In a brand new interview with Rock Historical past Music, THE SWEET guitarist Andy Scott confirmed that Ronnie James Dio was in consideration to hitch the band after authentic lead singer Brian Connolly left THE SWEET in 1979. Andy mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Individuals have mentioned to me, that second when Brian had left the band and we had been beginning to choose the bones out of the report that he ought to have been on, the ‘Lower Above The Relaxation’ album the place we ended up being a three-piece band… And Ronnie James Dio was up for the gig, to interchange Brian, ‘trigger he and I obtained on very well. And I would already made the choice for everyone. I mentioned, ‘Look, this isn’t a call that I am gonna make or two of us are gonna make. It is the three of us or nothing. If the three of us do not agree that that is the fitting strategy to go…’ It could possibly’t be a two-to-one [split vote], ‘trigger then there’s at all times this [makes grumbling sound]. And naturally, [THE SWEET‘s founding bassist] Steve [Priest] did not wanna do it. He mentioned, ‘I feel we are able to do it simply as a three-piece.’ And I do not suppose he was in all probability improper. Including a singer might need modified the dynamic once more. ‘Trigger SWEET had been used to having a frontman.”

Andy continued: “It is obtained nothing to do with the truth that we may all sing. It is that point of interest. It is that VAN HALEN second. The truth that in case you modified the dynamic of VAN HALEN and added one other [singer] — like they did with Sammy [Hagar], who was an excellent mate of mine on the time. It was by no means fairly the identical because it was with David Lee Roth, was it? However musically, it was nice. You’ll be able to’t put your finger on it. You alter the dynamic.”

In a 2009 interview with Let It Rock, Priest denied that Ronnie was ever in talks to hitch THE SWEET. “It by no means was true,” he mentioned.

Scott is the only surviving member of THE SWEET, which dominated the charts within the Seventies.

Connolly died in 1997, drummer Mick Tucker 5 years later and Priest in June 2020. Scott and his personal model of THE SWEET repeatedly tour Europe.

By the early Seventies, THE SWEET was arguably the most popular ticket on the town with a string of Prime 10 information in Europe together with “Blockbuster”, “Hellraiser”, “Ballroom Blitz”, “Teenage Rampage” and “The Sixteens”.

In 1975, the USA had found the band, with “Fox On The Run” hitting the No. 3 spot within the Billboard 100. One other self-penned hit “Motion” adopted in 1976, firmly establishing THE SWEET within the U.S. charts.

On the face of it, THE SWEET was primarily a singles band. Nonetheless, with the landmark albums together with “Desolation Boulevard” (1975) and “Give Us A Wink” (1976),the band displayed a a lot harder-rocking sound. The album “Stage Headed”, launched in 1978, introduced with it one other award-winning million-selling worldwide hit with “Love Is Like Oxygen” written by Scott.

In 1979, Connolly left the unique lineup, leaving Scott, Priest and Tucker to proceed as a three-piece.

In 2008, Priest assembled his personal model of THE SWEET in Los Angeles. He reportedly owned the identify and brand in Canada and the U.S., whereas Scott owns THE SWEET identify and the brand within the U.Ok. and Australia.

“If we go anyplace that he owns his model of THE SWEET, I’ve to name it STEVE PRIEST’S SWEET,” Priest advised the Phoenix New Occasions in a 2018 interview. “Or SP SWEET.”