Listen: Hundred Thousand Dollar (Twenty Carburettor Driving Machine)/ Sweet Reason
Hundred

Not a clue who Sweet Reason were, or how they came to make records.

Being a life long Deram completist, I’ll happily pick up any remaining 7′ title not presently part of my collection.

Ah yes, my collection. There’s a obsessive beast. In the case of labels like Deram, it probably doubles as some medical condition, me needing promo and stock copies of both UK as well as US releases. I’ve been known to pace about the house in the early hours worrying about these things. I guess it keeps me out of other trouble, that endless quest.

‘Hundred Thousand Dollar (Twenty Carburettor Driving Machine)’ by Sweet Reason, which never gained a US issue, always evaded me, having passed up a copy at Camden Town’s Record & Tape Exchange in the early 90′s during a dizzy moment.

Oh yes, a home away from home. Camden’s Record & Tape Exchange. I still can’t walk past it without getting the shivers, despite reality: their 7′ bins have shrunken miserably over the years. And the records in them, shabby condition overall, especially the sleeves.

But never say never. I felt ten years younger the moment my eyes spotted this on eBay. It was absolutely going to be mine at any cost.

Complete with the original Gil Sans font, I assumed Sweet Reason would be more of the slushy pap pop the label coined, particularly given it’s 1974 release date. Surprise, it’s knock-off glitter from the litter bin. What could be better, very few labels did formula glam quite like Deram.

I guess they’d pick up the occasional offering from independent producers that walked through the front door for A&R rep meetings. In as demos, out as masters.

Sweet Reason had one more fantastic twist about them discovered first play. Not only did the band sound like The Sweet, they even borrowed their name. Love it.