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Idle Eyes

From Alfawiki
Idle Eyes
Company typeMusical group
IndustryMusic
Founded1980
Headquarters
Vancouver
,
Canada
ProductsMusic albums, singles

Idle Eyes is a pop rock group originating from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Their most notable achievement is the Canadian hit "Tokyo Rose," which reached number 16 on RPM’s singles chart in Canada during June 1985.

History

The formation of the band dates back to 1980 when Canadian musician Tad Campbell, while in Australia, joined a local ensemble as a guitarist. He later moved with singer Donna McConville to Townsville, Queensland, where they recorded early demo tracks that were eventually included on their initial two albums.

Upon returning to Canada, Campbell reassembled the band with new personnel since most of the original Australian members did not continue. The lineup saw frequent changes; McConville departed and went back to Australia to collaborate with John Farnham. Campbell’s demo tape caught the attention of Payolas' manager Cliff Jones, resulting in a recording deal. Together with drummer Phil Robertson, Campbell brought in Glenn R. Smith, Miles "Foxx" Hill, and John Webster for their self-titled debut album, with Campbell responsible for writing the majority of the material.

The singles "Tokyo Rose" and "All Day" ranked among the top ten most frequently played songs on Canadian radio in 1985. Idle Eyes toured extensively, supporting prominent acts such as Loverboy, Bryan Adams, Tears for Fears, and Toto, and appeared at a nationally broadcast Expo 86 gala alongside leading artists.

In 1985, Campbell participated with other Canadian musicians in the charity single "Actions Speak Louder Than Words," which aimed to aid food banks.

Idle Eyes received three Juno Award nominations that year and won Most Promising New Group. They also secured six West Coast Music Awards, including Group of the Year for both 1985 and 1986. Campbell earned Songwriter of the Year honors for "Tokyo Rose," which was additionally recognized as Song of the Year. The track was inspired by the WWII figure known as "Tokyo Rose."

In 1986, Smith and Webster left the band and were replaced by Scotty Hall and Bruce Mackenzie. Their sophomore album Love's Imperfection, produced by Michael Beinhorn and engineered by Bob Rock, was released without accompanying music videos. Its lead single "Sandra" reached number 83 on Canadian charts but sold fewer than 20,000 copies. Following this, the band was dropped by their record label.

After Hill and Robertson exited, Campbell remained as the only founding member for their independently produced third album Standing at the Edge (1988), which featured musicians Tom Christianson and Dudley Welsh. This record included the modestly successful track "Blue Train."

Throughout the early 1990s, Idle Eyes experienced continual lineup changes with Campbell as the sole constant presence. The 1994 compilation album Land of the Midnight Sun, credited to "Tad Campbell & Idle Eyes," combined well-known hits with six new songs performed by a refreshed group including Darryl Havers, Randy Booth, Al Webster, Tony Ferraro, and Caley Faryon.

Following their disbandment in 1994, Campbell formed several other bands such as Leghold Trap, Millions of Brazilians, and Big Daddio before reviving Idle Eyes in the early 2000s. In February 2021, Campbell was convicted of sexually assaulting a minor between 1996 and 1999 and was sentenced to a 12-month conditional term.

Albums

  • Idle Eyes – 1985, reached #42 in Canada
  • Love's Imperfection – 1986, peaked at #93 in Canada
  • Standing at the Edge – 1988
  • Land of the Midnight Sun – 1994 (credited as "Tad Campbell & Idle Eyes")
  • Karma Cops – 2000
  • Bites Back – 2002

Band Members

  • Tad Campbell (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
  • Phil Robertson (drums)
  • Glenn R. Smith (guitar)
  • Miles Fox Hill (bass)
  • Scotty Hall (guitar on Love's Imperfection)
  • Bruce MacKenzie (keyboard on Love's Imperfection and after 1985)
  • John Webster (keyboard during 1985 tour)

Additional Touring Personnel After 1988

  • Randy Booth (bass)
  • Al Webster (drums)
  • Bud Omstead (bass, toured during Love's Imperfection in 1986)
  • Dave Stone (keyboard)
  • Russel Newell (drums)
  • Gus Vassos (vocals)
  • Tony Ferraro (drums)
  • Mark Poy (keyboard)
  • Patrick Miles (guitar)
  • Kelly Cook (bass)
  • Thom Christiansen (bass)

Original Lineup of Idle Eyes

  • Donna McConville (lead vocals, keyboards)
  • Dudley Welsh (drums)
  • Mike Poulter (bass)
  • Kevin O'Brien (bass, saxophone, vocals)
  • Bill Meikle (saxophone)
  • Don Biggar (bass)
  • James Chadwick (drums)
  • Steve Elaschuk (bass)
  • Terry Alton (guitar)
  • Larry Pardue (bass, vocals)
  • Kevin Swain (bass, vocals)

External links

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