Information/Write-up
Bonus Boys were a short-lived but distinctive Vancouver band active at the turn of the 1980s, operating at the intersection of punk, new wave, and art-school pop during the city’s first major post-punk surge. Formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the group centred around singer-guitarist Kim Clarke, joined by Jack Matthews (lead guitar, vocals), Elmar Spanier (bass, vocals), and Jay Johnson (drums, vocals).
Unlike many of their contemporaries who leaned toward aggression or overt politics, Bonus Boys favoured a more oblique, observational approach. Their songs were sharp, literate, and slightly detached, often built around everyday imagery and understated humour. This sensibility is reflected in titles such as “Everytime I See a Car Like Yours Go By,” “Wasting Our Time,” and “I Want to Work in a Bank,” which paired concise melodies with a dry, ironic worldview.
The band released two singles on Vancouver’s Tsunami Records between 1979 and 1980. Their debut paired “Everytime I See a Car Like Yours Go By” with “Wasting Our Time,” followed by “I Want to Work in a Bank” backed with “Confusing Ourselves.” Both releases were recorded at Total Sounds West and produced by Sterling Faux, with a strong visual identity that matched the band’s art-punk aesthetic. Though modest in distribution, the records have since become well-regarded documents of Vancouver’s early independent scene.
Bonus Boys were active on the local circuit during a period when Vancouver was producing a wave of influential and stylistically diverse bands. While they did not record an album, their singles captured a particular moment when punk energy was giving way to more angular, experimental forms of songwriting.
By the early 1980s, the band had dissolved, with members moving on to other projects. Kim Clarke continued an active and varied musical career, performing with groups including Mocassin Telegraph, Way Out West, the Falcons, and Tokyo Joe, and later releasing his 1986 solo LP It’s A Grey Day. He also became a respected music teacher in Vancouver, mentoring younger musicians through his work at Bill Lewis Music. Clarke passed away on December 30, 2010, following a long and private battle with cancer.
-Robert Williston
Musicians
Kim Clarke: guitar, vocals
Elmar Spanier: bass, vocals
Jack Matthews: lead guitar, vocals
Jay Johnson: drums
Production
Produced by Sterling Faux
Recorded by Brian Campbell & Carlton Lee at Total Sounds West, Vancouver, British Columbia
Engineered by Brian Campbell and Carlton Lee
Artwork
Art by Maurice
Photography by Dee Lippingwell
Notes
© 1980 Tsunami Records
Manufactured in Canada
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