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Desolation Boulevard

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Desolation Boulevard
Original UK Cover
Studio album by
The Sweet
Released15 November 1974[1]
Recorded1973-1974
StudioAudio International Studios, London
GenreHard rock[2]
Length41:09
LabelRCA Records
ProducerMike Chapman in association with Nicky Chinn
The Sweet chronology
Sweet Fanny Adams
(1974) 		Desolation Boulevard
(1974) 		The Sweet Singles Album
(1975)
Singles from Desolation Boulevard
  1. "The Six Teens"
    Released: 5 July 1974
  2. "Turn It Down"
    Released: 1 November 1974
  3. "Fox on the Run"
    Released: 7 March 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[4]
Soundblab[5]
The Vinyl DistrictA−[6]

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".[7]

Cover artwork

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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.

The US front cover was slightly altered to add extra road signs and an altering of the album's title and band logo.

Track listing

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All songs written and composed by Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Andy Scott and Mick Tucker except where noted.

RCA release

[edit]
Side one
  1. "The Six Teens" (Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn) – 4:02
  2. "Solid Gold Brass" – 5:33
  3. "Turn It Down" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:30
  4. "Medusa"[8][9] ("Medussa", on remastered CD editions 1999 and 2005[10]) (Scott) – 4:45
  5. "Lady Starlight" (Scott) – 3:12
Side two
  1. "The Man with the Golden Arm" (Elmer Bernstein, Sylvia Fine) – 8:27
  2. "Fox on the Run" – 4:47
  3. "Breakdown" – 3:06
  4. "My Generation" (Pete Townshend) – 3:59

Bonus tracks on 1997 reissue

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  2. "Burning" – 4:07
  3. "Rock & Roll Disgrace" – 3:50

Bonus tracks on 1999 reissue

[edit]
  2. "I Wanna Be Committed" – 3:10
  3. "Teenage Rampage" (single A-side) – 3:32

Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue

[edit]
  2. "Teenage Rampage" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:52
  3. "Own Up, Take a Look at Yourself" (B-side of "Teenage Rampage") – 3:58
  4. "Burn on the Flame" (B-side of "The Six Teens") – 3:37
  5. "Someone Else Will" (B-side of "Turn It Down") – 3:25
  6. "Medussa" (home demo – previously unreleased) – 5:51
  7. "Burn on the Flame" (home demo – previously unreleased) – 3:57
  8. "I Wanna Be Committed" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:10
  9. "Fox on the Run" (7" version) – 3:24
  10. "Miss Demeanor" (B-side of "Fox on the Run") – 3:17

Capitol release

[edit]
Desolation Boulevard
Capitol version cover
Studio album by
Sweet
ReleasedJuly 1975
Recorded1973–1975
GenreHard rock
Length43:01
LanguageEnglish
LabelCapitol
ProducerMike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, Sweet
Singles from Desolation Boulevard
  1. "Ballroom Blitz"
    Released: June 1975
  2. "Fox on the Run"
    Released: November 1975

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.

Side one
  1. "Ballroom Blitz" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:00
  2. "The Six Teens" (stylized as "The 6-Teens") (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:04
  3. "No You Don't" (Chapman, Chinn) – 4:36
  4. "A.C.D.C." (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:28
  5. "I Wanna Be Committed" (Chapman, Chinn) – 3:14
Side two
  1. "Sweet F.A." (Scott, Tucker, Connolly, Priest) – 6:16
  2. "Fox on the Run" (Scott, Tucker, Connolly, Priest) (single version) – 3:28
  3. "Set Me Free" (Scott) – 3:59
  4. "Into the Night" (Scott) – 4:25
  5. "Solid Gold Brass" (Scott, Tucker, Connolly, Priest) (with guitar overdub) – 5:35

Personnel

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Sweet

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  • Brian Connolly – lead vocals (except as noted)
  • Steve Priest – bass, lead vocals (UK tracks 9, 18; US track 3), backing vocals
  • Andy Scott – guitars, synthesizer, lead vocals (UK tracks 5, 6; US track 9), backing vocals
  • Mick Tucker – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[20] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "BPI".
  2. ^ Dolan, Joe; Martoccio, Angie; Sheffield, Rob (20 November 2024). "The 74 Best Albums of 1974". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 November 2024. [Sweet] decided to toughen up their sound and go hard rock on Desolation Boulevard.
  3. ^ "Desolation Boulevard – Sweet | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. robertchristgau.com. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  5. ^ Penczak, Jeff. "[21261] Sweet – Desolation Boulevard – Classic Albums – Albums – Reviews". Soundblab.com. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  6. ^ Little, Michael H. (17 June 2016). "Graded on a Curve: Sweet, Desolation Boulevard". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  7. ^ Swanson, Dave (30 November 2014). "Sorting Through Two Versions of Sweet's 'Desolation Boulevard'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. ^ Desolation Boulevard, German LP pressing, 1974. Discogs. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  9. ^ Desolation Boulevard, UK CD edition, 1989. Discogs. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  10. ^ Desolation Boulevard. EU CD edition, 2005 Discogs. Retrieved 201-12-19.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 302. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4070a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Sweet – Se alla låtar och listplaceringar". NostalgiListan (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Sweet Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  19. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. 1975. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Music Canada.
  21. ^ "British album certifications – Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". British Phonographic Industry.
  22. ^ "American album certifications – Sweet – Desolation Boulevard". Recording Industry Association of America.
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