Run Runaway

"Run Runaway"
Single cover of "Run Runaway".
Single by Slade
from the album The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome/ Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply
B-side	Two Track Stereo One Track Mind
Recorded	27 January, 1984
Genre	Hard rock, Celtic Rock
Length	3:42
Label	RCA/CBS Associated
Writer(s)	Noddy Holder Jim Lea
Producer	John Punter
Slade singles chronology
"My Oh My" (1983) "Run Runaway" (1984) "Slam the Hammer Down" (1984)
Audio sample file info · help

"Run Runaway" is a hard rock song performed by English band Slade. The song was written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and was on their 1983 album The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome. It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart., and proved to be the band's last UK Top 10 hit single.

The album was released, 1984, in the United States with a different track listing under the title Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. In 1984, the single "Run Runaway" became the band's biggest American hit, benefitting from heavy play on MTV, peaking at #20 and spending a total of eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100's Top 40. It was also number one for two weeks on the Billboard Top Tracks chart.

The melody is inspired by the hymn "There Is a Happy Land". Holder himself perfectly summed the song up as "a rocky Scottish jig".

Dave Thompson, from allmusic described the song as "building on the anthemic power of the earlier "My Oh My" - itself their biggest U.K. single in nine 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".

After being asked for his favourite Slade song, vocalist Noddy Holder replied that although "Far Far Away" was his favourite, hearing "Run Runaway" on the radio a few days before the interview really knocked him out.

In a mid-1989 Slade fan club magazine interview, Powell was asked if there was a Slade track that he felt was one of the band's best efforts on record. Powell replied stated that "Standin' On The Corner" from the 1975 album "Slade in Flame" was a favourite. Powell also stated "The 12" version of Run Runaway, I liked doing that one as well."

The single peaked at #193 for 1984 on rateyourmusic.

Promotion

A music video was created for the single, filmed at Eastnor Castle in Ledbury, Herefordshire, England.

The track was also performed on many UK TV shows such as Hall of Fame, Saturday Live (with a different backing track) as well as a few Top of The Pops performances. The track was also performed at Montreaux Festival in 1984 along with Slam the Hammer Down in 1984.

After filming the music video at Eastnor Castle, the band returned to the place where they'd once played their third ever live gig under Chas Chander's management. The gig was an end of film party for the cast of a film that starred Sammy Davis, Jerry Lewis and Peter Lawson. The band got very drunk during the gig, and Noddy Holder stole a flat cap from the dressing room. On the way home the band were stopped by the police who questioned them about a theft. At first the band thought it was about the cap - but it didn't concern that at all. The police were looking for some antiques stolen from Eastnor Castle.

Formats

7" Single

1. "Run Runaway" - 3:43
2. "Two Track Stereo One Track Mind" - 2:54

7" Single (US only alternate version)

1. "Run Runaway" - 3:43
2. "Don't Tame A Hurricane" - 2:33

12" Single

1. "Run Runaway (Extended version)" - 5:26
2. "Two Track Stereo One Track Mind" - 2:52

Chart performance

Chart (1984)	Peak position	Total weeks
Australian Singles Chart	17	?
Belgian Singles Chart[citation needed]	27	1
Canadian Singles Chart	13	20
German Singles Chart	19	12
Irish Singles Chart	8	4
New Zealand Singles Chart	21	12
Norwegian Singles Chart	7	5
Polish Singles Chart[citation needed]	6	10
Swedish Singles Chart	4	7
UK Singles Chart	7	10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	20	17
U.S. Mainstream Rock Charts	1	2

Cover versions

• In 1990, eurodance group Dominoo released an EP with four different versions of the song.
• In 1993, the Polish band Acid Drinkers recorded a cover on their album Fishdick
• In 1995, Canadian band Great Big Sea recorded a cover of the song on their album Up. It was the first song by Great Big Sea to get significant exposure.
• The song was included on the 2001 compilation, Slade Remade: A Tribute to Slade with vocals by Bart Foley.
• Off Kilter released a version of the song on their 2001 album Etched in Stone.
• Swedish techno-country/hi-NRG group Rednex recorded a cover of the song in 2007. An audio sample can be heard on their official MySpace page.
• In 2007, the Celtic rock band Prydein recorded a cover of the song on their album Loud Pipes.

Personnel

• Noddy Holder: Lead vocals and guitar
• Jim Lea: Bass guitar, electric violin and backing vocals
• Dave Hill: Lead guitar and backing vocals
• Don Powell: Drums

Additional personnel

• Producer on "Run Runaway" - John Punter
• Writers of "Run Runaway" - Noddy Holder; Jim Lea
• Producer on "Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind" - Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd.
• Writers of "Two Track Stereo, One Track Mind" - Noddy Holder; Jim Lea
• Producer on "Don't Tame a Hurricane" - Jim Lea for Perseverance Ltd.
• Writers of "Don't Tame a Hurricane" - Noddy Holder; Jim Lea
• Art Direction - Andrew Christian
• Design - Shoot That Tiger!

See also

• List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)