K. Single
A1. Run Runaway (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 3:43
B1. Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 2:52
Run Runaway
"Run Runaway" written by Holder and Lea, this was originally released as a single by Slade via RCA Record Label on 27th January 1984 and reached number 7 on the U.K. chart.
This has a celtic flavoured rock jig featuring some elliptical lyrics and the return of Lea's fiddle. RCA Record Label saw the potential of the track and appointed John Punter to work on the track. The album version is extended to give more time for the Linn drum gallop. This track became the 1st hit in the U.S.A. for Slade after years of trying to crack the American market, peaking at number 20 on their chart.
In the 1st Slade fan club magazine of 1984, Slade roadie and tour manager Haden Donovan spoke of the song in a track to track description of each song from the album. For the song he wrote "The new single almost Big Countryish great intro featuring rapid fire Powell drumming. Very catchy hook line. The 1st single to feature Lea's violin playing for a very long time".
Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind
"Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind" written by Holder and Lea, this was the b - side to Slades original single "Run Runaway".
The b - side "Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind" was exclusive to the single, it was later added to the 2006 Salvo 4 disc box set compilation "The Slade Box" and later to the 2007 Salvo compilation "B - Sides". The song was also a bonus track on the 2007 Salvo remaster of "The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome" album.
Credits
Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals
Noddy Holder - lead vocals, guitar
Jim Lea - bass guitar, electric violin, backing vocals
Don Powell - drums
John Punter - producer on "Run Runaway"
Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd. - producer on "Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind"
Andrew Christian - art Direction<
Shoot That Tiger! - design