Sweeney Todd -

Sweeney Todd was a Canadian glam-pop band that scored a national No. 1 with “Roxy Roller” from their 1975 debut album with singer Nick Gilder. Seventeen-year-old Bryan Adams led their 1977 second album, If Wishes Were Horses….

Members: Nick Gilder (vocals, 1974-76), Jim McCullogh (guitar, 1974,76), John Booth (drums), Budd Marr (bass), Dan Gaudin (keyboards), Clark Perry (vocals, 1976), Bryan Adams (vocals, 1976-77), Chris Booth (vocals, 1977-78), Skip Prest (guitar, 1976-78), Grant Gislason (guitar, 1978)

Background

Sweeney Todd formed in Vancouver in the early 1970s when singer Nick Gilder and guitarist James McCulloch established a new group from Rasputin. McCulloch and drummer Don Snell started the earlier band as students at Centennial High School in Coquitlam, British Columbia.

Gilder moved from London to Vancouver in 1971 and met guitarist Randy Shepard at a piano-refinishing shop in Port Coquitlam. The pair entered a school battle of the bands in Port Moody, where McCulloch heard Gilder sing and invited him to join Rasputin. Gilder made his first appearance with the group at the Cave in Vancouver, opening for Heart. The musicians subsequently adopted the name Sweeney Todd at the suggestion of Gilder’s mother.

The early lineup included bassist Brian McDonald, who remained through 1974 with Sweeney Todd. Keyboardist Dan Gaudin joined the group with a background in music education. Gaudin studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and taught music prior to his first band engagement. Sweeney Todd developed a theatrical stage presentation with elaborate makeup and costumes. The group opened for the New York Dolls at the Commodore Ballroom on March 13, 1974, and shared other Vancouver bills with Chuck Berry and Flo & Eddie.

Manager Barry Samuels of Axis Entertainment booked Sweeney Todd at schools, colleges, and clubs throughout the Vancouver area. Samuels introduced the group to producer Martin Shaer, who attended a performance and arranged recording sessions at Hipposonics Studio in downtown Vancouver. Bassist Drummond Eveleigh-Smith participated in the initial sessions and recorded “Short Distance, Long Journey” and “Daydreams” for the planned debut album.

Sweeney Todd recruited bassist Budd Marr in late summer 1974 through his posted notice at the Long & McQuade music shop. Marr came from the recently disbanded Billy Dixon Gang. Drummer John Booth joined from Holy Smoke, a Victoria rock band that opened for T. Rex in Vancouver. The revised quintet continued the album sessions with Shaer, who approached London Records about a recording agreement. London signed Sweeney Todd in 1975 and issued “Rock ‘N’ Roll Story” as the first single, ahead of the self-titled debut album.

Discography:

Sweeney Todd (1975)
If Wishes Were Horses… (1977)

Sources

Sweeney Todd — New to Record Club. RPM, September 6, 1975, page 14. Contemporary profile with the co-founders, earlier Rasputin association, Gaudin education, Marr background, and London debut single. (RPM archive)
Cold Glitter: The Untold Story of Canadian Glam. Robert Dayton, Feral House, 2025. Contains interviews with Budd Marr and detailed accounts of the opening engagements, 1974 personnel changes, early recording sessions, and original single sequence. (Everand)
Nick Gilder — Interview by Jay Cooper. First-person account of the meeting with Randy Shepard, recruitment into Rasputin, Cave performance with Heart, naming decision, Barry Samuels, and Hipposonics sessions. (A Taste of the Kawarthas)
Sweeney Todd — Vancouver, BC. Regional band archive with contributions from early bassist Brian McDonald and Michael Snell concerning the original drummer, Centennial High School, and Port Moody competition. (Pacific Northwest Bands)
New York Dolls — Concert Chronology. March 13, 1974 Commodore Ballroom engagement, supported by contemporary Vancouver newspaper reviews and concert advertising. (From the Archives)
International Talent Directory. Billboard, December 27, 1975. Contemporary industry listing identifies Sweeney Todd as a five-member London Records act, with Barry Samuels as manager and Axis Entertainment as booking agency. (Billboard archive)
Sweeney Todd — If Wishes Were Horses. Supplemental historical account identifying Martin Shaer as producer and his role in securing the original London Records agreement. (Museum of Canadian Music)
Nick Gilder — Keeping Sweeney Todd Rolling. Keith Sharp, December 20, 2013. Interview corroborating the band name, early Vancouver venues, Martin Shaer production, and Gilder–McCulloch partnership. (The Music Express)