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 otherโs ridiculousness on Top Of The Pops. Sweetโs 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 songโs 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 โGive Us A Winkโ 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 โOff The Recordโ, 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.
Sweetโs 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 โCut Above The Restโ, โWaters Edgeโ, and โIdentity Crisisโ. Priest took over most of the lead vocals until Sweetโs 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 (โ 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 โAre You Ready Steve?โ, 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.
New Shoes
Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To walk away from my blues
I got myself some new shoes
Got no time for bad news in my new shoes
You, you where the one
I was a young man
You where temptation
Change when I turn on the light
Don't give me those love sleepiness nights anymore
I got myself some new shoes
To walk away from my blues
Got myself some new shoes
Got no time for bad news in my new shoes
Signs, all left behind
Now I'm a change man
A new sensation
Circles are turning around
I'll keep my feet on the ground
Now that I found what it's like to free
I got myself some new shoes
To walk away from my blues
Got myself some new shoes
Got no time for bad news in my new shoes
I got myself some new shoes
To walk away from my blues
Got myself some new shoes
Got no time for bad news in my new shoes
New Shoes, new shoes, new shoes, green door
The lyrics to Sweet's song New Shoes speak of a man who has found a new sense of purpose and direction in life. The singer has struggled with some sort of heartbreak or personal turmoil, but he has found a way to move past it by obtaining a new pair of shoes. The new shoes symbolize a fresh start and the singer feels like he can walk away from his blues and the bad news that previously haunted him.
The second verse of the song seems to be directed towards a past lover who the singer used to have feelings for. He addresses them directly, speaking of how they used to tempt him and how he used to dream of them every night. But now that he has his new shoes and a newfound confidence, he no longer wants the sleeplessness nights caused by love.
The final verse speaks of the singer's transformation into a "change man." He has left everything behind and is now experiencing a new sensation as his life's circles turn around. He has found a newfound sense of freedom and is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
Overall, the song speaks of self-discovery, moving on from past troubles, and finding the strength to start anew. The new shoes symbolize a new beginning and the singer is willing to leave his past behind and focus on his future.
Line by Line Meaning
I got myself some new shoes
I have acquired new shoes
To walk away from my blues
I obtained these shoes to move on from my sadness
Got myself some new shoes
I possess some new shoes
Got no time for bad news in my new shoes
I do not want to hear any troubling news while wearing my new shoes
You, you where the one
You were a significant individual in my life
I was a young man
I was youthful at the time
You where temptation
You tempted me
Dreams off you every night
You appeared in my dreams each night
Change when I turn on the light
My perception of things changed when I saw things clearly
Don't give me those love sleepiness nights anymore
I do not want to feel drowsy due to love any longer
Signs, all left behind
I abandoned all signals or indicators of the past
Now I'm a change man
I am now a modified man
A new sensation
I am now feeling something different
Circles are turning around
Things are moving in a cycle
I'll keep my feet on the ground
I will remain grounded
Now that I found what it's like to free
Since I am aware of what it means to be unencumbered
New Shoes, new shoes, new shoes, green door
I am repeating the phrase "New shoes," perhaps in excitement
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SCOTT, MICHAEL TUCKER, STEPHEN PRIEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SuezySweet
Classic Rock will never die! I have over 30 Sweet Albums and still play em all today! I fell in love with the band in 1976. Fortunate to be involved with a lot of Sweet stuff over the years.
@mick62mick
Absolutely ADORE the Sweet!!
@popeyenolive
I used to have this LP. Found it a English countryside market. Thank you for posting these great tunes.
@sweetladystarlight
Thanks a billion! Your name will be on anything I do! I'll also mention how fantastic your channel is!! Best Regards from U.S.A.
@JC19seventy6
Thank you so much.
@sweetladystarlight
I love these old Sweet songs! I guess I'll listen to them till the day I die! Would you care if I made some slide shows of some of them???
@bertmaanders6679
+sweetladystarlight Love these old SWEET songs,do ya?! Check the SWEET box!
www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/sweet-sensational-sweet-chapter-one-the-wild-bunch-9-disc-box-set/
@jamiewesson898
over 30 albums i bet most are compilations even with live albums theres only about 15 at most
@gerardo3291
Se rifan estos perros!!
@Dyynamo
It was their third and last album album as a threesome after Brians departure and was released in 1982. Check out Strange Girl, Love Is The Cure, and the title track Identity Crisis from the same album that are all posted here.