"Pay to Cum" (titled "Pay to Cum!" on the record cover) is the debut single by

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

-based

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

band

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...

. It was released in June 1980 on Bad Brain Records. The single was recorded in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

by Jimi Quidd at his Dots Studios. The

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

to the original single was "Pay to Cum", while the flipside was "Stay Close to Me", identified as Side 1. The original 7" had no B-side or Side 2.

Reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' called it a "memorable ... 1:33 of free-fire guitar rage" that established Bad Brains' "mastery" of hardcore punk. In 2007, ''Filter'' magazine called it "one of the fastest, most furious songs ever recorded".

In popular culture

The song was featured in the 1985 film '' After Hours'', directed by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...

. It was later featured during the opening credits of the 2006 documentary '' American Hardcore''.

Personnel

H.R. Paul D. Hudson (born February 11, 1956), known professionally as H.R. (Human Rights), is an American musician who leads the hardcore punk band Bad Brains, and is an instrumental figure in the development of the genre. His vocal delivery has b ...

– lead vocals *

Earl Hudson Earl Hudson (born December 17, 1957) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for Bad Brains. Born in Alabama in 1957, Hudson is the younger brother of the band's lead singer H.R. Although he has rarely recorded or performed outside o ...

– drums *

Darryl Jenifer Darryl Jenifer (born October 22, 1960) is an American musician, widely known as the bassist for the hardcore punk band Bad Brains and for the rap-rock group The White Mandingos. He appeared in ''TV's Illest Minority Moments presented by ego trip' ...

– bass * Dr. Know –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

Production * Jimi Quidd – producer * Steve Horton, Reese Virgin –

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the ...

, mixing * Leigh Sioris – assistant engineer * Bob Ludwig – mastering * Charles Davis – front cover photo * Paul Bishow – photography

References

1980 debut singles 1980 songs Bad Brains songs Songs written by Dr. Know (guitarist) Songs written by Darryl Jenifer Songs written by H.R. Songs written by Earl Hudson {{1980s-single-stub