Sweet

Sweet is a glam rock group that forms in the United States and is active from 2008 to the present. The act is associated with glam rock, classic rock, 1970s rock and hard rock, and it is linked to Steve Priest’s Sweet and Legacy. In its earlier history, Sweet is known as The Sweet until the early 1970s.

Background

The band first forms in London in 1968 under the name the Sweetshop. It rises to prominence in the 1970s and becomes one of the best-known British glam rock acts of the period. The classic line-up consists of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bassist Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker.

Recording and style

Sweet reaches its first hit with “Funny, Funny” in 1971 after working with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and producer Phil Wainman. Its sound develops quickly in 1971 and 1972, moving from a bubblegum pop style towards a hard rock approach influenced by The Who, while retaining high-pitched backing vocals.

Chart success

The group has thirteen UK Top 20 hits during the 1970s. Its best-known singles include “Block Buster!” which reaches number one in 1973, followed by three consecutive number-two hits: “Hell Raiser”, “The Ballroom Blitz” and “Teenage Rampage”. The band later shifts further towards hard rock on singles such as “Turn It Down” in 1974. “Fox on the Run” also reaches number two in the UK and becomes part of its wider international profile.

International reach

Sweet is popular in West Germany and across mainland Europe. In the United States, it achieves top ten success with “Little Willy”, “The Ballroom Blitz”, “Fox on the Run” and “Love Is Like Oxygen”. “Love Is Like Oxygen” is its last international success in 1978.

Later history

Brian Connolly leaves in 1979 to pursue a solo career, and the remaining members continue as a trio until the band disbands in 1981. From the mid-1980s, Scott, Connolly and Priest each perform with their own versions of Sweet at different times. Andy Scott remains active with his version of the band. Steve Priest dies in 2020, while Mick Tucker dies in 2002 and Brian Connolly dies in 1997.

Albums

Sweet releases the studio albums Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be (1971), Sweet Fanny Adams (1974), Desolation Boulevard (1974), Strung Up (1975), Give Us a Wink (1976), Off the Record (1977), Level Headed (1978), Cut Above the Rest (1979), Waters Edge (issued as Sweet VI with a different cover in the US) (1980), and Identity Crisis (1982).

Legacy

Sweet sells over 35 million albums worldwide and remains a significant name in glam rock and hard rock history.