Comments on: SWEET SENSATION - “Sad Sweet Dreamer”

By: richard thompson

richard thompson — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:01:30 +0000

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.

By: intothefireuk

intothefireuk — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:32:05 +0000

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 ?

By: Caledonianne

Caledonianne — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:26:30 +0000

Jocky Wilson said….;-)

By: Waldo

Waldo — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:00:41 +0000

I MEAN IT…I’M GONNA JUMP…….

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:24:01 +0000

“Keith Deller’s not just an underdog, he’s an underpuppy!”

By: Waldo

Waldo — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:56:39 +0000

STOP IT!!!!!

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:52:42 +0000

“Eat your heart out, Harold Pinter - it’s capital D for Drama here in Essex!”

By: Waldo

Waldo — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:12:24 +0000

Oh dear God. What have I started!!!

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:13:14 +0000

“Steve Beaton - he’s not Adonis - he’s THE Donis!”

By: Erithian

Erithian — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:07:28 +0000

“You couldn’t get more excitement if Elvis walked in eating a chip butty!”

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:33:25 +0000

“When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer – Bristow’s only 27!”

Peerless.

By: Waldo

Waldo — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:52:01 +0000

That’s nothing, mate. Sid Waddell went to Cambridge…

“Ahhh! Bristow!”

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:55:15 +0000

That Talbot Rothwell went to Oxford you know.

By: Waldo

Waldo — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:47:46 +0000

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.

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:23:03 +0000

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!”

By: Waldo

Waldo — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:14:51 +0000

And then there’s always “Lynyrd Skynyrd on Ice”…

Waldo…sectioned???

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:25:13 +0000

Great idea! “We’ll show those Slade In Flame who’s boss!” quipped a possibly over-optimistic Dave Bartram.

By: Mark G

Mark G — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:27:37 +0000

(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!

By: gerrysbeat

gerrysbeat — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 23:23:36 +0000

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

By: crag

crag — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 12:58:24 +0000

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.

By: Marcello Carlin

Marcello Carlin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:37:00 +0000

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.

By: Doctor Casino

Doctor Casino — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 05:06:22 +0000

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.

By: jeff w

jeff w — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:27:42 +0000

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.

By: doofuus2003

doofuus2003 — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:31:25 +0000

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?

By: rosie

rosie — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:57:57 +0000

Nice. Sweet. Hummable. Unexceptional. Nothing else to say, except for a Janice Nicholls moment. Oil give it foive.