Fans (like me) might like this rather quaint BBC piece which I think was intended to put kids off wanting to be ‘pop stars’ but I feel, perversely, May have encouraged them:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/the_sweet/zhwd8xs
While I loved 'Little Willy', 'Wig-Wam Bam', et al, at the time, looking back I now think that their very first chart hit was actually their best single:
I grew up with The Sweet and whilst their early stuff was rather twee and Jonathan King like, they developed their own great sound with Ballroom Blitz (my joint favourite), Blockbuster, Hellraiser, Teenage Rampage, The Sixteens (the other favourite), Fox on The Run, Turn it Down... then they faded again and Oxygene was mediocre. Their albums were always heavier than their singles. I've still got Desolation Boulevard if I can find my record player...
On the first Saturday of each month, a group of us squaddies used to visit Hamburg's Music Halle where there would always be a British band performing. Not being a fan of Sweet (understatement!), I almost reneged when they were on. Glad I didn't, afterwards. Aside from having to sit through their 'teeny-bopper' chart hits, some of their stuff was quite heavy - my preferred genre. Gave me a whole new perspective (and respect) of the band. RIP, Steve Priest.
F-F:
It's LONG time since I last heard that track!
After an intro that sounds as if it belongs to a 1960s spy movie, the song itself has strong echoes of late 1950s music. While it's never going to make my 'all time greats' playlist, it's a pleasant liitle number all the same and it's good to hear it again.
Some great reminiscences there, they filled a niche really well and knew how to keep the youngsters buying the popular stuff whilst also having some deeper sounds for others.