Monday 20 February 2012

Buster, buster....blockbuster!

Found this picture on another blog, and it's so good I had to share it with you:

Yes! It's 70s glam rock popsters, The Sweet, posing with their choppers! Bet you're really scared!
The Sweet were a bit of a strange band - they regarded themselves as a 'serious' rock band, but their record company made them record a string of lightweight pop songs. This meant that if you went to see them live, they didn't perform any of their hit singles, instead their more 'rock' material, largely unknown to their teeny-bopper fans.
Looking back, when they appeared on the television the bassplayer used to try and push the boundary of what he could 'get away with', appearing in more and more make-up and acting in an increasingly camp manner. He kind of reached a peak with this rather controversial appearance on 'Top of the Pops'


I'm going to apologise in advance for the next bit, but it's very funny. After a performance of 'Blockbuster' on television (possibly even this one), a school friend's father phoned the BBC to complain. Not about the Nazi uniform, but about them singing a 'racist' song. Turns out he misheard the part where they sing:

'Buster, buster... blockbuster!'

as

'Bastards, bastards...black bastards!'

Sorry!

8 comments:

  1. OMG....another nightmare from the past! A while back there was a Faceache posting about the 70s band Sparks.

    Didn't Sweet do "Ballroom Blitz" along with "Little Willie" back in the 70s or am I thinking of someone else?

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  2. Yes! That was them as well. Of course, 'Little Willie' has another meaning here in Britain, but I don't think anyone would want to sing about that!
    Remember Sparks as well, I used to think they were brilliant, if a bit eccentric.

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  3. They were once described as "brickies in drag" by the NME.

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  4. I'd forgotten about that. Must have been something in the water in the 70's. Look at just how camp the guitarist for Mud was. He even took to wearing dresses and big dangly earrings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4G_Aa47vfk&feature=related (love the butch backing dancers).

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  5. Wow, the Monkees in drag...? I remember thinking Herman's Hermits as bizarre...The Hermits actually played at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento in the 60's. Interesting, all the groups I've never heard of before. Willie and the crazy Hand Jive...think it got sung about...LOL.

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  6. I love this - Brian was so cute! However, at the time I argued with my brother that the Osmonds were better!

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  7. Norrie, thanks for aqdding my brother´s blog Glasgow Guitar Guy to your list. Will post as myself when I know my WordPress address type thingy ...Maureen!

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  8. Are the bikes Triumph’s would really like to know

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