I was in the audience for what transpired to be Brian Connolly's last UK gig fronting the original Sweet line-up, at the Hammersmith Odeon in February 1978. By the Summer of that year, for well documented reasons, he was out of the band, though his departure wasn't officially announced until the following Spring. It was the first time I'd seen Sweet in concert since their Christmas show at The Rainbow in 1973 and much had changed in the intervening years. In 1973 I was 13, living in London, still pretty much glam obsessed, though beginning to feel my way into wider musical territories. By the time I rolled up to the Hammersmith Odeon, I and my family had been out of London for nearly three years, punk had happened and my eclectic record collection was coming along nicely - as were the pimples on my chin and the dodgy bumfluff covering my upper lip. My memories of that night in 1978 are of a triumphant performance. I was crashing at a mate's place in London and we spent the journey back to his gaff raving about the show and what the future might hold for the band. Little did we know.
Post-Sweet, Brian Connolly pursued a solo career while struggling with increasing health problems, dying 25 years ago today (or yesterday depending on your source) at the age of just 51.
Here's 'I Wanna Be Committed', a great Chinn & Chapman penned single that never was. Recorded in 1974, but left on the shelf in favour of the band's own 'Fox on the Run'.
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6 comments:
I am not firm with Brian's solo output but The Sweet were one of my heroes from my very young days when I sat in front of the radio to listen and copy their newest songs and I still remember the days of independent freedom from these days. I saw them a couple of times and still got sentimental feelings listening to their songs. Thank you Swede for bringing me back to my days of youth.
25 years! Bloody hell! I remember it like it was yesterday; mind you, Steve Priest was yesterday, or as good as. And Mick Tucker; oh, Mick Tucker - the best drummer ever to come out of the UK, bar none. Where's the time going, TS? Stop the world, I want to get off...
Thanks for sharing both the story and the tune, respect.
Fun fact- Mark McManus of Taggart fame was his brother
A great band, greater than many appreciate. I still maintain that Mr Medd is the man to tie it all up with a killer ICA.
Wow! The band really tear it up at the end. Fantastic!
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