Payolas

Payolas (stylized as Payola$) was a Canadian rock band that was most prominent in the 1980s. Evolving from a new wave sound toward mainstream pop rock, they were best known for the single "Eyes of a Stranger", from their 1982 album No Stranger to Danger, an album that won the band four Juno Awards.

Based in Vancouver, the band had experienced several changes to both its name and lineup, having been known as The Payola$, Paul Hyde and the Payolas, and Rock and Hyde. Vocalist and lyricist Paul Hyde and multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Bob Rock were the band's core members throughout its history. The band broke up in 1988, but reformed again from 2003 to 2008.

Band history

Name

The band's name is a reference to the United States payola scandal of the early 1960s, which was a pay-for-play scheme involving commercial radio stations.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE>Template:Cite news</ref> The name caused issues with A&M record executives who wanted to introduce the band to the American market and who were concerned about the term's negative connotations, which resulted in the band's name change to Paul Hyde and the Payola$ in 1985.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/>

Rock told The Province in 2003 that their band's name caused one record executive to tell him "I won't lift a finger to help you."<ref name=HARRISON03>Template:Cite news</ref> Rock added that it was Hyde that came up with the name and that "I was the idiot who put the dollar sign at the end."<ref name=HARRISON03/>

Early years (1978–1981)

Paul Hyde, originally from Yorkshire, England, emigrated to Victoria, British Columbia at age fifteen.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/><ref name=MCLAUGHLIN>Template:Cite news</ref> Hyde met Bob Rock while the pair were attending Belmont High School in Langford, a Victoria suburb.<ref name=DEVLIN>Template:Cite news</ref> Rock, who moved to Victoria from Winnipeg at age twelve, described his first encounter with Hyde to the Times Colonist in 2007: "He had his hair all cut off, and later I found out it was because he wanted to look like a skinhead when he immigrated to Canada so he wouldn't get beat up. Being such a fan of English culture and bands, I saw this kid standing there in a long trenchcoat and shaved head and I went, 'That's a guy I wanna know.'"<ref name=DEVLIN/>

Influenced by musical artists such as David Bowie, Slade, T. Rex, Alex Harvey and Be-Bop Deluxe, the pair formed the Paul Kane Blues Band and toured Vancouver Island in the mid-1970s.<ref name=HARRISON03/><ref name=DEVLIN/> In 1976, Rock landed a job as an apprentice recording engineer at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver and became acquainted with Vancouver's punk scene.<ref name=HAVENOT>Template:Cite book</ref> Rock and Hyde were joined by drummer Ian Tiles (of Pointed Sticks) and bass player Marty Higgs to form the pop-punk band Payola$.<ref name=CANENCYCLO>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> At the time, Rock was producing mainly punk acts, such as the Young Canadians, The Dils and the Pointed Sticks.<ref name=DEVLIN/>

In 1979, Payola$ released their first single "China Boys" on their own Slophouse label.<ref name=MCLAUGHLIN/><ref name=HARRISON81>Template:Cite news</ref> The song, whose lyrics reference the westernization of China, attracted the attention of A&M Records.<ref name=WILLIAMS>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgs and Tiles left shortly after the single was recorded and were replaced by drummer Taylor Nelson Little and sax/bass player Gary Middleclass (né Bourgeois).<ref name=HAVENOT/><ref name=MACKIE93>Template:Cite news</ref> The four track EP Introducing Payola$ was released by A&M in 1980.<ref name=WILLIAMS/> Middleclass left in 1980 (later becoming a teacher at the Vancouver Film School sound design program); he was replaced by Lawrence Wilkins on bass.<ref name=MACKIE93/><ref name=STEWART>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=MCILROY>Template:Cite news</ref> Lee Kelsey was added on keyboards.<ref name=HARRISON81/> This quintet recorded 1981's In a Place Like This, first at Little Mountain studios, then completed at the famed Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec.<ref name=HARRISON81/> The album's sound contained both reggae and ska influences.<ref name=HARRISON81/> Produced by Rock, In a Place Like This was a critical success, but didn't do well commercially.<ref name=HARRISON81/><ref name=HALL>Template:Cite news</ref>

Work with Mick Ronson (1982–1984)

In 1982, Chris Taylor was added to the band lineup; he replaced Taylor Little on drums.<ref name=MCILROY/> Kelsey left the band as well. This line-up recorded the album No Stranger to Danger, with famed English musician, songwriter and producer Mick Ronson acting as the album's producer.<ref name=MCILROY/> Ronson first heard of the Payolas when they were looking for a producer for In a Place Like This, but was unable to produce the album due to scheduling conflicts.<ref name=MCILROY/>

Incorporating elements of reggae, dub, pop, punk, and new wave, No Stranger to Danger included the hit single "Eyes of a Stranger", which won the Juno Award for best single.<ref name=WINNIPEGFP>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=JUNOS>Template:Cite news</ref> Junos were also given to Rock and Hyde for their songwriting, Rock was awarded Recording Engineer of the Year, and the band as a whole won the Most Promising Group.<ref name=JUNOS/>

The band toured with New Zealand new wave band Split Enz on the Canadian leg of their 1982 tour.<ref name=MCILROY/> Ronson joined the Payola$ on stage on keyboards.<ref name=MCILROY/> In the 2011 book, Have Not Been The Same; The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995, Rock said: "The funniest things was that after we played the first date, all the guys in Split Enz were on stage going, 'Is that Mick Ronson? Who's this band?'"<ref name=HAVENOT/> After the album had been issued, Wilkins left the group; Barry Muir filled in on bass, but as a sessioneer, not a group member. Christopher Livingston was added on keyboards as a full new group member.

Ronson produced the band's next album, Hammer on a Drum, released in 1984.<ref name=HAVENOT/> The album included the single "Never Said I Loved You" featuring Carole Pope, vocalist of rock band Rough Trade, which reached No. 8 in Canada.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Work with David Foster (1985–1986)

In 1985, producer and songwriter David Foster helped assemble the supergroup Northern Lights to record the song "Tears Are Not Enough".<ref name=BOYD>Template:Cite news</ref> Hyde was one of over 50 musicians featured on the song and Rock served as one of the engineers.<ref name=BOYD/> Rock and Hyde came up with the song's title and contributed to the French lyrics along with Rachel Paiement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

That same year, A&M Records recruited Foster to produce the band's next recording, 1985's Here's the World for Ya, with the hopes of bringing the band to the American market.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/><ref name=MACKIE2>Template:Cite news</ref> The band's name was also changed to Paul Hyde and the Payola$.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/> By this point, the band consisted of Hyde, Rock, drummer Chris Taylor and bassist Alex "A-Train" Boynton.<ref name=MACKIE86>Template:Cite news</ref> Both Foster and Hyde's then-wife, Myriam Nelson, contributed some of the songwriting.<ref name=HARRISON03/> Here's the World for Ya and the album's title track garnered six Juno Award nominations, including best group, album as well as best vocalist for Hyde, best sound engineer for Rock and songwriter of the year for both Rock and Hyde.<ref name=HARRISON86>Template:Cite news</ref> The single, "You're the Only Love" charted in the US, peaking at No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart—the first Payola$ single to do so.<ref name=MACKIE2/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The album marked a change in the band's sound that alienated many of their longtime fans as a result.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/><ref name=MACKIE2/> In 1987, Tim O'Connor of Canadian Press said that the album "was glossy and tight, but it wasn't the Payola$."<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/> In that same article Hyde said, "We compromised ourselves somewhat artistically," adding "We were untrue to ourselves and our fans." Rock said of the experience, "We learned a lot from him, he's a very good musician. We saw a complete other side of recording with David. It was very polished and professional," adding "The thing with David (Foster) is that it swung far too much his way."<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/>

Despite the critical success, the album did not sell as well as hoped and the band was dropped by A&M in 1986.<ref name=MACKIE86/><ref name=HAVENOT/>

Rock and Hyde (1987)

In 1987, the band rebranded themselves as Rock and Hyde and released Under the Volcano on Capitol/EMI.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/> The album marked a return to the politically and socially conscious lyrics of the Payolas' early work, with Rock also handling the sound engineering.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/> The Rock and Hyde sound was more pop-oriented than that of the Payolas.<ref name=HARRISON93>Template:Cite news</ref> Under the Volcano reached No. 24 on the top 100 album chart in Canada.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Under the Volcano was critically well-received, and Rock and Hyde had two hits in Canada with "Dirty Water" (No. 20) and "I Will" (No. 40).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Dirty Water" also peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 at No. 61.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Later that same year A&M capitalized on the band's renewed popularity and released a greatest hits package of Payolas work called Between a Rock and a Hyde Place: The Best of Payola$.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Hiatus (1988–2003)

After the release of Under the Volcano, Rock returned his focus to sound engineering and producing music from Little Mountain studios and became a go-to producer for hard rock and metal acts, producing albums for musical acts such as Loverboy, The Cult, Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and David Lee Roth.<ref name=CPROCKANDHYDE/><ref name=HAVENOT/><ref name=DEVLIN/> Along with ex-Payola$ drummer Chris Taylor, he was also involved in the band Rockhead that released an album in 1992.<ref name=HARRISON93/>

The Payola$ reformed for a one-time gig on October 26, 1994, with Rock, Hyde, Boynton and new members Matt Frenette (drums) and Richard Sera (keyboards).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rock and Hyde then again went their separate ways. Paul Hyde pursued a solo recording career, releasing four albums between 1999 and 2002. These releases include 2000's Living off the Radar. Living off the Radar is a Payola$ album in all but name as it featured Rock as the album's producer, mixer, and guitarist; he was also the co-writer of several tracks.<ref name=HARRISON03/> (Chris Taylor and Alex Boynton also played on a few tracks.)

The Best of the Payola$, 20th Century Masters, The Millennium Collection was released in 2002 in Universal Music's 20th Century Masters Series. The compilation included the Rock and Hyde track "Dirty Water".

Reunion (2003–2008)

Rock and Hyde played live in Vancouver in 2003, reformed as The Payolas.<ref name=HARRISON03/> An EP called "Missing Links" was released for a charitable foundation, consisting of previously unreleased Payola$ songs and demos, a couple of which had surfaced earlier, in slightly different productions, on Paul Hyde's solo album Living off the Radar.Template:Citation needed

In 2006, they reunited once more; further, on July 17, 2007, the Payola$ released a seven-song EP, Langford (Part One).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=LEE>Template:Cite news</ref> It was announced that there would be a full-length follow-up to the Langford (Part One) EP, possibly incorporating some of the EP's tracks, however this release never materialized.<ref name=LEE/>

The band stopped performing live as of 2008, and the official Payolas website shut down in 2009.Template:Citation needed As with the band's first break-up, no formal announcement was made that the Payola$ were ceasing operations; however, later in 2009 Paul Hyde resumed his solo career, releasing his fifth studio album.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a 2020 interview with the Vancouver Sun, Hyde said that he hadn't performed live music in five years and had changed his focus towards visual art.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, in a 2023 podcast interview, Hyde revealed that he and Rock had been working on a covers album, for release at an indefinite future time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Whether this newly recorded material would be issued under the Payola$ name, or as Rock and Hyde, or perhaps using some other guise, was not revealed.

Discography

Studio albums

• In a Place Like This (1981)
• No Stranger to Danger (1982) (#5 Canada <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>)

• Hammer on a Drum (1983) (#26 Canada for 5 weeks <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>)

• Here's the World for Ya (1985) (#26 Canada for 2 weeks <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>)

• Under the Volcano (1987) (as Rock and Hyde) (#24 Canada for 2 weeks <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>)

Compilation albums

• Between a Rock and a Hyde Place: The Best of Payola$ (1987)
• 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection – The Best of the Payola$ (2002) [1]
• Missing Links (2003)

Extended plays

• Introducing Payola$ (1980)
• Langford Part One (2007)

Singles

Year	Artist credit	Title	Peak chart Positions
			CAN	AUS<ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref>	US<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Rock
1979	Payolas	"China Boys"	—	—	—	—
1981		"Jukebox"	—	—	—	—
		"I'm Sorry (I Only Did It for the Money)"	—	—	—	—
1982		"Eyes of a Stranger"	4	81	—	22
		"Romance"	—	—	—	—
		"Soldier"	25	—	—	—
1983	Payolas with Carole Pope	"Never Said I Loved You"	8	—	—	—
	Payolas	"Where Is This Love"	—	—	—	—
		"Christmas Is Coming"/"I'll Find Another (Who Can Do It Right)"	—	—	—	—
1984		"Wild West"	—	—	—	—
1985	Paul Hyde and the Payolas	"You're The Only Love"	26	—	84	37
		"Stuck in the Rain"	77	—	—	—
		"Here's the World"	91	—	—	—
		"It Must Be Love"	94	—	—	—
1987	Rock and Hyde	"Dirty Water"	20	—	61	6
		"I Will"	40	—	—	—
		"Talk to Me"	—	—	—	—
2006	Payolas	"Bomb"	—	—	—	—
		"At the Angel's Feet"	—	—	—	—
2008		"Shark Attack"	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

External links

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• Entry at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
• Entry at canadianbands.com