🔘 Give Us a Wink – Album: Feb. 1976

Sweet
Feb 16, 1976
5 min read

Sweet’s first fully self‑written and self‑produced studio album, delivered with hard‑rock precision and glam‑era attitude.

🔘 – Overview

Released on February 16, 1976, Give Us a Wink is the fourth studio album by Sweet. It was the first album to be fully written and produced by the band members. Previously they had relied on material from the songwriting team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. The album was released by RCA Records in Europe and Australia and by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan.

RCA version

The album completed the group's move to the hard rock style that had always been the trademark of their self-penned B-sides. Give Us a Wink reached No. 3 in Sweden, No. 9 in Germany and made it into the Top 20 in Norway and Australia. The album didn't chart in Sweet's home territory, the UK.

The European album contains two singles, "Action" and "The Lies in Your Eyes", that were recorded and released prior to rest of the album. "Action" reached the top 10 in 1975 in numerous European countries but stalled at No. 15 in the UK Singles chart. Though "The Lies in Your Eyes" reached only No. 35 in the UK, it was popular in other parts of Europe as well as Australia. A third single, "4th of July", was released in Australia only but failed to chart.

A digitally remastered version was issued on CD in 1999 with two bonus tracks. Another re-mastered version was reissued on CD in 2005 with three bonus tracks.

Capitol version

The version released in the United States and Canada flipped the two sides of the LP and added "Lady Starlight" as the third track on side two. This song was first released on the European version of the 1974 album Desolation Boulevard. The version of "Lady Starlight" on this album has synthesizers that are absent from the original. Give Us a Wink reached the Top 20 in Canada. "Action" reached the top 10 in 1975 in Canada. In the US it reached No. 15. The Japanese version of this album is the same but also adds "Fox on the Run" at the beginning of side two.

Artwork

The album artwork was designed by the American artist Joe Petagno, who had already designed the previous Sweet album Strung Up (1975). The original LP cover was released with a die-cut cover that caused the eye to wink as the sleeve was removed and placed back into the cover.

Songs recorded by other artists

"Action" has been played 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). An unusual version was a cover by Scorpions under the pseudonym of The Hunters in 1975, sung in German and titled "Wenn es richtig losgeht".

🔘 – Track List

🔘 – UK LP — RCA Victor RS 1036 — 1976

A1 The Lies in Your Eyes

A2 Cockroach

A3 Keep It In

A4 4th of July

B1 Action

B2 Yesterday’s Rain

B3 White Mice

B4 Healer

UK Cassette — RCA PK 11716 — 1976

A1 The Lies in Your Eyes

A2 Cockroach

A3 Action

A4 Healer

B1 Keep It In

B2 Yesterday’s Rain

B3 White Mice

B4 4th of July

🔘 – RCA Release (European LP)

Side One

The Lies in Your Eyes – 3:48

Cockroach – 4:51

Keep It In – 5:00

4th of July – 4:24

Side Two

Action – 3:44

Yesterday’s Rain – 5:16

White Mice – 4:58

Healer – 7:17

🔘 – 1990 CD Reissue — Bonus Tracks

Fox on the Run – 4:49

Lady Starlight – 3:09

Sweet Fanny Adams – 6:16

Miss Demeanor – 3:17

🔘 – 1999 CD Reissue — Bonus Tracks

Someone Else Will – 3:25

Miss Demeanor – 3:17

🔘 – 2005 CD Reissue — Bonus Tracks

Action (7" version) – 3:29

Cockroach (Munich mix) – 4:57

4th of July (Munich mix) – 4:22

🔘 – Capitol Release (US/Canada LP)

Side One

Action – 3:44

Yesterday’s Rain – 5:16

White Mice – 4:57

Healer – 7:16

Side Two

The Lies in Your Eyes – 3:44

Cockroach – 4:49

Lady Starlight – 3:10

Keep It In – 4:57

4th of July – 4:22

🔘 – Capitol Release (Japan LP)

Side One

Action – 3:44

Yesterday’s Rain – 5:16

White Mice – 4:57

Healer – 7:16

Side Two

Fox on the Run – 3:24

The Lies in Your Eyes – 3:44

Cockroach – 4:49

Lady Starlight – 3:10

Keep It In – 4:57

4th of July – 4:22

🔘 – Variants (UK)

LP UK Pressing — RCA Victor – RS 1036 — 12", 33 RPM UK — 1976

Cassette UK Pressing — RCA – PK 11716 — Cassette Album UK — 1976

🔘 – Chart Performance

Weekly Charts (1976)

Sweden — No. 3

Germany — No. 9

Norway — No. 15

Australia — No. 17

Japan — No. 37

US Billboard 200 — No. 27

Canada — No. 11

Year‑End Chart

Germany — No. 49 (1976)

🔘 – Context & Notes

• First Sweet album fully written & produced by the band

• Artwork by Joe Petagno; die‑cut sleeve with winking mechanism

• Recorded at AIR Studios, Musicland, Kingsway Recorders, Audio International

• Mixed at Kingsway Recorders

• Printed by Garrodprint Ltd.

• European version includes singles “Action” and “The Lies in Your Eyes”

• Capitol version flips sides and adds “Lady Starlight”

• Japanese version adds “Fox on the Run”

• “Action” later covered by Def Leppard, Raven, Black ’n Blue, Steve Stevens, and Scorpions (as The Hunters)

🔘 – Visual Archive

Image:

Original LP artwork featuring the die‑cut winking eye.

Caption:

Sweet’s Give Us a Wink (1976), issued on RCA Victor with interactive sleeve.

🔘 – Related Material

• Desolation Boulevard (1974)

• Strung Up (1975)

• “Action” (1975)

• “The Lies in Your Eyes” (1975)

Explore the tags below for connected posts and themes

🔘 – Discography

Desolation Boulevard — 1974

Strung Up — 1975

Give Us a Wink — 1976

🔘 – Mini‑Timeline

✦ 1975 — “Action” released

✦ Late 1975 — “The Lies in Your Eyes” released

✦ Feb 16, 1976 — Give Us a Wink released

✦ 1976 — Album charts across Europe, US, Canada

🔘 – Glam Flashback

Give Us a Wink is Sweet at full power — no outside writers, no compromises, just four musicians leaning into the hard‑rock identity that had always lived beneath their glam‑pop exterior.

🔘 – Closing Notes

A pivotal Sweet album, Give Us a Wink stands as the moment the band fully claimed their sound — bold, heavy, and unmistakably self‑driven.

🔘 – Sources & Copyright

Primary reference sources: Discogs, Official Charts Company, RCA Records, Capitol Records, Wikipedia.

All original text and images remain the copyright of their respective publishers and creators.

Presented for historical, educational, and archival purposes.

🔘 – Tags

#ReleaseChronicle #Sweet #GiveUsAWink #GlamRock #HardRock #1976