Cold Glitter: The Untold Story of Canadian Glam uncovers a forgotten yet fascinating chapter on glam rock music and culture from Canada.

Multi-disciplinary artist Robert Dayton taps his Canadian roots to reveal mind-blowing stories of musicians fighting to be heard. It’s a universal story of determined creators striving to make their voices heard. Dayton has spent years researching and interviewing these ground-breaking musicians trapped by geography, colonial mindsets, and the difficulties of penetrating the cultural behemoth that is the United States.

There’s no denying that glam rock was marginalized in Canada. In fact, RCA almost didn’t release the 1973 Bowie-produced Lou Reed album “Transformer” in Canada because they didn’t see a market for it. Of course, they were wrong! Cold Glitter gets at the reasons why: nature vs. artifice, old world values vs. new freedoms, and how transgressive actions—including gender play, as well as intense stories from these top acts on how they were run out of town for appearing outrageous.

Filled with stories from musicians about what they did to build a career and fight against the old guard controlling the airwaves and stages. Readers everywhere will find solidarity with the all-too-familiar story of artists who were attacked for appearing outrageous and daring to be different. Within the struggle to be fabulous are anecdotes of fun and mayhem. Readers will be taken back to the seventies as they meet the unknown and infamous musicians and artists who dared to be glamorous. Familiar names like magician Doug Henning, Vancouver band Sweeney Todd and their lead singer Nick Gilder, and his replacement, Bryan Adams, to underground heroes like The Dishes, to hundreds of musicians who put away their mascara and left their glamorous wild days behind.

Cold Glitter is filled with rare (and sometimes outrageous) images throughout and additional chapters on glam fashion, film, and comedy in Canada. You’ll be amazed to discover how many of their favorite artists were and are secretly Canadian.

Available from Feral House

 

Robert Dayton is an multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and performer.  His writings and drawings (along with other art) have appeared in numerous publications, books, exhibits, etc. His new book “Cold Glitter: The Untold Story Of Canadian Glam” is published by Feral House. His previous books include The Empty Bed, a pen-and-ink humour book about heartbreak published by Impulse[b] and The Canadian Romantic by The Canadian Romantic published by Pitt/ ProjectsPublication Studios.

Robert has performed across North America and Australia. As The Canadian Romantic, he manifests as a series of videos, live performances, a doll, an art book, and a winking photo to make people in Canada and everywhere feel more attractive. Robert Dayton And The Beach Boys is another current touring project. More recently, he has been putting on The Birthday Experience event in Los Angeles with some very talented people. “It’s Your Birthday Whether It’s Your Birthday Or Not.” He has acted in a few independent and art movies and such, including one called “Male Fantasy.”

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.