Pepsi Power Hour
Encyclopedia
The Pepsi Power Hour was a live
one-hour program that aired on the MuchMusic
television channel in Canada
from 1986 to 1991. It ran once weekly every Thursday, until 1989 when a Tuesday hour was added. The show was dedicated to hard rock
and heavy metal
music videos, and showcased a variety of well and lesser known artists. It balanced coverage of major international acts, with newer bands, and a variety of Canadian acts both major label and independent. For example, members of Canadian bands such as Brighton Rock
, Helix
, and Triumph
were invited to co-host the show. On other installments, independent artists such as Mif
from Slash Puppet were brought in for live, in-studio interview segments. International artists also often co-hosted, such as Iron Maiden
, Rob Halford
, and Motorhead.
The format of the program varied, but in general it was hosted live by one of MuchMusic's VJ's. The VJ would play new and old metal videos, taped interviews, play requests, and go over recent metal news. Fans were encouraged to write in requests every week, and the most creative of which were often shown. The show offered contests, for prizes such as meeting or interviewing bands, or for rare merchandise. Frequently, episodes would feature live interviews with artists in or outside the MuchMusic studio. Occasionally, artists would also perform songs live in the studio. A notable example was Rik Emmett
, who co-hosted an episode and played the then-new Triumph single "Let the Light (Shine on Me)" acoustically before jamming with his co-writer Sil Simone in a guitar battle. Emmett was later brought back to co-host a special episode entitle The Axemen Cometh, which showcased popular guitar soloists of the time.
In the late 80s, Muchmusic released a series of compilation albums based on their various specialty shows, two Power Hour albums were released, featuring artists such as Iron Maiden
, Accept
, Megadeth
, Kick Axe
and more.
In 1991, the Power Hour was replaced by the Power 30, an every-weekday program with a scaled down half hour time slot. While this meant more music each week, it also meant the end of one-hour special programs focusing on a single artist.
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
one-hour program that aired on the MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
television channel in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from 1986 to 1991. It ran once weekly every Thursday, until 1989 when a Tuesday hour was added. The show was dedicated to hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
music videos, and showcased a variety of well and lesser known artists. It balanced coverage of major international acts, with newer bands, and a variety of Canadian acts both major label and independent. For example, members of Canadian bands such as Brighton Rock
Brighton Rock (band)
Brighton Rock are a Canadian glam metal band who released three albums in their home country during the 1980s and 90s. They broke up in 1991 before reuniting and releasing a live album in 2002.-Biography:...
, Helix
Helix (band)
Helix are a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don...
, and Triumph
Triumph (band)
Triumph is a Canadian hard rock power trio that was popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s. Eight of the band's albums were certified gold or higher, and Triumph was nominated for multiple Juno Awards, including Group of the Year Award in 1979, 1985, 1986 and 1987.Like their fellow Canadians...
were invited to co-host the show. On other installments, independent artists such as Mif
Anthony J. Mifsud
Anthony J. Mifsud is a Maltese-born Canadian actor, singer and songwriter. He performs professionally under the moniker Mif.Mif began his entertainment career as the front man and vocalist for the award-winning Canadian hard rock/heavy metal musical group Slash Puppet , originally under the stage...
from Slash Puppet were brought in for live, in-studio interview segments. International artists also often co-hosted, such as Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Rob Halford
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
, and Motorhead.
The format of the program varied, but in general it was hosted live by one of MuchMusic's VJ's. The VJ would play new and old metal videos, taped interviews, play requests, and go over recent metal news. Fans were encouraged to write in requests every week, and the most creative of which were often shown. The show offered contests, for prizes such as meeting or interviewing bands, or for rare merchandise. Frequently, episodes would feature live interviews with artists in or outside the MuchMusic studio. Occasionally, artists would also perform songs live in the studio. A notable example was Rik Emmett
Rik Emmett
Richard Gordon Emmett is a vocalist, guitarist, and founding member of the Canadian rock band Triumph. Emmett left Triumph in 1988 to pursue a solo career. His first solo album, Absolutely, was released in 1990 and became a moderate hit across North America thanks to the hits "When a Heart...
, who co-hosted an episode and played the then-new Triumph single "Let the Light (Shine on Me)" acoustically before jamming with his co-writer Sil Simone in a guitar battle. Emmett was later brought back to co-host a special episode entitle The Axemen Cometh, which showcased popular guitar soloists of the time.
In the late 80s, Muchmusic released a series of compilation albums based on their various specialty shows, two Power Hour albums were released, featuring artists such as Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Accept
Accept
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Kick Axe
Kick Axe
Kick Axe is the name of a heavy metal band from Canada that reached its climax in the 1980s. They produced four albums during their career, with the longest gap between albums being 18 years...
and more.
In 1991, the Power Hour was replaced by the Power 30, an every-weekday program with a scaled down half hour time slot. While this meant more music each week, it also meant the end of one-hour special programs focusing on a single artist.
Hosts
- John "J.D." Roberts
- Erica EhmErica EhmErica Ehm is best known as a pioneering video jockey at the Canadian cable television station MuchMusic...
- Steve AnthonySteve AnthonySteve Anthony is a Canadian television host. He gained attention throughout Canada as a MuchMusic host, or "VJ" from May 1987 to November 1995....
- Dan GallagherDan GallagherDan Gallagher was a Canadian broadcaster who hosted the CBC Television music video program Video Hits from 1991 to 1993. In the 1980s he appeared on the Canadian music channel MuchMusic as a VJ and host of the Pepsi Power Hour...
- Laurie BrownLaurie Brown (broadcaster)Laurie Brown is a Canadian television journalist. Her parents were originally from Nova Scotia, and when Brown was in her teens, they and her sister moved back to that province...
- Michael WilliamsMichael Williams (Canadian TV personality)Michael Williams is a Canadian television personality who is best known for his work as a veejay at MuchMusic from 1984 to 1993 where he hosted various shows including Soul in the City, Rap City, Electric Circus, Pepsi Power Hour and The NewMusic.He was recently a radio personality in Hamilton,...
- Teresa RonconTeresa RonconTeresa Roncon is a former Canadian journalist. She was a personality on Discovery Channel Canada, and formerly a CFTO reporter. Prior to both, she was a VJ on MuchMusic. She moved from journalism to public relations, and is currently working as the Manager of Corporate Relations for...
Occasional Hosts
- Christopher WardChristopher Ward (songwriter)Christopher William Ward is a Canadian songwriter and broadcaster, known as a former long-standing on-air personality at MuchMusic, Canada's music video network, where he and J.D. Roberts were among the first video jockeys in 1984...
- Daniel RichlerDaniel RichlerDaniel Richler is a Canadian arts and pop culture broadcaster and writer. He is the stepson of author Mordecai Richler.-Biography:Born in London, England, his family moved back to his stepfather's hometown of Montreal when Daniel was 15...
- Terry David MulliganTerry David MulliganTerry David Mulligan is a Canadian actor and radio and television personality based in Vancouver, British Columbia.Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Mulligan's first career was as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer in Olds, Alberta and Red Deer, Alberta from 1960 through 1964...
- Denise DonlonDenise DonlonDenise Anne Donlon, CM is a Canadian executive, television producer, television host, and programme director.Born in Toronto, Ontario, she joined MuchMusic in 1985 as a host and producer...