Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in serialized Victorian popular fiction, known as "penny dreadfuls". A story called "The String of Pearls" was published in a weekly magazine during the winter of 1846-47. Set in 1785, the story featured as its principal villain a certain Sweeney Todd and included all the plot elements that were used by Sondheim and others ever since. The murderous barber’s story proved instantly popular – it was turned into a play before the ending had even been revealed in print. An expanded edition appeared in 1850, an American version in 1852, a new play in 1865. By the 1870s, Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd (band) album was unsuccessful, and Adams left the band after less than a year. The band attempted to carry on with Chris Booth on vocals (and Grant Gislason replacing Prest in 1978), but broke up before recording any further albums. The band re-united in 2000 and began working on "The Sweeney Todd LP". The band followed up the completion of the record with a cross-Canada tour. In 2007, Sweeney Todd - along with ex-vocalist Nick Gilder - headlined the Golden Spike Days Festival in Port Moody, British Columbia. In 2008, they performed (again with Gilder) at the Merritt Mountain Musicfest in