Effective period / Period of releases: 1979 - 1991

Members: Jim Lea, Frank Lea, Paul Faulkner

The Dummies was formed by the Jim and Frank Lea in 1979. With Slade suffering from a period of low popularity and resistance from radio, Jim wanted to find out whether it was his and lead vocalist Noddy Holder's songwriting or simply a reluctance from DJs to play new Slade material.
The pair formed Cheapskate Records, which Frank wanted to use to prove that any independent label, with the right promotion and distribution, could release a hit single.
The Dummies produced three singles between 1979 and 1981, and although they all failed to chart, they did gain radio play. While some tracks were recorded in 1979, much of the Dummies material was recorded in 1980.