The book finds us in the maternity ward as Brian is born, it is one of only a couple of dramatic re constructions used . After 65 years there is no one living to act as a witness. We then jump to 1962 and the meeting of Mick Tucker and Frank Torpey. In a chapter called Sweet little lies... Brian discoveres he is adopted and heads off to join the Merchant navy in 1963. By 1966 Mick is in Wainrights Gentlemen and He invites Frank along to see a new vocalist they are trying out called Brian. This is all lovoingly remembered by Torpey . Very soon after Steve enters the Story and the four lads form the Sweet shop. At the end of 1967 Brian arranges a meeting with a powerful freind and the band sign a record deal.
The band record on two UK lables until 1970 but without any chart succcess.
We then introduce Chinn and Chapman and also a young man with a floppy fringe and a loud amplifier. The hits begin !
The book has six major components . the first is everything re counted till this point, told mainly from a Brian perspective. This continues till 1979 when the band and Brian part company. The focus leaves "Sweet" for the next few years and looks at Brian's dark years and solo records. The band members all had lives and careers after the classic Sweet period , some lasting decades . To allow for this phenomena the book looks at Mick, Steve and Andy in sepperate biography sections and then returns to Brian for his final brave strugglle in the 90s .Publishers were not kean on this fractured composition and structure but all conceded that the sweet were active and successfull for around eleven years yet our story lasts for over forty. The book examines some of the unique dilemas of being in the Sweet and the pressures this placed upon the members of the band. It also follows the careers of Chinn and Chapman who were the decades greatest commercial songwriters with over fifty top hits to thier name.
The book looks at Germany and the astounding success that the sweet had there. There is a selection of discographies at the end , two just to demonstrate Sweet's impact on the German people. The book was written to tell of not just pop stardom, music and tragedy but also to document Brian's bravery. Brian Connolly continued to perform against all odds until almost the day he died . This fact and a few others was often missed by the media during his life . I hope this explains a little more but I do feel I want to leave the mysteries of the book for you to discover... WHEN YOU READ IT .... BM