Blessings in Disguise and the Forgotten Slade Offshoot: “Crying in the Rain” Revisited
In January 1990, British television viewers were given a rare glimpse into one of the most overlooked side projects in the Slade story when Central TV News aired a short feature on Blessings in Disguise, the solo venture of Slade guitarist Dave Hill. At the centre of the report was the single “Crying in the Rain”, a release that quietly slipped through the cracks despite involving two core members of one of Britain’s most successful rock bands.
The project emerged during a transitional moment for Slade. In 1988, the band agreed to take an 18-month break, allowing individual members to pursue other interests. For Hill, this hiatus became an opportunity to develop material outside the Slade framework. “Crying in the Rain” was recorded in 1988 and completed the following year, featuring a familiar yet slightly reconfigured lineup: Noddy Holder on lead vocals, Dave Hill on guitar, Bill Hunt on keyboards, Craig Fenney on bass, and Bob Lamb on drums.
The song initially attracted interest from Polydor Records, Slade’s longtime label. However, discussions stalled when the company suggested either that Slade re-record the track as a full band release or that Hill and Holder produce an entirely new version. Unwilling to compromise, Hill and Holder chose an independent route, releasing the single on Mooncrest Records in November 1989, backed with “Wild Nights” on the B-side.
Despite the pedigree involved, “Crying in the Rain” received little radio airplay and failed to chart, quickly becoming a footnote rather than a recognised chapter in the Slade catalogue. Hill would later release one further solo single, “Chance to Be” in 1991, which did not feature Holder. After that, no additional solo material from Hill was officially released, although Holder is known to have contributed vocals to several unreleased recordings that remain unheard to this day.
The Central TV News footage, recorded in January 1990, captures Hill and Holder performing brief segments of both “Crying in the Rain” and “Wild Nights”, interwoven with a short interview discussing the project. Today, the clip stands as a rare visual document of Slade’s inner circle during a period of uncertainty and reinvention, offering fans a glimpse of what might have been had circumstances, timing, or industry support been different.
More than three decades on, Blessings in Disguise remains a fascinating reminder that even within hugely successful bands, creative detours can lead to compelling work that history is slow to acknowledge.
Video:
