Action (Sweet song)
| "Action" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sweet | ||||
| from the album Strung Up and Give Us a Wink | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | July 1975 (UK) | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock[1] | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Sweet | |||
| Sweet singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Action" is a song by English glam rock band Sweet. It was recorded at Ian Gillan's Kingsway Studios in London and released in 1975. Slightly different versions appear on the albums Strung Up and Give Us a Wink.
The single reached No. 15 in the UK in July 1975, and went to the Top 40 in the US the following year.
Composition
The lyrics refer to Sweet's negative treatment as pop stars, particularly by the music press, and to the demands of the music industry. The track features a masked "backwards vocal" with the words "You kiss my arse".
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Def Leppard version
| "Action" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Def Leppard | ||||
| from the album Retro Active | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 3 January 1994 (UK)[16] | |||
| Recorded | 1992–1993 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:41 | |||
| Label | Bludgeon Riffola | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Def Leppard | |||
| Def Leppard singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1993, English rock band Def Leppard covered "Action" on their compilation album Retro Active (1993). "Andy [Scott] said that our version of 'Action' was the best cover of a Sweet song he'd ever heard," proclaimed singer Joe Elliott.[17] The original 1992 recording, before guitarist Vivian Campbell joined the band, was released as a B-side to "Make Love Like a Man"; the version featured on Retro Active and released as a single features a newly-recorded snare drum from drummer Rick Allen and additional backing vocals from Campbell and P.J. Smith. The single charted at number 14 on UK Singles Chart.
The accompanying music video was directed by Phil Tuckett from NFL entertainment. The approximate shooting date was between June and December 1993; in Sheffield, Ottawa, and Joe Elliott's home in Ireland. The band 'discovered' the masked backwards vocal on the original track and refer to it on the CD single cover.
Leppard's version reappeared on a special edition of their 2006 album Yeah!.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Action" | Andy Scott, Brian Connolly, Steve Priest, Mick Tucker | 3:41 |
| 2. | "She's Too Tough" (Joe's demo) | Joe Elliot | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Miss You in a Heartbeat" (Phil's demo) | Phil Collen | 5:55 |
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[18] | 14 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[19] | 18 |
Other cover versions
Scorpions released it in German translation as "Wenn es richtig losgeht" on the B-side of the single "Fuchs geh' voran" (a translation of "Fox on the Run", also by Sweet)
Burning Airlines recorded a cover during the sessions for their second album Identikit[20]
References
- ^ Popoff, Martin (January 5, 2024). "The Top 20 unlikely Progressive Rock hits, ranked". Goldmine. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4089a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Action". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action". VG-lista. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "The Sweet – Action". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "UK Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Sweet Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Sweet – Action" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Def Leppard - Action". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ Ling, Dave (July 2006). "The dirt: Joe Elliott". Classic Rock #94. p. 38.
- ^ "UK Official Charts". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 18. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Action, by Burning Airlines". Burning Airlines. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
