Give Us a Wink

Give Us a Wink
Studio album by Sweet
Released February 16, 1976
Recorded 1975, Musicland Studios, Munich except where indicated
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, glam rock
Length 38:14
41:23 (USA)
Label RCA
Capitol (USA)
Producer Sweet
Sweet chronology
Strung Up
(1975)Strung Up1975		 Give Us a Wink
(1976)		 Off the Record
(1977)Off the Record1977
Singles from Give Us a Wink
  1. "Action"
    Released: July 1975
  2. "The Lies in Your Eyes"
    Released: January 1976
  3. "4 July"
    Released: 1976 (Australia only)
Professional ratings
Review scores
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Robert ChristgauC+[1]

Give Us a Wink is the fourth album by Sweet. It was the first album to be fully written and produced by the band members. Previously they had relied on cover songs or on writers such as Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.

Give Us a Wink album

Give Us a Wink contains two singles, "Action" and "The Lies in Your Eyes", that were recorded and released prior to the album itself. "Action" reached the top 10 in 1975 in numerous European countries and Canada but stalled at no. 15 in the UK and no. 20 in the US. Though "The Lies in Your Eyes" reached only no. 35 in the UK, it was very popular in other parts of Europe as well as Australia. A third single, "4 of July", was released in Australia only but failed to chart.

The album completed the group's move to the hard rock style that had always been the trademark of their self-penned B-sides, that had backed the more pop-oriented singles written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman since their breakthrough in 1971. Give Us a Wink reached no. 3 in Sweden, no. 9 in Germany and made it into the Top 20 in Norway, Canada and Australia. In the US it reached no. 27 but it didn't chart at all in Sweet's home territory, the UK.

US and Canadian Version

The US and Canadian version flipped the sides of the LP album and added "Lady Starlight" as the third track on side two, a title from the European version of the 1974 Desolation Boulevard album that wasn't available in the US at the time. The Capitol Records version has added synthesizers that are absent from the original RCA version.

Art Work

The album art work was designed by the American artist Joe Petagno, who had already designed the previous Sweet live / compilation album, Strung Up (1975)

The original LP cover was released with a die-cut cover that caused the eye to wink as the sleeve was removed and placed back into the cover.

A digitally remastered version was issued on CD in 1999 with two bonus tracks. Another re-mastered version was reissued on CD in 2005 with three different bonus tracks.

Songs covered by other artists

"Action" has been covered by several rock bands, notably Raven (on the album Rock Until You Drop), Black 'n Blue (on the album Black 'n Blue), Steve Stevens (on the Atomic Playboys album), and Def Leppard (as a UK Top 20 single and later on the album Retro Active). A weird version was a cover by Scorpions under the pseudonym of The Hunters in 1975, sung in German and titled "Wenn Es Richtig Losgeht".

Track listing

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

European release

  1. "The Lies in Your Eyes" (recorded at AIR Studios, London) – 3:48
  2. "Cockroach" – 4:51
  3. "Keep It In" – 5:00
  4. "4th of July" – 4:24
  5. "Action" (recorded at Audio International Studios, London) – 3:44
  6. "Yesterday's Rain" – 5:16
  7. "White Mice" – 4:58
  8. "Healer" – 7:17

Bonus tracks on 1990 reissue

  1. "Fox on the Run" – 4:49
  2. "Lady Starlight" (Andy Scott) – 3:09
  3. "Sweet Fanny Adams" – 6:16
  4. "Miss Demeanor" – 3:17

Bonus tracks on 1999 reissue

  1. "Someone Else Will" – 3:25
  2. "Miss Demeanor" – 3:17

Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue

  1. "Action" (7" version) – 3:29
  2. "Cockroach" (Munich mix) – 3:47
  3. "4th of July" (Munich mix) – 4:22

Japanese release

  1. "Action" – 3:44
  2. "Yesterday's Rain" – 5:16
  3. "White Mice" – 4:57
  4. "Healer" – 7:16
  5. "Fox on the Run" – 3:24
  6. "The Lies in Your Eyes" – 3:44
  7. "Cockroach" – 4:49
  8. "Lady Starlight" – 3:10
  9. "Keep It In" – 4:57
  10. "4th of July" – 4:22

Personnel

Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Sweet". Robert Christgau.
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