Tune In, Turn On
By Doug Deutsch
Once upon a time there was a genre of music known as glam rock. Started in Great Britain, in its heyday of the 1970s it featured such now-memorable bands as Slade, Gary Glitter, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, T. Rex and Sweet, among many others (including a fellow named David Bowie).
In the U.S., bands/solo artists like Lou Reed and the New York Dolls emerged as glam-rock heroes. The musicians dressed flamboyantly; the genre was a rebellion against the classic rock which, back then, dominated radio airwaves.
Sweet, in particular, shot to prominence during that era with such catchy, radio-friendly pop/rock hits as “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox on The Run,” “Love Is Like Oxygen,” “Little Willy” and more.
They’ve sold more than 35 million albums worldwide, no easy feat. Like many longtime groups, Sweet has undergone numerous personnel changes. We recently spoke with their drummer, Richie Onori, whom I met and knew from my time living in Southern California, where Onori is based. Sweet will perform at the Showroom at Golden Nugget this Friday, June 28 at 9 p.m.
DD: Discuss how you’ve been able to keep Sweet’s legacy alive, even though there are no original members from the band?
RO: My friend Kelly Hansen, lead singer for Foreigner, invited me to the Hollywood Bowl. No original (members) but it was quite clear they had been well-groomed by original guitarist Mick Jones. The crowd went crazy because the band delivered the goods. We toured with (late original Sweet member) Steve Priest for well over a decade, playing hundreds of venues. Besides us having the name with Steve’s family, we all decided we should keep going after Steve’s passing. Keeping the legacy alive and playing the Sweet music is in our blood and we enjoy playing the music as all the fans do (hearing it). Bottom line: the fans should be able hear the real deal as Steve groomed us to do so. Stevie Stewart and I have been in the band for eighteen years. Some fans call us re-originals (laughs) That’s the difference between a tribute band and us… we’ve lived and breathed this amazing music!
DD: The music Sweet became known for was primarily power pop with rock riffs. Has the current incarnation of Sweet changed/altered the group’s original sound; if so, how?
RO: Live, absolutely not! Our new music and our first single “Little Miracle” is set for release on July 25. If you really dig deep into the full Sweet catalog, the band was very diverse. If the guys were here today I guarantee you the group would sound nothing like the Sweet of yesteryear. We have tested the waters playing “Little Miracle” and all I can say is the crowd was standing and raving. Besides “Little Miracle,” we have 40 songs that we are deciding what songs to choose for the album. Are some of the songs reminiscent of the Sweet sound? You betcha.
RO: Stay tuned for a serious, amazing record because it’s all about chemistry, and like the original band, has something very special, too. Note: We have a few tracks that Steve Priest played on as well. So I look at it this way. We are as close to the real deal as you can get. Lastly, we released two songs on SoundCloud a few years ago. “System of the Slaves” and “Wasted in Hollywood”— Check em out on YouTube.
Because life should be a SWEET RIDE!
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug also hàs experience writing for the one time shore-based weekly publication, Whoot! He also was a team member with Chip Braymes Advertising. Doug loves bicycling and aspires to bring the Blues to Atlantic City. He can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com and www.facebook.com/dougdeutschpublicity.
