"Action" is a self-written and produced 1975 song by British glam rock band Sweet.

Background

The song went through several iterations; a 7" single version was recorded at Ian Gillan's Kingsway Studios in London and slightly different versions appear on the albums Strung Up and Give Us a Wink. 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". The first verse has a striking resemblance to the hard rock section of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", which was not released for another four months. Lead singer Brian Connolly called it a "blatant rip-off".

Chart performance

Weekly charts

The single reached No. 15 in the UK in July 1975, and went to the Top 40 in the US the following year.

Year-end charts

Def Leppard version

In 1993, English rock band Def Leppard covered "Action" on their album Retro Active. "Andy [Scott] said that our version of 'Action' was the best cover of a Sweet song he'd ever heard," noted singer Joe Elliott. The original 1992 recording, recorded 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 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

CD: Bludgeon Riffola/LEPCD 13 (UK)/858 093-2 (INT)

Other cover versions