SWEET SENSATION - “Sad Sweet Dreamer”
Rueful soft soul comforted by great pillowing banks of Philly-style orchestration, industrial quantities of it: never mind the quality, feel the gloss (and enjoy the louche brass while you’re at it). The production on “Sad Sweet Dreamer” lacks a sureness of touch when it comes to scale and smothers any emotion in the chorus until it comes out mostly as a shrug. Marcel King’s quavering, boyish vocals give the record some needed character but in the end this drifts pleasantly out of pop history having made terribly little impression. 5
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Dan M. on November 27th, 2007
Ah, this hits the sweet spot of my pop-listening years, and while it may be 2nd rate soul, I’m not objective enough to know it — besides, it had the virtue of not being overplayed. It certainly didn’t come close to #1 here in the U.S., did it? This was one of the first songs I searched for when Napster came along. In other words, it made an impression on me! I remember thinking it was the Jackson 5 the first few times I heard it. Romantic, melancholy and sugary (sad, sweet and dreamy would be another way to put it, I guess).
“Popular” is a fantastic feature — I discovered just at the right time (as I said, you’ve just reached my early teen years), and it’s been immensely entertaining and informative catching up on the archives — thanks!
Mark G on November 27th, 2007
This one reminds me of “Never mind the Buzzcocks”’s lowest point.
Their “identity parade” spot, i.e. pick the actual popster from five people, had the singer of “Sweet Sensation”. But there was a problem. It wasn’t the guy who sang the two hits, but his replacement. Who they didn’t have ‘archive’ footage of or even a track by him.
So, they had to guess who from a line of non-celebs, basically.
Waldo on November 27th, 2007
Sweet Sensation won “New Faeces” and were quite simply appalling. The lead vocalist, who was a Hair Bear lookalike, had the most irritating singing voice in Christendom. Meanwhile, the rest of the numpties merely milled around in the background doing the square root of fuck all. Probably the worst number one of the year. I’m not usually this blunt but this one was pure rubbish. It’s just one of those things you put down to experience.
mike on November 27th, 2007
This was the first - and indeed the last - New Faces Number One, beating Showaddywaddy’s #2 for “Hey Rock And Roll” a few months earlier. Not a lot to say about it, except to say that it always reminds me of Racquel from Coronation Street, having been used to soundtrack a “poignant” scene between her and Des Thingy in the early 1990s.
mike on November 28th, 2007
Actually, having found a couple of clips on YouTube, I’m inclined to think this is rather lovely after all. It’s The Stylistics and The Jacksons with a Tony Hatch production, all a bit derivative if you must, but what a gorgeous, gorgeous vocal performance from the late Marcel King. As Dan M says: it’s sad, it’s sweet, it’s dreamy. Nowt wrong with that.
mike on November 28th, 2007
Actually, having found a couple of clips on YouTube, I’m inclined to think this is rather lovely after all. It’s The Stylistics and The Jacksons with a Tony Hatch production, all a bit derivative if you must, but what a gorgeous, gorgeous vocal performance from the late Marcel King. As Dan M says: it’s sad, it’s sweet, it’s dreamy. Nowt wrong with that.
Erithian on November 28th, 2007
Mike – without wishing to veer into spoiler territory, are you not counting the ‘Waddy’s finest three weeks in 1976 as a New Faces number one?
Mark G – it truly was a low point for “Buzzcocks” if they did that, bearing in mind that Marcel King died in 1995 of a cerebral haemorrhage. He did have a later brush with at least local fame – the Stuart Maconie show’s celebration of Tony Wilson recently featured a track called “Reach For Love” which Marcel recorded on Factory and which was a popular track at the Haçienda.
This one’s a sweet soul song which I wasn’t crazy about at the time but does what it sets out to do and does it well. And besides, it’s another Manchester number one so it can’t be entirely a bad thing.
mike on November 28th, 2007
Ahum, you do have a point there, Erithian… although by that time the New Faces effect wouldn’t have come into play, if you see what I mean (yes, I am back-pedalling furiously).
Looking at the YouTube comments, some of which are from personal associates, I see that Marcel King had made arrangements to re-record “Sad Sweet Dreamer”, but died before they could be completed. There’s also an interesting post on Marcello’s newest blog about his solo Factory single…
Mark G on November 28th, 2007
I remember “Reach for love”…
I was in the habit of hearing the chart on a monday morning, Radio 1, just as I woke up for school.
One week, I put on the radio, and “Reach for love” is on, so I naturally think “wow, this is top ten at least then!” only, I’d left it tuned to Capital Radio and it wasn’t true.
mike on November 28th, 2007
It’s Marcel’s vocal on the Christmas 1974 TOTP that I like the best. Can’t do the link from where I am right now, but stick “Sad Sweet Dreamer” “Sweet Sensation” into YouTube and you’ll get there…
LondonLee on November 28th, 2007
Owes a lot to The Jackson’s “Show You The Way To Go” but is still sublime, I’ll take even pseudo-Philly (by Tony Hatch no less) over most anything.
The album has one of the worst covers ever - a sad clown!
Mark G on November 28th, 2007
Um, “Show you the way to go” was 1977 though!
LondonLee on November 28th, 2007
Oops. Now I have to revise my entire view of music history.
I really should have known that, I bought both records when they came out.
Billy Smart on November 28th, 2007
The theory is plausible, though, as Sad Sweet Dreamer got to number 14 in America in 1975 - was this the first UK soul hit to cross the Atlantic?
rosie on November 28th, 2007
Nice. Sweet. Hummable. Unexceptional. Nothing else to say, except for a Janice Nicholls moment. Oil give it foive.
FT's doofuus2003 on November 29th, 2007
Yet another one I haven’t thought of in many years, but the tune comes straight back to me now, so it must have had some impact at the time. Not sure it’s a soul record though, isn’t it just a pop tune?
jeff w on December 1st, 2007
It’s a very British take on Philly vocal groups, sure, but it’s still soulful. I liked this a fair bit at the time. I reacquired it on a compilation a year or two ago and think it stands up pretty well.
Doctor Casino on December 2nd, 2007
Never heard this before - but it’s very nice for what it is. Sweet, lush, listenable. Gets a thumbs up from me, even if I’m not sure how many times I could stand to hear it.
Marcello Carlin on December 2nd, 2007
In truth, to understand the pivotal-like qualities of this sublime record it does help to understand the odd schizophrenia of New Faces. On one hand you had the proto-Cowell likes of Tony “The Hatchman” Hatch and Mickie Most, honest and telling it like it is - Hatch tended to be especially acerbic, and while such remarks as “That was bloody awful!” may seem mild now, uttering words like “bloody” on peak-time TV in 1974 still unnerved the grannies (and Whitehouse) - whereas the rest of the panel typically consisted of the real old school showbiz veterans; Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, “Wee” George Elrick and the like, all as old as the century and all inclining towards the school of “oh, the lad was all right, give him a chance” non-committal opinions (even though, as with Showaddywaddy, they were clearly at sea).
Likewise “Sad Sweet Dreamer” (Hatch loved the group so much he signed them to Pye and produced/arranged them) stands at an important crossroads between old school MoR and the about to become emergent Britsoul; King’s voice is clearly in the Michael Jackson mould but has a yearning and uncertainty (not to mention timing) all of its own, and the modest funk of the rhythm guitar and swirling electric piano point forward to Hi-Tension and Light Of The World. The arrangement, however, was the type more commonly ascribed to large-lunged sixties balladeers (and yes, Jackie Trent’s “Where Are You Now (My Love)?” springs instantly to mind) with a Palais band vibrato-laden alto sax which seems to have escaped from the forties ghost of Freddy Gardner (though of course via Hurricane Smith, the New Seekers etc. that sound was at the time back in vogue). You can see where Hatch wanted it to come from but at the same time the band are clearly eager to push forward. What a shame that, one soundalike follow-up notwithstanding (”Purely By Coincidence,” #14 in February 1975), they never got the chance to prove it again.
crag on December 2nd, 2007
not much to say on this one- i wasn’t aware of the new faces connection before in fact i always thought it was American, which i guess shows at least how successful its attempts at faux-Philly were. Still can’t give it more than a generous 4 though.
gerrysbeat on December 2nd, 2007
what a wonderful song !!! i don’t know why people have problems when they listen to it..??? it’s prefect for the 70’s and an absolute true and well-deserved No. 1 !!! there was nothing comparable that time and for all those who like the song: don’t mind the people who are talking bad about it, it’s just a great song. Even, if the band only had 2 hits, they r remarkable. If a song only reaches 1 person on earth and gives him a good feeling, then this is what it’s made for, right??!!!
i wish “sweet sensation” would still exist with a bunch of other hits…. :-)
Gerry
Mark G on December 3rd, 2007
(even though, as with Showaddywaddy, they were clearly at sea).
Now, “Showaddywaddy at Sea” could have been the start of a wonderful film series, never mind Doctors!
Marcello Carlin on December 4th, 2007
Great idea! “We’ll show those Slade In Flame who’s boss!” quipped a possibly over-optimistic Dave Bartram.
Waldo on December 5th, 2007
And then there’s always “Lynyrd Skynyrd on Ice”…
Waldo…sectioned???
Marcello Carlin on December 5th, 2007
If only Sid James had lived long enough to play Ronnie van Zandt in the biopic. “Southern Man says - naff off! Hwa hwa hwa hwa,” he cackles to a petrified Neil Young (Charles Hawtrey). “‘Ere! Did someone say something about FREE BIRDS? COR!”
Waldo on December 5th, 2007
Charles Hawtrey as Neil Young?…
Sorry, Mr Carlin. Just wrong. Breslaw would be more appreciative of “free birds”, one of whom inevitably being the sublime Anita H, whose reappearance on this thread has been long overdue.
Bernie: I dreamt about you last night, nurse.
Anita: Did you?
Bernie: Naw. You didn’t let me!
If only I could write stuff like that.
Marcello Carlin on December 5th, 2007
That Talbot Rothwell went to Oxford you know.
Waldo on December 5th, 2007
That’s nothing, mate. Sid Waddell went to Cambridge…
“Ahhh! Bristow!”
Marcello Carlin on December 6th, 2007
“When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer – Bristow’s only 27!”
Peerless.
Erithian on December 6th, 2007
“You couldn’t get more excitement if Elvis walked in eating a chip butty!”
Marcello Carlin on December 6th, 2007
“Steve Beaton - he’s not Adonis - he’s THE Donis!”
Waldo on December 6th, 2007
Oh dear God. What have I started!!!
Marcello Carlin on December 6th, 2007
“Eat your heart out, Harold Pinter - it’s capital D for Drama here in Essex!”
Waldo on December 6th, 2007
STOP IT!!!!!
Marcello Carlin on December 6th, 2007
“Keith Deller’s not just an underdog, he’s an underpuppy!”
Waldo on December 6th, 2007
I MEAN IT…I’M GONNA JUMP…….
Caledonianne on December 8th, 2007
Jocky Wilson said….;-)
intothefireuk on April 20th, 2008
Sweet Sensation - Until fairly recently I had completely forgotten that they were a product of New Faces, which I must admit doesn’t exactly endear me to it. However, that aside, I actually really like this. The Jacksonesque lead vocal is excellent and, for me, makes the track. It is hampered a little by a stiffer than necessary arrangement but overall it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
Isn’t there another New Faces/Op Knox type act with a brit-soul number one in the not too distant future ?
FT's richard thompson on May 10th, 2008
This tune reminds me of school days, I think Marcel King was 16 or 18, it wasn’t a cover and has never been covered with a karaoke type version which also was a big hit like a lot of these songs have.