Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)

"Rock and Roll Preacher"
"Rock and Roll Preacher"
	German cover of "Rock and Roll Preacher".
Single by Slade
from the album Till Deaf Do Us Part
B-side	"Knuckle Sandwich Nancy"
Released	April 1982
Genre	Hard rock
Length	3:17
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s)	Slade
Slade singles chronology

"Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1982 as the fourth and final single from their tenth studio album Till Deaf Do Us Part. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Slade. The song was released as a single in Germany only, where it peaked at No. 49.^[1]

Background[edit]

Following their revival after their performance at the 1980 Reading Festival, Slade signed a deal with RCA Records the following year. In November 1981, the band released the album Till Deaf Do Us Part. Following the March 1982 release of the third single, "Ruby Red", RCA and the band chose to release "Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" as a single in Germany only. For its release as a single, the full album version of the song was cut down to just over three minutes.^[2] The editing of the song was handled by Lea, Holder and drummer Don Powell.^[3]

The song would reach No. 49 in the German charts.^[1] Furthermore, the song became the band's regular opener at Slade's concerts. It would appear as the opening track of the band's 1982 live album Slade on Stage.^[4]

Release[edit]

"Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" was released on 7" and 12" vinyl by RCA in Germany only.^[5] The B-side, "Knuckle Sandwich Nancy", was taken from Till Deaf Do Us Part and had been the album's failed lead single in May 1981. The 12" vinyl version of the single was Slade's second release on 12" vinyl. It featured the full-length album version of "Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" as the A-side.^[6]

Promotion[edit]

In Germany, the band performed the song on the TV show Musikladen on 11 March 1982. Later in December 1984, the band would perform the song again on the German ZDF show Thommys Pop Show.^[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Upon release, Kerrang!, in a review of Till Deaf Do Us Part, said the song "comes close to capturing the feelings of Slade live, Holder chortling wickedly through every line".^[8] In a retrospective review, Geoff Ginsberg of AllMusic commented: "This number is so blistering, one wonders just how heavy these guys can get. Answer: very."^[9]

Formats[edit]

7" Single

"Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" - 3:17
"Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" - 3:09

12" Single

"Rock And Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" - 5:34
"Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" - 3:09

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1982)	Peak position
German Singles Chart^[1]	49

Personnel[edit]

Noddy Holder - lead vocals, guitar, producer
Dave Hill - lead guitar, backing vocals, producer
Jim Lea - bass, organ, backing vocals, producer
Don Powell - drums, producer

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Steffen Hung. "Slade - Rock And Roll Preacher". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "Slade - Rock And Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm On Fire) / Knuckle Sandwich Nancy - RCA Victor - Germany - PB 5466". 45cat. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ Powell, Don; Falkenberg, Lise Lyng (11 October 2013). Look Wot I Dun: Don Powell of Slade - Don Powell, Lise Lyng Falkenberg - Google Books. ISBN 9781783230006. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "Vinyl Album - Slade - Slade On Stage - RCA - UK". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "SLADE Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "Slade - Rock And Roll Preacher (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
^ "1981 Press Cuttings". Slade Scrapbook. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
^ Geoff Ginsberg. "Till Deaf Do Us Part - Slade | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[austriancharts1-1] Steffen Hung. "Slade - Rock And Roll Preacher". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[2] "Slade - Rock And Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm On Fire) / Knuckle Sandwich Nancy - RCA Victor - Germany - PB 5466". 45cat. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[3] Powell, Don; Falkenberg, Lise Lyng (11 October 2013). Look Wot I Dun: Don Powell of Slade - Don Powell, Lise Lyng Falkenberg - Google Books. ISBN 9781783230006. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[4] "Vinyl Album - Slade - Slade On Stage - RCA - UK". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[5] "SLADE Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[6] "Slade - Rock And Roll Preacher (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[7] "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.

[8] "1981 Press Cuttings". Slade Scrapbook. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

[9] Geoff Ginsberg. "Till Deaf Do Us Part - Slade | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2017.

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v t e Slade
Dave Hill Don Powell Noddy Holder Jim Lea John Berry Russell Keefe Steve Whalley Steve Makin Craig Fenney Trevor Holliday Dave Glover Mal McNulty
Studio albums	Beginnings (Ambrose Slade, 1969) Play It Loud (1970) Slayed? (1972) Old New Borrowed and Blue (1974) Slade in Flame (1974) Nobody's Fools (1976) Whatever Happened to Slade (1977) Return to Base (1979) We'll Bring the House Down (1981) Till Deaf Do Us Part (1981) The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (1983) Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (1984) Rogues Gallery (1985) Crackers (1985) You Boyz Make Big Noize (1987)
Live albums	Slade Alive! (1972) Slade Alive, Vol. 2 (1978) Slade on Stage (1982)
Compilations	Coz I Luv You (1972) Sladest (1973) Slade Smashes! (1980) Slades Greats (1984) The Slade Collection 81–87 (1991) Wall of Hits (1991) The Slade Collection Vol. 2, 79–87 (1993) The Genesis of Slade (1996) Feel the Noize – Greatest Hits (1997) Get Yer Boots On: The Best of Slade (2004) The Very Best of Slade (2005) Slade Alive! – The Live Anthology (2006) B-Sides (2007) Rockers (2007) In for a Penny: Raves & Faves (2007) Live at the BBC (2009) Merry Xmas Everybody: Party Hits (2009) Cum On Feel the Hitz: The Best of Slade (2020)
Box sets	The Slade Box (2006) When Slade Rocked the World (2015)
Extended plays	Six of the Best Alive at Reading Xmas Ear Bender
Singles	"You Better Run" (The N' Betweens) "Wild Winds Are Blowing" "Shape of Things to Come" "Know Who You Are" "Get Down and Get with It" "Coz I Luv You" "Look Wot You Dun" "Take Me Bak 'Ome" "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" "Gudbuy T'Jane" "Cum On Feel the Noize" "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" "My Friend Stan" "Merry Xmas Everybody" "Everyday" "When the Lights Are Out" "The Bangin' Man" "Far Far Away" "How Does It Feel" "Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)" "In for a Penny" "Let's Call It Quits" "Nobody's Fool" "Gypsy Roadhog" "Burning in the Heat of Love" "My Baby Left Me - That's All Right" "Give Us a Goal" "Rock 'n' Roll Bolero" "Ginny, Ginny" "Sign of the Times" "Okey Cokey" "We'll Bring the House Down" "Wheels Ain't Coming Down" "Knuckle Sandwich Nancy" "Lock Up Your Daughters" "Ruby Red" "Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" "(And Now the Waltz) C'est La Vie" "My Oh My" "Run Runaway" "Slam the Hammer Down" "All Join Hands" "7 Year Bitch" "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" "Little Sheila" "Do You Believe in Miracles" "Still the Same" "That's What Friends Are For" "You Boyz Make Big Noize" "Ooh La La in L.A." "We Won't Give In" "Let's Dance '88" "Radio Wall of Sound" "Universe"
Video	Slade in Flame Wall of Hits
Related articles	Discography List of songs recorded by Slade The Dummies A Day in the Life of the Dummies "Shooting Me Down" Keep On Rockin' (Slade II album) Therapy (James Whild Lea album)