Favorite Power Pop Songs #3 - "Fox on the Run"

@teamfreak16 (43451)
Denver, Colorado
February 26, 2017 8:44am CST
We have reached the podium. #3 in my Favorite Power Pop Songs series belongs to "Fox on the Run" by Sweet. Sweet (also known as The Sweet) formed in London in 1968, as Sweetshop, and are, confusingly, still going strong, which we'll get to in a second. Although they changed musical direction a few times, Sweet had their most success as a glam metal/glam pop/power pop band. Sweet continues today, with two versions of the band touring: Andy Scott's (guitarist) Sweet, and Steve Priest's (bassist) Sweet. (To further complicate matters, vocalist Brian Connolly also led his own version of Sweet prior to his death in 1997.) "Fox on the Run" is the first single written entirely by the band, and the original, harder version first appeared on the European version of their 1974 album, Desolation Boulevard. Self producing, Sweet rerecorded the song for the American version of that album in 1975, as the radio friendly power pop version that we know today. And that version was a bona fide smash: #5 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles charts, and Top 5 in eight other countries. (In 2016, the song reached #1 on iTunes' Rock Chart after it's use in the trailer for the movie Guardians of the Galaxy 2.) "Fox on the Run" has been covered numerous times, notably by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ace Frehley, and the Scorpions, who did a German version called "Fuchs geh' voran" in 1975. And there you have the rather interesting history of one of power pop's all time great tunes. (Info verified by Wikipedia)
Brian Connolly - lead vocals Andy Scott - guitar, synthesizer, vocals Steve Priest - bass, vocals Mick Tucker - drums, percussion, vocals This version of "Fo...
8 people like this
6 responses
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Feb 17
Another 70s blast from the past!
3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Feb 17
#1 will be, too. But we have to visit the 80's first! I have a feeling you already know what's coming.
2 people like this
• Bournemouth, England
5 Mar 17
I loved Sweet, especially when they started releasing self-written rock songs as singles (why on earth wasn't Action a bigger hit here?) I think Brian Connolly's story is one of the most tragic in music, perhaps topped only by Badfinger's.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
5 Mar 17
An inordinate amount of their hits did seem to be written by other people.
1 person likes this
• Bournemouth, England
5 Mar 17
@teamfreak16 The pre-Fox On The Run hits were written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who also wrote for New World, Mud, Suzi Quatro, The Arrows, Smokie, Exile, Chris Norman and Racey before Mike Chapman moved on to production work with Blondie. Fox, Action, The Lies In Your Eyes and Love Is Like Oxygen were all band-written, as were many of their album tracks and B-sides throughout their career.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
5 Mar 17
@asfarasiknow - Suzie Quatro! That's who I was trying to remember. I kept thinking The Runaways, but knew that wasn't it.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61328)
• United States
27 Feb 17
I was expecting a bluegrass song! (I've been waiting for this song to pop up to repeat that line to you after you used it when I posted the bluegrass song.) Don't you ever wonder how a band can make a great song like this or "Little Willy" or "Ballroom Blitz" then do "Love is Like Oxygen"?? (I keep thinking that about Train...how'd they go from "Drops of Jupiter" to "Hey Soul Sister"....but that's for another time.)
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Feb 17
Probably right after they started writing their own songs. This was the first, and it's kind of hard to top.
@JudyEv (323710)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Feb 17
I know this one! Yay me!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Feb 17
Yay I got another one!
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (17795)
• London, England
27 Feb 17
I've no idea why, but I have always like Sweet. Don't think I have their initial version of this one
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
27 Feb 17
Who can't like Sweet!
• United States
26 Feb 17
I love this one! Another one that got cranked up
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Feb 17
I know. Crank the volume knob as far right as it will go on this one!
1 person likes this