The Sweet, a British glam rock band, was popular in the 1970s with such hits as “The Ballroom Blitz” (1973) and “Fox on the Run” (1975). I remember those playing at high school dances. And I think “The Ballroom Blitz” is also one of the songs often played at Manitoba social evenings (see this post, for an explanation of that type of event.) But the song I most remember them for, though I rarely heard it back then, is “Love Is Like Oxygen” (1978), the band’s last international success.
I remember the song being introduced to me by my first serious girlfriend, who was talking about this new hit one day while we were at work in McDonald’s. We weren’t still going together by this time, and I remember it feeling awkward and sad being around her, so the song had significance for me then.
Later that year, I moved to a new job at Consumers Distributing, a discount warehouse store with a catalogue-order storefront and a big warehouse, which was where I mostly worked. I met a really good friend there, but he moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, where he still lives. He and I reconnected on LinkedIn more than 25 years later, and chatted about our time working and hanging out together. We had both hoped to get full-time work at Consumers, but it didn’t pan out, which was part of the reason he left, too. In 1979, I got a job with the railway (which I talked about in this post). I worked there for close to two decades, though I took three years off to stay home and parent my infant sons.
I still like the song as it exemplifies glam rock’s audaciousness in the sound and the performers’ appearance.
Now you know a little about why this is my song of the day for today. Thanks for joining me here, and please enjoy.
Here’s the official promotional clip for the song from The Sweet’s YouTube channel. The video features the original band line-up. Three of the four have since died; guitarist Andy Scott is still active (and still has long hair).
And, the extended album version of the song.
Song of the Day for Today 