Slade in Flame (also known as Flame) is a 1975 film starring the British rock band Slade. It was directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Andrew Birkin with additional dialogue by Dave Humphries. The film includes supporting roles by Tom Conti, Alan Lake and Johnny Shannon. In November 1974, the band's soundtrack album of the same name was released prior to the film.
The film charts the history of "Flame", a fictitious group in the late 1960s who are picked up by a marketing company and taken to the top, only to break up at their zenith. Described as the "Citizen Kane of rock musicals" by BBC film critic Mark Kermode, the film went on to achieve critical acclaim years after the mixed feelings on its original release.
Slade in Flame has been released in VHS and DVD form, and was re-mastered and released in its original Cinemascope wide-screen format on DVD for the first time in 2007. The set also featured the soundtrack album. In 2015, Salvo Sound & Vision issued a repackaged CD + DVD version of the album and film.
A paperback book was released, based on the film, written by John Pidgeon. It was the largest printing that the publisher Panther had done for the home market at 250,000 copies.
Plot
In the beginning, the future members of Flame are playing in two rival bands. The first band includes singer Jack Daniels (Alan Lake), guitarist Barry (Dave Hill) and bassist Paul (Jim Lea). They are managed by a local agency run by Ron Harding (Johnny Shannon). The other band, Roy Priest and the Undertakers, is fronted by Stoker (Noddy Holder). Soon after playing a wedding gig, Daniels' band auditions for a new drummer and take on Charlie (Don Powell). Playing at a small venue, the band runs into the Undertakers, who are the following act that night. The Undertakers' performance is ruined after Daniels locks Stoker in his stage coffin. Having stopped at a roadside cafe after leaving the venue, Daniels and his band, along with Barry's girlfriend Angie (Sara Clee), are forced to make a hasty getaway when the Undertakers arrive looking for them. A car chase results in Daniels crashing and the police arresting both bands.
In the cell at the local police station, Paul is properly introduced to Stoker. Soon after their release, he visits him at his market job to offer him Daniels' place in the band. Stoker agrees to take the part, with the Undertakers having disbanded. Meanwhile, Barry approaches his friend Russell (Anthony Allen), who agrees to his offer of becoming their roadie. The newly-formed band soon play their first performance at a small club, which is seen by both Harding and a talent scout Tony Devlin (Kenneth Colley). After the show, an argument develops between Harding and Stoker, resulting in Harding dropping them from his agency. Soon afterwards, Stoker receives a letter from Devlin, on behalf of a London-based agency run by Robert Seymour (Tom Conti). Offering to take on the band, they travel to London to meet Seymour and agree to sign with his agency.
Now named "Flame", the band release their first record, which quickly becomes a hit. As part of its promotion, they arrive by boat to a pirate radio station "Radio City", based in the Thames estuary. During their interview on the Ricky Storm Show (Tommy Vance), the station is attacked by gunfire and the band escape by helicopter. The resulting front page news boosts their publicity, pushing further sales of their hit record. The new-found fame brings pressure on the members, who are busy with constant touring and recording. At a record company party to celebrate the band's fifth hit record, which had just gone Silver, their former agent Harding turns up to inform Seymour that they are still under contract to his agency and tries to stake a claim to their earnings. Setting up a meeting with Harding at his office, Seymour uses Daniels to get hold of the band's contract with Harding. Daniels is successful in stealing it and after the meeting with Seymour, Harding is unable to produce proof of his contract with the band. Realising Daniels was recently in the office to collect his work schedule, Harding soon sends his thugs to retrieve the contract. Finding Daniels, the thugs sever his toes after discovering the money he was paid for stealing the contract.