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File under: Avant-Garde Progressive
Sweet Marie was formed in late 1969 amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the wild music scene of Hollywood. Twentyeight year old Prince Teddy, a producer at Capitol Records and a songwnter.'musician. had a vision tor a rock-n-roll trio with rich harmonies and psychedelic undertones
He approached Sonny Lathrop, a 25 year ok) guitarist and recording musician who was known around the hip Hollywood night dubs, about his idea and together they recruited Willy Bims on drums Bims. 32, had been the drummer for the songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and played on the recordings of many of their hits from the 1 960s and 70s including most of the recordings by the Monkees.
The group began performing after-hours gigs in Hollywood and soon got a multi-month contract to be the house band at the famous Studio City nightclub The Point After Their stay at The Point After was so successful that the owners of the nightclub ottered Sweet Marie a contract to perform at The Point After club in Waikiki. Hawaii on the island of Oahu.
Sweet Mane began recording their first album Sweet Marie 1 not long after arriving in Hawaii With the release of this debut album on Yardbird Records in mid 1970 came their number 1 hit "Remember Mary" which topped the charts in Hawaii and made waves across the charts in the mainland states Quickly the group signed a bigger deal with Liberty Records - one of the biggest labels of the period owned by United Artists – and left Hawaii to go on the road.
In 71 the group returned to Hawaii, this time a nationally known band with a hit. and became the house band at Captain Nemo's -a club built on the movie set of 20 Thousand Leagues Under The Sea Soon after, the band began recording their follow-up album Stuck In Paradise and in early 1972 purchased The Point After night club and reopened it as Sweet Marie's Their nightclub - situated in the heart of the International Market Place on Oahu - became the most popular and successful club in Hawaii with packed houses every night of the week all wanting to get a glimpse of the band that had made the place a hit.
The sophomore album Stuck In Paradise soon shot straight up the charts with the song "Stella s Candy Store" and became the biggest hit for the band, but this time internationally. The band couldn't leaves their homes on Hawaii without being mobbed by crowds wanting pictures and asking for autographs while their songs played constantly on the radio.
They were making appearances or TV and writing songs for commercials and played the Crater Festival in Hawaii with Carlos Santana and did shows with other famous groups such as the Rascals In early 1973. Sweet Marie finished recording its 3rd album - which would never be released - and in late 1973 the band split up over personal and professional differences.
After a year and a half of owning the most successful nightclub Oahu had ever seen, they closed the doors and parted ways. Since the break-up, each of the members has continued performing and writing music till this day.
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