| Desolation Boulevard | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | The Sweet |
| Cover: | SweetDesolationBoulevardOriginal.jpg |
| Caption: | Original UK Cover |
| Released: | 15 November 1974[1] |
| Recorded: | 1974 |
| Studio: | Audio International Studios, London |
| Genre: | Glam rock, hard rock, heavy metal |
| Length: | 41:09 |
| Label: | RCA Records |
| Producer: | Mike Chapman in association with Nicky Chinn |
| Prev Title: | Sweet Fanny Adams |
| Prev Year: | 1974 |
| Next Title: | The Sweet Singles Album |
| Next Year: | 1975 |
Desolation Boulevard is the third studio album by the British glam rock band Sweet, originally released in the United Kingdom in November 1974. Two noticeably different versions of the album were released: one by RCA Records in Europe, and another by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan.
The RCA version contains the single "Turn It Down" and the original recording of "Fox on the Run." The Capitol version, released in the United States in July 1975, includes the band's 1973 hit single "The Ballroom Blitz" and the single version of "Fox on the Run." In the U.S., the album peaked at #25 on 25 October 1975.
Desolation Boulevard is considered by many to be the band's best album. Andy Scott, Sweet's guitarist, said of Desolation Boulevard: "Such diversity only proves that the band was never going to be just formulaic, giving this album a definitive place in Sweet history".[2]
The album artwork was done by art design group Hipgnosis, famous for working with the likes of Pink Floyd, Genesis, The Alan Parsons Project, and Led Zeppelin. The background photo was shot near the entrance of a rock music club called Filthy McNasty's, located at 8852 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Today, it is the site of The Viper Room, which is where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning in 1993.
All songs written and composed by Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Andy Scott and Mick Tucker except where noted.
| Desolation Boulevard | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Sweet |
| Cover: | Desolation Boulevard US Cover.jpg |
| Caption: | Capitol version cover |
| Released: | July 1975 |
| Recorded: | 1973–1975 |
| Genre: | Hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal |
| Length: | 43:01 |
| Language: | English |
| Label: | Capitol |
| Producer: | Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, Sweet |
The Capitol version of Desolation Boulevard was released in the United States and Canada in July 1975. It was different from the U.K. version and included several songs from their previous album Sweet Fanny Adams in addition to the "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox on the Run" singles.
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] | 13 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[7] | 9 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 2 |