Old Enough to Forget

When Nick Gilder and James McCulloch left Sweeney Todd, the remaining members were left in the lurch. They did have an ace up their sleeve: their deal with London Records. But they'd need to find a worthy replacement for not only their vocalist, but also their guitar player. To complicate things, they'd have to come up with material on their own, as Gilder and McCulloch were the primary writers on the band's debut. The band would try out a new vocalist, Clark Perry, who would re-record the vocals to "Roxy Roller," and it would be released as a single and even managed to crack the top 100 in the US before Chrysalis Records, Nick Gilder's label, managed to issue a cease and desist. Not long after, Mr. Perry would exit the band. The search was on once again for a replacement. If Wishes Were Horses is an album that is more infamous for being the starting point for a very young Bryan Adams, who took over lead vocals and managed to pull off a very credible Nick Gil...

Sweeney Todd will forever be remembered as the band who released "Roxy Roller," a song that was everywhere when I was a kid. The song was pure glam, and Gilder's sultry vocals enhanced it. Despite his high-pitched delivery, there was a cockiness to the song that made you want to strut - or at the very least put on a pair of roller skates, be a rebel, and skate counter-clockwise. After the debut, Nick Gilder would leave the band, along with guitarist James McCulloch, and collaborate on Gilder's "Hot Child in the City." For a short time, Bryan Adams would join Dan Gaudin, Budd Marr, and John Booth, and they would release one more album and even re-record their seminal hit. I have a few collections that include "Roxy Roller," so it was a jarring surprise to hear the album cut. The guitar solo is vastly different, and the running time is about a minute longer. I've actually gone back and played the song a couple of times just to be sure. This is ab...