They even did a stint during the summer of 1976 opening for KISS. The press was supportive and the band toured relentlessly, but to no avail. Once again, however, the record failed to sell. Co-produced by Douglas and Eddie Leonetti, the album featured the power ballad 'Scream' as the single. This didn't seem to make much of a difference, however, on the next album, Honor Among Thieves, which expanded upon the band's mastery of classic pop with a harder edge and more accomplished performances. Reportedly, the label's choice of the latter song as the album's lead single (not to mention a stunning lack of sales) was the beginning of a rift between Cox and the rest of the band. 'Wayside' has become the acknowledged classic, but the rest of the album, particularly the explosive 'Think Think' and Cox's ballad, 'Silver and Gold,' is outstanding. Produced with a refreshing lack of clutter by Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Alice Cooper), Artful Dodger was a near-masterpiece that combined the best aspects of hard rock and Beatles-derived pop. After being forced to choose a new name (another Brat had prior claim), Artful Dodger released their self-titled debut album in September 1975.

They were signed to Columbia Records and paired with Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas. Armed with a demo tape, Gary Cox traveled to New York City in search of a record deal and received an offer from the Leber-Krebs management firm, whose biggest act was Aerosmith. 'Long Time Away' was re-recorded for their first album with an increased tempo and more pop feeling. The group's first release was a self-produced single, 'Not Quite Right', which never made it onto an LP, with 'Long Time Away' as the B-side. Brigida was an ideal foil for the band's songs, combining the steady time-keeping of Charlie Watts with the flash of Keith Moon. Steve Cooper (bass) and Steve Brigida (drums) formed the rhythm section. Creatively, the key members were Gary Herrewig (guitar) and Billy Paliselli (vocals), who wrote most of the songs as a team, and Gary Cox (guitar and vocals), who also wrote songs (usually by himself).

Originally called Brat, Artful Dodger was formed in 1973 in Fairfax, Virginia, out of the remains of two local bands, Homestead and Badge. This section taken (modified) from the Randy's Rodeo website. Artful Dodger's studio releases received high critical praise, but the band was unable to penetrate the charts. The group was heavily influenced by The Beatles, Faces, and The Rolling Stones and drew frequent comparisons to Raspberries. Artful Dodger (formed in 1973 in Fairfax, Virginia) are an American power pop rock band, noted for their tight rock compositions, deft lyricism, vocal harmonies, and live shows.

Artful dodger band