Andy Scott (guitarist)

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This article is about the rock guitarist. For the jazz guitarist, see Andrew Scott (Canadian jazz
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Andy Scott

Scott in December 2006

Background information

Birth name Andrew David Scott

Born 30 June 1949 (age 68)

Wrexham, Wales

Genres Hard rock, glam rock, heavy metal

Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter

Instruments Guitar, keyboards, vocals

Years active 1963present

Associated acts Sweet

 The Silverstones

The Elastic Band

Mayfield's Mule

Website andyscott.info

Andrew David "Andy" Scott (born 30 June 1949) is a Welsh musician and songwriter. He is best
known for being the lead guitarist and a backing vocalist in the band Sweet.[1]

Contents
[hide]

1Early life

2Career

o 2.1Early career

o 2.2Auditioning for Sweet

o 2.3Solo career

o 2.4Paddy Goes to Holyhead and record production

o 2.5Andy Scott's Sweet

o 2.6Other work

3Personal life

4Discography

o 4.1With Sweet

o 4.2As Andy Scott

4.2.1Albums

4.2.2Singles

4.2.312" Singles

o 4.3With Ladders

4.3.1Singles

o 4.4With Andy Scott's Sweet

 4.4.1Singles

4.4.2Albums

5References

6External links

Early life[edit]
Scott was born in Wrexham.

Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
Scott started out playing bass guitar. His first gig was at St Peters Hall in Wrexham with The Rasjaks
in November 1963 and then with other bands in Wales such as Guitars Incorporated and 3Ds. [2]
He then progressed to guitar and played with other bands including The Saints, The ForeWinds, and
The Missing Links. In 1966 he joined The Silverstone Set (later shortened to The Silverstones), who
won the TV show Opportunity Knocks five weeks running, and appeared in the all-winners show for
Christmas 1966, losing to Freddie Starr. One of their further highlights was to support Jimi Hendrix in
Manchester in January 1967.
When The Silverstones split, Scott went on to form The Elastic Band, who recorded an album
called Expansions of Life. Lead singer Ted Yeadon left to join Love Affair, however, before the
album's release and the band folded. During this time they also recorded the album Pop Sounds,
under the name The Cool.
Scott then played in the backing band for The Scaffold, which also included his brother Mike on bass
and saxophone. He went on to join Mayfield's Mule, who recorded three singles, "Drinking My
Moonshine", "I See a River" and "We Go Rollin'". An album was also released
in Uruguay called Mayfields Mule with the song titles translated on the sleeve into Spanish. [3]
Auditioning for Sweet[edit]
In the late summer of 1970, Scott replaced Mick Stewart in The Sweet after an audition in front
of Brian Connolly, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker, as well as group managers Nicky Chinn and Mike
Chapman. He was one of the last guitarists to audition. According to Steve Priest's autobiography
"Are You Ready Steve", Scott turned up looking pretty untidy, with very long hair and scruffy clothes.
He plugged his guitar in and immediately blew the fuse on the amp. He eventually performed his
piece and the members of the band thought he should join The Sweet.
Solo career[edit]
Scott's first single release in 1975 was a reworked version of the Desolation Boulevard track "Lady
Starlight" backed by "Where D'Ya Go?". Both songs, recorded during the Give Us A Wink sessions,
were written and produced by Scott and Mick Tucker and featured Scott playing all instruments
except the drums (Tucker). Scott made a promotional video for the track and also appeared on Mike
Mansfield's British TV Show "Supersonic".
Scott released his second solo single, "Gotta See Jane", in 1983 under the name Ladders. It was a
cover of the R. Dean Taylor Motown hit and was produced by himself and Louis Austin, who had
worked with Sweet as their engineer on past ventures. The B-side "Krugerrands", co-written
with Chris Bradford, [4] [5] was subsequently released as the follow-up single (as Andy Scott this time),
but like its predecessor failed to chart, except in Australia and South Africa where it was a top 10 hit.
 In 1984, Scott released two more solo singles, "Let Her Dance" and "Invisible". A compilation of all
[6]

his solo projects, including demos, was released by Repertoire Records in 1993, under the title 30
Years.
Paddy Goes to Holyhead and record production[edit]
In the early 1980s, Scott went into production and produced records for bands including Iron Maiden.
He also produced a couple of demos for Weapon, which was then fronted by Danny Hynes who
went on to form Paddy Goes to Holyhead[7] and Scott played with them now and again. Scott then
produced, played on and appeared in the video for their single "Green Green Grass of Home" and
then joined the band on a regular basis until reforming Sweet.

Andy Scott's Sweet in concert at Mainburg, Germany, September 2006 (Scott first from left)
Scott produced the Suzi Quatro album, Back to the Drive, released in February 2006.[8]
Andy Scott's Sweet[edit]
Main article: Sweet (band)
In 1985 Scott and Tucker re-formed Sweet with new members Paul Mario Day (ex-Iron Maiden) on
lead vocals, Phil Lanzon (ex-Grand Prix now with Uriah Heep) on keyboards, and Mal McNulty (ex-
Weapon) on bass. This band became "Andy Scott's Sweet" following Tucker's departure in 1991.
Other work[edit]
In July 2010, Scott appeared in UK television adverts for the insurance company VanCompare.com.
Three adverts were in circulation featuring "Fox On The Run", "Love Is Like Oxygen", and "Action". [9]
Scott was a main organiser of the first charity Rock Against Cancer concert in All Cannings,
Wiltshire, in May 2012, which was headlined by Brian May, The Boomtown Rats, and Midge Ure.
Concerts are still ongoing, in which Scott still plays an active role. [10][11]

Personal life[edit]
Scott lives in a converted barn near Devizes, Wiltshire.
In September 2009, Scott was diagnosed with prostate cancer; following treatment, he is now in
remission.[12]