Slade's Dave Hill: 'Most of our earnings went on tax' I wasn't particularly academic at school so I was never going to be a doctor. My grandfather was a classically trained pianist so my love of music probably came from him. I didn't just pick up the guitar because I wanted to be in a rock band, I wanted to play because I had a feeling towards music and the guitar was the instrument which suited me. In the early Sixties, I was in a group called The N'Betweens with Don Powell and around 1966 we joined up with Noddy Holder and Jim Lea to form a new band. We started off as Ambrose Slade but eventually just Slade. Our big break came when we were spotted by Chas Chandler, Jimi Hendrix's manager, and went on to have more than 20 top-20 singles and six hit albums. The first year of our success felt unreal; I was almost uncomfortable about what was happening. I'd never experienced anything like it and kept asking myself whether I deserved such fame. The Seventies were a great period. We made lots of money and moved around the millionaire status. Although we spent money on ourselves, most of our earnings seemed to go on tax. Around 1973, we were paying extraordinary amounts - up to 90pc. Pop stars were leaving the country because of the tax structure but we didn't do that. Being very British, we'd have missed HP Sauce and bacon sandwiches, so we stayed. But you have to understand fame, which comes and goes, and be able to adjust to those times when you're not selling records. Yes, when record sales started drying up in the late Seventies. During Slade's heyday we had four years of number ones and the world was our oyster - or so it seemed. But then people stopped buying and it became a difficult time for me. We continued playing live to keep things turning, but until making a big comeback in the Eighties we found ourselves playing at universities and ballrooms - what I call "chicken in the basket" gigs. But coming from a working-class background, it was important to keep working. In 1972 and it cost £35,000. It was a posh place in Solihull and was next to a girls' school, which I didn't know at the time. When the girls discovered who lived next door, they besieged the place - they were even living in the treehouse in my garden. It reached the point where I couldn't really live there any more so I sold up. Back then, most mortgage companies wouldn't touch you if you were in a pop group. To finance the purchase, I had to shop around and finally found some City bank prepared to put up the money. Because of feeling insecure and worrying about losing everything I'd worked hard for, I was generally careful with money. But I had always wanted a Rolls-Royce and eventually bought a gold and cream Silver Cloud Roller with my own personalised number plate, "Yob 1," which was like sticking your fingers up to being posh. I've owned a few cars over the years. The most at any one time was four, including a Jensen. Now, I drive a silver Audi Cabriolet convertible, which I bought 10 years ago for around £30,000. At the time I thought that was reasonable for a cutting-edge vehicle. I've still got that and a black BMW X3 which my wife, Jan, drives. My original Gibson guitar, which I played on all of Slade's hit records. My father bought it in 1968 for £220, which was an awful lot of money for a car mechanic. My manager, Chas Chandler, advised me to get a better guitar so father took me to London. I saw the Gibson in a window in Shaftesbury Avenue. Dad didn't use cheques or believe in H P so he got the cash and the guitar was mine. It was a joy to own. I don't take it on the road any more because it's so valuable, not in terms of money, more memories. The Silver Cloud Rolls-Royce. In 1987 we had the three kids and were struggling. I wasn't using the car much and felt vulnerable to people letting down the tyres or scratching the side. I'd owned it for 13 years, had plenty of good times with it but decided the time was right to sell. A guy from Sotheby's suggested selling it not in a memorabilia sale but in a proper car sale. It was a good idea because I put down an 18-grand reserve but it sold for around £29,000, making an enormous profit. At that time there weren't any hit records on the table and the band had almost folded so the money came when I needed it most. Nothing in particular has let me down. But some years ago, when buying and selling antiques seemed to be the fashion, I dabbled for a while, buying old clocks and other items. Being a specialised field, you have to understand the market and, unfortunately, I didn't. So I guess that's the only area where I lost money when it came to reselling the items. I don't have any. Maybe it's since the stroke I suffered two years ago while performing on stage in Germany. Now I want to cherish the moment I'm living rather than worrying about my finances in the future and what might or may not happen. I'm not rushing out to buy some long-term savings plan or anything like that; I'll remain cautious, like I've always been, and enjoy what I've got. I like cheques but more and more businesses aren't accepting them, which is a shame. I use Mastercard mostly now. I have just the one card - and that's enough. Anyway, if the one you have is accepted worldwide, why have more? That was definitely one of the biggest, especially when it came to air time - and it's still being played. But I don't rely on the royalties: I still work for a living and Slade are touring the UK this autumn and winter with Sweet. Believe it or not, Merry Christmas Everybody was recorded in New York during the summer of 1973 when it was 100 degrees outside! Call me old-fashioned if you want, but I still like visiting the bank and seeing a person behind the counter rather than relying on my computer to transfer money or pay bills. Slade are touring with Sweet between November 7 and December 15. For further information visit flyingmusic.com or call 020 7221 7799