Sweet Savage

• Vivian Campbell - lead guitar
• Trevor Fleming [RIP] - lead guitar
• Raymond Haller - bass/lead vocals
• David Bates - drums

Bio:

NWOBHM with some speed metal tendencies. Best known for the classic "Killing Time", later covered by Metallica, and for the presence of guitarist Vivian Campbell who later found fame with Whitesnake and Def Leppard.

Sweet Savage had a good following in Ireland and played to its largest crowed to date at Slane Castle in 1981, supporting headline acts Thin Lizzy and U2. Also on the bill were Hazel O'Connor, Rose Tattoo, The Bureau and Megahype.

Trevor Fleming left the band in 1981 after the classic debut single was recorded. "Take No Prisoners" / "Killing Time" was released in November 1981 on the bands own Park Records label. Robert Casserly from Dublin joined as singer in 1982 and appears on the second single "Straight Through The Heart" / "Teaser", which was recorded in 1982 but released in June 1983. Viv Campbell left shortly after the recording of the second single in 1982 to join Dio and later turned up in Trinity, Whitesnake and Def Leppard. The band replaced Campbell with Ian Wilson (guitar).

Sweet Savage split in 1984. Ray Haller occasionally resurrected the Sweet Savage name for support slots for bigger acts when they came to Ireland such as Ozzy Ozbourne and Dave Lee Roth, but in truth the band did not really exist anymore.

Sweet Savage reformed in 1996 with three of the original members plus new boy Simon McBride (guitar) and released two albums on Neat.

John 'Harv' Harbinson was vocalist with Sweet Savage during one of the later lineups. He was later in Trojan and Ashanti, among others, and a 90's band called Den Of Thieves. Raymond Haller and Davie Bates both appeared on Den Of Thieves second album "Conspiracy".

Disambiguation: Not to be confused with the Californian hair metal band who released a five track 12-inch EP in the UK in 1986.

Tracks:
Into the Night
Queen's Revenge
Eye of the Storm
Killing Time

Notes:
This was later circulated as the "1981 demo tape" which never in fact existed. All tracks are included on the Radio Times CD (see below).

tracks: Eye of the Storm

Notes: The original pressing has a yellow label with red text. The single was licensed to Dato Records in the UK who repressed it. Dato appears to have been a one-off label set up specifically for this reissue. Dato was manufactured and distributed by Spartan, suggesting the reissue dates from the mid 1980s (it's undated). The PS is identical to the original and the sames mothers were used for the disc - same matrix markings - but the text is printed in black ink instead of red, is rearranged somewhat, and adds the text "Under license to Dato Records" and "Manufactured and Distributed by Spartan Records".

tracks: Lady of the Night

Notes:
Undated, but reviewed in Hot Press in July 1983. A PS for this single definitely exists but is extremely rare (scan to follow).
Recorded at Lombard Studios Dublin in 1982. The lineup is Campbell, Haller and Bates joined by vocalist Robert Casserly from Dublin. Viv Campbell left shortly after this recording was made.

Notes: Rumoured to exist as a single on the Crashed label and listed as such in several sources, but it simply does not exist. It's possible a follow up single on Crashed was discussed with the label, and if it had been released it would have been the bands third single, but it never came to pass. There aren't even test pressings. It simply does not exist in any form.

The following archive releases are regularly offered on ebay and come from an official source.

tracks:
The Raid (1981 version)
The Ripper (1980, previously unreleased)
The Raid (1980 demo)

tracks:
Ground Zero (1981)
Into The Night (1979, previously unreleased)
Into The Night (1980, alt.mix.)

tracks:
Killing Time (1981)
Eye of the Storm (1981)
Prospector of Greed (1981)
Into the Night (1980)
Queens Vengeance (previously unreleased, 1980)
Sweet Surrender (previously unreleased, 1980)
Teazer (1980)
Lady of the Night (previously unreleased, 1979)
Take no Prisoners (1979)

tracks:
Crucify (unreleased)
Caught in the Middle (acoustic)
D.U.D.
Lady of the Night
Killing Time
Reach Out

Track listing:
1. Teazer
2. Lady Marion
3. Queens Vengeance
4. Take No Prisoners
5. Killing Time
6. The Ripper
7. Killing Time
8. Finders Keepers
9. Sweet Surrender
10. Prospector of Greed
11. The Raid
12. Lady Marion
13. Queens Vengeance
14. Take No Prisoners
15. Ground Zero
16. Eye of the Storm
17. Lady of the Night

Sources:
1-6 Rehearsal 1979
7-17 Thin Lizzy tour

tracks:
Sweet Surrender
Prospector of Greed
Eye of the Storm
Take No Prisoners

Notes:
Four track DVD collecting the only known live footage of the band, recorded in 1981. Reputedly pretty good quality, given it's age.

Notes: Bootleg compilation gathering together the two 7"s, some of the Friday Rock Show tracks, and an entire live set from 1981 (possibly Hammersmith Odeon 25/11/1981).

Recordings by the reformed 1996 lineup.

We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can use, or spare copies of any releases, then please get in touch.