Sweet Smell of Success

Sweet Smell of Success is the second studio album by Luke Melvin, released under the Beatles' Apple label on 11 February 1973, exactly two years to the day after the release of The Concert for Liverpool. As it was the follow-up to the best-selling album of all time: Nature Will Take Everything and the best-selling live album of all time: The Concert for Liverpool, the album was No. 1 on the UK and US list of highly anticipated albums for that year. The album was certified 15x platinum in 2018 and is currently the second best-selling album of all time, behind Nature Will Take Everything. With the album was also the second best-selling single of all time: "Been There Done That (But There's Still More To Do)". Compared to its predecessor, Sweet Smell of Success had a very little cast of musicians with only Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, George Harrison and John Lennon.

Background
Following his release of the best-selling album of all time: Nature Will Take Everything, and the best-selling live album of all time: The Concert for Liverpool, Luke Melvin was up there with the most famous people of all time. He decided that for a follow up to Nature Will Take Everything, he should spend a year writing songs so it would be worthy of it. He kept 1971 and 1972 out of the public eye. Asked if he was worried if the bubble had burst in early 1972, Melvin said: "I don't really care to be honest. I don't care if people don't even buy the new record I am working on. I didn't expect to get anywhere in the first place and I just want to make records and work on music."

Songs
Side one

"Been There Done That (But There's Still More To Do)" was the only single from Sweet Smell of Success and it became the second best-selling single of all time. Luke Melvin wrote it in 1970 about his sudden boom in popularity following the release of Nature Will Take Everything.

"Experimental Blues" was Melvin's attempt to write a blues song and most critics say it worked.

"Let's Go Back To The Categories" was about racist people. Melvin said: "It's this thing: 'let's go back to the categories'. When you want to insult someone, you see their features, the 'categories' and think: 'ah I'll insult them because of their skin colour'. So it's about that."

"Someday" was about civil rights. Melvin said: "It's this metaphor. 'Someday'. Someday, people's rights will be more valued. It's all about that."

"Sweet Smell of Success" was about his popularity boom after Nature Will Take Everything. Melvin said: "Suddenly, I was so big. I couldn't work it out. So I wrote the song and thought, ah, good album title. So it became the title of my second album."

Side two

"The Lord Gives To You (So Give Back To The Lord)" was the B-side to "Been There Done That (But There's Still More To Do)". It was written about people who don't believe in the Lord Krishna.

"Get Out Of Here" was a song that Melvin wrote to purely rock out. Melvin said: "It's not metal, but it's very hard. I wrote it to rock out. It's a hard rock song."

"To The Right" was inspired by Luke Melvin's road-trips to London and to choose whether to go to right or the left when he was lost on the road.

"Drop" is what Melvin described as "his first metal song". It eventually inspired the first death metalists. He wrote it to get heavier than the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter".

Track listing
All songs written by Luke Melvin.

Side one
 * 1) "Been There Done That (But There's Still More To Do)" - 5:59
 * 2) "Experimental Blues" - 2:18
 * 3) "Let's Go Back To The Categories" - 4:09
 * 4) "Someday" - 3:12
 * 5) "Sweet Smell of Success" - 1:59

Side two
 * 1) "The Lord Gives To You (So Give Back To The Lord)" - 5:55
 * 2) "Get Out Of Here" - 4:01
 * 3) "To The Right" - 3:33
 * 4) "Drop" - 2:49

Personnel

 * Luke Melvin - lead vocals, lead guitar, slide guitar, cello, percussion
 * John Lennon - harmony vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, lead guitar
 * George Harrison - backing and harmony vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic lead guitar, bass guitar
 * Billy Preston - keyboards
 * Eric Clapton - lead guitar, keyboards
 * Ringo Starr - drums