Give Us a Wink

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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 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 July" was released in Australia only but failed to chart. Consequently it completed the move to the hard rock style that had always been the trademark of the self-penned single B-sides backing 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 on Sweet's home territory, the UK.

US Version

The US version flipped the sides of the LP album and added "Lady Starlight" as 3rd 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.

Art Work

The original LP 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 re-mastered 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 Artist

"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 has been covered 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 version

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

9. "Someone Else Will" – 3:25
10. "Miss Demeanor" – 3:17

Bonus tracks on 2005 reissue

9. "Action" (7" version) - 3:29
10. "Cockroach" (Munich mix) - 3:47
11. "4th Of July" (Munich mix) - 4:22

Japan version

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" – 3:49
8. "Lady Starlight" - 3:10
9. "Keep It In" – 4:57
10. "4th Of July" – 4:22

Personnel

• Brian Connolly – lead vocals, string machine
• Steve Priest – bass, vocals, celli
• Andy Scott – guitars, vocals, celli, synthesizers, voice bag
• Mick Tucker – percussion, vocals, celli, phased gong

Additional personnel

• Louie Austin – engineer
• Trevor Griffin – piano solo (track 4)
• Mack – engineer
• Nick Ryan – engineer