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.
Lettres D'Amour
Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've found a safe hideaway
Taking your time dropping a line
Reading the words you just couldn't say
And I'm calling you calling you
I want you here
Chorus
All that I need is love and romance
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
My close memories stay to remind me
Take them away leave them behind me
Breathing a sigh the truth in a lie
Closing my eyes help me see clearly
And I'm loving you loving you
I want you here
Chorus
When you're alone, nobody phones
You've found a safe hideaway
Taking your time dropping a line
Reading the words you just couldn't say
And I'm calling you calling you
I want you here
Chorus (repeat till fade)
The song Lettres D'Amour by Sweet is a romantic ballad about the longing for love and the need to be with a loved one. The lyrics describe a scenario where the singer is alone and finds solace in writing love letters to someone he desires. The opening line sets the tone for the song, stating that when the singer is alone, nobody phones, indicating a sense of loneliness. However, this solitude offers a "safe hideaway" for him to express his emotions through writing letters, revealing his longing for love and companionship.
The chorus of the song translates to "Love Letters from France, all that I need is love and romance." This reflects the idea that receiving love letters makes the singer feel fulfilled, and he expresses his desire for romance and companionship in a poetic manner. The second verse refers to the closure of a past relationship, where the singer vows to leave the memories behind and move on, expressing his desire to see the truth clearly. The ending of the song repeats the chorus, emphasizing the importance of love and companionship to the singer.
Overall, Lettres D'Amour is a song that expresses the longing for love, companionship, and romance, and demonstrates the importance of expressing one’s emotions in any form.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're alone, nobody phones
When you're by yourself, nobody contacts or reaches out to you.
You've found a safe hideaway
You have discovered a space or place that makes you feel secure or content.
Taking your time dropping a line
Taking your time to write down your thoughts and feelings in a letter.
Reading the words you just couldn't say
Reading the words you were not able to verbally express to the intended recipient.
And I'm calling you calling you
I am trying to reach out to you in order to communicate with you.
I want you here
I am desiring for you to be physically present with me.
Chorus
Refrain that highlight themes of romantic love and the desire for affection from a distance.
My close memories stay to remind me
My fond memories linger to remind and bring me comfort.
Take them away leave them behind me
Trying to disregard or leave those memories behind to move onto the present or future.
Breathing a sigh the truth in a lie
Relaxing or taking a deep breath to acknowledge the genuine emotions behind a fabricated or white lie.
Closing my eyes help me see clearly
Shutting your eyes to focus or gain clarity on the subject at hand.
And I'm loving you loving you
I am expressing my affection and fondness for you.
I want you here
I desire for you to be physically present with me.
Chorus (repeat till fade)
Repeating the refrain until the song gradually fades out.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Uğur Görgülü
Amidst the melody's embrace, there's a poignant ache that grips me, even as I listen to these songs, fully aware that Brian departed this world in '97. Imagine, beginning life down by a goal, abandoned at the hospital by your mother's fleeting touch, raised by strangers' care. Such a thought sends shivers of pain through my heart, a torrential sorrow that rends the very fabric of my being.
For who can condemn him, lost in the clutches of the bottle and the cigarette's allure? Who knows the tempests that stormed within his soul, the kaleidoscope of emotions that raged? And then, Mick Tucker, the drummer of my affection, he, too, bid adieu in 2002, and the world has yet to adjust. A world now adorned by the grace of Steve, an invitation for Andy to be held close, swathed in protective embrace, as a precious artifact of time.
Is it just me who holds these four dear, or do others, too, sense the tempestuous tides that rage within? How many can match Mick's drumming prowess? In 'The Man With The Golden Arm,' does he not conjure a symphony like the rumble of engines, the rhythm of life itself? And in those occasional off-notes, is there not a charming fallibility that beckons us to embrace him, hold him to our chest?
In the realm of my youth, a mere child in '71, I recall, 'Funny Funny' and 'Co-Co' danced through the airwaves - an era when television was yet to grace our home. What dreams I wove, singing in tandem with them, trying to capture their essence. And then, the age of magazine cutouts, their images preserved as treasures. Steve, enigmatic, a mystery I mistook for a maiden's visage:)))) Alas, I had yet to glimpse his true form! The revelation of his masculinity only came upon his marriage.
In '19, I watched an interview, the last I'd see of him. Among them all, he seemed the gentlest soul, his lap adorned by a feline friend, his beauty resplendent. My wife, she held a torch for Mick as I did. Guns N' Roses, an unbreakable bond, yet Sweet's music still wove its spell. And Mick, oh, that lionheart, when he succumbed to leukemia, we sat side by side, tears streaming...
'I am in love with Mick,' I'd declare, and my wife, she'd echo the same sentiment:))) Now she's gone, departed from this realm last year. I hope she's not flirting with Mick on the other side:))))) The beyond must be a merrier place now, where their music rings true. I yearn to stand in their presence, to listen closely, for my beloved wife awaits me there, her ethereal form gracing my dreams each night...
P4tty
When you're alone, nobody phones
You've found a safe hideaway
Taking your time dropping a line
Reading the words you just couldn't say
And I'm calling you calling you
I want you here
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
My close memories stay to remind me
Take them away leave them behind me
Breathing a sigh the truth in a lie
Closing my eyes help me see clearly
And I'm loving you loving you
I want you here
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
When you're alone, nobody phones
You've found a safe hideaway
Taking your time dropping a line
Reading the words you just couldn't say
And I'm calling you calling you
I want you here
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
Lettres D'Amour de France
All that I need is love and romance
Butch#3493
Брайан, какой же красивый голос, один из лучших вокалистов рока💯❤
Adelaide Locals
The harmonies, how iconic. We will never see another band like Sweet again. Thanks for the memories.
Mario “Berserker”
Das stimmt 😢
Rose Nguyen
Yes, Sweet is the best of all the rest, it's so sickening that they were underrated. Brian's voice is so magical, he sounds so good with any type of music, will never be anyone like him either. What a legend! The lady sounds lovely also.
Elinor Jones
Lovely duet. What a voice Brian had. Lady has Lovely voice to.
To one of the best bands ever. So glad I lived through the 70's and enjoyed their music xx
Liu Lee-Yu
There was nothing that Brian could not sang.Awesome
Shol_ts Lesom
Мощнейшая энергетика! У Стиви Ленг, чарующий тембр голоса.. просто фантастика! За прошедшие почти полвека, эмоции не ослабели...только усилились! Невероятно!
Noni Perez
Brian tenía una voz tan dulce como el , era fascinante y único , no habrá nunca otro igual de dulce 😘
Denise Angela Smith
The way Brian looks at the woman is so adorable. He has a beautiful smile. The Angels took him to soon. Brian had so much talent and his vocals were amazing.
Mr Majestyk
yes, that look on both of them.. shhhh.