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Gary, 5 June:
Awful news, one of my favourite bands from the 70s that were not just 'Glam’ but they could 'Rock' with the best! They were truly the prototype Spinal Tap and must have been a huge influence on the film producers? Only Andy Scott survives from the band.... RIP Steve…
Mark, 10 June:
I saw the sad news about Steve Priest but just a nod of interest
for me because all I remember is them forever on Top of the Pops doing
glittery party pop in the wake of Slade. A notch up from Gary Glitter in
the credibility stakes I'm sure but I wouldn't be seen dead with any of
their records. I did feel a dark twinge though to read that as you say
there is only one member of the original band still around. Sorry for
being so dismissive but do you have any records that reveal a more
interesting side to their music? The only hit records I have from that
desperate early 70s period of pop and which I still enjoy are the
classic early Marc Bolan T Rex before he went OTT on the glitter and the
hair heavy be-denimed Status Quo.
Which reminds me to remind you both that Record Store Day is still happening - sort of as it is distance-spread over three days this year, starting on 29 August. Here is the latest list of exclusive releases - most on vinyl so need to crank up the gramophone!
The hit list for me starting off with singles going steady:
Steve
Earle who in addition to being one of America's greatest song-writers
is also a stalwart RSD supporter with one off 45s.
And - hey Wout! - gotta get Golden Earring's Radar Love. Also, as my hand's wet on the wheel, Keith Richards for his b-side cover of blues classic Key To The Highway.
Beatles: I'll probably get the Instant Karma remix - one of the solo Lennon's greatest records. The 50th anniversary half-speed master McCartney
- his first homely solo album featuring the classic Maybe I'm Amazed
and Every Night, is also a possibility but would be for investment
purposes really as I've got the super de luxe archive box set.
I have a penchant 10 inchers: would have to be Hank Williams radio broadcast including the classic downer Lovesick Blues - but The Specials' Dubs also a possible.
Lps - several from the seventies as you would expect:
The Kinks Kronikles
- an impressive US compilation comprising 1966-71 singles and B-sides -
beautiful gatefold sleeve. I have been hopelessly outbid on this
several times on ebay
Rory Gallagher's Cleveland Calling -
an lp of acoustic songs. Ireland's greatest blues guitarist didn't
record much on acoustic guitar so this should be a revelation. I have
all his albums up to 1977 and saw him twice, first time was in 1973 at
the Liverpool Stadium (sounds impressive but was in fact a dilapidated
boxing ring, now demolished). I was still at school and should have been
swatting for my A-levels that night.
And here we are and here we go*, Status Quo's Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon
which was their first heavy rock l.p. in 1970, with awfully apt sleeve
that didn't help it sell many copies. In good condition it can be quite
pricey on ebay. I can't wait to get the fried egg effect vinyl. I have
the follow up Dog Of Two Head which is a classic and of course the huge selling Piledriver from 1972 after which I went seriously sixth form progressive ..… (* actually a John Fogerty song - not many people know that).
The Groundhogs' classic Split from
1971 - not realising its value (and without telling him!) I sold my
brother's copy when I was out of work and broke after leaving
university.
Tangerine Dream's Phaedra - inexcusably I still do not have any of their records....this is their klassik.
1980s a bit sparse....but....
The
live Pretenders lp with their original and sadly ill-fated lineup is
highly desirable and will complement the first three lps I bought in top
notch condition in a bundle on ebay last year.
Gary, 10 June:
When you heard The Sweet in the charts most of their stuff
was written and under the control of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman… but
to really get to know them you have to listen to their albums from 1974…
my favourites (which I still have) are 'Desolation Boulevard' and
'Sweet Fanny Adams’ Check them out online and you will hear much harder
sound to their singles and also what good musicians they were. They were
stated influences for a lot of 80s metal bands and not just the image…
The
good news is that record shops can open in the UK from Monday… but how
many will actually have survived to reopen is yet to be seen?
I still own a copy of the Tang's Phaedra
(and yes it is their best!)… I was in charge of a class of secondary
kids whilst I was a student teacher on a trip to the Albert Hall (in one
of the boxes) to see the Tangerine Dream perform!
Wout, 10 June:
The
Sweet. That was not my band for sure when I was a (young) adolescent.
Looking back, which I never really done with this band until now, there
is reason to be amazed a little on how they managed to take their fans
along on a fairly amazing ride.
If
I remember correctly The Sweet scored three number 1 hits over here.
Two in its first iteration, as a pop band with some Caribbean
influences.' 'Funny Funny' was the first, 'Co Co' a huge hit and 'Poppa Joe' the second #1. The first was a ditty not worth mentioning, but the other two were fairly weird songs at the time;
and I totally did not like them at all. I faintly remember mid-lengthed
haired, nice looking young lads, old for me of course at the time.
Then
all of a sudden 'Wig-Wam-Bam', all glitter and glam on our Top Pop hit
show. 25 minutes once a week. Again the band scored a big hit in 1972.
They followed Gary Glitter here. T. Rex never really took off in NL for some
reason. Even David Bowie scored his second hit only in 1973, after
'Space Oddity' in 1969. So The Sweet was our introduction to glam and
glitter truly as the band took it over and to, I might add, the top. In 1973 another number
one hit, 'Blockbuster'. Totally over the top, but hearing it now, I have
to say I do quite like it. Just like 'Ballroom Blitz'.
In
1974 the band went more serious with 'The Sixteens'. Another big hit.
Recently I heard it on the radio for the first time since I do not know
when. And immediately liked it again. At the time it was the first song
by The Sweet that I did like. Probably there were some other hits in
between, that I have forgotten about. From then on it became noticeable
that some bands were influenced by The Sweet in the Netherlands. We had
Catapult e.g. scoring hits like 'Teenybopper Band'.
After 'Fox On The Run' the string of hits slowly came to an end. In 1977 the band
came back with one more hit, that was a good song as well, 'Love Is Like
Oxygen', if I remember correctly self-penned by then. That was it.
Chinn and Chapman had another, even worse band, Smokie and wrote for
Blondie as well, before being taken over by musical history. The two
must be loaded having written and produced so many hits.
The
albums you mention, Gary, I have never heard of even. The Sweet was not
something to check out later in any way, I have to confess.
That on The Sweet by me.
Record
Store Day is something I tend to avoid. In my opinion, somewhat cynical
I admit, it is more about shaking too much money out of the pockets of
record collectors. So not for me, but I can understand why it is
interesting.
Great story on Shane MacGowan and The Pogues by the way, Mark. Chance meetings are amazing sometimes.
Gary, 10 June:
One member of The Sweet survives, guitarist Andy Scott. Vocalist Brian Connolly died in 1997 (liver failure and repeated heart attacks attributed to his abuse of alcohol in the 1970s and early 1980s). Connolly was the stepbrother of Mark McManus of British police drama ‘Taggart’. Drummer Mick Tucker (who in my onion was a technically great drummer!) died in 2002 from leukaemia and of course bassist/vocalist Steve Priest died last week. Worth noting that in an earlier ('Wainwright's Gentlemen') pre-Sweet version of the band Ian Gillan was a vocalist… Steve Priest was in a mid-'60s band the ‘Countdowns' who had been produced and recorded by Joe Meek. Priest also played with Mike McCartney in the Scaffold.
There was so much more to The Sweet than their superficial ‘Bubble Gum’/‘Glam’ image… more than could be said about a lot of their contemporaries.
Mark, 10 June:
You're doing sterling work Gary in defence of The Sweet! I don't see them listed for Record Store Day though.
I've just checked the credits on my copies of the McGough and McGear and *McGear albums but didn't see Steve Priest listed on these but there is another Mike McCartney lp which I haven't got called Woman
so possibly he played on that one - or maybe he was a session musician
for the Scaffold singles. Jimi Hendrix played on at least one track of McGough and McGear
by the way - and Roger McGough wrote some of the witty Scouse dialogue
in the Yellow Submarine film - but wasn't paid and didn't get listed in
the credits. He does a great poetry programme on late night Radio 4.
Paul and his Wings bandmates crop up all over *McGear which was released about the time of Venus and Mars.
Speaking of Fab films, have you seen Jojo Rabbit
with Scarlett Johansson as the mother of a member of the Hitler Youth?
We watched it last week on Rakuten (Japanese version of Netflix) but
here's the trailer on Youtube
At times a graphic and frightening ingenious satire, there are also
hilarious moments of black comedy. The equally quirky soundtrack starts
over the opening credits with The Beatles singing Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand and concludes with dancing in the streets to David Bowie's Helden. There's also Jack White's version of I'm a Believer rendered more convincingly auf deutsch as Mit All Deiner Liebe - which you can also hear snippets of in that trailer! Amazing soundtrack for a brilliant film.
Thank you very much
For reading this e-mail,
Thank you very much
- THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!
Gary, 10 June:
Sorry Mark, I meant to say Andy Scott not Steve Priest!
Evidently Scott mainly played in the backing band for The Scaffold but did take part in recordings but was probably uncredited?
Gary
Mark
Wout
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