Classic Rock Cliff Notes Episode 162

His first real break came when he joined the Canadian glam-rock band Sweeney Todd.

Transcript

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Can you guess which artist or song Matt Witzel is talking about? It's Classic Rock Cliff Notes on the Goad Rocks PA. On today's episode of Classic Rock Cliff Notes, we take a look at an artist that got his start in Vancouver, British Columbia back in 1976. Before filling massive stadiums worldwide, this ambitious teenager dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to chase his musical dreams full-time. To pay his monthly rent and save up to buy a grand piano, he worked humble odd jobs as a restaurant dishwasher and sold pet food. His first real break came when he joined the Canadian glam rock outfit Sweeney Todd, replacing original lead singer Nick Gilder and fretting their 1977 studio album, If Wishes Were Horses. In 1978, a chance encounter at a local musical instrument store with former Prism drummer Jim Valance changed everything. The duo quickly forged a legendary songwriting partnership, crafting hard-hitting tracks for established snacks like Kiss, Loverboy, and Bachman Turner Overdrive. That same year, the young performer signed his first solo recorded contract with AM Records for the sum of just one dollar. His initial release was a March 1979 disco single where studio executives artificially sped up his vocal track, an experiment he would later completely disavow. After launching his self-titled debut record in February 1980, and a follow-up album in July 1981, Breakthrough North American Radio success arrived with Cuts Like a Knife in January 1983. However, it was his November 1984 blockbuster album that vaulted him into a global superstardom, producing six top ten hits on the Billboard charts and forever smelling his raspy, soulful vocals into classic rock history. So now that you had some time to think, we'll tell you who it is. The artist we're talking about today is Brian Adams. He has sold over 75 million records worldwide, scored 25 top 15 singles in his native Canada, and became the first musician to earn a diamond certified album in Canadian history. That's your classic rock cliff notes. I'm Matt Witzel.