Everybody wants a piece of the action

Thursday music corner: English glam-rockers The Sweet formed in 1968 and achieved major success with hits like Block Buster (1973), The Ballroom Blitz (1973) and Fox on the Run (1975). Action, their 13th UK top 40 single, was released in July 1975 as the follow-up to the no.2 smash Fox on the Run, with lyrics referring to the band’s disgruntlement at their treatment by the British music press. Action later appeared on Sweet’s fourth studio album, Give Us A Wink, which was released in February 1976 and was the first of their albums to be fully written and produced by the band, after previous efforts had relied heavily on songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who wrote hits for many other artists including Suzi Quatro (Can the Can, Devil Gate Drive), Mud (Tiger Feet), Racey (Some Girls) and Smokie (Living Next Door to Alice).

As a historical footnote, The Sweet were not impressed by the strong similarities between their guitar playing in this track and parts of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which was released four months later. And this July 1975 Top of the Pops appearance, in which the band mimes to their single, illustrates the style of the programme at the time, in which bemused young audience members are cheek-by-jowl with the performers and often obscure the camera angles, while the band simulates a live performance, albeit without the guitar and bass being plugged in. Action was the opening performance of this episode, hosted by Radio 1 DJ Noel Edmonds. Other songs performed that evening included Get In The Swing by Sparks, It’s In His Kiss by Linda Lewis, plus children’s novelty act The Wombles with Super Womble. Illustrating the breadth of the show’s family viewing demographic, the episode also featured songs by Bing Crosby (aged 72) and Roger Whittaker (aged 39). Dance services were also provided “for the dads” by the lissom Pan’s People troupe, undulating to Hamilton Bohannon’s funky Foot Stompin’ Music.

The Sweet – Action (1975, ‘live’ on Top of the Pops)