The Story of Sweet

After Mick Stewart joined in 1969, The Sweet released three non-charting singles on Parlophone, including "Lollipop Man" and "Get on the Line," before Stewart departed. Vocalists Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker then met producer Phil Wainman, connecting them with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Connolly, Steve Priest, and Tucker recorded vocals for "Funny, Funny" with session musicians. Andy Scott, previously with Mike McCartney and the Scaffold, joined as guitarist, making his live debut on September 26, 1970.A management deal with Chinn and Chapman led to a global RCA recording contract. "Funny, Funny" became their first international hit in March 1971. Subsequent singles like "Co-Co" (UK No. 2) and "Alexander Graham Bell" (UK No. 33) still relied on session players for instrumentation, with the band providing vocals. Their debut album, Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be, followed in November 1971.The band's chart success intensified in 1972; "Poppa Joe" reached number one in Sweden/Finland, and "Little Willy" and "Wig-Wam Bam" both hit number four in the UK. "Wig-Wam Bam" was the first Chinn-Chapman single where The Sweet's members performed the music. In January 1973, "Block Buster!" secured their first UK number one for five weeks, followed by "Hell Raiser" at number two. The American album The Sweet was released in July 1973. The group embraced a glam rock image, making numerous television appearances, though this style caused friction with management. A chaotic 1973 live show inspired the hit "The Ballroom Blitz," released in September. By late 1973, the band officially shortened its name to Sweet.

The mid-1980s marked a significant period for Sweet, with original members establishing their own distinct versions of the band, a practice that would continue for decades. In 1984, Brian Connolly formed his own iteration, initially "Brian Connolly's Sweet" and later "New Sweet," touring the UK and Europe and finding success in West Germany. He informally recorded "Sharontina" with Frank Torpey in 1987, a track released years later on Torpey's album Sweeter. Connolly's health issues impacted a planned Australian tour in November 1990, leading to hospitalization and some cancelled dates. Throughout the early 1990s, he performed on the European "oldies" circuit. Legal discussions with Andy Scott led to an agreement to distinguish their groups by name. By 1994, Connolly had reconciled with Steve Priest and Mick Tucker, even performing with Priest at a family event. He released the album Let's Go in 1995. A Channel 4 program in November 1996 documented his career and health, shortly before his final concert in Bristol in December 1996. Concurrently, Andy Scott and Mick Tucker organized their own version of Sweet. In 1985, this lineup, featuring Paul Mario Day (lead vocals), Phil Lanzon (keyboards), and Mal McNulty (bass), embarked on an extensive three-month tour of Australia and New Zealand, repeating a similar tour in 1986. That same year, live shows from London’s Marquee Club were recorded and later released with additional studio tracks. Day left in late 1988, prompting McNulty to shift to lead vocals in early 1989, with Jeff Brown joining on bass. After several temporary keyboardists, Steve Mann became permanent in December 1989. Mick Tucker departed the band on May 5, 1991, leading Andy Scott to rename the group "Andy Scott's Sweet." After various drummers, Bruce Bisland became the permanent percussionist in 1992 following the recording of the album A. Scott shortened the band's name to "The Sweet" after Tucker's death in 2002. Mal McNulty left as lead vocalist in 1994, succeeded by Chad Brown, and the band released Glitz Blitz and Hitz, an album of re-recorded hits. Steve Mann departed in 1996, and Steve Grant became the permanent keyboardist. Chad Brown left in 1998, with Jeff Brown then handling both lead vocals and bass. The mid-2000s brought further lineup changes. Tony O'Hora replaced Jeff Brown as lead vocalist in 2003. Following O'Hora's departure in late 2005, Steve Grant temporarily moved to lead vocals and bass, with Phil Lanzon briefly returning on keyboards. Peter Lincoln then joined as the permanent frontman in July 2006, solidifying a lineup of Scott, Bisland, Grant, and Lincoln. The band engaged in international tours, including the 'Sweet Fanny Adams Tour' in 2007. Andy Scott's diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer in 2010 led to a brief absence, but he resumed touring. Tony O'Hora returned to the group as keyboardist in 2011. The album New York Connection was released in March 2012, followed by an Australian tour. Paul Manzi substituted for O'Hora on an Australian tour in 2014, with O'Hora later rejoining for a cruise. After O'Hora and Lincoln departed in subsequent years, Paul Manzi returned as permanent lead vocalist in May 2019, joined by Lee Small on bass and Tom Cory on keyboards and guitar. The band recorded Isolation Boulevard during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2023, the single "Changes" was released, featuring Scott on lead vocals. Adam Booth assumed drumming duties that year after Bruce Bisland's retirement. In late 2024, Randall Waller and Jim Kirkpatrick filled in for Scott on tours. A third major iteration of Sweet began in January 2008, when Steve Priest formed his version in Los Angeles with Stuart Smith (guitar), Richie Onori (drums), Stevie Stewart (keyboards), and Joe Retta (vocals). They launched the 'Are You Ready Steve?' tour in June 2008, performing across the US and Canada. The band released a cover of The Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" in 2009, and their live album, Live in America, was released in July 2009. They continued touring and released another Beatles cover, "I Saw Her Standing There," as a single in April 2010. European dates scheduled for 2011 were cancelled, though they toured South America with Journey that March. After Stuart Smith's resignation in August 2012, Ricky Z. joined on guitar, followed by Mitch Perry in August 2014. Chas West briefly covered lead vocals for some East Coast shows in 2013 when Joe Retta was unavailable. The band began a 50th-anniversary tour in December 2017, introducing Paul Zablidowski ("Paulie Z") as the new lead singer. Steve Priest died on June 4, 2020.

The classic lineup of Sweet, celebrated for its distinctive sound, experienced several tentative and ultimately brief attempts at full-scale reunion during the decades following their initial prolific period. An early, more modest opportunity emerged in 1985 when drummer Mick Tucker and guitarist Andy Scott organized an Australian tour. However, bassist Steve Priest declined the invitation to participate in this particular venture, meaning that not all four original members shared the stage for this engagement. A more concerted effort to bring the original quartet back together materialized in 1988 under the initiation of producer Mike Chapman. Chapman reached out to Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Andy Scott, and Mick Tucker, offering to finance a dedicated recording session in Los Angeles. This ambitious proposal aimed to explore the feasibility of a true comeback for the band. Upon their assembly for these sessions, a stark reality became evident concerning Brian Connolly’s health. His physical state was visibly frail, and his vocal performance, while present, was not at the strength required for a demanding return to the public eye. Despite these significant challenges, the band proceeded to record new versions of their enduring hits, "Action" and "The Ballroom Blitz." However, the inherent difficulties in presenting Connolly's health and vocal capabilities in a commercially viable manner ultimately led to the realization that a full-fledged reunion, at that juncture, would be too arduous to promote effectively. Consequently, the envisioned comeback attempt was regretfully curtailed. Only two years later, in 1990, the complete original lineup—Connolly, Priest, Scott, and Tucker—convened once more, this time for activities centered around the promotion of a music documentary. Titled Sweet's Ballroom Blitz, this UK video release offered fans a retrospective look at the band's career, featuring archival UK television performances from the 1970s alongside newly recorded interviews with the members. The promotional schedule included an appearance at Tower Records in London. During this period, various media outlets, including Power Hour and Super Channel, conducted interviews with the band members. In these discussions, the topic of a potential future reunion frequently arose, indicating a persistent hope among both the musicians and their audience for further collaborations. Despite the discussions and the shared promotional platform, these events did not lead to a lasting musical reformation of the original quartet. The subsequent years brought a series of profound and irreversible losses, irrevocably altering the composition of the iconic Sweet lineup. Brian Connolly was the first of the founding members to pass away. On February 9, 1997, at the age of 51, he succumbed to liver failure and repeated heart attacks. These severe health complications were attributed to his sustained struggle with alcohol abuse throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, a battle that had taken a heavy toll over the years. Just over five years later, the band faced another devastating loss. Mick Tucker died on February 14, 2002, at the age of 54. His passing was a result of leukemia, bringing an end to the life of the powerful drummer who had been integral to Sweet's rhythmic foundation. The final original member of the classic lineup to pass away was Steve Priest. His death was announced on June 4, 2020. With his passing, Andy Scott remained the sole living member of the celebrated "classic line-up" of Sweet. These successive losses brought a definitive closure to the era of potential full reunions for the band's original configuration, leaving a legacy built on their influential collective work.

During this later period, two distinct incarnations of Sweet continued to perform with original members. Andy Scott's Sweet frequently toured across Europe and also made appearances in markets such as Australia. Concurrently, Steve Priest's Sweet engaged in tours across the United States and Canada, maintaining the band's presence for audiences in North America. In 2009, Shout! Factory released "Action: The Sweet Anthology," a two-disc compilation that spanned the band's career. This greatest hits collection received a positive reception, earning a four-star rating in Rolling Stone magazine. A few years later, in 2012, the band's lasting impact on other musicians was noted publicly. During an appearance on the television show Jimmy Kimmel Live, Axl Rose, the lead singer of Guns N' Roses, cited Sweet as one of his favorite bands from his youth, alongside Queen.