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One fan writes....(dated 7/24/2001)
Great idea for a website. Every so often I search on Google for Mike Sweeney/Salford Jets, to no avail, so I was pleased (if a little surprised) to find your site. Being from Manchester, and having lived there (and Salford) all my life - I became aware of the Salford Jets from a very early age. I would have heard them when I was 6 back in '78 when "Looking At The Squares" used to get played a lot by the local station Piccadilly Radio. I remember even then thinking it was a rather silly song with its repetitive lyrics (I quite like it now though). Mike Sweeney was a bit of a local celebrity so whenever there was a new Salford Jets record it would find its way straight onto the Piccadilly playlist.

The following year my mum started working at a pub
called the Duke Of Wellington in Swinton, Salford. The Salford Jets had a residency there, so my mum got to see them play every Friday night (she must have known their entire set off by heart). I remember hearing "Gina" from their EP on the radio a lot around this time - I think it might have even reached number 1 in the Piccadilly chart. It had the sort of catchy chorus that was difficult to get out of your head once you'd heard it ('Gina woh yeah, I've got a Cortina woh yeah'). I didn't buy it as I was only very young and didn't buy many records (I have a copy now though).

In 1980, I went with my parents to a Piccadilly roadshow at the Willows in Salford. The Salford Jets were headlining, and I remember them playing "Who You Looking At" which must have been just released at the time. Other stand-out songs were "Don't Start Trouble" and "Cops & Robbers" (I remember they both sounded similar). I heard "Who You Looking At" so much on the radio at the time that it felt like it was a national top 10 hit. Of course, as it turned out, it only made number 72 (though I think it must have got to that position on Manchester sales alone). I don't know if it got any play on national Radio 1 as I only listened to Piccadilly back then. "She's Gonna Break Your Heart" was the follow-up, and I think this was the band's attempt to get a huge hit as it was a very melodic song. However, it didn't happen despite plenty of local airplay (I think I remember Sweeney saying years later that it got to number 85).

Around this time Mike Sweeney became a
full-time DJ on Piccadilly, where of course he enjoyed a successful 17 year career. I don't recall hearing many Salford Jets singles on the radio after this point (I think Mike was banned from promoting his own songs). I only remember "Soldiers Of Fortune" by its title, not the actual song. I remember their last proper single, "Pain In My Heart" (after Sweeney left) very well. It picked up lots of Piccadilly airplay (I think even Sweeney was allowed to play it 'cos he wasn't on it), and my mum liked it so much that she bought a copy. This was on its first release in late 1982 on the Single label (not listed in the discography). Of course it was quickly reissued in early '83 on Ka Records, but sadly never made the chart despite bbeing their most commercial sounding single.

I work in a second-hand record shop in Manchester and we get Salford Jets singles sold to us from time to time. Most of them only sell for less than 5 pounds ("Who You Looking At" is of course the most common), but I was amazed to discover that "Manchester Boys" is a much sought after punk classic, selling for up to 40 pounds to dealers from France, Japan etc. I am surprised the Salford Jets never got round to releasing an album,
despite being signed to 4 different major record labels (rather unique I reckon). It would be nice to see a compilation CD of singles and B-sides etc
in the shops one day.

Anyway, keep up the good work, and I look forward to further developments
on your site.

Cheers.

Neil Barker.