Sad Sweet Dreamer

Album: Sad Sweet Dreamer (1974)
Charted: 1 14
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Songfacts®:

  • Sweet Sensation (not to be confused with the US dance group of the same name) were a British soul group from Manchester, England. After winning the UK television talent show New Faces, one of the judges, the producer and songwriter Tony Hatch, signed them for Pye Records. Tony Hatch's bluntness as a judge made him the Simon Cowell of his day. Their first single "Snow Fire" flopped. This was their second release, which became an international hit.
  • This song was written by David Parton, who also co-produced it along with Tony Hatch. Parton had his own UK Top 10 hit with his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" in 1976.
  • This soul ballad, which was heavily influenced by The Stylistics, featured 16-year-old lead vocalist Marcel King's falsetto.
  • Sweet Sensation only had one more hit: "Purely By Coincidence," which reached #11 in the UK before disappearing. In 1977 they represented the UK in that year's Eurovision Song Contest. Their song "You're My Sweet Sensation" ended only in eighth place out of twelve in the British final and they were dropped by Pye and disbanded soon after. Marcel King tried to resurrect a solo career in 1985 and signed to the hip Manchester label Factory Records. Bernard Sumner of New Order produced "Reach For Love" without success, even though labelmate Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays has said it was one of his favorite records. Sadly, Marcel King died of a brain hemorrhage in 1995. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above

Comments: 1

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 5th 1975, "Sad Sweet Dreamer" by Sweet Sensation entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on March 16th it peaked at #14 (for 2 weeks) and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    And on October 19th, 1974 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on the United Kingdom's Singles chart...
    It peaked at #63 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    Sadly, two group members have passed away; vocalist Marcel King (1958 - 1995) and keyboardist Leroy Smith (1952 - 2009)...
    May they R.I.P.
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