12'' Front Cover U.K.

12'' rear Cover U.K.

12'' a side U.K.

12'' b side U.K.

"7 Year Bitch" was written by lead singer Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea and was produced by John Punter the b - side was produced by Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd. The single was released via RCA Record Label on 14th January 1985.
This single reached number 60 on the U.K. chart, spending 3 weeks on the chart.
Due to the title and lyrical content, this was banned from radio airplay.
"7 Year Bitch" appeared on their 1985 album "Rogues Gallery".

Background
Following the Top 15 U.K. success of the band's late 1984 single "All Join Hands", the band's 1st release of 1985 was "7 Year Bitch". The single was virtually banned by the U.K. broadcasting media which in 1985 was at the height of a wave of political correctness. As a result, the band felt unfairly judged by the media, who observed that they would have got away with it if they'd called it "7 Year Itch" and that no 1 complained about Elton John's 'The Bitch Is Back' which was a hit record in 1974. Later in 1998, Noddy Holder recalled of "7 Year Bitch's" potential, "That was a hit record, but we got a bit of a backlash". Faring better in Germany, the song reached number 39 and lasted on the singles chart for a total of 8 weeks. It became Slade's last single of new material to enter the German Singles Chart.
Circa 1989, Jim Lea revealed that he had done a re worked version of "7 Year Bitch", although his version has remained unreleased to date. In the Slade International Fan Club Newsletter of April - June 1990, the 3rd part of a late 1989 Jim Lea interview was published, where he spoke of the re worked version amongst other tracks. He stated "I've also done another version of 'She Did It To Me' with an ex singer from Uriah Heap, with an absolutely panoramic version, it's great. I did a version of the old Johnny Kidd and the Pirates song "''ll Never Get Over You', you'd never know it was me though. I've also done "7 Year Bitch" but not like Slade's version and there is also some stuff that you've never heard of, but I haven't finished it yet. There is a track that I've written called "Radio Wall Of Sound" and it sounds just like Slade, even my brother Frank says it sounds like Slade."

Recording
"7 Year Bitch" was released via RCA Record Label on 14th January 1985.
"7 Year Bitch" was virtually banned by a U.K. broadcasting media which in 1985 was at the height of a wave of voguish political correctness. Though the band felt unfairly judged by a puritanical media, the record was a miscalculation on the part of Slade and the record company. The band’s observation that they would have got away with it if they’d called it "7 Year Itch" and that no 1 complained about Elton John’s ‘The Bitch is Back’ (he was, of course, signing about himself) cut little ice. It was a backlash from which it could be argued Slade never quite recovered."

Release
"7 Year Bitch" was originally released on 7" and 12" vinyl.
The single's b - side "Leave Them Girls Alone" was originally exclusive to the single, before eventually being released on the 2007 compilation "B - Sides" and as a bonus track on the 2007 Salvo remaster of "Rogues Gallery". For the 12" vinyl of the single, which was exclusively released in the U.K. and Germany, "7 Year Bitch" was featured as an extended version that largely highlighted the usual song with an instrumental verse and chorus, whilst a live version of "We'll Bring The House Down" was added as the second b - side, which was taken from the band's 1982 live album "Slade On Stage". Both b - sides were produced and arranged by Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd., despite their "Slade On Stage" album having production originally credited to Slade as a group.
All versions of the single came with a full colour picture sleeve which featured photography by Chris Thomson of a woman's legs, standing up whilst wearing high heels. The group photo of Slade on the back sleeve was taken by Simon Fowler. The Square Red Studio handled the sleeve design.

Promotion
A music video was created for the single, featuring the band both performing the song, and socialising with a group of women.
As the only U.K. TV performance, the band performed the song on the British television comedy and music show Saturday Live along with their 1984 hit single "Run Runaway". This performance featured a different, exclusive pre recorded vocal and backing track for both songs.
With the song being left unbanned within Europe, the band largely performed the song on German TV. The band mimed the song on the German television / telecast Na sowas! with host Thomas Gottschalk, on the German pop show Star Show, whilst they mimed the song along with the follow up 1985 single "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" and the American / Canadian / German 1985 single "Little Sheila" on the German television show Die Spielbude. With "All Join Hands", the band also mimed the song on the German TV show Pro Koncert. In Norway, the song was mimed via the television public broadcasting company NRK, at the official opening of the Scandic Hotel in Sandvika, Oslo in 1985. A brief interview by the host Ivar Dyrhaug was included, largely with Noddy Holder but also with an appearance from Dave Hill.
The single's music video was filmed at Ewert Studios in London by Phillip Davey, who had also filmed the music videos for Slade's 1984 hit "All Join Hands" and this video's successors "Myzsterious Mizster Jones", "Little Sheila" and "Do You Believe In Miracles". As published in the Slade International Fan Club newsletter throughout 1986, 1 of the fan club's editorial members, Dave Kemp went through all of Slade's promotional music videos. For the "7 Year Bitch" video, reported in the September - December 1986 newsletter, Jim Lea recalled that this video was the 1st and only time that Slade had any sexual connotations in a music video at all. The sexual element was of a group of scantily clad dolly birds flaunting themselves around the band as they played live in a tent. The tent itself had the appearance of a deck of cards through which silhouettes of young ladies in states of undress could be seen. Noddy Holder is seen dressed in a red bowler hat, gloves and a bow tie and at 1 point is forcibly dragged off the set into a room by 2 girls. Other parts had the group swaying from side to side in convicts outfits (7 Year Itch) and of the group sitting down for a tea party with the bunch of girls. The table was full of custard pies, jelly etc. and the director had suggested that the cast have a pie fight. He had said that he would tell the group when to start but unknown to Slade, he had previously told the girls to start the fight whenever they liked so Slade got hit in the face 1st. Apparently the fight, although in good humour, was quite rough with Jim Lea and Dave Hill getting quite badly cut. If the video is played in slow motion, Jim Leas face is seen with blood.

Chart Performance
"7 Year Bitch" reached number 60 on the U.K. chart.

Track listing - 7" U.K. Single
A1. 7 Year Bitch (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 3:58
B1. Leave Them Girls Alone (Noddy Holder, Jim Lea) - 3:13

7 Year Bitch
"7 Year Bitch" written by Holder and Lea, this was originally released as a single by Slade via RCA Record Label on 14th January 1985 and reached number 60 on the U.K. chart.
This is a intricately constructed and acutely observed song about older men taking on younger mistresses. The song however was banned from broadcast due to the title and lyrics.
As a result, the band felt unfairly judged by the media, who observed that they would have got away with it if they'd called it "7 Year Itch" .
It was a backlash from which it could be argued Slade never quite recovered.

Leave Them Girls Alone
"Leave Them Girls Alone" written by Holder and Lea, this was the b - side to Slades original single "7 Year Bitch".
This song was notable for being the 1st time that Holder and Lea exchanged lines on a lead vocal in a song, during the 1st and second verses.
"Leave Them Girls Alone" was originally exclusive to the single, but was eventually included on 3 Salvo Slade compilations. It was 1st added to the 2006 Salvo 4 disc box set compilation "The Slade Box", the 2007 Salvo compilation "B - Sides" and the 2007 Salvo compilation "Rockers". The song was also a bonus track on the 2007 Salvo remaster of their "Rogues Gallery" album.

Credits
Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals
Noddy Holder - lead vocals, guitar
Jim Lea - bass guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
Don Powell - drums
John Punter - producer on "7 Year Bitch"
Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd. - producer on "Leave Them Girls Alone"
Chris Thomson - front photography
Simon Fowler - back photography
The Square Red Studio - design