Yorkville's Forgotten Poet - The Origins Of Hyde

The story of Hyde and his 1969 singer-songwriter masterwork is one of Canadian music's ongoing mysteries. For decades, the identity of this powerful poet has gone unknown to those outside of a select few. Friends and family kept his real name hidden while people who saw him perform in his pre-alias days in Yorkville seemingly forgot him altogether.

During the mid-to-late 1960s, Toronto was a highly competitive music city in multiple genres. So Hyde's fate is one experienced by many who stepped on Toronto’s smaller stages during that period. The sheer abundance of clubs and coffeehouses in the city meant that artists who couldn’t distinguish themselves against the tidal wave of similarly passionate individuals and bands would be forgotten.

Hyde’s self-titled album stands as a testament to the talent of Yorkville’s songwriters. With the exception of one Bob Dylan cover, the Hyde album is a varied batch of original songs that hints at his influences while displaying his unique talent for lyrics. Another point in its favor is the connection to Toronto psychsters Rockadrome, who provided musical backing throughout.

To collectors, the above attributes paired with an unfortunate rarity (for a Quality Records release) further drive the want and cost of this album into the stratosphere. It stands as a brick wall of rarity, ever elusive, especially in good condition. Though large, the hunt for a copy of his album pales in comparison to the hunger for information on the man behind the music. Today, the story of Hyde will finally be told.

Hyde was the eventual alias and secret project of Toronto-based singer-songwriter Brian Victor Alexander. Brian was born on March 7th, 1946, to Alice and Victor Alexander. He was raised in the west end of the city, quickly developing a love for baseball and hockey. Brian was extremely athletic, and he received the constant approval of his doting father. He attended Harwood Public School in Toronto’s west end before attending York Memorial High School.

Brian didn’t come from a musical home, but the dawning musical revolution of the mid-1960s would take residence in his mind at an early age, as it did for so many others. He developed a love of music, specifically R&B, around the age of ten. His knowledge of music grew fast, and it wasn’t long before he was the D.J. at neighborhood weekend dances.

Brian began playing guitar and harmonica around the age of fifteen. He spent countless hours enjoying the records of some of his favorite blues and R&B artists and constantly begged his parents for a guitar. They relented, and Brian began a lifelong relationship with his instrument. An “A” student and all-around intelligent boy, Brian learned fast and showed himself to have quite the way with words. He started with R&B music, but hearing Bob Dylan’s debut album in 1962 blew him away; he was an instant, lifelong fan, even considering naming his daughter Dylan. Bob was his sole inspiration thereafter to pursue folk music, learn to sing, and soon, learn how to write songs of his own. He fashioned himself after the American folk troubadour in many respects, but his songwriting grew to be wholly unique.

Newfound folk fascination aside, Brian still enjoyed listening to and dancing along to hits of the day. He was a regular teen in many regards; fascinated with pop culture, dramatic about the trivial, and, of course, enamored with the opposite sex. Sixteen-year-old Brian, at one particular dance taking place at Fairbanks dancehall (in the Fairbanks Park just south of Eglinton Avenue), met his first love. The two instantly hit it off and, with time, began dating. She was smitten by Brian’s creative side and the fact that he was then starting his musical journey. Brian was smitten by her kindness and intellect, ultimately trusting her as the sole critic of his original music and poetry.

Brian’s deep dive into folk music began in the early 1960s, first as an observer, then as a performer. He was awestruck by the amazing talent springing up in Yorkville, Toronto’s musical mecca. He began attending concerts regularly at the Riverboat coffeehouse and various other folk-oriented venues on the avenue.

A formative musical experience for Brian was seeing Bob Dylan perform at Massey Hall during late 1965, where the singer-songwriter was doing a pair of shows. This double night event took place during Bob Dylan’s highly contentious “electric” period, backed by local Toronto R&B act Levon & The Hawks (formerly Ronnie Hawkins' backing band). As with many shows along their tour, Bob Dylan was arguing with hostile fans over their dislike of his new sound. This event emboldened Brian as an artist. Paired with Brian's constant intake of top-tier folk talent in Yorkville, the Bob Dylan event inspired Brian to stand by his music, stand up for his art, and, most importantly, develop the courage to sing. He set his sights on Yorkville and, in time, became a regular performer.

During December of 1965, Brian approached the owner of the famous Mynah Bird coffeehouse, Colin Kerr, to see if he could perform there. Colin hired Brian right away, after an extremely brief audition, and booked him for the first weekend of January (7th-9th) 1966, alongside R&B band Bobby Lee & The Sceptres. The Mynah Bird had two levels and two stages; bands played on the first level, while solo acts played on the second level. “He sat on a stool on the second-floor stage, belting out his songs to an audience drinking coffee and juice drinks; dry ice filled the air while go-go girls danced in the window," says Diane. "We were young, dressed as beatniks and experiencing a new age of music and culture.”

Brian became a regular performer at the Mynah Bird coffeehouse through 1966, playing most weekends. He befriended some of the performers and patrons along the way, forming friendships and partnerships, many of which lasted over the years. A lifelong bond Brian made during this period was with bassist and singer Neil Merryweather, who was playing in Yorkville with his band Just Us (also known as The Ookpiks and The Sikusi's). Brian was known for his distinct, Dylan-esque tone and introspective original songs. He soon began performing regularly on Monday nights at the famed Riverboat coffeehouse, first as a sign-up, then as a featured performer. 

1966 was an important year for Brian's development, both musically and in his personal life. In addition to his musical trappings, he got married, and the couple had a child. This prompted Brian to get a day job in addition to his frequent live performances as a means of making ends meet. Despite their best efforts, the couple ended up separating in mid-1968. Brian moved to an apartment on Carlton Street, where he continued to work and eventually began dating again. 

Brian went through a bit of a slump, as many men/women in his situation would. He lost his wife and child and was living alone. Brian continued to perform, albeit sporadically. He soon threw himself into writing new songs and reworking old ones. By November of 1968, Brian had roughly ten songs written, including one cover. This was a dedication to his wife and child; the aptly titled “I Threw It All Away” by Bob Dylan.

With the dawn of 1969, Brian found renewed purpose in his music through a new alias: Hyde. He had a goal: to record his own songs. He continued to gig through the winter and early spring under his new Hyde alias. In June of 1969, a few months after his twenty-third birthday, Brian came to the attention of famed Toronto music mogul Art Snider. He had caught one of Brian’s shows at the Riverboat via a word-of-mouth recommendation and was so impressed that he invited him to his office the following day. Art at this time had helmed the creation of multiple record labels, with the sole goal of achieving success while promoting Canadian talent. After learning of Brian’s desire to record an album, paired with hearing a summation of his multiple original songs, Art booked him into Sound Canada Recording Studios, backed by his house group, Rockadrome.

Rockadrome was a local group of musicians assembled in the summer of 1968 by guitarists Mike Clancy (also piano and occasional drums) and Ron Dove. The pair was musically associated for most of the 1960s and played with Ronnie Hawkins’ "Hawks" before forming their own group called "The Outlaws” during 1965. The addition of drummer Rick Vallieres and bassist Paul LaChapelle was the birth of Rockadrome. Rick drummed on a 45 session for Ron Dove in 1967 while Paul was relatively new to the fold but gelled well with the guys. Rockadrome was a band for three years, releasing their own extremely rare album on Art Snider’s “Sound Canada” label in February of 1969 and an EP in 1971 (featuring Ron Dove's 1967 recordings). Art Snider kept the band busy later that year, employing them as session musicians on a couple of equally rare albums. Of course they backed Hyde, but they also backed The Allan Sisters on their debut studio album for Sound Canada.

Art Snider had faith in Brian’s songs from the start. He gave producers Ernie Lyons and Larry Malone free rein to follow the project in whatever direction it may lead. This resulted in what many consider one of Toronto’s best singer-songwriter pieces. Brian’s amazing original songs with their sparse arrangements weave a delicate, urgent musical web; this is in part thanks to the consummate musicianship of Rockadrome. Each song in this ten-song cycle creates a unique mood spun by Brian’s music and words. The only outlier is a cover of the aptly titled Bob Dylan song “I Threw It All Away.”

Thanks to his clout in the local music industry, Art Snider managed to get Brian’s album (released under the Hyde alias) a couple of spins on CHUM Radio after its release in August 1969. Through this radio promotion, Brian landed a gig promoting his new album at a secret new Toronto club known as Global Village. It was an after-hours hangout for “in the know” local musicians, many of whom had just finished sets at various Yorkville or Yonge Street clubs. The club was known as The Global Village Theatre to some, and during the 1970s, it would put on plays, including Spring Thaw (featuring Norm Amadio and Salome Bey). Primarily, though, Global Village was a secret hangout and jam spot for some of Toronto’s best and brightest talent. Early frequenters included Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young (on his brief returns to the city), and McKenna Mendelson Mainline. The venue was an important link between the incubated culture of Yorkville, which was slowly coming to an end, and the soon-to-reign Queen St. West scene of the late 1970s.

Art Snider hired Rockadrome to rehearse with Brian and back him up during his Global Village set (possibly the only live performance he did with a band). The performance went extremely well, receiving a standing ovation, with Brian and the band playing the album song by song. Brian began mingling with the crowd, where he met local guitarist Danny McBride (younger brother of Bob McBride).

Danny McBride was an in-demand young guitarist in Toronto during the latter half of the 1960s. As an active member of Toronto’s music scene from his early teens onward, Danny formed or joined multiple bands with other members who’d reach major success in the years that followed. His first teenage band was The Edgar Allen Poes with Gary Weeks and Dave Beckett (later of Gary & Dave fame), followed by an R&B outfit of his brother’s known as The Shades; he then reformed another R&B band of his brothers known as The Diplomats (previously featuring Johnny Brower singing). This was followed by a brief stint in Abernathy Shagnaster Wash and Wear Band with drummer Gil Moore (later of Triumph fame), before teaming up with Don Walsh in the pre-Downchild Blues Band “Leather.” This was short-lived, and by 1969, Danny was looking for other outlets.

To Danny, other outlets meant more challenging, unique material, so naturally he was drawn to Brian's music. Danny's favorite band thus far was Bob McBride & The Breath. This was a Jimi Hendrix cover band his brother started, on the cusp of Jimi's meteoric rise to fame. As one of the group's guitarists, Danny had to learn some of Hendrix's challenging riffs and solos. He yearned for more of that and, in the wake of "The Breath," got more involved with Eastern scales and psychedelic music. This brief foray into eastern exploration is heard in Danny's lead guitar on "Revelation (I Fell In Love)". This was a song Danny recorded with Jay Telfer in April of 1969 for Jay's unreleased "Perch" album; Danny was only eighteen.

Brian and Danny agreed to meet up a few days after Brian's Global Village show. They hung out, got high, talked music, and jammed for hours. This, of course, caused the pair to develop a quick friendship, bonding over shared musical interests and general outlook on life. Brian and Danny began work on a follow-up to Brian’s debut studio album. They both contributed songs, with Danny taking lead guitar duties and Brian on acoustic. Danny would spend time at Brian's apartment frequently while the duo worked on the new songs. Somewhere during the writing process, however, there was a falling out between the two musicians, and the concept was scrapped before anything could be recorded.

After the demise of his new writing partnership, Brian was offered a job by Tommy Hunter to write for The Allan Sisters on his program, “The Tommy Hunter Show.” It seems Art Snider really liked Brian’s writing style and passed his name on to others. The music on Tommy’s show was definitively characterized by a “Country & Western” flavor, and this turned Brian off to the opportunity. Although he was encouraged by friends and family, he ultimately declined Tommy’s offer.

With the Tommy Hunter offer no longer on the horizon, Brian’s music career waned. This caused him to move out west to Calgary in the early 1970s. After settling in Calgary, Brian quickly found a job in manufacturing, making good money and finding himself a decent apartment. He decided to hang up his guitar for many years after the move, but he did eventually pick it up again. 

After nearly a decade away, Brian returned to Toronto at the dawn of the 1980s. Perhaps this was homesickness, but nobody is really sure what prompted the move. He quickly found himself a job and an apartment, though being back in Toronto didn’t inspire him to get back into music right away.

After over a decade working in various fields, Brian retired and moved to Wasaga Beach in the late 1990s. He kept in touch with family, as well as musical friends from over the years, such as Neil Merryweather. Slowly, he rediscovered his love of music and playing instruments after he settled in his new home. Throughout his later years, Brian built a recording studio in his home. He would write and play music (he had many guitars, a keyboard, speakers, etc.), jamming with other musical friends he made from around the area, as well as visiting friends from Toronto. 

As with the fate of many of Canada’s mid-to-late 20^th century performers, larger success (if any) eluded Brian [Hyde]. The Canadian music industry was infantile when compared to its contemporaries abroad, offering little in the way of beneficial options for artists prior to the mid-1970s. Brian Alexander’s music fills a particular niche: that of a talented singer-songwriter, penning introspective lyrics and sparse, moody arrangements (usually in a folk-tinged psych-rock style). In the intervening decades, audiences for artists like this have cropped up across the globe, appreciating the musicianship and fawning over the rarity of many of these artists’ works. In Canadian terms, Brian is in a sparsely populated class of psych-folkie songwriters that have achieved some level of cult success. His contemporaries include Stefan Gnys, Winston George, Gordon Lowe, and Phillip Lewin, among others.

                                               THANKS TO THE FAMILY OF BRIAN [HYDE] FOR THEIR PHOTO/HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS