The Sweet Glam Rock of the 70s

1976 - 1982 were my teen years! Yes, those were the days of the "Sweet" and "Abba", and pop music and glam pop got me through my teen angst.

In 1979 Sony released its first Walkman. This little personalised number held hours of musical happiness on the cassette tapes that it played. We took turns in my family, listening to songs on our treasured expensive family Walkman. Thanks Sony, for making music listening so portable.

I transcribed lyrics from songs played on cassette tapes (before the words became freely available on the internet). Hours were spent by me listening to Kate Bush's 1978 "Wuthering Heights". Finally I decided upon "batteries in the night" for 4 little words that I couldn't quite make out, only to discover later that it was "bad dreams in the night."

Mix tapes and Top of the Charts on cassette tapes and vinyl piled up in our big household. Sherbet, the Eurythmics, David Bowie, John Paul Young ("Yesterday's Hero" 1975 and "Love is in the Air" 1978), INXS, Skyhooks ("Horror Movie" 1974, "Living in the 70s" 1974, "All My Friends are Getting Married" 1976, "Women in Uniform" 1978), and AC/DC ("Jailbreak" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" both released in 1976) vied for attention.

It was exciting acquiring cassette tapes and albums. And it was wonderful entertainment having shared listening sessions of cassette tapes on tape recorders, and of single records and vinyl albums, galore, on record players.

Against the back-drop of Australia's popular weekly musical television show, "Countdown" from 1974 to 1987, run by Molly Meldrum, a diverse range of music was revered in my family. A young Johnny Farnham hosted the first ever Countdown in colour on 1st March 1975, for the few who had a colour TV.

Music reigned supreme in our household. We all had our life-lines.

Mine was attached to me as a repressed teenager. Because of traumatic challenges within and outside of my adoptive family, I "hid my light under a bushel." Being naturally introverted and humble also contributed to making and feeling myself invisible.

But beneath the quiet and passive exterior, was a lively, happy, sunny person, whom loved to move or to dance. Shielded by not putting herself out there, so she could deflect racist taunts and abusive people, this girl escaped with sound.

"And the girl in the corner said "Boy I wanna warn you, it'll turn into a ballroom blitz."

I escaped with the Sweet's call to turn life into a blitz of twirls and rhythm.

Is there any pop-loving teen that wouldn't be uplifted and energised by this song, Ballroom Blitz (1973) by British glam rock band, Sweet (or the Sweet)?

The awesome lyrics seemed written just for me!

Oh, it's been getting so hard. Livin' with the things you do to me, ah-ha

"Ballroom Blitz" was the ultimate dance song, the one to "let your hair down to". I could blast it out into the stratosphere, in private, and imagine myself to be any one of the girls in the video clip.

I was one of them, as my body thrilled to the jives and to the electric singing of the Sweet. "Ballroom Blitz" helped me to forget my worries and cares for a while, and to think of myself as a normal loving and lovable teenager.

A close second, and often, a first, that got me through those tough teen years was another song by Sweet", called "Fox on the Run" (1974).

Fox on the run

You scream and everybody comes a-running

Take a run and hide yourself away

Fox is on the run

The lyrics, rousing music, and sheer life-force in this song are enough to energise and cheer any depressed teenager (or adult).

Anyone could sing along with the words, and they resonated with the teenager who had to present different faces (masks) to different people.

The Fox was someone who while she had something real to offer, could change like a chameleon, and so you were never sure which one of her would be found out. That is how I felt --- as though I had to run away.

But the chase was on. Deep down I knew that Life was about living it up, being who you really were, and showing your true self, and that was exciting. The Sweet had terrific songs and these 2 were my favourite. Even today, in my 50s, I listen to them both, and they have the same effect as they had then.

They make me feel alive, vibrant, real, and worthwhile

Enter Abba......

The dynamic Swedish quartet of Anna-frid, Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha must have saved a lot of people, in my books. I know that I listened hundreds of times to "Dancing Queen". It came out in 1976, the year that I turned thirteen.

When I was younger I wanted to be a ballerina (true story, yes) but that was kibosh-ed (went to pieces) after I faced abusive situations within my adoptive family, and after the school-kids made me a pariah because I was quiet (due to the abuse) and because they were jealous of me.

"You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your Life"

Yes, "Dancing Queen" told me that I was okay. And once again, my imagination took wings and I danced, not only flew.

Who could not love the beautiful amazing girls, the handsome men, the fabulous costumes, and atmosphere--and of course the lyrics, the rhythm, the joy, and the music?

My teen years in Australia in the late 70s and early 80s were hard. "The White Australia policy" was a series of Acts with the goal of keeping a white, British national character in Australia. It was in place for seven decades after Federation in 1901. The progressive Whitlam government symbolically buried the last remnants of the White Australia policy in 1973 (when I turned ten).

In the late 70s (with the Vietnam War ending in 1975) when I went to public places, some adults would taunt me, saying "Ching Chong" or "Go home" because I am Asian born, living in Australia. Lots of kids at High School would also taunt me with "Four eyes" or "Ah Saw" and the like.

On top of the common teen angst of getting to know yourself and learning how to relate to others and to life, my teen days were full of fear, disappointment, tension, and grief because of a double-edged sword of abusive situations within my adoptive family and racist rejection outside of my family just because I was quiet, Chinese, and considered a threat. Even when I was at University as an older teen, students would say things like "She's here to buy the library"."

But music got me through. First, on the radio, listening initially to 6IX which my parents listened to, then moving onto vinyl and cassette and TV, with our beloved Countdown.

How I loved music, and the 13 to 19 year old me lived out her days, with music and dance on her mental play-list, that made her feel like a queen.

Yes, ABBA, the night is young and the music's high. With a bit of rock music, everything is fine. "Dancing Queen's" joyous tones and easy beat and wonderful story helped me keep my head above water.

When you listen to music like this, you can only feel magical and cheerful. Your own life takes on a positive glow, so thank you ABBA for saving me and countless others from going down another road (less well travelled).

You can dance, you can jive

Having the time of your life

Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene

Digging the dancing queen

I have listened to and loved hundreds of songs, but these top 3 songs, "Ballroom Blitz", "Fox on the Run" and "Dancing Queen" were my life-lines during my teens. They got me through the antsy teens.

And today I am still singing these songs, a Capella style (without music).

For proof that "Dancing Queen" is my best friend from the teens, so much that I know every word and beat of it---listen to me sing it a Capella, on SoundCloud, at the link below.

https://soundcloud.com/ms-musicmaker/dancing-queen

A little piece of me still lives on in an alternate happy past, a beautiful happy upbeat magical note among the music of the Sweet and ABBA.

I loved glam pop and rock because it mirrored the true me-- the person who lives life to the fullest and who dances to her own beat.

The music was soothing cause they all started grooving. See that girl, watch that scene. Digging the dancing queen.