JIM LEA - Side Ventures
During the late ‘70’s Slade were in the doldrums, the chart hits had dried up, there was no radio play for the singles released and the touring had hit an all time low.
Jim Lea wanted to know if it was down to his songwriting or the stigma attached to the Slade name.
Jim and his brother Frank decided to form their own independent record label “Cheapskate” and recorded under the name “The Dummies” . None of the singles they released charted but they did get radio play which proved to Jim that the songwriting wasn’t the problem.
The Cheapskate label did however have one minor hit in 1980 with Sue Wilkinson’s “You Gotta Be A Hustler If You Wanna Get On” which peaked at number 25. Even Sue's appearance on Top Of The Pops kept in with the Slade connection as Don Powell played the drums.
Frank Lea wasn’t keen on Slade recording on the label and sold his half share and formed another independent label called “Speed”.
Slade went on to release five records on the “Cheapskate” label (1980 - 1981), one of them reaching number 10 in the UK charts. Another three releases followed in the years 1987 - 1988. (See UK Vinyl Singles 1980 – 1993)
Jim continued working with his brother and released a single on the “Speed” label with a song he’d originally released as The Dummies “Didn’t You Use To Use To Be You? This time he named the group The China Dolls and renamed the song “One Hit Wonder”. Another Dummies song was ”Poland” which was released under the name Greenfields Of Tong.
Slade released one single on this label “Okey Cokey” and Noddy Holder tried his hand at producing Three Phase who were also recording artists for the label.
Over the years Jim has recorded under various pseudonyms and produced many artists including Slade, a few of the artists he produced are shown in this section.
Artists not covered that Jim also produced were: Annabella, Gary Holton, Sue Scadding, The Crybabies, Chrome Molly, Clout and Girlschool (co. produced with Noddy Holder).
Also included in this section are side ventures taken on by the other members of Slade.
Jim Lea wanted to know if it was down to his songwriting or the stigma attached to the Slade name.
Jim and his brother Frank decided to form their own independent record label “Cheapskate” and recorded under the name “The Dummies” . None of the singles they released charted but they did get radio play which proved to Jim that the songwriting wasn’t the problem.
The Cheapskate label did however have one minor hit in 1980 with Sue Wilkinson’s “You Gotta Be A Hustler If You Wanna Get On” which peaked at number 25. Even Sue's appearance on Top Of The Pops kept in with the Slade connection as Don Powell played the drums.
Frank Lea wasn’t keen on Slade recording on the label and sold his half share and formed another independent label called “Speed”.
Slade went on to release five records on the “Cheapskate” label (1980 - 1981), one of them reaching number 10 in the UK charts. Another three releases followed in the years 1987 - 1988. (See UK Vinyl Singles 1980 – 1993)
Jim continued working with his brother and released a single on the “Speed” label with a song he’d originally released as The Dummies “Didn’t You Use To Use To Be You? This time he named the group The China Dolls and renamed the song “One Hit Wonder”. Another Dummies song was ”Poland” which was released under the name Greenfields Of Tong.
Slade released one single on this label “Okey Cokey” and Noddy Holder tried his hand at producing Three Phase who were also recording artists for the label.
Over the years Jim has recorded under various pseudonyms and produced many artists including Slade, a few of the artists he produced are shown in this section.
Artists not covered that Jim also produced were: Annabella, Gary Holton, Sue Scadding, The Crybabies, Chrome Molly, Clout and Girlschool (co. produced with Noddy Holder).
Also included in this section are side ventures taken on by the other members of Slade.
THE DUMMIES
1979 Cheapskate FWL 001 WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT / SHE'S THE ONLY WOMAN (Plain Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THE DUMMIES
1980 Pye 101 518 WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT / SHE'S THE ONLY WOMAN German Issue (P/ Sleeve) ................................................................................. THE DUMMIES
1980 Cheapskate CHEAP 003 DIDN'T YOU USE TO USE TO BE YOU? / MILES OUT TO SEA (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THE CHINA DOLLS
1982 SPEED FIRED 1 ONE HIT WONDER / AIN'T LOVE AIN'T BAD (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THREE PHASE
1982 SPEED FIRED 3 ALL I WANT TO DO IS (FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU) / COOL CLIMAX Produced By Noddy Holder (Plain Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THE REDBEARDS FROM TEXAS
1986 Receiver RRS 1000 I SAW HER STANDING THERE / POKER WITH THE BOYS Produced By Jimmy Lea (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE
1989 Mooncrest DISGUISE 1 CRYING IN THE RAIN / WILD NIGHTS Produced By Dave Hill & Noddy Holder (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THE METAL GURUS
1990 Phonogram GURU 1 MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY / METAL GURU Produced By Noddy Holder & Jimmy Lea (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... JIMBO featuring BULL
1994 Trojan CDTRO 9106 COZ I LUV YOU (Radio Edit) /COZ I LUV YOU (Bull Mix) /COZ I LUV YOU (Cowboy Mix) Produced By Jimmy Lea (3 Track CD Single) .................................................................................................................. GANG OF ANGELS
1994 Shotgun Records CDBOR 012 HELLO GOODBYE /JIM JAM Composed & Produced By Jimmy Lea (2 Track CD Single) ........................................................................................................... |
THE DUMMIES
1980 Pye 7P 163 WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT / SHE'S THE ONLY WOMAN (Company Sleeve) ................................................................................. SUE WILKINSON
1980 Cheapskate CHEAP 2 YOU GOTTA BE A HUSTLER IF YOU WANNA ...... / DOUBLE DEALIN' DAY Don Powell on Drums (Plain Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THE DUMMIES
1981 Cheapskate CHEAP 014 MAYBE TONITE / WHEN I'M DANCIN' I AIN'T FIGHTIN' (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... GREENFIELDS OF TONG
1982 SPEED FIRED 2 POLAND / INSTRUMENTAL (Plain Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... JIMMY LEA
1985 Trojan KANE 001 CITIZEN KANE / POLAND (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... THE REDBEARDS FROM TEXAS
1986 Receiver RRS 1001 GUDBYE T' JANE / DRINKIN' ON A SATURDAY NIGHT Produced By Jimmy Lea (P/ Sleeve) ........................................................................................................... BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE
1991 Gotham GOTH 2 CHANCE TO BE / YOU'RE THE REASON THAT I'M STRONG Produced By Dave Hill (Awaiting Photo) (P/ Sleeve) ............................................................................................................ THE METAL GURUS
1990 Phonogram GURCD 1 MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY/ METAL GURU /MAMA WEER ALL CRAZEE NOW /GUDBYE T' JANE (This Track Vocals by Noddy Holder) Produced By Noddy Holder & Jimmy Lea (4 Track CD Single) .............................................................................................................. THE DUMMIES
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE DUMMIES 1991 Receiver RRLP 155 & Receiver RRCD 155 Released on Vinyl LP & CD Tracklisting 1. DIDN'T YOU USED TO USED TO BE YOU 2. MAYBE TONIGHT 3. NOBODY'S FOOL 4. JEANIE JEANIE 5. BURNING IN THE HEAT OF LOVE 6. POLAND 7. SHEILA 8. WHEN I'M DANCIN' I AIN'T FIGHTIN' 9. THE MINUTE I LOST CONTROL 10. WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT 11. IT AIN'T LOVE IT AIN'T BAD 12. MILES OUT TO SEA 13. POLAND (Instrumental) Produced By Jimmy Lea ............................................................................................................. THE X SPECIALS
1994 Trojan CDTRO COZ I LUV YOU (Radio Edit) /COZ I LUV YOU (Violin Mix) /COZ I LUV YOU (Ragga Mix) Produced By Jimmy Lea (3 Track CD Single) ............................................................................................................ WHILD
1999 Jet Records JETSCD 501Z I'LL BE JOHN, YOU'LL BE YOKO /MEGADRIVE /I GO WILD Composed & Produced By Jimmy Lea (3 Track CD Single) ................................................................................................................ JAMES WHILD LEA
THERAPY 2007 Jim Jam Records Released on CD / Gatefold Digipak P/Sleeve Tracklisting 1. HEAVEN CAN WAIT (FOR THOSE WHO PRAY) 2. BIG FAMILY 3. THE SMILE OF ELVIS 4. DEADROCK U.K. 5. COULD GOD BE A WOMAN 6. GO OUT IN STYLE 7. UNIVERSE 8. TIME AND EMOTION 9. YOUR CINE WORLD 10. THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS 11. WHY IS YOUTH ALWAYS WASTED ON THE YOUNG 12. NOTICE 13. LET ME BE YOUR THERAPY All Tracks Written, Produced & Arranged By Jimmy Lea ..................................................................................................................... Left - 2009 Re-Issue with extra Robin 2 Live Performance |