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Comox
Valley Record, Feb 11 2005
SECOND
TIME AROUND FOR Sweeney Todd.
By
Susan Quinn, Record Assistant Editor
Johnny B has changed his looks. Gone are the dirty blond locks in
favor of a clipped, brown hairstyle with sideburns and a soul patch
beneath his lower lip. He's also 30 years older. But he's hit the
road with Sweeney Todd again like it was the '70s.
Johnny B is drummer John Booth, an original member of Canadian rock
sensation Sweeney Todd, who joined lead singer Nick Gilder, Bud Marr
on bass and keyboardist Dan Gaudin in 1974. Sweeney Todd
metamorphosed from Gilder's '73 summer band, Rasputin, which he
formed with school buddy Jim McCulloch. Gilder and McCulloch changed
their name to Sweeney Todd, inspired by the famous Stephen Sondheim
play of the same name.
Sweeney Todd - the Broadway hit play - was an historical thriller
based on the 19th century melodrama about a legendary London criminal
who was hanged for murder in 1801. The band's name wasn't all that
was theatrically-based, according to a bio of the band on
canadianbands.com: it wasn't long before Sweeney Todd's on-stage
flair became the talk of the West Coast, and the band quickly
established itself on the B.C. bar circuit.
They were playing at a high school dance when they were noticed by a
Vancouver promoter, Martin Shaer, who convinced Sweeney Todd to bring
some of the songs they had written to his home-based studio and cut
demos for "Roxy Roller" and "Sweeney Todd Folder".
In the spring of 1975 the band signed on with London Records, and it
was the release of "Roxy Roller" that made Sweeney Todd an
instant household name. The song eventually topped the Canadian
charts and earned the band a Juno award.
At the height of the band's popularity, Chrysalis Records lured
Gilder and McCulloch out of Sweeney Todd and brought them to Los
Angeles, where Gilder enjoyed a successful solo career (his 1978
album, "City Nights", spawned the international hit
"Hot Child in the City" and Canadian hit "Here Comes
the Night"). Despite one bright light, when the band signed a
16-year-old upstart from North Vancouver by the name of Bryan Adams,
Gilder's departure was the beginning of the end for Sweeney Todd.
After the band split in 1979, Booth put the drum kit away for 18 years.
"I'm a big believer in you do it or you don't do it,"
Booth said. He didn't pick up his drumsticks again until seven years
ago, when he and some friends formed the rock and roll band XLR8.
"XLR8 was a cool band for what we were," Booth said.
"It was a hobby for everybody. Once the gig was done everyone
would go back to what they did for a living."
For Booth, that was to run Sound Station, downtown Courtenay's
biggest music store, for 23 years. However, with the arrival of big
box stores in the Valley, business fell off. So when Gilder contacted
Booth about reprising Sweeney Todd, the drummer said yes and closed
the shop.
"The timing was right and the market seems to be there,"
says Booth. Other '70s and '80s bands like Loverboy are resurfacing
and "even kids are buying the old music," he adds. One
local radio personality told Booth that Sweeney Todd played his high
school graduation, and this writer admits to having a 45 of the
original cut of "Roxy Roller" won in a public school music
class in Ontario.
Booth said being back on the road with the band is no real hardship,
despite the three-decade age difference for band members. "We're
only doing one 90-minute set (per gig)," he said. The band isn't
lugging trucks full of gear, although last year they did 15
one-nighters in 18 days.
"If it's in your blood, it's in your blood. I'm playing with
full-time musicians again. We rehearse all day and work in the studio
at night."
Booth, who has been playing drums since he was 12 years old, has
traded his massive drum kit for electronic drums and a computer,
which gives him the big drum sound without the bigtime backache of
hauling the gear. "You won't find a lot of electronic drums out
there," he says. "I started playing (electronic drums)
seven years ago and it's one of a kind. It's a whole new world."
It's also easier for studio work, and Sweeney Todd has been busy
cutting a new album - make that a CD - in a Vancouver studio.
"We're halfway through it as we speak," Booth said.
"Nick is such a good songwriter. He's got all the hooks and
everything you need to make (a tune) catchy.
"What's kind of neat for me is it's the second time
around," Booth said.
The band will perform some of its new material this weekend in the
Comox Valley, along with the old favorites.
Sweeney Todd plays the Florence Filberg Centre this Saturday, Feb.
12 with special guests Time Well Wasted and Smiley. Doors open at 8
p.m. Tickets cost $20 in advance and are available at Sound Advice
Music Shop, Bop City Records and the Filberg Centre office. No minors
allowed, as there is a cash bar (with proceeds going to You Are Not
Alone Society).
Sweeney Todd also plays the Voodoo Lounge in Campbell River tonight
(Feb. 11).
The
Whistler Question,
12/23/2004
Nick
Gilder still a ‘hot child’
By
Nicole Fitzgerald
’70s icon to play with Sweeney Todd at New Year’s Eve show.
After more than 30 years, the hit songs of ’70s band Sweeney
Todd, like the hit songs “Hot Child in the City” and
“Roxy Roller,” continue to remake themselves time and
again. The songs were compiled into the BMG release of “The Best
of Nick Gilder: Hot Child in The City” in 2001.
“Hot Child in the City” also provided the fanfare for
Britney Spears as she walked on to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno,
and was played in an episode from Sex and the City. “Roxy
Roller,” appropriately, found its niche in That ’70s Show
this season.
Nick Gilder, the founder of the band Sweeney Todd, is resurrecting
his band and taking a stab at the performance side of the music
industry again. “I don’t know (why I decided to start it up
again now),” he said. “The clock is ticking. You always get
that sense that, ‘You’d better get on that pony and ride it
while you still can, before your little girl is all grown up.’
These days the old-age barrier doesn’t seem to be as relevant as
it used to be, though. “Friends who went to see James Brown at
the Orpheum said there were a lot of young people in the audience.
It’s the music that has a timeless quality about it. “Radio
play these days is using new formats and playing music from the
’70s and ’80s. They are playing a lot of new things mixed
with stuff you haven’t heard in years, giving music a new sense.”
The Nick Gilder Sweeney Todd Show will give audiences a new sense of
old and soon-to-be-new favourites Dec. 31 at the Four Seasons Resort
Hotel for a New Year’s evening of live music, a four-course
dinner and plenty of dancing.
Sweeney Todd first made its mark on the music industry with the
release of “Roxy Roller,” topping Canadian charts in 1975
and garnering the attention of Chrysalis Records in the U.S. However,
the record company was only interested in the writing talents of lead
vocalist Gilder and lead guitarist Jim McCulloch. The two left the
band to move onto successful careers as writers and solo artists.
Sweeney Todd tried to recover from the loss, hiring then-unknown,
16-year-old Bryan Adams.
“Roxy Roller” again propelled the band into the limelight
when the song helped pave the way to a Juno for Best New Group in
1977. Success was short-lived and the group disbanded one year later.
However, Gilder’s long trek through the music world had just
begun. Twenty-eight years later, his credits include 10 Top 20 hits
in the U.S., three of which reached No. 1 in Canada. He has written
for top performers such as Pat Benatar, Joe Cocker, Bette Midler, and
Patti Smyth and Scandal. He has remade “Hot Child in The
City” and “Roxy Roller” a number of times throughout
his career.
With the BMG release of “The Best of Nick Gilder,” Gilder
and pal McCulloch — the two who left the band, leading to its
demise — decided to take to the stage again under the guise of
Sweeney Todd. The two are currently working in Vancouver on a new CD.
“We’ve been working on this a couple of years now,”
Gilder said. “The competition is fierce and intense, which is a
real understatement. Bands come and go so fast now.”
Gilder said the sound of the band’s music has changed, as has
the process of creating it. “I think it is more rooted in
rock,” he said. “We used to edit the music more, but now we
just let it happen. That is how we approach it now: Get it all out
instead of trying to second-guess everything. As a result, the music
doesn’t sound as formulaic. The pop-rock sensibility is still
there. You find a hook, repeat it and then repeat it again. It worked
before. It will work again.”
Audiences can expect both familiar and fresh songs from the new CD
at the Whistler performance. Testing music on an audience is an
important part of recording for Gilder. “Back in the day, we had
the advantage of playing and then recording,” he said, noting
that “Hot Child” and “Roxy Roller” were performed
live numerous times before being recorded. “They gain something
when you follow that process. You get a better vocal sense of a song
after singing in front of a crowd. “Nowadays, you just go in and
record it, so I am working on that.” Tickets for the show and
dinner are $275.
The
Whistler Question,
12/17/2004
Ring
in ’05 in any ol’ style you like
By Nicole Fitzgerald
The biggest band coming to town to ring in 2005 is playing at the
Four Seasons. Nick Gilder and the Sweeney Todd band are making a
comeback after an almost 30-year hiatus. Sweeney Todd is most famous
for the Juno-award-winning hit “Roxy Roller” from the late 1970s.
Gilder, who later left the band to pursue his writing talents, is
best known for his multi-Juno, multi-platinum hit song, “Hot
Child and the City.” Gilder has recorded and/or written numerous
Top 20 hits in the U.S. He’s written for Bette Midler, Patti
Smyth, Pat Benatar and Joe Cocker. He has worked with world-famous
producers such as the Beatles’ George Martin and Mike Chapman,
and Pete Coleman of Blondie fame.
Gilder has joined with original drummer Johnny B. along with Mark
Kenney on bass and James Myer on keyboards to play past and
soon-to-be future hits. The band set out on its first tour this past
summer, playing western Canada’s music scene, and looks forward
to its Whistler debut at the Four Seasons, promising an evening of
recognizable favourites and new work, which will be released on a new
CD in late 2005.
A four-course dinner from Executive Chef Jason McLeod is included
with the evening’s festivities, along with a Get-Down dessert
buffet and a welcome glass of champagne. The adult event runs from 8
p.m. to 1 a.m. (Children 10 years or younger are welcome to join the
party at 11:30 p.m. for the midnight countdown.) Tickets are $275.
Airdrie
Echo, Wednesday August 04, 2004
Classic
rocker wows long-time fans
Nick
Gilder and his band still have what it takes to get the Airdrie
crowd going.
Anne
Beaty, Echo Editor
Airdrie
Echo — In front of an enthusiastic crowd at Twister’z
Friday night, classic rocker Nick Gilder and his band proved electric.
Finishing off a two-week non-stop tour of the Prairies – which
took the band from such large venues as Saskatchewan Place in
Saskatoon to smaller, more intimate clubs – the musicians
demonstrated their expertise, much to the delight of the mostly
40-something crowd. Playing new music interspersed with such hits as
Roxy Roller and Hot Child in the City, the band proved the epitome of
rock ‘n’roll.
Although the touring schedule can be grueling, the exuberance of the
shows makes up for the demands and Gilder thoroughly enjoys
connecting with his audiences. "It’s a magical kind
of thing – chemistry," he said.
Building on his stellar success in the 70s and 80s, Gilder devoted
much of his time to songwriting, creating hits for such stars as Pat
Benetar, Bette Midler, Patti Smith, Joe Cocker and Counting Crows.
Heading out again on the touring circuit in 1997, he and his band
continue to impress the crowds – both long-time aficionados and
new fans – with a great mixture of music new and old.
Looking back, Gilder – who said that his own music has been
influenced by a wide range of musicians, from Benny Goodman to Otis
Redding to James Taylor – has fond memories of the early years,
wild clothes and all.
"It was a fun fashion time," he said. "We did the
whole glitter thing and I was in my mom’s closet."
Although the attire has been toned down somewhat in the past couple
of decades, Gilder and his fellow musicians have left a lasting
legacy and continue to play an important role in the music industry.
"A lot of the new guys ... are using the 70s as an influence to
shape their music," he said.
Hot
rocker rolls into Airdrie
Anne
Beaty - Echo Editor
Wednesday
July 21, 2004
Airdrie
Echo — From the heady days of the 70s to today, Nick Gilder has
travelled thepath of rock-and-roll success.
Gilder
– who will be appearing with his Sweeney Todd bandmates in
Airdrie next week – hit the post-60s pop-rock music scene with a
flash, complete with skintight pants, intriguing makeup and an
androgynous look befitting the times.
"Outrage
was brand new," Gilder said in a recent interview from his home
on the B.C. coast." It was sort of who could outdo who.
"It
was a different time ... it was a good time," he added.
Rocketing
onto the charts with such hits as Roxy Roller and Hot Child in the
City, Gilder’s and Sweeney Todd’s rise to the top seemed
inevitable. Although the band ultimately broke up, Gilder has
continued on either on stage or behind the scenes for 25 years,
writing hit songs for other megastars and performing his own unique
brand of music.
Today,
the consummate rocker may have shed the look of the 70s, but not the
intensity and the sound. At 52, he certainly hasn’t slowed down.
His and the band’s annual trek across the country each summer
– performing at venues ranging from outdoor festivals to small
bars to huge arenas – is one of his favourite ways to keep in
touch with his long-time fans and generate new ones.
"We’ve
been doing it every summer ... playing the tour and rocking the
house," Gilder said "It’s good fun."
The
appreciation from fans may still be the same, but one of the changes
Gilder has noticed over the years is that what may have been
considered outrageous a quarter-century ago is rather ho-hum today.
"It’s
hard to be shocking anymore," he said.
When
Gilder came on the scene in the 70s, outrageous outfits, makeup and
behaviour were, if not perhaps the norm, at least accepted, even
expected in some cases.
Appearances
aside, the rock-and-roll world for Gilder has always been about the
music and is even more so today. Over the years, the scope of term
"classic rock" has broadened, he said, and even his own
songs from the early years have gained something with the passage of time.
In
an industry which has undergone dramatic changes in the past three
decades, Gilder is, in his own words, "keeping on keeping
on." And as he keeps on, his personal life is evolving, as well.
Now the proud father of a three-year-old girl, he said that he’s
been the most prolific as a writer since his daughter’s birth.
"It
certainly has an impact," he said.
Always
facing what he calls "the continual challenge to create new
great memories," Gilder is reaching yet another generation of
music lovers – or rockers-to-be – starting with daughter Elizabeth.
"She
goes, ‘Can I hear your music?’ and she dances to it,"
he said.
As
of last Friday, Gilder and Sweeney Todd have been on the road,
criss-crossing Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C. and they will
be in Airdrie July 30 at Twister’z Lounge.
The
show should be as much fun for the fans as it is for Gilder and his
colleagues. "We’re going to play some new material from our
upcoming CD," he said. And, he said, the gig won’t be
for the faint of heart. "It’s going to be a loud rock
set," Gilder said. "If you like that kind of thing, you
won’t be disappointed."
Sooke
News Mirror, July 7, 2004
Sweeney
Todd rocks Canada Day
By
Robin Wark
Click
here
to see concert pictures.
While
strains of Rated X blasted out over the crowd at the Sooke Flats
last Thursday night, organizers feel the Sooke Canada Day celebration
was certainly a successful, fun-filled day for all ages.
The
major draw of the July 1 event was a performance by Canadian rock
band Sweeney Todd featuring Nick Gilder blasting classic tunes,
including their No. 1 hit Roxy Roller, Gilder's solo smash Hot Child
in the City and Rated X, which Gilder penned and Pat Benatar scored
with. Bringing in a "name band" seemed to work as the event
drew more than 4,400 people, according to Canada Day Society
vice-president Rick Armour. Last year the event drew between 2,500
and 3,000.
While
Gilder and the boys seemed to please the crowd, the event also left
an impression on the veteran rocker. "We all had an
amazing time on Canada Day," Gilder jotted in an e-mail to the
News Mirror. "Everyone involved worked very hard to make it as
much fun as possible. It's a very nice setting for the event."
While
Sweeney Todd, along with local bands Phoenix and Big Saviour, rocked
the night, the afternoon was reserved for a variety of games - from
the Otter Point Fire Department's hoseball to bingo, free birthday
cake, and such activities as agility and flyball dog demonstrations.
"They
saw a lot and they liked it," president Judithe Ann Gatto said
of the crowd that came.
The
festivities were capped off by an impressive fireworks display put
on by the Sooke Fire Department. The department received a grant for
$2,000 from the Department of Canadian Heritage for the demonstration
and the society topped it up to $3,000.
"The
people were oohing and ahing," Gatto said.
The
veteran organizer of the event, which has been held since 1996, was
shocked by the number of people, especially those who seemed to stay
all day.
"Everybody
was happy," she said. "It was full."
Two
other successful parts of the day was the supper hour, with people
staying around, and the shuttle bus system. It picked up riders at
the Edward Milne Community School and the Evergreen Centre and took
them to the Sooke Flats. This helped alleviate some of the traffic congestion.
The
Best Of Nick Gilder
By
Doug Stone, All Music Guide
"Hot
Child in the City" is a great single: a song about Hollywood
hookers that encapsulates everything cool about late ‘70s summer
nights. But even better is "Roxy Roller," a groupie ode
Gilder recorded with his former band Sweeney Todd, named after the
infamous Fleet Street barber. In fact, "Got to Get Out,"
"Runaways in the Night," and "Tantalize (also a
Sweeney Todd number)" are stone-cold classics. Featuring killer
Gilded tracks that have never been reissued, Best of Nick Gilder is a
composite of Gilder’s three 70s solo releases: You Know Who You
Are, City Nights and Frequency. Each is an excellent platter and
Nights features production from glam-master Mike Chapman in the midst
of conquering America (he also had #1s with Blondie and Exile during
78). Chapman then worked on Pat Benatar’s debut, In the Heat of
the Night, which featured Gilder’s "Rated X," a
consummate carnal confection that Nick serves up even better on this
disc. Gilder compresses a bubble gum blast comparable to T-Rex or
Cheap Trick. At least now there’s a CD to prove it.
LA
Weekly
NICK
GILDER The Best of Nick Gilder: Hot Child in the City (Razor
& Tie)
Dan
Epstein
Well, it’s about damn time. The missing link between the
Sweet’s Desolation Boulevard and Cheap Trick’s Heaven
Tonight, Nick Gilder specialized in hard-candy pop loaded with plenty
of glitter-rock decadence and new-wave hooks. The London-born front
man of Canadian glamsters Sweeney Todd (who had the dubious
distinction of giving Bryan Adams his first break), Gilder moved to
L.A. in 1976 with Sweeney Todd guitarist James McCulloch.— I was
too young to get into L.A. clubs back then, when Gilder scored a deal
with Chrysalis, eventually repaying the label’s faith with
1978’s "Hot Child in the City," Chrysalis’
first-ever No. 1 single. Now, 23 years later, he finally gets a
greatest-hits CD.
Razor & Tie’s welcome new collection draws exclusively from
Gilder’s three Chrysalis albums — 1977’s You Know Who
You Are, 1978’s City Nights and 1979’s Frequency. All three
are unsung classics of the power-pop era, filled with punchy rockers
and ethereal ballads, most of which concern themselves with the seamy
doings of late-’70s Sunset Strip scenesters. Yes, there’s
still something innately creepy about hearing Gilder wrap his fey,
androgynous voice around sleazy tales of skintight teens,
trench-coated perverts and rock & roll ’s electric boys, but
that’s also part of the fun. Gilder’s lyrical perspective
was never leering or moralistic; the young hustlers of "Hot
Child" and "Roxy Roller" are respected for their
ability to survive on Hollywood’s mean streets, while "Got
To Get Out" and "Runaways in the Night" empathize with
their reasons for leaving home in the first place. "Into the
’80s," the synth-swathed meditation on the future that
closes this compilation, is all the more moving for its total lack of
rock-star bravado.
It’s great to finally have this stuff on CD, but Razor &
Tie’s decision to limit the collection to 12 tracks (thereby
excluding the singles "Here Comes the Night" and
"Electric Love," as well as several other key tracks) is
frustrating in the extreme. So, too, are the liner notes, which
include some basic biographical info but offer no real insight into
the man himself. (What, he was too busy to sit for an interview?)
Hopefully, this CD will generate enough interest to spur someone to
reissue the first three albums. Razor & Tie, you know who you are.
NewMedia
Music
Nick
Gilder The Best of: Hot Child in the City -- Best known for his 1978
hit, Hot Child in the City, Nick Gilder assaulted the charts with a
brand of androgynous rock n roll that forced everyone to take notice.
However, much of Gilders recording legacy has remained a well-hidden
treasure up until now. Beginning with his first two essential
recordings, You Know Who You Are (1976) and City Nights (1978),
Gilder crafted some of the most exciting music to surface during the
70s glam explosion. Despite obvious association with David Bowie and
T. Rexs Mark Bolan, Nick Gilder brought the genre to new heights with
an extraordinary blend of glam-infused power pop.
Suite101.com,
March 2001
Nick
Gilder – Hot Child In The City (Best of)
By
Chad Bowar
You
probably remember the song “Hot Child In The City” from
1978. That was the androgynous sounding Nick Gilder’s only big
hit, but definitely not his only good song. He was part of the glam
explosion of the 70’s along with David Bowie and Marc Bolan.
I’m not sure why he didn’t have more hits, because the
songs on Hot Child In The City are well crafted and have hooks
galore. Gilder was also a songwriter for many other artists
throughout the 80’s, including Scandal’s huge hit “The
Warrior.” He was often overlooked during his era, but it’s
time to appreciate the great music he has recorded.
NICK
GILDER and Time Machine Long Time Comin' (Page)
Extreme
Magazine, 2000
Known
best for his stint with 70s Canadian rockers Sweeney Todd and the
chart topping hit "Hot Child In The City," Gilder received
a lukewarm response to his following releases and dropped from the
scene in the mid-80s, choosing to continue as a songwriter and
penning mega hits for the likes of Pat Benatar and Patti Smyth among
others. 1997's comeback release Stairways was plagued by bad
distribution, something that Gilder hopes to alleviate with this 2000
release. Musically, Gilder continues to write great pop tunes with
intelligent lyrics and his unique pop voice, the best here
being "Cafe Heaven," "Big House" and "Ringin'
Round The Sun." However, the inclusion of reworked versions of
"Hot Child In The City" and Sweeney's Todd's "Roxy
Roller," coupled with production that does not do Gilder
justice, leads us to believe that this is more of a b-sides/hits
collection intended to keep Gilder in the spotlight while he tours
and hopefully prepares for a new release. Log on to
www.nickgilder.com for more info. - GC
Midwestern
Skies - The Home of melodic Music
NICK
GILDER - "Stairways" (Gilder Records, 1998)
By
Pär
The
former Sweeney Todd - man Nick Gilder who gave us good albums like
his same titled album from 1985 is back in business. yupp, it's true
- here it is. Is it good? Well I should say it's fairly good. It's
straight ahead Canadian Bryan Adams kinda AOR but the production
suffers a bit. It's not bad or anything - more just another nonsense
AOR record to put into the CD shelf. But check it out if you enjoy
standard AOR and have a lot of money.
SEE
Magazine Issue #236: June 4, 1998
Nick
Gilder and the Drive - Stairways (Gilder Records)
By
Warren Footz
I'm
a child of the '80s. Too young to be a boomer, too old for
Generation X. And yeah, I do believe there were some great tunes back
when school ended, real life began and 630 CHED still printed those
weekly CHED Charts (and no one knew what talk radio was). A few acts
have stuck around too long (hello, Bryan Adams) but not Gilder, who
gave us Roxy Roller, Hot Child and then wrote hits for Pat Benatar
and Patty Smyth. Like Ian Thomas' Boomers, Alan Frew's comeback
attempt a few years back and the last Cheap Trick album, at least
Stairways makes an attempt to continue on, rather then rehash the
old. The tunes are fitting and among the best of the Top-40 genre.
There are a few numbers that sound like filler but, cranked up, Truth
and especially Big House recall past glory and perhaps a chance to
grab the chalice one more time.
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