FORCED to RECORD Other People's Songs…Band Did 1 ORIGINAL in SECRET…Became a SMASH-Professor of Rock
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- Coming up…. the story of Fox on the Run by 70s British supergroup Sweet. This band had relied heavily on a famous production team to write all of their big hits, but Sweet was sick of singing only the songs they wrote. So the band decided to show what they could do. They had written a good song but no one thought the song had potential to be a single, except for this one executive at the band’s record label. Only thing is this executive wasn’t getting ANY cooperation from management to retool the track, so when the management and production team was out of town, the guys secretly went into the studio and produced the new version themselves. Sweet proved everyone wrong as Fox on the Run became one of their biggest hits. We retrace the steps of this covert operation that led to a huge international hit, and the beginning of a new era for an immensely influential Glam Rock quartet…NEXT on Professor of Rock.”
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. Tell you what, if you want to be a part of a premiere music community that curates the best of the rock and roll era through interviews, through stories, and through history, subscribe below right now. I promise that you are going to love this channel. We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. There you’ll find an additional catalog of exclusive content and you can even become an honorary producer to help us curate this music history.
So, it’s time for another edition of #1 in Our Hearts. This show honors songs that were so unbelievably great, they absolutely should've been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. But for whatever reason, be it radio play, lack of marketing, label support or just sheer stupidity, the song came up short. On today’s episode we’re going the Catchy ditty Fox on the Run by the Sweet
Singer Brian Connelly and drummer Mick Tucker recruited bass player Steve Priest to assemble The Sweat Shop in ’68, but just a few weeks before they released their debut record, they found out there was another band named The Sweat Shop, so they changed their name to The Sweet. After adding lead guitarist Andy Scott, The Sweet hooked up with hitmakers Mike Chapman & Nicky Chinn and began one of the most successful 4 year run on the pop charts in UK history. Between ’71 and ’74, Chapman & Chinn penned all 11 of the British Top 40 hit singles for The Sweet, including their first hit “Funny Funny,” “Little Willy, “Blockbuster,” and “The Ballroom Blitz,” that were also big hits in the U.S.
Success should have been….sweet, for the quartet, but by ’74, they were tired of the perception that they were just puppets to the Chapman/ Chinn puppeteers. So, when an opportunity presented itself to change that stigma, the band took advantage and covertly re-recorded an album track and reconstructed it into one of their biggest hits. The transformed track was none other than “Fox on the Run.
At the beginning of the Rock Era in the 50s, through the 60’s, the most popular solo artists and groups were essentially the talent that performed material written by someone else. That’s one of the main reasons why acts like Buddy Holly & the Crickets, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles were so revered.. they created and performed... - Zábava
Poll: Who had the COOLEST BAND NAME in the Rock era?
you are correct...Who had the coolest band name in the Rock area.
Rush ;)
John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
ZZ TOP
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
"God Fodder" is one of my favorite albums.
Fox on the Run and Love is like Oxygen were my two favorite
songs by the Sweet and they still are thanks.🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁
Oxygen was always credited to ELO on Napster... always made me laugh.
Both are great!
“Love Is Like Oxygen” rules!
Love is like oxygen
You get too much
you get too high
Not enough
and you're gonna die
Love gets you high
@@CasualSpudReally? That's hilarious.
Plug in Windy City
hardest rock song ever by Sweet
Sweet was such a grossly underrated band. BALLROOM BLITZ is an all-time BANGER of a song
Yes!
Inspired the Ramones to write Blitzkrieg Bop.
Can't disagree with you , always turn it when it comes especially on the radio .
It and Fox are both trite and predictable. Oxygen was original. Their gimmick was the high octave vocal.
@@perfectdriver2822 actually it was Saturday Night by the Bay City Rollers that inspired Blitzkrieg Bop...they wanted a song with a similar chant...
SO HAPPY YOU FEATURED THIS BAND!!! This is a PERFECT example of the great bands in our history that everyone seems to have forgotten, even though songs like “Ballroom Blitz” still get played on the radio. This episode shows the very reason why this channel is so important!! Thank you Adam, as always, for the priceless memories!!! ❤😊
In Germany, they're not forgotten. They were absolutely huge in the Seventies. Still love 'em.
Germany was Sweet's biggest market actually...not the UK or US...they had the most hits in Germany...so much so that it was RCA/Sony's German arm that assembled the 9CD box "Sensational Sweet", thank goodness cuz it's the perfect Sweet boxset!!
Eight number one hits, six in a row, 173 weeks at top of the charts plus eight top ten hits. From 1971 to '75, they rocked the charts in Germany (West).
I Was Brian Connolly's Manager for 3 years before he died - I have many memories
Would love to hear them! Can you email me for a future ep? theprofessor@professorofrock.com
What a fantastic interview this would be without question!!!!
Hopefully it will come to fruition someday..
Thanks So Much
Yes!! Please do so!!
I was in Kappln Germany @ the meet & greet in july 1995. Glad to meet Brian after all those years. Question: Did we spoke eachother there about the dutch band Normaal?
Yeah right , that’s why you haven’t replied to anyone’s questions.
You don't realize how many songs Sweet recorded until you hear their playlist. They are definitely an underrated band and a great group of guys. RIP Brian Connolly, Mick Tucker, and Steve Priest
Amen!
They had more hits than I thought.
I love Sweet and Brian Connolly.
love Sweet! ❤
Andy Scott is still carrying the torch.
I didn't realize until recently that Sweet had so many hits, and I knew them, too. They really do need more recognition.
"Love is like oxygen" is one of the most underrated classics of all time.
Until recently I thought it was ELO.
Bitchin' Guitar! 🎸
@@-.StevenFor me Steve's bass stands out more than Andy's guitar playing on it.
It's also a timeless song.
Agreed
Ballroom Blitz was a staple of our underground early punk scene. I saw Minor Threat in ‘82 or ‘83 in an abandoned building cover the song. Sweet songs were always playing at parties and covered by many underground bands in the 80’s. Good times…. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Serious? So cool!
I have to listen to "Ballroom Blitz" turned up to eleven before tackling housework.
I _hate_ housework, but I have a playlist that gets my blood pumping and my mind in a happy place before getting busy.
If I live to be old enough to go into a retirement home, I'm going to find all the other old troublemakers and form a punk gang. When the staff isn't watching, we'll lock them out of the dining room, blast this song.
I'll have my arthritic hand ready to crank that volume as I shout:
"Are you ready Steve?" (Uh-huh!)
"Andy?" (Yeah!)
"Mick?" (Okay!)
"Alright fellas, let's gooooooo!"
🎶"I put vodka in our Jello, so we ain't feeling mellow, but try not to break a hip... break a hip!"🎶
yeh was just memtioning firehose they would add ballroom blitz in a medley same southern culture on the skids club shows
My ringtone for my sister! Sweet’s version, of course.
Sounds like a cool experience.
Yes yes yes. The Sweet are vastly underrated. Desolation Boulevard is one of my all time favorite albums.
US or UK version? They were very different, both great, but I prefer the US version I grew up on.
@@shiroibasketshoestbh Idk. I imagine that the Canadian version & US version are the same. I've heard that U.K. version is different than the version we heard. 🍻
@@jonbenjisnomore7935 Yes, if yours is made in Canada (or Japan), it is like the one I prefer that was also the US version. The UK and Europe got an earlier and different version of "Fox On The Run," not the hit single version, and other different tracks, on their RCA "Desolation Boulevard" albums.
Amen!
Spectacular album!
The Grassroots, The Raspberries and Sweet.Three of my all time favorite underrated bands of all times
You ever hear Larry Raspberry and the High Steppers?
sweet and raspberries in one sentence? YMBFJ!
@@tomwinter2906 so those bands aren't under rated?
Love all 3 of those bands...all are powerpop really...
They need to be in the Rock Hall of Fame. Too bad there's only one member left.
...and yet, rap, dance and pop artists are there...🤦🏻♂️ FULLY AGREE WITH YOU!
I love Sweet so much, they're one of my favorite bands. They should be appreciated more, especially Mick Tucker, he was an amazing drummer. Such a shame that their story was quite tragic and they never got the acclaim they deserved.
So true everything you said!
He could play the drums hard!
Brian Connolly's son Brian Connolly Jr is touring the UK at the moment with other singers playing and singing his Dad's music plus other Glam Rock groups. He is keeping his Dad's group hits alive. I know they are in my home town this month. I'm too young to remember it the first time round being a small child in the early 70's but I love a lot of the music from my best friend who is 7 years older than me.
Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome!
whats the bands name?
@@marclaroche5083 I don't think there is a main band name, the tour is called 'Get it on, one night of Glam Rock' featuring Brian Connolly Jr. They were in my home town on the 4th of this month
I was five years old and we had just moved from Papua New Guinea to Australia and the first time I had ever seen a TV was in a department store and it was playing Fox on the Run. I can still clearly picture this and the song has been a favorite ever since. I was lucky enough to see and chat with Andy and his Sweet band on my 27th birthday and he loved that story over a drink in Townsville Australia in 1995.
Roller skating as a 13yr with Sweet blasting at the rink. Has it really been 50 years?
Love is Like Oxygen... the favorite song of my 13 yr old self playing the Jukebox at Happy Joe's Pizza. Loved Glam in general but these guys were just on another level.
Happy Joe's Pizza was awesome. I had the insulated bag for carry out we would go sit on the river front watch the paddle boat and enjoy Happy Joe's pizza.
It’s a great song.
You're a Midwesterner too?
@@sarah2.017 Duluth
Agreed
You've done it Prof, now I have Foghorn Leghorn quotes in my head, the favorites were with Barnyard Dawg.
“That dog’s as subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oatmeal”.
Or he's about as sharp as a bowling ball 😂
"Fortunately, I keep my feathers numbered".....
@@friendofcoal 😂🤣😅🤣
Love it!
@@friendofcoal Ha!
They really were an excellent band - Brian's vox ruled - Andy's guitar overdubs maniacal - Mick's drumming very underated - Steve's bass 1/3 of a great rocking trio
Love Is Like Oxygen is one of the great songs of the 70's
try Sweet's "Windy City"
full volume
your welcome 😆
I agree
Beautiful vocals by Brian Connelly - shortly before they threw him out of the band!
Such an amazing band. Brian's vocals were amazing. Nothing takes me right back to the 70's quite like Sweet.
what an empty decade that must've been for you
I was a preteen when Sweet were all over the radio. I absolutely loved them! They performed amazing super-glue-ear-candy that was IMPOSSIBLE to ignore or forget! And that is still true to this day as I am going to have SWEET tunes echoing in my noggin for the rest of the day because of this episode of PROFESSOR OF ROCK!
_Great job, Adam!_ 😉😁
That's can ONLY be a good thing!
@@ProfessorofRock
HaHa!
As a kid of 10 in the UK, this was a "Top of the Pops" staple on the BBC. I thought it was great fun at youth club. But my later teenage self felt cheated I didn't have more early exposure to the likes of Pink Floyd and Led Zep who had become huge but didn't get the same "Top of the Pops" airtime. I haven't heard Fox on the Run in 50 years. Quite a nostalgic trip. Thanks prof.
They lived up to their name!
Super glue ear candy. Now that’s gonna be my new term. Love it.
"Desolation Blvd." and "Give Us a Wink" are classics! Great band! ❤🎸🎶
Sweet was a solid hard rocking band from 1972 to 1977...all are excellent musicians who wrote great songs with hooks and solid arrangements. Should be much more well-known in today's rock world. I've loved them for last 15 years at least.
50 plus yrs for me .
I loved this band. I grew up in the 70's and their songs really grabbed me. I still love watching videos of them live!!! Thank you for this, Prof!!!
Oh, man! Bringing out the Sweet today! Love it - "Fox on the Run" was one of the first rock songs I remember hearing as a kid that I knew I had to have upon hearing it for the first time. It was the first Sweet song I remember ever hearing. And then when "Love Is Like Oxygen" came out, I became a devoted fan.
Thanks Bart!
Crank Sweet's "Windy City"
hardest rock song from Sweet
full volume song
Enjoy!
It’s a song that gets you hooked.
The full 6+ minute album version of "Oxygen" is the best...that instrumental middle is like a great song unto itself...then the funky outro with Steve's great bassline...utterly sublime...
@@robmaiker7092I would only put it equal to the live version of Action from Rockpalast and Burning. Steve Priest's Axe-murderer giggle is hysterical, and the use of the old UK speaking clock telephone service is a classic too.
I'm loving the focus on Glam Rock. For the past few weeks, I've been all over CZcams watching Glam Rock, especially Sweet and T.Rex. ❤
This song came out when I was around 8 years old. I really wanted the 45 badly, but couldn't find it. Being eight, I never thought to just ask the clerks at the record store. I asked my mom for the record for my birthday. She managed to find it, I then found the record also had the B side song "Ball room blitz"! Rare that the B side is as good as the A side. It was great to hear ball room blitz have a comeback in Wayne's World movie.
I was 8-9 at the time too and also begged my mom for that 45, but it was no longer available so at the record store the seller trusted the follow-up "Action". When we got home and I first played it, my mom wasn't very pleased! :-) but I was! Never stopped loving Sweet from then on and I still have that 45 along with lot's of others and all their albums. There's so much fantastic music that they made which never got played on the radio.
The Sweet were brilliant!One of the most talented bunch of musicians of the 70’s! They made great singles and albums! Criminally underrated!
Fox on the Run was one of the first 45s I ever bought. All my records were lost when I moved away from home, I figured they were thrown away. Who needed records, we had CDs! In 2020, my Fox on the Run record, with my name written on it in 8th grade hand writing showed up at a random estate sale, and a HS friend who still lives in my home town, and a collector, bought it.
Very Cool!
Haha wow!! Here's my Sweet story...I have older cousins who bought records, tapes in the 70s...I received a box of mixtapes once & went through em...Little Willy was on it, loved it, remembered it but didn't know who it was, then a friend of mine had a stack of scratchy 45's from the 70s from as a kid, one was Little Willy, was like oh that's the song!! Then in college, SUNY Plattsburgh, I had a college radio show from 1987-1989, WPLT 93.9FM, my then-girlfriend Lenka Reznicek (she had a great radio DJ voice) was my guest & she decided to introduce & play Sweet...she played Fox on the Run & Action...I remembered those songs & dug em, thought they still sounded fresh, vital & exciting...I then proceeded to buy the US CD of Desolation Boulevard, and dug the whole thing, remembered Ballroom Blitz, then bought the US Capitol CD Sweet hits compilation that was new in the 90s, then the 2CD Repertoire German import A's & B's, then the US 2CD Razor & Tie collection which was incredible, and then the German 9CD "Sensational Sweet" box I consider definitive, as well as the followup 4CD "Polydor Years" & the RCA/Sony 2CD & 3DVD collection that has tons of video footage & Andy Sweet stuff...all in all, Sweet are one of my fave bands ever...
Are you ready Steve?
Andy? Yeah
Mick? OK
Alright Fellas Lets Go!
One of the greatest intros in R&R
Love it!
Theres a clip of Sweet doing No You Don't on Musikladen that is pure perfection. They were such a killer live band.
I couldn't agree more. And they were loud!
I was fortunate to see them in concert twice at their peak of success in the mid-70s.
czcams.com/video/Ndnidos5HRU/video.html
You never fail to surprise me with these videos. You always bring back such amazing and much loved memories…please never stop…
I need a lot of loving ....B side .. classic Rock track...
This is criminally underrated song. Probably the reason I bought the Dazed and Confused soundtrack.
That's true. I know a guy who's doing seven years in the state pen for underrating this song!
That’s where I know it from as well. Definitely a fantastic track!
so is ballroom blitz two of my most favorite songs by sweet
For sure!
Great soundtrack.
SWEET were my first musical heroes. Thank´s for putting the spotlight on them. They deserve it!
Another bloody fantastic show. Now where on earth would such music gems be unearthed, polished and presented with such love and respect. Many thanks Professor.
"I don't wanna know your name..." Once I hear that opening line, I'm instantly hooked. I can thank "Poker Face" for reminding me of it.
Thanks.
Yes!
I have never forgotten. They were the first band I consciously saw live. I was 11 and I was blown away.
This band was great. Grew up in the 70s and listened to them all the time. Shame that they will never be considered for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I Blast "Sweet" in my car stereo all the time... Listen to "No you don't" 🔥💯
Pat Benatar made a great version of "No you don't" on her first album. Checkt it out!
@@phillarsson8253 Yes it is a great version 🔥
Wow! Brings back some Sweet memories of my early childhood. I was just beginning elementary school when I first heard "Little Willy." Still can't help feeling good every time I hear it. For "Fox on the Run," I was just beginning to develop crushes on the "foxes" in my school. It's a number 1 for me. Great episode, Professor.
Thanks TED! Love SWEET.
This shows that some music producers don't always know what a hit is or is not.
For sure.
True!
The Sweet had so many great songs in the 70’s! I loved this one! Brings back a lot of happy memories! ❤️💕
Level Headed is such a fantastic album! I listen to it regularly to this day! I'm 60!
I'm literally wearing a Sweet T-shirt right now!
Awesome!
Ha, I went out to lunch with my daughter today and had my Sweet Fox on the Run t-shirt on. Then I saw this video. Cue twilight zone music....
I am 60 and love Fox On The Run. I just don't tell anyone and listen to it while cruising down the road. Love your show! Great Job!
I was in third grade when this album came out. An older neighbor kid had the Desolation Boulevard album and wanted to sell it. I ran to my Grandmothers house and asked her for 2 dollars, so I could buy it. Thank you Grandma! I played the whole album over and over. It was sitting in front of a sunny window and got warped beyond saving. I of course, replaced it. Sweet is an incredible band. A slight bubblegum band with deep hard rock veins, well mixed in the studio. And above all, massive talent. A great part of my childhood, and the rest of my life.
I love their song they did later called “ Love is like Oxygen”👍🏻❤️🎼🎸
This is perfect today! This was the first song my son played drums live to in front of a crowd. Today is his 18th birthday. Happy birthday to Robbie, my Rockstar.
So cool! Tell him HAPPY B-Day for me!
If your son can emulate Mick Tucker then he truly has great talent. Happy birthday
Tell him I said happy birthday!
@@floydcooley1 thank you! Yes, the band turned around in awe. I'm so happy he's been listening to our music.
He picked an awesome drummer to learn from. Mick is a drumming beast. 💪🏻🥁
Fox on the run was the first sing I recorded off the radio in Australia 🇦🇺
Very cool! What a memory!
"The Lies In Your Eyes", made the Top 10 in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Australia.
A brilliant band. Massive in Europe in the 70's. I was a kid in Sweden in the early 70's and Sweet was huge. They were a great band that desrves a lot of respect.
I thought of them as a quirky rock/pop band when I heard them on the radio. They had good hooks and vocal arrangements. When I saw them on tv, with a big double kick drum set, wearing some bizarre stage wear and makeup, I was puzzled. Didn't know what "Glam" was. Sweet was way ahead of that craze.
These guys were fantastic, the prototype for 80s glam, and arguably one of the most covered bands of all time. They were fun, hip and very underrated.
"Love is like oxygen" long version is their best song
Defo 100%
I remember growing up listening to their music with my late parents. This bring back memories of sitting in the garage with my dad listening to music while he worked on a wood craft project. My dad who traveled to the UK for work before I was born got hooked on them. I was born in 1994. My dad wanted me know what good music was. This brings back a lot of good memories for me. Thank you.
Real Sweet story there (no pun intended)
Loved Sweet when I was a kid. This was a favourite along with The Sixteens. They were considered Glamour but listen to their album, definitely Hard Rock
I agree. They influenced so many acts from that genre.
Who were The Sixteens?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 sorry I phrased that wrong. The Sixteens was a song by Sweet
@@stephenbrown4211 You’re all good!
Fox on the Run is one on my favorite songs. Sweet is a hugely underrated band. every member was exceptionally tanlented. Brian Connolly was an amazing singer and Mick Tucker was one of the best drummers ever.
For sure.
All members brought their A-game to the song.
Man with the golden arm is in my head all day every day🎉
I still treasure my 45 of Fox on the Run.
I loved the Sweet. As a Rock Radio D J for over 40 years, I got in more trouble for bootlegging Sweet songs and never understood why they weren't in rotation.
They may no have the longevity or more than 4 US hits, but because of their influence, they should be in the Rock and Roll hall of fame.
We need a rock hall of fame. The R&R is biased and a joke.
No! The R&RHOF is a joke. I'll never forgive them for screwing the Moody Blues until after Ray Thomas died. But I'll forever love founder Graeme Edge accepting the award and saying, "F#ck you very much!"
@@wllewis8502and it's rarely rock&roll anymore
I agree. They were glam rock pioneers and damn fine musicians.
Moody Blues are in top five bands in music's entire history,
maybe top three
The talent level was ELP high
but Moody Blue's had five
musicians going at that level
not just three
Lies in you Eyes - a real 'LOST CLASSIC'... Also Fox on the Run was the first song I learnt on guitar, and finally, the Gardians of the Galaxy did a great job on re-introducting this - that's how my son got into it...
Actually Sweet invented Bubble Metal. One time I started a thread that said bands like Motley Crue , Ratt, Def Leppard and others owe Sweet some gratitude for their success . Guy informed me that Motley Crue said that Sweet was a huge influence on them . Once Gene Simmons was quoted as saying “ You have no Sweet , you have no Kiss “ Sweet is another band that should be in the RocknRoll Hall of Fame !
Many people saw The Sweet as just another Chinn & Chapman act: catchy tunes, slick productions but essentially just fluff. Chinn & Chapman were considered the deal, the bands were just considered performers and really not that important by fans of "serious" music. And often the bands were just performers with not that much talent, whereas the Sweet seemed to have had at least some talent. So I guess it's fair to say that being a "Chinn & Chapman" act could be both a blessing and a curse.
read they were on par with sabbath and zepplin
Yeah good luck with that. It took till this year to get MC5 inducted which is a f#cking travesty.
Simmons said the same thing about Slade. I guess he loved them both .
Joe Elliot has acknowledged Sweet as being a big inflluence.
Sweet is one of my favorite rock bands from the 70s. Great songs. Some that weren't hits but great heavy rock songs. Very underrated.
Sweet was undoubtedly THE most underrated band of the 70s! We should still be hearing them on Classic rock stations! I have all of their original vinyl albums! My favorite band of all time!
Love Sweet's music, i remember watching their videos every chance i could (before MTV)
They were great.
Love is like Oxygen, the extended version is one of my all time favorites. Ballroom Blitz and Fox on the Run are fantastic also. Both tunes just transport you back to a different time.
All their albums are fantastic!! Steve Priest was amazing live.. So happy I had a chance to see him here in the U.S.
R.i.p steve
Thank you PoR for your positive coverage on ALL the bands you've highlighted!
Can't believe we used to fill up the dance floor for Fox on the Run back in 7th Grade.... Good point Professor about the song's title: how many songs out there have been called "Hold On?"
Lol, I was just going to comment about 7th grade dances and fox on the run!! We must have when to different schools together, great days!!
"Ship of Fools" has been used a few times
We flied around the skating rink to Little Willie
Heard "Fox on the Run" at a small joint in Gheen, MN and fell in love with the song immediately. Led me down the road to Rock and metal.
I was good mates with drummer Mick tucker for years.
Brian was never the same after he was attacked and I bumped into him a few times at a rehearsal studio, but he was far gone at that point and it broke my heart.
Great bunch of guys and incredibly talented.
✌️❤️🇬🇧
I'm an absolutely huge Sweet fan from the US. Mick Tucker is one of the best drummers in rock (hence my handle), and Brian Connolly one of the best frontmen. He could sing everything from love songs like Laura Lee, right on up to hard rock like Cockroach and Keep It In. The first song I knew was Little Willy. The attack on Brian was so sad. I think pretty much all fans of the Sweet think if he'd not been attacked and they had gotten to play with the Who as scheduled, they would have become a supergroup in rock. I love everything from their bubble gum on up through their hard rock and IMO, that's where they excelled. If anyone thinks they were bubble gum lightweights, I point them straight to their live at Musikladen videos from 11-11-74. Also the Give Us a Wink and Sweet Fanny Adams albums. When they got ripped up by the critics, I love the shirt Mick had made that said "13 hit wonder." Kind of a screw you to them. RIP dear Mick, Brian, and Steve. Never forgotten, and always in our hearts.🕯️😘❤️🔥
Dang straight!! I'm from NY...I always thought Queen ripped them off, down to the 4-part harmony...I have most everything they recorded & a 3 DVD boxset of videos & live & TV appearances...
Little Willy was the definition of pop rock. Was awesome
Thanks for the memories; I am my best friend crusing main street in his yellow 1950's GMC pickup with music blaring and the windows rolled down. Sweet always brings back good memories.
I like the song. Thank goodness people take great chances for the right reason to form brilliance.
Goes to show that every once in awhile, you find an A&R man that actually gets it and changes the course of a song for the better!
Sweet's Fox on the Runb literally changed my life. Two older sisters that listened to yacht rock type stuff and nothing wrong with that but Sweet was the energy drink musically I needed.
Sadly only one remains. RIP Mick, Brian and Steve, but thank you so much.
I was about 8 when Sweet started kicking off and they were a permanent fixture of my childhood. I can never forget them. Blockbuster springs to mind whenever I think of them.
Once again Professor you've shown us that just because you heard it doesn't mean you know or understood it!! I graduated High school in 1973 and you've reintroduced so many groups and memories that seemed to have gotten pushed down with life's doings over the years! Thanks for helping with the much needed memory jog!!
Awesome!
I grew up on an 8-track of Desolation Boulevard and Fox is one of my top 5 songs from the 70’s. Love the channel. Keep it coming!
My favorite 3 albums in order Give Us A Wink, Desolation Blvd and Sweet Fanny Adam's. Some real hard Rock way ahead of their time.
I remember this song blaring from the alarm clock radio in my bedroom when it was soaring up the charts in 1975. I was 9 or 10.
It has an epic and unforgettable intro, with power chords crashing against symbol splashes that evoke a feeling of grandeur and wonder, as if the most magnificent and noble presentation follows.
The piercing and melodic keyboard phrases blend seamlessly and fill the space with powerful, upbeat energy.
The drums and bass drive relentlessly through the verses and lead to the chorus, preceded by the multiple upward octave leaps, creating escalating vocal intensity.
Sweet did well to follow their instincts and remake this song with their own stamp.
Back in the mid ‘70s, an attractive girl or woman was commonly called a “fox.” It also suggested the flowing hair style. Think Raquel Welch, Farah Fawcet, Adrienne Barbeau.
I loved the groovy chorus and vocal echoes. It invoked sheer fantasy-a beautiful girl, here and then gone. A fleeting sight that stirred passion and desire. I think of walking behind my crush in 6th grade, gazing transfixed at her yellow Ditto jeans (Google if you don’t know). She fascinated me with every movement and glance.
She was a fox on the run, and she moved away the next year.
❤🎉
SWWEEEEEET!
Love Fox On The Run.
Infectious beat! Probably my favorite Sweet song.
Thanks Professor!
Foghorn Leghorn!
Have a great weekend everybody!! ❤🎉
Have a sweet weekend!
Love it!
Mine too.
This is my favorite Sweet song, absolutely rocks.
SWEET! The soundtrack of my growing up in the early and mid-70's! SOOO Many memories and cool songs. Seeing this episode today was the first I'd heard of an alternate version of Desolation Blvd and Fox on the Run specifically. Now I'm searching for that other version. It definitely has a different vibe, and as good as it is, I think the Prof is right that it would not have done as well in the US as the version released here. THANKS for today's episode. I've watched a lot of the Prof's installments, and this is the one that got me to Subscribe. I like all the versions I've heard so far, even the Scorpion's version in GERMAN! Ace nailed it, PetRock also killed it!! Another of SWEET's songs to be covered a number of times is Ballroom Blitz. NO ONE else's version comes close to the vibe and feel of the original. But others keep trying... Def Leppard's - weak, Krokus' - tries hard, Leah Harlow (?!) - weak, The Regrettes - OK, The Donnas (live) - Great....
As a child I lived in Harefield London and with a friend climbed on the railings of Harefield Baptist Church and watched through the window Sweet rehearsing. Brian Connelly lived in the village and it's a great memory to have.
I bought the 45 of Fox on the Run in junior high with my paper route money. Lol
Awesome! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Professor . Sweet were huge in Australia . Ballroom Blitz , Blockbuster , Teenage Rampage & even Peppermint Twist topped the charts before Fox on the Run . Thanks for posting . 😎👌🇦🇺🎸 Mick Tucker was a hugely underrated drummer
One of my favorite bands of the 70s!
Oxygen is my favorite Sweet track, in great part because of the extended album version of the song. But Fox is probably second best, and a great example of what Sweet was capable of when they were blasting on all gears. Such an underrated band, who deserves much more respect and love than they're given. It's sad a lot of people don't even remember this vital band. Queen would not have existed without Sweet!
Believe it or don't, as early teens we used to do a stuffed frog toss (hot potato) to the synthesizer run-ups in Fox On The Run. Such indoor fun! Sweet has always been one of my favorite bands, their album tracks are better than most other bands singles. I highly recommend diving deep for a plethora of gems like The Sixteens, Solid Gold Brass, Medussa, Lady Starlight, I Wanna Be Committed, AC/DC, Are You Coming To See Me, No You Don't, Burn On The Flame, Someone Else Will, Set Me Free, Sweet F.A., Into The Night, Cockroach, Yesterday's Rain, White Mice, Healer, Fever Of Love, Lost Angels, Midnight To Daylight, Windy City, Live For Today, Laura Lee, Funk It Up, Stairway To The Stars, Why Don't You Do It To Me, Dream On, California Nights, Anthem #1 (Lady Of The Lake), Cover Girl, Call Me, Discophony, and Eye Games. Oh yes, can you tell I'm a fan...
Awesome.. glad somebody else is on board with all the hidden gems this band has.. 🙏
I owe Dazed and Confused much gratitude for introducing me to so many great songs including Fox on the Run! Very underrated band. Sweet likely influenced the whole hair metal look.
Rock on!
Their hair was pretty wild!
"Oxygen" was an excellent song that didn't get the radio play it deserved.
I was a teenager back in '84 when a neighbor in my development had me and a friend listen to a couple of tracks on vinyl from the US Desolation Boulevard. I was heavy into the MTV/Metal/Hairband scene, but I also loved Pop and Classic Rock - but nothing prepared me for what I heard that day. I sought out that album on cassette - one of my treasures in my ever-growing music collection. A Sweet compilation was the first CD I ever purchased. And I now have just about everything from the original lineup. Sweet were truly innovative, super talented, and ahead of their time. I enjoy the new music Andy Scott's Sweet puts out - their vocalist certainly brings the band to the modern era. And I had the pleasure of seeing Steve Priest's Sweet perform live one his last tour. My daughter in her 30's loves Fox On The Run as much as I love singing it with her. And oh how Kickstart My Heart has the riff from Hellraiser - makes me smile knowing that every time I hear it because I love em both. Fox is truly a classic and the band deserves all of the recognition and accolades becoming of a great Rock band!
I had no idea until a few years ago that Little Willy, BallRoom Blitz, Fox and Love is Like Oxygen we’re all done by the same band. Their musical progression over the years amazes me. I had always thought Oxygen was ELO also. It just had the same vibe. There are CZcams videos that were from a German television show Musikladen 11-11-74 that are awesome. The Man with the Golden Arm and No You Don’t are stellar. There is also an unplugged version of a ballad that is absolutely beautiful. That video is of them sitting on stools and singing. For the life of me I can’t remember the name ( I’m old ) but it’s worth a listen. All of Sweet’s music is worth a listen. I think people hearing it for the first time will be surprised at how good it is and shocked to learn how long it’s been around. Thanks, Professor.
I love the Musikladen video. I did a deep dive on The Sweet a few months ago. Oh, the memories!
The song you can't think of is You're Not Wrong For Loving Me. It's a beautiful song. 😍
Crazy variety. I like BallRoom Blitz; the others mentioned not so much. Little Willy was annoying. Oxygen really good chorus for an otherwise not-great song. Fox on the Run chorus sounds like ELO’s “Do Ya (Want My Love).”
I remember my cousin running to my house saying you gotta listen to this ! It was the "sweet" ! I got the album a few days later ! Still have it !
What’s your favorite Sweet song?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980little willy
Manfred Mann's "Fox On The Run" did hit the #1 spot in Australia for only one week around February 1969 and in the charts for twelve weeks but it failed to chart in Sydney, mainly charting in Melbourne and Brisbane. The Sweet's "Fox On The Run" charted at #1 for two weeks in Australia around June 1975 being in the charts for a total of 21 weeks.
So happy to see The Sweet. They are so freaking great. Steve Priest is so fun to watch. And Brian Connolley is one of the best front men. Beautiful to look at too. Lol. Mick Tucker should be included in the top drummers ever list.