The Slades were a vocal group out of Austin Texas, and  attended  local McCallum High   School. Personnel included John Goeke, Don Burch,Tommy Kaspar, Bobby Doyle, and   Jimmy  Davis.The first four were on their first recording,and they added Davis  on the   second disc.Their second recording for Domino records was their biggest."You Cheated"   peaked at number 42 in 1958 on the Billboard charts. It was the original recording of the   song,recorded before the Los Angeles based Shields covered it.The Shields had the   biggest hit with it. The Slades record was still popular enough to earn them a spot on   American Bandstand.The following are most of the records released by the Slades, including records they provided background vocals on.
 

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The first release on the Domino label and the first for the newly formed group called the   Spades. "Baby" backed with "You Mean Everything To Me", was a great initial effort by   the  group and Domino records. This record did well enough that Liberty records was the   label chosen to distribute it on a more national level. The initial copies still showed the   Spades, and it was then changed quickly to the Slades for obvious political reasons. The   record sold fairly well for the group.
 
 
 
 
 
This is the first release, on the second label, by the Spades called "Baby". It was originally  issued on Domino 200 as shown in the previous pictures. It was then distributed on Liberty. On the flip side is the song called "You Mean   Everything To Me".  They took  their name the Spades, as it related  to a deck of normal playing cards.   This recording was issued in 1957, and sold well regionally, but not enough for the   Billboard top 100. The white label promo is shown. Liberty was a big record company and issues promotional copies for just about every record they manufactured.
 
Here is the regular Liberty label stock release. After the name change decision was made, Liberty had to stop production on all stock copies of the Spades named releases, and then issue the promo's and stock copies again with the Slades name change on them. Not real complicated, but certainly costly, though the big label easily absorbed them.
   
This is the first 78 issued for the Spades and Slades. None were manufactured in the USA, and this is a Canadian pressing on the London Liberty label.
   
 
 
 
This is the Canadian 45 RPM pressing of the original Spades group. This was manufactured by   London Liberty. You can see that with this arrangement, the same record number is used.   All personnel are again mentioned at the bottom of the label.
 
 
 
This is the promo copy of the 2nd pressing of the liberty label issue of the Slades first recording.The name was  changed after  complaints came  in from  "Politically sensitive  radio stations" that   objected. Some minor label changes can be seen between the the first and the second   pressings.  Also, notice the credit to Joyce Webb under the Slades name on the Bottom.   Although the labels look the same, the Spades record was also issued in mid stream with the Spades on one side with Baby and the Slades label on the flip with You Mean Everything  To Me.
 
Here is the Liberty stock issue on the dark green label. Many minor lettering changes and placements occurred, but the information was basically the same.
 
 
 
 
Released about the same time as "Baby", and cut at the same recording session, here are   the Slades backing up Joyce Webb on her first release on Domino, "Right Here". The   unusual issue number is 300 and 400 for the flip. Joyce Webb again with the Slades   providing back-up on this 1957 release,"After You've Gone". She was a popular favorite   from the local TV show"Now Dig This", hosted by Cactus Pryor on local KTBC-TV in Texas.
 
 
 
The Slades biggest hit from 1958."You Cheated"was huge in Texas and the gulf area. It's   ride on the charts was hampered by two things: The decision made by Domino to   distribute   it by themselves  nationally,  and a fine  competing version by the Shields   hitting  the charts. The flip side "The Waddle", has a bit of "At The Hop" to it, an up tempo   rock and roll song from the boys. There was a definitive pattern by the Slades: A ballad   on  one side, and the flip had an up tempo recording.
 
Canada's ghost label, Sparton records, got into the act, and distributed the record for   the masses in Canada. This is the 78, and was a Canada only release. I can't confirm any  Domino 78's issued in the USA.
 
The 45 RPM record on Sparton. Domino records label credit can be seen on the middle   left of the label, and as usual, they used there own record numbering system- 4-636R.
 
 
 
 
The Slades 1958 follow-up  was the similarly  titled and themed "You Gambled". Hoping to   cash in on the big success of "You Cheated",the record was not a huge hit.  Regional  play   from  Texas and  other areas  was not enough to break into Billboard's top 100. "No   Time"   was the flip of Domino 800. Although a decent two sider,the huge sales were not there. Part of the problem was the distribution of the discs by Domino. In a time where payola was king,more palms should have been greased.
 
   
Though a sticker covers the record label Reo, it is a Canadian issue of You Gambled. It's sales started very promising, and certainly made good showings on a few local charts. For some reason though, it was decided to press it on Reo instead of Sparton, like was done on You Cheated.
   
 
 
This is the promo version of "It's Better To Love".Writing credits, as with most all of the   Slades releases,continue to include members of the group. Writing, playing instruments,   and singing, they were a self contained group. The flip side"Just You", was their next two    sided attempt to crack the elusive Billboard charts in 1959. Unfortunately, not much more than spotty regional sales occurred. As you may notice, the Domino records logo remains the same.
 
 
 
From 1959, this stock regular release of "It's Better To Love" came out as Domino 901  . Some sources  say the versions  are different  on the promo and commercial release.    I believe it is the same take  on each side,  just an extended version on the promo. The   up tempo flip "Just You", was another  typical Slades release. Notice the previous two releases now have the Domino records address on the label. It was a very good way to be contacted, especially after a hit recording.
 
 
 
The "A" side of this release appears to be "You Must Try".I suspect that both sides were   auditioned in radio stations across the country country.This is a promo copy, and a stock   copy would also have been released. Both sides were strong,and this one is great doo wop!   Still in 1959, the Slades released a great  dual tempo version of the classic song   "Summertime".Many Jocks liked the record, but it was competing with the Sam Cooke   version, and on that basis alone, it's much needed airplay and exposure was limited.
 
 
 
Here are the Slades backing up Joyce Harris with "I Cheated", which answered their own   record! The numbering scheme for Domino goes back to the 900 series, and this was   released in 1961  This is Joyce Harris on the flip side with "Do You Know What It's Like   To  Be Lonesome", without the Slades backing her up. Joyce Harris was best known for   "No Way Out",also originally released on Domino 905. See the Domino records collection   for additional information.
 
 
 
"It's  Your  Turn"  released  in  1961 was  the last  Slades  recording I am aware of, and   certainly the last for Domino. It is an upbeat recording, a bit more pop than previous   releases, but fun to listen to.  The  flip side, "Take My Heart"  is close to the typical   ballad for the Slades, again with  a  bit more of a pop sound than most of their other recordings.
 
 
SUMMARY: This is a fairly complete listing of Slades recordings in the late 50's and   early 1960's,  including backup  vocals for other  artists. The group did well, but were   somewhat limited by the distribution of Domino records outside of Texas and a few other   regions. You cheated could have done  better.  Domino's decision to use Los Angeles   based   Ardco to press and distribute the records, in hindsight,was probably not the best   choice.  Combine that  with the  fact  that the intentionally similarly named "Shields" cut a   very good Version of the song, and had the powerful Dot record label distribute the disc at a national level, and Domino records had rejected an earlier distribution  deal from Dot, paved a rough road for the fledgling label.
 
 
 

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