A high-octane rock anthem about letting go and embracing the raw energy of a live show.
In the early 1970s, as the psychedelic haze of the 60s began to lift, a new sound emerged from the working-class towns of Britain, a sound that was brash, unapologetic, and bursting with a vibrant, glittery swagger. At the forefront of this movement, which would soon be known as glam rock, was the band Slade. While they had been toiling away for years, it was with their 1971 single, “Get Down And Get With It”, that they finally broke through and captured the zeitgeist of a new era. This wasn’t just another song on the radio; it was a rallying cry, an invitation to a party that had been long overdue.
Released on May 21, 1971, the song marked a pivotal moment in the band’s career, giving them their first major UK chart hit. It peaked at a respectable No. 16 and remained in the charts for fourteen weeks, a solid foundation upon which they would build an astonishing run of seventeen consecutive Top 20 hits. But the story behind the song’s success is far more interesting than just its chart position.
Before it was a studio single, “Get Down And Get With It” was a staple of Slade‘s electrifying live shows. The band, which had been previously known as Ambrose Slade, had built a reputation for their high-energy performances, and this particular track, a cover of a Little Richard song originally penned by Bobby Marchan, was a crowd favorite. It was during these gigs that the band, and their manager Chas Chandler, realized they had something special. The track had a raw, almost primal energy that resonated with the audience, particularly the skinhead subculture that had embraced the band’s earlier image. In his biography, singer Noddy Holder recalled how the song would go down “a storm,” with fans getting so caught up in the moment that they would take their boots off and wave them in the air. 👞🕺
Recognizing the song’s immense potential, Chandler made a bold decision: they wouldn’t try to polish it up. Instead, he told the band to “Just play it like you do on-stage. Blast it out like it’s live, and pretend that there’s an audience in there with you.” The result was a recording that felt less like a sterile studio track and more like a captured moment of pure, unadulterated chaos. To enhance the “live” feel, the band added foot-stomping and hand-clapping to the recording, creating an infectious rhythm that made it impossible not to move along. The aural picture this song painted was of a sweaty, packed concert hall, with a raucous crowd and a band giving it their all. The song was a massive departure from their earlier, more measured work, and it set the template for the anthemic, sing-along style that would define their future hits. It was the sound of a band finding their identity, shedding their old skin for a new, glitter-drenched persona that was all their own.
“Get Down And Get With It” isn’t a song with a deep, complex message. Its meaning is simple and direct: let go of your inhibitions, forget your worries, and lose yourself in the music. It’s an invitation to join the collective energy of the moment, to feel the rhythm in your bones, and to connect with the people around you through the shared experience of rock and roll. For a generation still reeling from the social and political upheaval of the 60s, a song like this was a breath of fresh air—a chance to simply get down and get with it. It was the beginning of the Slade phenomenon, a band that would go on to soundtrack a decade with their stomping rhythms, misspelled titles, and a sound that was uniquely, unapologetically British.