Sweet are a British glam rock band founded in 1968. Their best-known line-up included lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bassist Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker. Currently, one version of the band is led by Scott and included Tucker between 1985 and 1991, while the other was led was Priest until his death in 2020 and is still touring. Connolly also led a version of the band from 1984 until his death in 1997.
Since 1992, Scott's version has included drummer Bruce Bisland, while lead vocalist Paul Manzi, bassist Lee Small, and keyboardist/guitarist Tom Cory joined in 2019. Priest's version includes drummer Richie Onori (since 2008), bassist and former keyboardist Steve Stewart (since 2008, bassist since 2020, keyboardist until 2021), vocalist Paulie Z (since 2017), keyboardist Dave Schultz (since 2021), and guitarist Jimmy Burkard (since 2023).
In January 1968, Brian Connolly and Mick Tucker formed a band called The Sweetshop. They recruited bass guitarist and vocalist Steve Priest from a local band called The Army. Frank Torpey was recruited to play guitar. After releasing a few singles that failed to chart, the band were released from their recording contract and Frank Torpey left after a further year of fruitless toil. Guitarist Mick Stewart joined in 1969, although he was soon replaced by Andy Scott in September 1970.
In 1978, guitarist Nico Ramsden and keyboardist Gary Moberley joined the touring line-up. Connolly departed the band in 1979 after his alcoholism affected his live performances. In his absence, Priest and Scott shared lead vocals. Ray McRiner also replaced Ramsden. The band disbanded in 1981.
In 1985, Scott and Tucker organised their own version of Sweet with Paul Mario Day (previously played with Iron Maiden, More, and Wildfire) on lead vocals, Phil Lanzon of the band Grand Prix on keyboards, and Mal McNulty on bass. Day departed in 1989, McNulty moved onto lead vocals, and Jeff Brown joined on bass. Lanzon joined the band Uriah Heep in 1986, though he continued with The Sweet until 1988. Malcolm Pearson and Ian Gibbons filled in for Lanzon until Steve Mann arrived in December 1989.
Tucker departed after a show in Lochau, Austria, on 5 May 1991. Three drummers, Andy Hoyler, Bobby Andersen, and Bruce Bisland, provided short-term relief before Bodo Schopf took over. in 1992, Bodo left, and Bisland returned as a permanent drummer. McNulty departed in 1994, though he would briefly return that year to fill in for Jeff Brown on bass. In 1995, he similarly rejoined the band as lead singer while Rocky Newton substituted on bass). Chris Goulstone and Sweet's former keyboard players Gary Moberley and Ian Gibbons also filled-in for other players during 1995. Chad Brown of the band Lionheart was chosen as the new front man.
In 1996, Mann left to take a job in television and Gibbons came back for a short time before Steve Grant of the band The Animals became the permanent keyboardist. When Chad Brown quit in 1998 after developing a throat infection, Jeff Brown assumed lead vocals and bass duties. In 2003, Tony O'Hora (previously played with Onslaught and Praying Mantis) replaced Brown as lead vocalist.
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Priest | 1968–1982 | all releases | |||
| Mick Tucker | 1968–1982 | ||||
| Brian Connolly | 1968–1979 | ||||
| Andy Scott | 1970–1982 | all releases from Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be (1971) onwards |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Torpey | 1968–1969 | guitar | "Slow Motion" (1968) | |
| Mick Stewart | 1969–1970 |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Moberley | 1978–1981 | keyboards | Cut Above the Rest • Water's Edge | |
| Nico Ramsden | 1978 | guitar | none | |
| Ray McRiner | 1979 |
| Period | Members | Releases | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1968 – mid 1969 |
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| Mid 1969 – Mid 1970 |
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| Mid 1970 – February 1979 |
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| February 1979 – late 1981 |
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| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Scott | 1985–present | all releases | |||
| Paul Manzi | 2019–present | Isolation Boulevard (2020) | |||
| Lee Small | 2019–present | ||||
| Tom TC Cory | 2019–present[1] [2] | ||||
| Adam Booth | 2024–present [3] | none to date |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mal McNulty | 1985–1994 | |||
| Mick Tucker | 1985–1991 | |||
| Phil Lanzon | ||||
| Paul Mario Day | 1985–1989 | lead vocals | ||
| Jeff Brown | 1989–2003 | |||
| Steve Mann | 1989–1996 [4] | |||
| Bruce Bisland | 1992–2024 | all releases from The Answer (1995) onwards | ||
| Bodo Schopf | 1991–1992 | A (1992) | ||
| Chad Brown | 1995–1998 | lead vocals | Glitz, Blitz & Hitz (1996) | |
| Steve Grant | 1996–2011 | |||
| Tony O'Hora | ||||
| Peter Lincoln | 2006–2019 |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Pearson | 1988 | keyboards | Pearson filled in for Lanzon until Steve Mann joined in December 1989.[5] | ||
| Ian Gibbons | Gibbons filled in on keyboards several times, first in 1989 for Phil Lanzon, for Steve Mann in 1994 and 1996 and after Mann's departure and in 2005.[6] [7] | ||||
| Andy Hoyler | 1991 | drums | Hoyler, Andersen and Bruce Bisland provided short-term relief for Mick Tucker before Bodo Schopf took over.[8] | ||
| Bobby Andersen | |||||
| Gary Moberley[9] | 1994 | keyboards | Moberley, Gibbons and Goulstone subbed in 1994. | ||
| Chris Goulstone | |||||
| Rocky Newton | 1995 | bass | Newton subbed on bass 1995 alongside the returning Mal McNulty on lead vocals.[10] | ||
| Jo Burt | 2005 | Thompson Smith and Burt performed with the band after O'Hora's first departure in November 2005 for some Swedish gigs. | |||
| Mark Thompson Smith | lead vocals | ||||
| Tony Mills | 2006 | [11] | Mills was slated to be Sweet's new singer/bassist in early 2006 but it failed to work out and he left after six shows in Denmark.[12] [13] | ||
| Martin Mickels | 2010 | guitar | Mickels subbed for Scott himself in March and April 2010 when he was absent from a couple of gigs due to ill health.[14] |
| Period | Members | Releases |
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| Early 1985 – July 1989 |
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| July 1989 – November 1990 |
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| November 1990 – 1991 |
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| 1991 – early 1992 |
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| 1992–1995 |
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| 1995 – January 1996 |
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| January 1996 – early 1998 |
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| Early 1998 – early 2003 |
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| 2003–2005 |
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| 2005 – January 2006 |
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| January–August 2006 |
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| August 2006 – early 2011 |
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| Early 2011 – June 2019 |
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| June–October 2019 |
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| October 2019 – present |
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| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Connolly | 1984–1997 | lead vocals | |
| Phil Ridden | drums | ||
| Brian Rawson | 1984 | guitar | |
| Geoff Roots | bass | ||
| Gary Farmer | |||
| Steve Turner | guitar | ||
| Michael Williams | |||
| Steve Berry | 1990 | bass | |
| Neale Haywood | guitar | ||
| Martin Saunders | drums | ||
| Dave Farmer | |||
| Steve Mulvey | 1993–1997 | keyboards | |
| Bjorn Hurrel | 1993–1994 | bass | |
| Mel Johnson | guitar | ||
| Glenn Williams | 1994–1997 | ||
| Drew Murphy | 1994–1995 | drums | |
| Martin Cook | bass | ||
| Dave Glover | 1995–1997 | ||
| Russ Mahoney | 1995–1996 | drums | |
| Jeff King | 1996–1997 |
| 1984The New Sweet | 1984–1990 | 1990 | 1990–1992 |
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| 1992–1993 | 1993–1994Brian Connolly's Sweet | 1994–1995 | 1995–1996 |
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| 1996–1997 | |||
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| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2020 | ||||
| Richie Onori | 2008–present | drums | ||
| Stevie Stewart | ||||
| Joe Retta | [15] [16] | vocals | ||
| 2008–2012 | guitar | |||
| Ricky Z. | 2012–2013 | |||
| Chas West | 2013 | vocals | ||
| Mitch Perry | 2014–2023 | guitar | ||
| Paulie Z. | 2017–present | vocals | ||
| Patrick Stone | 2021-present | vocals | ||
| 2021–present[17] | keyboards | |||
| Jimmy Burkard | 2023–present[18] | guitar |