SWEET

 

Personnel:

Formed in England in 1968 by Tucker and Connolly who first met as members of Middlesex pop outfit Wainwright's Gentlemen. Group split up and Mick and Brian recruited Frank Torpey and Steve Priest to form the Sweet Shop, soon shortened to The Sweet. Recorded a string a flop singles in true Bubblegum spirit by featuring Connolly on vocals and the rest of Sweet being replaced by studio musicians. Releasing singles on the Fontana and Parlophone labels, The Lollipop Man, All You'll Ever Get From Me, Get On The Line (written by The Archie's songwriting team Barry/Kim), and It's Lonely Out There were typical of chart dominating American Bubblegum and totally inconspicuous amongst their other, weaker Monkee/Herman Hermits material. Torpey left and Andy Scott was recruited to add a heavier rock sound and they subsequently met British songwriting ream Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman in 1970. Chinn-Chapman along with Phil Wainman produced and wrote their singles over the next four years. The collaboration worked and they were greeted with U.K. success as Funny Funny, Co-Co, Poppa Joe, Wig Wam Bam, Blockbuster and Hellraiser made the charts. Little Willy (They said "Little Willy"!) and Ballroom Blitz were big U.S. hits as well and became instantly recognizable Bubblegum classics (Mike Myers acknowledged this in Wayne's World). On stage, Sweet mixed elements of Glam with outrageous costumes (Indian attire for Wig Wam Bam; oh, the influence of 1910 Fruitgum Co.!) and sexually-charged theatrics with their hybrid Bubblegum/Heavy Rock repertoire. The group was still augmented by studio sessionmen although they were allowed to record self-penned B-sides. By their third full album, the classic 1974 DESOLATION BOULEVARD, they attempted to rid themselves of restrictive bubblegum image by splitting from Chinn-Chapman and proved immediately that they could survive on their own when Fox On The Run became a big hit. They followed up with hits Action and Love Is Like Oxygen in 1979. Brian Connolly left the group after LEVEL HEADED failed and Sweet developed into a hard rock group without much success before splitting in 1982. Andy Scott continues to tour as AS Sweet and Connolly died in February 1997.

ALBUMS (covering the Bubblegum Years only):

FUNNY HOW SWEET CO-CO CAN BE (RCA Victor SF 8238) UK 1971

THE SWEET'S BIGGEST HITS (RCA Victor SF 88316) UK 1972

SWEET FANNY ADAMS (RCA Victor LPL1 5038) UK 1974

DESOLATION BOULEVARD (RCA Victor LPL1 5080) European 1974

DESOLATION BOULEVARD (Capitol ST-11395) US 1975

 

45s (covering the Bubblegum Years only):

Slow Motion/It's Lonely Out There (Fontana TF 958) 1968

Lollipop Man/Time (Parlophone R 5803) 1969

All You'll Ever Get From Me/The Juicer (Parlophone R 5826 & Paramount 0044 - US) 1970

Get On The Line/Mr. McGallagher (Parlophone R 5848) 1970

All You'll Ever Get From Me/The Juicer (Parlophone R 5902) 1971

Funny Funny/You're Not Wrong For Loving Me (RCA 2051 & bell 106 - US) 1971

Co-Co/Done Me Wrong Alright (RCA 2087) 1971

Alexander Graham Bell/Spotlight (RCA 2121) 1971

Poppa Joe/Jeanie (RCA 2164 & Bell 184 - US) 1972

Little Willy/Man From Mecca (RCA 2225 & Bell 251 - US) 1972

Wig Wam Bam/New York Connection (RCA 2260 & Bell 408 - US) 1972

Blockbuster/Need A Lot Of Loving (RCA 2305 & Bell 361 - US) 1973

Hell Raiser/Burning (RCA 2357) 1973

Ballroom Blitz/Rock & Roll Disgrace (RCA 2403) 1973

It's Lonely Out There/I'm On My Way (20th Century 2033) 1973

Teenage Rampage/Own Up, Take A Look At Yourself (RCA LPBO 5004) 1974

The Six Teens/Burn On The Flame (RCA LPBO 5037) 1974

Turn It Down/Someone Else Will (RCA 2480) 1974

The Best Of Sweet (Capitol)

First Recordings 1968-1971 (Import)