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.
I Wanna Be Committed
Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought I was a sweet and sour chow-boy
I thought I was a thinker, a juvenile drinker
I thought I had some kind of a brain
Till they told me I just a rumour, a cheap and nasty looner
As it turned out I was just insane
I wanna be committed
I wanna be committed for my mind
I wanna be committed
Don't let me be remitted
I wanna be committed if you don't mind
At the dance last Saturday night
I was rockin' and rollin' and holding her tight
Till I got my hands on her
But when I started out to play
She kept pushing me away
Till I got a funny feeling
I was walking on the ceiling
And someone was heard to say 'If you don't mind, sir.'
I don't mind
I thought I was a teenage dream-boy
With a brain made of solid plastic alloy
I thought I was a tripper
Ain't nobody hipper
Till they told me I was going down the drain
I wanna be committed
Insanity permitted
I wanna be committed for my mind
I wanna be committed
Don't let me be remitted
I wanna be committed if you don't mind
The lyrics to Sweet's song "I Wanna Be Committed" are a satirical commentary on the societal norms and expectations that encourage conformity and discourage individuality or uniqueness. The song's first verse refers to the singer's past beliefs and attitudes, such as thinking he was a "space age cowboy" and a "sweet and sour chow-boy," but also reveals that these ideas were merely delusional and products of his own insanity. This theme is further reinforced in the chorus, as the singer expresses a desire to be committed to a mental institution, partly due to an acknowledgment of his own insanity, but also as a form of rebellion against societal expectations.
The second verse of the song references a specific incident at a dance where the singer's attempts to connect with a girl are unsuccessful, and he begins to feel disconnected from reality. The lyrics "I got a funny feeling / I was walking on the ceiling" suggest a feeling of dissociation from his body and surroundings. The line "And someone was heard to say 'If you don't mind, sir'" is a playful reference to the polite ways in which society often attempts to suppress or ignore behavior that deviates from the norm.
Overall, the song uses humor and irony to critique societal expectations and the pressure to conform, encouraging listeners to celebrate their own unique qualities and refuse to be boxed in by societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I was a space age cowboy
I believed I was futuristic and cutting-edge
I thought I was a sweet and sour chow-boy
I saw myself as a mix of different flavors and attitudes
I thought I was a thinker, a juvenile drinker
I saw myself as intellectual but still immature with my drinking habits
I thought I had some kind of a brain
I believed I had some intelligence or mental capacity
Till they told me I just a rumour, a cheap and nasty looner
Until others informed me I was just a rumor or a crazy and undesirable person
As it turned out I was just insane
I was actually mentally ill
I wanna be committed
I desire to be confined to a mental institution
Insanity permitted
I am willing to embrace my madness
I wanna be committed for my mind
I want to be institutionalized for my mental state
Don't let me be remitted
I don't want to be released from confinement
I wanna be committed if you don't mind
I hope you'll permit me to be institutionalized
At the dance last Saturday night
During a recent dance event
I was rockin' and rollin' and holding her tight
I was dancing and embracing my partner
Till I got my hands on her
Until I touched her
But when I started out to play
When I attempted to make a move
She kept pushing me away
She resisted my advances
Till I got a funny feeling
Until I felt strange or off
I was walking on the ceiling
I felt like I was defying gravity
And someone was heard to say 'If you don't mind, sir.'
Someone made a comment indicating they were uncomfortable with my behavior
I don't mind
I am fine with their comment or objection
I thought I was a teenage dream-boy
I believed myself to be a desirable young man
With a brain made of solid plastic alloy
I saw myself as having a strong yet artificial mind
I thought I was a tripper
I believed myself to be a psychedelic drug user
Ain't nobody hipper
I thought I was the coolest person around
Till they told me I was going down the drain
Until others made me aware that my life was becoming a mess and a failure
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL DONALD CHAPMAN, NICHOLAS BARRY CHINN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind