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.
She Gimme Lovin
Sweet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Torturin' me with desire
And when we part
Emptiness puts out the fire
Walkin' down the street, there's nobody there
Cry in my sleep
As long as I'm with her I don't care
Lovin' (lovin'), gimme lovin' (lovin')
Lovin' like I never had
Lovin' (lovin'), gimme lovin' (lovin')
Lovin' like I never had
Child in the night
I'll always be by aside
Beatin' all night
Our lives will forever be tight
Shoutin' my name whenever I'm with her
Crying out loud
Whenever I break I don't care
She gimme lovin' (lovin')
Lovin' (lovin'), gimme lovin' (lovin')
Lovin' like I never had
Lovin' (lovin'), gimme lovin' (lovin')
Lovin' like I never had
Ooh, if she won't let me free
I'm never fall asleep
Want to be inside her
Ooh, she won' t say I'm her man
She'll never understand
Somehow I'm inside her
She gives me love, love, love
Oh baby, oh a little love, love, love, love, love
Give me some love, oh I've gotta give you love
Give me some love
She gave me love that I'm allright
The Sweet's song "She Gimme' Lovin'" is a love song that captures the intense emotional experience of being in a passionate, all-consuming relationship. The lyrics describe the pain and desire that the singer feels when he is away from his lover, as well as the deep connection that they share when they are together. The song employs vivid imagery to convey these emotions, such as the "pains in my heart" and the "emptiness" he feels when they are apart. The singer also describes feeling like a "child in the night" when he is with his lover, which suggests a sense of vulnerability and surrender to their powerful love.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of love, as the singer repeats the phrase "she gimme lovin'" several times. This repetition emphasizes the deep emotional impact that the singer's lover has on him, suggesting that their relationship is all-encompassing and life-changing. The singer also suggests that his lover has awakened a part of him that he never knew existed, as he sings "lovin' like I never had."
Overall, "She Gimme' Lovin'" is a powerful love song that captures the passionate intensity of being in a deeply emotional relationship. The song's vivid imagery and repetitive choruses make it a deeply emotional and evocative piece of music that speaks to the experience of love in a timeless and universal way.
Line by Line Meaning
Pains in my heart
I feel discomfort and sorrow in my heart
Torturin' me with desire
The feeling of longing and craving is really painful
And when we part
When we separate from each other
Emptiness puts out the fire
The sense of emptiness and void after separating takes away the warmth of love
Walkin' down the street, there's nobody there
I wander the streets alone without a companion
Cry in my sleep
I weep silently and inconsolably as I lie in bed
As long as I'm with her I don't care
Being with her is all that matters to me
She gimme lovin' (lovin')
She gives me love
Lovin' (lovin'), gimme lovin' (lovin')
I want her love
Lovin' like I never had
The love she gives me feels completely new and different
Child in the night
I feel frightened and alone like a child, especially at night
I'll always be by aside
I vow to always be by her side
Beatin' all night
My heart beats fast all night long
Our lives will forever be tight
Our lives will always be intertwined and connected
Shoutin' my name whenever I'm with her
She calls out my name whenever we're together
Crying out loud
I express my emotions loudly and openly
Whenever I break I don't care
I don't care about anything else, as long as I have her by my side
Ooh, if she won't let me free
If she doesn't allow me to be free
I'm never fall asleep
I will never be able to sleep
Want to be inside her
I want to be intimately close to her
Ooh, she won' t say I'm her man
She won't acknowledge me as her partner
She'll never understand
She will never grasp how much I love her
Somehow I'm inside her
Even though she doesn't recognize me, I feel like I'm connected to her
She gives me love, love, love
She showers me with love
Oh baby, oh a little love, love, love, love, love
I need her love, a lot of it
Give me some love, oh I've gotta give you love
I want her to give me love, and I'll reciprocate it
Give me some love
I need her love
She gave me love that I'm allright
Her love is what keeps me going and makes me feel okay
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT, ANDREW / PRIEST, STEPHEN / CONNOLLY, BRIAN / TUCKER, MICHAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
svogender
Absolutly one of the best bands in history !!!!!!!!!!!!!
dadadruma Marcopoulos
And hands down the most overshadowed overlooked underappreciated underrated bands ever
Marc C
I was privied to see SWEET live at The Cubby Bear, in Chicago, Illinois. They were AWESOME. And LOUD !!
Georgina Guajardo
Cuéntanos más por favor!
Baron Frost
AMAZING! Keep in mind when listening to this song it was released in 1977!!! SWEET is just a incredibly talented Band no question about it.True Rock Stars!!!!!!Thanks so much for uploading and sharing this GREAT Band! -Andy.
Mick Nordström
Fantastic vocals , playing and arrangements! The production though!
Lacquerisma
This is exhilarating! This song leaves me feeling energized.
Cl4rendon
My favourite track of the album - You can hear the thick fog from the mixing desk but it`s still so energetic. Great shared lead vox Brian / Steve.
jesus barrios
Muy talentosos.... Amazing drummer.
Rosanna G.
Great album !!!
Best band ever 🎶👌
They were my heroes when I was young 💕❤
Especially Brian 🥰🎤💕