Sweet – Desolation Boulevard(1974)

Biography
The Sweet (also referred to as Sweet, and originally called Sweetshop) are a British glam rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s with their most prolific line-up: lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker. The band was formed in London in 1968 and achieved their first hit, “Funny Funny”, in 1971 after teaming up with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and record producer Phil Wainman. During 1971 and 1972, their musical style followed a marked progression from the Archies-like bubblegum style of “Funny Funny” to a Who-influenced hard rock style supplemented by a striking use of high-pitched backing vocals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweet

Album & Cover
Their third album, Desolation Boulevard, was released later in 1974, six months after Sweet Fanny Adams. By that stage, producer Phil Wainman had moved on and the album was produced by Mike Chapman. It was recorded in a mere six days and featured a rawer “live” sound. One track, The Man With The Golden Arm, written by Elmer Bernstein and Sylvia Fine for the 1955 Frank Sinatra movie of the same name, featured drummer Mick Tucker performing an 8 and half minute solo (although this was not included in the U.S. release). This had been a staple of the band’s live performance for years. The first single from the LP, the heavy-melodic “The Six Teens” (July 1974), was a Top 10 hit in the U.K. and still part of the amazing unbroken string of #1’s in Denmark. However, the subsequent single release, “Turn It Down” (November 1974), reached only number 41 on the U.K. chart and #2 in Denmark. “Turn It Down” received minimal airplay on UK radio and was banned by some radio stations because of certain lyrical content – “God-awful sound” and “For God sakes, turn it down” – which were deemed “unsuitable for family listening.” The band resumed playing live shows nearly a full six months after Connolly’s throat injury, with band and critics noting a rougher edge to his voice and a reduced range. The album also featured a group composition, “Fox On The Run”, which was to be re-recorded months later. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweet#Desolation_Boulevard

The cover for this album is not Hipgnosis’ finest hour, consisting of a collage of the band and a photograph of Sunset Boulevard in LA which Aubrey Powell had taken some time before. The collage did not work so they graphically put ‘Halos’ on the heads of the band. This was the start of the band’s demise and popularity.

Cover Location: Hipgnosis Studio, London, UK
Who Did What: Photography – A. Powell/R. Imrie. Art Direction – J. Dyer
Label: RCA Victor LPL1 5080(UK), Capitol ST 511395(US)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Bass, Vocals, Lead Vocals – Steve Priest
Drums, Timpani, Bells [Tubular Bells], Gong, Vocals, Arranged By – Mick Tucker
Engineer – Peter Coleman
Guitar [All Guitars], Synthesizer, Vocals – Andy Scott 
Lead Vocals – Brian Connolly
Producer – Mike Chapman In Association With Nicky Chinn