Nick Gilder (lead vocals)
Jim McCulloch (guitars)
John Booth (drums)
Budd Marr (bass)
Dan Gaudin (keyboards)
Clark Perry (lead vocals; replaced Gilder 1976)
Bryan Adams (lead vocals; replaced Perry 1976)
Skip Prest (guitar; replaced McCulloch 1976)
Chris Booth (lead vocals; replaced Adams 1977)
Grant Gislason (guitar; replaced Prest 1978)
British-born Nick Gilder settled in Vancouver at a young age and after finishing high school, decided to pursue his love of singing. In the early 1970's he and his writing partner Jim McCulloch put together their version of a glam band, Sweeney Todd, with John Booth, Budd Marr and Dan Gaudin. They hooked up with newly-arrived British producer Martin Shaer, who owned his own recording studio, and created the bed tracks for their first album. Shaer approached London Records about the band and London signed them in 1975.
Their self-titled debut was released in 1975 and the single "Roxy Roller" eventually went to No.1 in Canada. This success caught the eye of Chrysalis Records in the US, who managed to lure Gilder and McCulloch away from the band. Gilder would go on to a rather successful solo career.
Clark Perry was brought in for lead vocal duties, and Skip Prest was recruited for guitar. At this point, the production company that Shaer worked for got into financial difficulties and handed over Sweeney Todd's contract with them to him; he found himself owner of the band.
Very quickly, however, it was discovered that Perry was not working out despite the re-charting of the "Roxy Roller" single which peaked at #90 in the US.
In due time, 16-year-old Bryan Adams took over the vacant spot. How Adams joined is described differently by all involved - either he approached them or they approached him - but suffice to say that Shaer was impressed with his personality, his fledgling song-writing abilities and his ability to mimic Gilder's vocal inflections down to the syllable. The youngster got the job.
Into the studio went the new incarnation of the band, and the result was If Wishes Were Horses, which also featured three songs co-written by Adams. Despite a grueling touring schedule to promote a couple of singles (including the third re-issue of "Roxy Roller" which hit #99 on the US charts), including some dates with Trooper, the album failed to sell as well as the first ST album and late in 1977 Adams left the band. He was replaced by Chris Booth.
Adams's departure signaled the end of the band. Prest left shortly thereafter to work with the Rocket Norton Band, to be replaced by Grant Gislason, but this version didn't last long and they called it quits in 1978.
with notes from Leslie Charles and Nick Gilder
Singles
1975 Rock 'N' Roll Story/Short Distance, Long Journey (London)
1975 Sweeney Todd Folder/Let's All Do It Again (London)
1976 Roxy Roller/The Kilt (London)
1976 Say Hello, Say Goodbye/(same) (London)
1976 Shut Up/Wastin' Time (London)
1976 Roxy Roller/Rue De Chance [Clark Perry on vocals] (London)
1976 Roxy Roller/Rue De Chance [Bryan Adams on vocals] (London)
1977 Tantalize/Say Hello, Say Goodbye (London)
1977 If Wishes Were Horses/#5243605 Smith (London)
1977 Song For A Star/Shut Up (London)
Albums
1975 Sweeney Todd (London)
1977 If Wishes Were Horses (London)
Video
Compilation Tracks
Submit corrections, additions and feedback
