The Payolas

The Payola$ originated when vocalists Paul Hyde and Bob Rock enlisted drummer Chris Taylor and bassist Larry Wilkins. Their self-released "China Boys" on Slophouse Records prompted A&M to offer a deal, under which the label issued four albums spanning 1979 to 1985: In a Place Like This (1981), No Stranger to Danger (1982), Hammer on a Drum (1983), and Here's the World for Ya (1985). The band dissolved in 1985, after which Rock and Hyde kept working together and issued the popular single "Dirty Water" in 1987. Paul Hyde departed in 1989 to pursue solo work, while Bob Rock later joined Rockhead.