The group's initial years were characterized by bubblegum songs that they were only allowed to sing on, with heavier self-penned rock songs as the b-sides. They achieved their first hit in 1970 with the release of Funny Funny. In the following months, Sweet released "Co-Co" and Poppa Joe, both achieving huge success in the charts. In 1971 they released the album "Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be", which consisted mostly of songs written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.
Sweet's success continued with more glam rock and power pop oriented tunes, such as "Little Willy", "Wig Wam Bam", Hellraiser and Ballroom Blitz. By this time Sweet had a world-wide following, clocking up no less than 18 top 20 hit singles, and the guys were most notably popular in Germany and the U.K.
The group's members are perhaps best remembered for their very 'glam' outfits, featuring a lot of glitter, platform boots, chain mail shirts, and plenty of makeup. The group practically defining the camp extreme of the glam rock look, Steve Priest would later say it was very short-lived and only happened by accident, as some sort of ongoing rivalry between them and artists such as David Bowie and T. Rex. Everyone tried to outdo each other’s ridiculousness on Top Of The Pops. Sweet’s glam rock era lasted from 1972 to 1973.
In 1974, Sweet released Teenage Rampage, The Six Teens and Turn It Down, showing their desire to take a more hard rock direction. By this time tensions between the band and the songwriters and producer started to grow. The guys also pushed for more songwriting control, which increased tensions between them, the songwriters and producer.
In 1975, Sweet wrote, recorded and produced the smash hit Fox on the Run on their own, essentially severing ties with Chinn and Chapman. Following the song’s success, they released the acclaimed track Action. Their momentum went on, the band embarking their first U.S. tour.
After their recent success, Sweet released the “Give Us A Wink” album in 1976, which was notably heavy. It contained the single The Lies In Your Eyes, which achieved moderate success. A year later, in 1977, they released the album “Off The Record”, but singles such as Fever Of Love and Lost Angels failed to gain traction, partly due to bad marketing from their label. Despite this, the band continued to distance themselves from their earlier commercial ventures.
Sweet’s career was revitalized with the release of Love Is Like Oxygen in 1978. By this time Connolly had developed a drinking problem and started to be increasingly unreliable during recording sessions. Following a disastrous U.S. tour, he left the band officially in early 1979. The band continued on as a three piece band for three more years, releasing “Cut Above The Rest”, “Waters Edge”, and “Identity Crisis”. Priest took over most of the lead vocals until Sweet’s disbandment in 1981.
In 1985, Andy Scott and Mick Tucker re-formed Sweet with various new vocalists and bass players, the most notable being a 1986 reunion featuring Paul Mario Day (the first singer of Iron Maiden), keyboardist Phil Lanzon, and bass player Malcolm McNulty (who is now lead singer for fellow glam rock band Slade). Steve Priest was asked to join Tucker and Scott for the 1985 Australian tour, but declined at the last moment. Vocalist and bass player Jeff Brown joined in 1988. In 1991, Mick Tucker departed due to ill health, leaving Andy Scott as the only original member. He was replaced by German Bodo Schopf, and subsequently, Bruce Bisland. After Tucker's departure, Andy Scott changed the band's name to 'Andy Scott's Sweet'.
During this time, Brian Connolly, now in bad health, also performed with his version of Sweet. In 1981, he suffered multiple cardiac arrests, which permanently affected his health. He died on 9 February 1997, aged 51. He was cremated after a ceremony at Most Holy Name Roman Catholic Church at Old Mill Lane, Denham, Buckinghamshire and his ashes were scattered over the water by his adult daughters Nicola and Michelle. He also left an ex-wife, Marilyn, and a two-year-old son called Brian Junior (BJ) by his girlfriend Jean.
Michael Thomas (Mick) Tucker died 14 February 2002 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire from leukemia, aged 54; his funeral took place 25 February 2002. He is buried in an unnamed grave in Chorleywood House cemetery. It is marked by a sleeping angel. A wooden bench with a brass plaque funded by fans as a dedication to Mick is also positioned in the grave's vicinity.[2] He left behind a widow, Jan, and a daughter Ayston from his first marriage to Pauline (†1979). According to Steve Priest: "He was the most underrated drummer that ever came out of England. He was the powerhouse of the band. He was technically marvellous. His timing was impeccable, but he had a lot of soul as well and he really felt what he was playing."
In 1994, Steve Priest published his autobiography “Are You Ready Steve?”, which was a raw expose of his time with Sweet and pre-Sweet. In 2006 he released Priest's Precious Poems, a CD of tracks largely consisting of his more recent material. In 2008, he came out of retirement to form his own version of Sweet, based in the US. A year later this band released a live CD called Live In America. In March 2020, he was admitted to a hospital in L.A. After battling pneumonia for a few months, he died on June 4th 2020 at the age of 72.
Andy Scott currently continues to tour with Sweet. In 2002, Sweet released a new album called Sweetlife. February 2006 saw the release of a new Suzi Quatro album, Back To The Drive, which was produced by Scott. In March 2012, Scott released a covers album called New York Connection. Scott teamed up with Suzi Quatro and Don Powell to release a CD called Quatro, Scott and Powell in 2017. Scott has continued to produce for bands throughout the years, currently being the producer for Novatines.
In recent years, Sweet's popularity has surged again. The song Ballroom Blitz was featured in 2016's Suicide Squad, while Fox on the Run was featured in the trailer for 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
Falling In Love
Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who needed love then you'll understand
My heart couldn't be wrong
I lost my head when she came along
Guess I'm back in the game, baby
Here I go again
When it happened before I got hurt
And I can't stand the pain
And I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
Yes I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
A kind of loving began
That turned me into a passionate man
She took my heart and my soul
I couldn't help it I was losing control
Another one of those nights, baby
Then I saw the light
There was no looking back
As I left all the others behind
(All left behind)
And I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
Yes I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
If ever there was a man
Who had the world in the palm of his hand
I got no time for the past
When there's a future that's build to last
Now I'm back in the game, baby
Here I go again
'Cause it's easy to sing
Just as long as the song stays the same
(Song stays the same)
And I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
Yes I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
The lyrics of Sweet's song "Falling in Love" depict a man who has fallen in love again after getting hurt in the past. He acknowledges that his heart "couldn't be wrong" and that he is "back in the game" but also admits that he "can't stand the pain" of being hurt again. The woman he has fallen for has turned him into a "passionate man" and he is now focused on building a future.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I know that I'm falling in love again" twice and is accompanied by an uplifting melody that captures the feeling of falling in love. The lyrics suggest that falling in love is not always easy and can come with its own set of risks but it is still worth pursuing.
Overall, the song portrays the emotions that come with falling in love and the decision to take that leap of faith once again despite the risks. It is a relatable and catchy song that captures the magic of love.
Line by Line Meaning
If ever there was a man
Who needed love then you'll understand
My heart couldn't be wrong
I lost my head when she came along
The singer is explaining that he was in need of love and then he met a woman who made him lose his senses.
Guess I'm back in the game, baby
Here I go again
When it happened before I got hurt
And I can't stand the pain
(Can't stand the pain)
And I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
Yes I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
The singer is expressing that he is taking a chance at love again, despite the pain he has faced in the past.
A kind of loving began
That turned me into a passionate man
She took my heart and my soul
I couldn't help it I was losing control
Another one of those nights, baby
Then I saw the light
There was no looking back
As I left all the others behind
(All left behind)
The singer describes how the woman he met has transformed him into a passionate person, and left behind his previous relationships after having a moment of clarity.
If ever there was a man
Who had the world in the palm of his hand
I got no time for the past
When there's a future that's build to last
Now I'm back in the game, baby
Here I go again
'Cause it's easy to sing
Just as long as the song stays the same
(Song stays the same)
The artist acknowledges that he has control of his life and that he is focused on the future, and that consistency is key to success.
And I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
Yes I know that I'm falling in love again
Oh oh
Reiteration that the artist is falling in love again and that he is aware of it.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SCOTT, MICHAEL TUCKER, STEPHEN PRIEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sweet70sBest
steve's voice is something special; I love it!
sweetladystarlight
Classic Sweet harmonies!!!
Tim Coughlin
Never had this album way back cuz couldn't get in Canada . Been listening for about a week now ( nothing else lol ) and I gotta say I absolutely love it ! This proves Sweet was and still is my fav band . Maybe Steve and Andy could pool both their bands for another collaboration ?
Gordomusic1
One of my faves off this album. Love it. Thanks Ewan. PS How about some more songs off "A"
Gordomusic1
Excellent. For what it's worth, Nouveau Rockstar and Marshall Stack would be my first picks off "A".
ted kay_music
Cool Solo from And<!
Dyynamo
@Gordomusic1 Its on my to do list. :-)
John Breighner
Am I the only one thinking of Judas Priest?
mick Warnie
Yes you are
Badfingerbabe777
WOW, this one sounds great, I have only the CDs with Brian now i want this one. Yes Steve sometimes reminds me of JP and Kiss a bit on some songs. This Cd sounds more heavy like their 70s stuff.