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.
Fountain
Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd throw a coin in the fountain
But fantasies don't always come true
And if I had no dreams
I'd never climb the mountain
The hand of fate will always be reachin' out for you
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
I've been sayin' all my life
I don't believe in magic
But fountain of faith, I'm puttin' my trust in you
Circles on the water
From the coin that's sinkin' slowly down
My future's reflecting my destiny's callin' out to you
Like gold your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
Well how much time do you need?
The fountain holds the key
To unlock the love deep in your heart
I have kissed the water's lips
And now we're floating free
With no love before this new life can start again
Like gold, your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
The song "Fountain" by Sweet is about hope and trusting in fate. The first verse talks about making a wish at a fountain, but knowing that fantasies don't always come true. This is a metaphor for life - sometimes we hope for things that may not happen. However, the second part of the verse talks about the importance of dreams and having the courage to climb a mountain. This suggests that even if our wishes don't come true, we should still pursue our dreams.
The chorus talks about love being like a rainbow. The use of the imagery of a rainbow is a very positive symbol. Rainbows are associated with hope and new beginnings, and the colours of the rainbow are often seen as representing different emotions. The lyrics talk about love being like a rainbow - something that is beautiful and full of colour, flying high like a bird in the sky. This indicates that the love being sung about in the song is something that is positive and uplifting.
The second verse suggests that even though the singer may not believe in magic, they are putting their trust in the fountain of faith. This again suggests that even if we don't necessarily believe in something, we should still hold onto hope and trust. The image of circles on the water from a coin sinking slowly down creates a sense of reflection - as if the singer is contemplating their future. The final verse talks about the fountain holding the key to unlock the love deep in our hearts. This suggests that perhaps love is the ultimate goal in life, and that we should trust in fate to lead us to it.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could make a wish
I have a desire that if fulfilled, I would throw a coin in the fountain
But fantasies don't always come true
I am aware that wishes and desires do not always come true, just like this one
And if I had no dreams
If I didn't have aspirations or ambitions
I'd never climb the mountain
I wouldn't push myself to overcome challenges
The hand of fate will always be reachin' out for you
Destiny will always seek to have an impact on your life regardless of your circumstances
Like gold your love is the rainbow's end
Your love is special and rare like the sight of a rainbow's end made of gold
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love fills me with an exhilarating feeling like I'm soaring in the sky like a bird
Your love is the rainbow
Your love embodies the spectrum of colors seen in a rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
Your love evokes the beauty seen in a rainbow in the sky
I've been sayin' all my life
For as long as I can remember, I've held this as a belief
I don't believe in magic
I have long been a skeptic of the unexplainable or supernatural
But fountain of faith, I'm puttin' my trust in you
However, in this moment, I am putting my faith and trust in this fountain
Circles on the water
The water in the fountain is filled with ripples and movement
From the coin that's sinkin' slowly down
This movement is due to the coin I threw in sinking slowly down to the bottom
My future's reflecting my destiny's callin' out to you
I believe that my future is reflected in how this coin sinks and that my destiny is calling out to you
Well how much time do you need?
I am impatient and curious, wondering how long it will take for this fountain to unlock love
The fountain holds the key
I believe that this fountain holds the key to unlocking love
To unlock the love deep in your heart
I am hopeful that this fountain can unlock the love that lies deep within your heart
I have kissed the water's lips
I have come close to the water in the fountain and have engaged with it through a kiss
And now we're floating free
As a result of this kiss, we are now unencumbered and free
With no love before this new life can start again
There was no love before this kiss, and now we can start a whole new life together
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Caroline Godden
I AM A MASSIVE FAN born 1961, I think I was only 10 🔟 when I was making up 💃 💃 💃 to this with my little sister and my bestie... when we were not roller skating, jumping off 📴 the garage, with my big brother and the neighbourhood kids 🧒 or 🧗♂️ 🎄 or building 🏢 cubby 🏘, or tadpoling, or yabbying, or exploring, or making stuff out of junk that Dad let us have out of the garage, or ice ⛸ or swinging on the swings or playing on the 🙊 bars, or pretend playing 🎶, or knitting, or sewing, or 👗 ups, or watching 📺, or 🏊, or ballet, or sleeping on the grass or getting driven round by Dad in order to give mum a break, or staring at the ✨....
Hang about!!!
Deprived childhood, AUSTRALIA 🌏 DID NOT HAVE HALLOWEEN 🦇 we only knew about that from 🎥.
Yep, DEPRIVED CHILDHOOD, AGAIN GRRR
3 KIDS JUNK FOOD PER WK GOD, MUM WAS A BLOODY BITCH ... you will agree 👍
1 put biscuits
1 put fairy 🧚♂️ cakes
1 put jelly beans
1 bottle cordial
3 bottles errr home 🚚 what was that? Lloyd's 🍋 lemonade, we made spiders, a scoop of ice-cream in it.
We had green lemonade
We had red lemonade.
There must have been more treats, the while neighbourhood used to end up 👆 at our place.
Especially in Summer, with our above ground Clark pool.
Have I left any gaps ?
Yes, forever entertaining, swinging off THE HILLS HOIST CLOTHES LINE.
This WAS typical Australian culture, 1960s style...
Those were the days, my friends... I would like to see kids have a chance to just BE KIDS, again
Anyone else think this could be a good thing?
Caroline Jane x
Mentone Victoria Australia 🇦🇺 STRAYA SOUTHERN Cross ➕ Southern HEMISPHERE
rockrabbitt
If I could make a wish
I'd throw a coin in the fountain
But fantasies don't always come true
And if I had no dreams
I'd never climb the mountain
The hand of fate will always be reaching out for you
Like gold your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colours of love in the sky
I've been saying all my life
I don't believe in magic
But fountain of faith I'm putting my trust in you
Circles on the water
From the coin that's sinking slowly down
My future's reflecting my destiny's calling out to you
Like gold your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colours of love in the sky
Well, how much time do you need?
The fountain holds the key
To unlock the love deep in your heart
I have kissed the waters lips
And now we're floating free
With no love before this new life can start again
Михаил Сергопольцев
"Фонтан"
Если захочу
Я брошу в фонтан монету
Иллюзий больше нет
Фантазии не выполнимы
Не покорить мне вершину
Всегда рука судьбы
Нас отдаляет друг от друга
Как блеск.. позолочен любви радужный хвост
Парит, как птица в облаках
Цвет радуги твоя любовь
Цвета любви на небесах
Я понял за свою жизнь
Не верю я в волшебство
Но фонтан дает мне веру в тебя
Круги на воде
От монеты идущей ко дну
Хочу все, как прежде и вновь тебя зову
Как блеск.. позолочен любви радужный хвост
Парит, как птица в облаках
Цвет радуги твоя любовь
Цвета любви на небесах
Потребуй в любое время
Фонтан скрывает ключ
Он откроет любовь в твоем сердце
Я целую губы вод
И наступает эйфория
Любви нет, но она возвратиться вновь
Как блеск.. позолочен любви радужный хвост
Парит, как птица в облаках
Цвет радуги твоя любовь
Цвета любви на небесах
REWIND ⏪
If I could make a wish
I'd throw a coin in the fountain
But fantasies don't always come true
And if I had no dreams
I'd never climb the mountain
The hand of fate will always be reachin' out for you
Like gold your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
I've been sayin' all my life
I don't believe in magic
But fountain of faith, I'm puttin' my trust in you
Circles on the water
From the coin that's sinkin' slowly down
My future's reflecting my destiny's callin' out to you
Like gold your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
Well how much time do you need?
The fountain holds the key
To unlock the love deep in your heart
I have kissed the water's lips
And now we're floating free
With no love before this new life can start again
Like gold, your love is the rainbow's end
Flyin' high like a bird in the sky
Your love is the rainbow
Colors of love in the sky
Valerie Archer
The more I hear The Sweet, the more I know they were a very underrated band. They were more than Ballroom Blitz and Little Willie!!! All quite talented respectively.
Thomas R. Skidmore
Whatever genre of rock you pitched at them, Sweet knocked it out of the park.
LuceoftheWest
I think it’s more accurate to say that the keyboard player Gary Moberly is underrated
DENISE SPENCER
I agree that they were an underrated band.
DENISE SPENCER
What you said is true
Mary Power
Tremendous energy, they poured everything into creating an atmosphere where it was ok to scream and shout - be rid of all that stress and everyday shyness - just go wild! For one night, forget the world, the drab, the mundane - just dress up and become Someone Else. Just for the once 👍 Let's escape...!!!
Valentina Russkix
БЛАГОДАРЮ ВАС ЗА ЭТУ ПРЕКРАСНУЮ МУЗЫКУ.С НОВЫМ 2023 ГОДОМ ВАС ПОЗДРАВЛЯЮ.ЖЕЛАЮ ТВОРЧЕСКИХ ПОЛЕТОВ И ПРОЦВЕТАНИЯ
Dina G
Very underrated band. I can watch them (Andy) play for hours. Andy is a brilliant guitarist! Wow! How were they not more famous??!
TheHumbuckerboy
The snobbish pretensious music critics were the ones to blame
Lyn Parkinson
Probably because as far as thier album material goes they were far ahead of thier time. Remember this was the age of Glam Rock so chart single songs like Littel Willie and Bllroom Blitz were the norms in those days. Very underated as musicians all of them and great vocalists too.