The Tubes -

The Tubes were an American rock band from San Francisco that gained notoriety for their edgy stage antics and role-play numbers. They released the 1975–79 A&M studio albums The Tubes, Young and Rich, Now, and Remote Control, then moved to Capitol for the 1981–83 albums The Completion Backward Principle and Outside Inside. Their popular songs include the character-driven concert pieces “Mondo Bondage,” “White Punks on Dope,” “What Do You Want From Life,” and the radio hits “Prime Time,” “Talk to Ya Later,” and “She’s a Beauty.”

Members: Roger Steen (guitar, lead vocals), Prairie Prince (drums, percussion), Rick Anderson (bass), Bill Spooner (guitar, 1972-89), Vince Welnick (keyboards, 1972-89), Michael Cotten (keyboards, synthesizer, 1972-89), Fee Waybill (lead vocals, 1972-86, 1993-present), Re Styles (vocals, 1972-81), Mingo Lewis (percussion, 1977-78)

Background

The Tubes were the product of a March 1972 merger between two unrecorded psych-rock bands, The Beans and The Red White and Blues Band. Both bands hailed from Phoenix, Ariz., but relocated to San Francisco in 1969.

The Beans included keyboardist Vince Welnick, guitarist/singer Bill Spooner, and bassist Rick Anderson. Pre-Beans, Spooner had been in psychsters Condello, which issued the 1968 album Phase 1 on Scepter Records. Anderson first recorded in The Superfine Dandelion, which released a self-titled 1967 album on Mainstream Records.

The Red White and Blues Band included drummer Prairie Prince and guitarist/singer Roger Steen, both newcomers to the scene. After performing Expo ’70 in Osaka, Japan, they lost their bassist. Meanwhile, The Beans were struggling to make headway when their manager, John Speer (ex-Alice Cooper Group), suggested the two acts pool their talents. Prince and Steen invited their roadie, John Waybill, to front the conglomerate. They nicknamed him Fee due to his large mane.

Billed as The Radar Men from Uranus, the new band played an assortment of venues, including biker bars. Waybill acted out characters on select numbers, as did Spooner and Steen during their turns at the mic. They expanded to a seven-piece with Prince’s longtime friend, San Francisco Art Institute attendee Michael Cotten, who purchased an ARP synthesizer for the gig. One of their first performances as The Tubes was at an art reception for fellow SFAI pupil (and future film director) Kathryn Bigelow.

In 1973, Prince and Cotten collaborated on the much-publicized ocean mural on the Cliff House in San Francisco. While painting the mural, Prince and Cotten met model Re Styles (aka Shirley Marie MacLeod), an associate of hippie drag act The Cockettes. The Tubes hired her as their dance coordinator and costume designer. She soon partook in their live act, interacting with Waybill on the S&M showpiece “Mondo Bondage.”

As The Tubes struggled to build an audience, Prince was asked to join Journey, a new Latin/jazz-rock band that was being assembled by rock manager Herbie Herbert. Prince sat in on the band in late 1973 and played their debut show at the Winterland Ballroom that December. Meanwhile, Herbert secured The Tubes an opening slot with Led Zeppelin at Kezar Stadium. During their set, Waybill — in character as the leather-masked Quay Lude from “Mondo Bondage” — threw phony cocaine and pills into the audience of 60,000.

In 1974, The Tubes signed with management firm Bag O’ Bucks, which filmed a video demo of the band’s theatrical live show. After an unsuccessful pitch to Columbia Records, Tubes fan Rick Wakeman recommended the band to A&M, which signed them late that year.

The Tubes

The Tubes released their self-titled debut album in June 1975 on A&M.

The group recorded seven original compositions and an arrangement of the Mexican song “Malagueña Salerosa.” Fee Waybill, Bill Spooner, and Roger Steen divided the lead parts. Re Styles appeared on the package but had not yet entered the studio lineup. Dominic Frontiere arranged strings and horns.

“Up from the Deep” careens through abrupt tempo turns, orchestral swells, ambient noise and electronic eruptions before a closing duel. “Haloes” ripples beneath earnest lines, then surges through breathless instrumental crescendos. “Space Baby” wanders through grandiose scene changes, operatic airs, musical-theatre brass and choral passages. “Malagueña Salerosa” sweeps through castanets and dramatic strings with heightened Spanish declamation.

“Mondo Bondage” grinds through forceful licks, broadcast-muzak detours and strangled delivery. “What Do You Want from Life?” accelerates through synth-funk blurts, boogie-woogie piano, choral replies and rapid game-show patter. “Boy Crazy” struts through hard-edged breaks and sex-hungry taunts. “White Punks on Dope” barrels from ragged guitar figures into abrasive electronics, tempo changes and an expanding ensemble finale.

A1. “Up from the Deep” (4:30) – Tubes, Trainer
A2. “Haloes” (4:55) – Kooper, Spooner, Steen
A3. “Space Baby” (4:26) – Carpenter, Spooner, Welnick
A4. “Malagueña Salerosa” (4:51) – Galindo, Ramírez

B1. “Mondo Bondage” (4:34) – Tubes
B2. “What Do You Want from Life” (4:02) – Evans, Spooner
B3. “Boy Crazy” (4:12) – Spooner
B4. “White Punks on Dope” (6:45) – Evans, Spooner, Steen

Sessions spanned March through April 1975 at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. Al Kooper produced after directing the 1974–75 Lynyrd Skynyrd albums Second Helping and Nuthin’ Fancy. Lee Rhett Kiefer engineered the sessions and shared the mix with Kooper.

A&M art director Roland Young oversaw a package designed by Michael Cotten and Prairie Prince. Ian Patrick and Harry Mittman handled the photography. Styles modeled the hands on the front cover and the body on the reverse.

A&M issued “White Punks on Dope” in August 1975 (b/w “White Punks on Dope Part II”). “What Do You Want from Life” followed in November (b/w “Space Baby”). A November 1977 UK reissue of “White Punks on Dope,” backed with “Don’t Touch Me There” and “What Do You Want from Life,” reached No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached No. 113 on the Billboard 200 chart.

1975 Touring

The Tubes promoted their debut through theatre residencies and mixed arena bills. On June 1, they joined Kiss and Rush at Winterland in San Francisco. Autumn dates included four nights at the Bottom Line in New York and an October 31 Chicago bill with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The year ended at Winterland with Flo & Eddie, Eddie Money, and the Stanford University Marching Band. Earlier in the year, the group shared the same venue with the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils and the Fleshtones.

Kenny Ortega directed and choreographed an enlarged production with comedian Jane Dornacker, members of Leila and the Snakes, dancers, and filmed inserts. T.J. McHose operated a live-video system that placed Waybill beside prerecorded versions of his characters. During the “Crime Medley,” Waybill attacked two planted audience members before revealing the setup. “White Punks on Dope” ended with Quay Lewd beneath a collapsing stack of cardboard amplifiers. Sold-out engagements at the Roxy, the Boarding House, Bimbo’s, and the Bottom Line established the full stage format outside San Francisco.

Young and Rich

The Tubes released their second album, Young and Rich, in April 1976 on A&M.

Re Styles entered the recording lineup and shared the sung parts with Waybill, Spooner, and Steen. David Paich arranged several tracks and played keyboards, while Jack Nitzsche arranged “Don’t Touch Me There.” Saxophonists Jay Migliori and Steve Douglas joined a brass section completed by trumpeter Bobby Shew and trombonist George Bohanon. Deniece Williams, Julia Tillman Waters, and Maxine Willard Waters sang on three tracks.

“Tubes World Tour” parades through self-aggrandizing cries before its riff opens into a spacey interlude. “Brighter Day” shuffles through answering lines before an acoustic guitar solo leaps from the mix. “Pimp” prowls through nocturnal menace before a choir answers its spoken commands. “Don’t Touch Me There” swoons through soaring duet exchanges with Spectorian aplomb, then halts each advance with teasing refusals.

“Slipped My Disco” stumbles across a mocking dance beat and spins into a frantic instrumental coda. “Proud to Be an American” hiccups through patriotic slogans and broad comic enunciation. “Poland Whole/Madam I’m Adam” lurches through abrupt scene changes from sexual wordplay to a staged creation narrative. “Young and Rich” glides in a hazy, carefree bossa nova daze as Waybill sings of Hollywood nepotist spoils.

A1. “Tubes World Tour” (4:43) – Spooner, Steen, Waybill
A2. “Brighter Day” (3:39) – Steen
A3. “Pimp” (4:27) – Spooner
A4. “Stand Up and Shout” (2:37) – Trainer, Condello
A5. “Don’t Touch Me There” (3:30) – Nagle, Dornacker

B1. “Slipped My Disco” (4:27) – Spooner, Steen
B2. “Proud to Be an American” (2:58) – Spooner
B3. “Poland Whole/Madam I’m Adam” (6:30) – Steen, Spooner, Tubes
B4. “Young and Rich” (5:07) – Spooner

The Tubes recorded Young and Rich at A&M Studios in Hollywood with producer Ken Scott and engineer Ed Thacker. Scott entered the project after co-producing the 1974–75 Supertramp albums Crime of the Century and Crisis? What Crisis?

Cotten and Prince designed the embossed credit-card package. Harry Mittman photographed the front, while Norman Seeff handled the back cover and inner sleeve. Seeff was then photographing Joni Mitchell during the period surrounding the 1976 album Hejira. Junie Osaki developed the typography, and A&M art director Jeff Ayeroff devised the credit-card text.

A&M issued “Don’t Touch Me There” in May 1976 (b/w “Proud to Be an American”). The single reached No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 26 in Australia. Young and Rich reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 chart.

1976 Touring

The Young and Rich production introduced “Slipped My Disco,” “Madam I’m Adam,” and “Pimp” alongside the established bondage, consumer-game-show, and Quay Lewd sequences. The Tubes mounted extended engagements at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and Bimbo’s in San Francisco. Percussionist Mingo Lewis joined the performing lineup after appearing with the group during the August Bimbo’s run.

West Coast headline dates included Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, Oakland Paramount Theatre, the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, and Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre. Halloween brought consecutive Northern California appearances at UC Davis, Santa Clara University, and Concord Pavilion. The group closed the year at Berkeley Community Theatre.

Now

The Tubes released their third album, Now, in May 1977 on A&M.

Percussionist Mingo Lewis joined Prince in the rhythm section and composed “God-Bird-Change.” The group recorded songs by Don Van Vliet and Lee Hazlewood alongside material by Spooner, Steen, Welnick, Cotten, and outside collaborators. Van Vliet also played uncredited soprano saxophone on “Cathy’s Clone.” Violinist Roberta Burger appeared elsewhere on the sessions.

“Smoke (La Vie en Fumér)” struts through overblown flourishes, synthetic haze and smoky nightclub theatrics. “My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains” hushes around massed acoustic strums and audible breaths in unison. “God-Bird-Change” careens through carnivalesque turns, jolting transitions and a turbulent percussion sequence.

“I’m Just a Mess” twists through unusual chord turns and oblique declarations. “Cathy’s Clone” darts around a cool lead by Re Styles and jagged saxophone squiggles. “This Town” saunters through nightclub orchestration before fading into a brassy transformation. “You’re No Fun” pounds through piano glissandos until a mid-song tempo break fractures its swagger.

A1. “Smoke (La Vie en Fumér)” (4:50) – Spooner, Cotten, Welnick
A2. “Hit Parade” (3:35) – Spooner, Welnick
A3. “Strung Out on Strings” (4:10) – Spooner, Steen, Evans
A4. “Golden Boy” (4:00) – Spooner, Evans
A5. “My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains” (4:30) – Van Vliet

B1. “God-Bird-Change” (3:18) – Lewis
B2. “I’m Just a Mess” (3:10) – Spooner, Steen
B3. “Cathy’s Clone” (3:30) – Dornacker
B4. “This Town” (3:15) – Hazlewood
B5. “Pound of Flesh” (3:00) – Nagle, Mathews
B6. “You’re No Fun” (4:51) – Cotten, Welnick, Tubes

Winter 1976 sessions took place at His Master’s Wheels and Funky Features in San Francisco, with further work at Record Plant facilities in Los Angeles and Sausalito. John Anthony received producer credit. Bill Spooner and engineer Don Wood completed the record after Anthony left the project. Anthony had produced the 1974 albums Five-A-Side by Ace and Past, Present and Future by Al Stewart after earlier work with Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, Queen, and Roxy Music.

Roland Young directed the package. Cotten and Prince designed the sleeve, while Prince drew the front illustration, “Tubes Descending a Staircase.”

Now reached No. 122 on the Billboard 200 chart. Real Gone Music coupled the album with Young and Rich on its 2012 two-CD edition.

1977 Touring

The Tubes played weekend engagements at the Whisky while completing Now, then staged a month-long production at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. An August 6 support appearance with Alice Cooper in Nashville brought the group to promoter Rikki Farr, who assumed management after the Tubes ended their Bag O’ Bucks agreement. Farr arranged the first European tour and marketed the group through advance stories about obscenity, punk, and a purported appearance by Queen Elizabeth II.

Portsmouth City Council prohibited a planned Guildhall concert after councillors objected to the “Mondo Bondage” sequence. Campaigner Mary Whitehouse also protested the sexual content. Later accounts expanded the episode into multiple municipal bans, but Portsmouth remains the substantiated council action.

The British itinerary included Birmingham, Bristol, and five sold-out nights at Hammersmith Odeon, where the band played ten performances and recorded material for What Do You Want from Live. Wire supported the November 12 Hammersmith date. The tour continued through the Netherlands, France, West Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium before two further December appearances at Hammersmith.

Waybill ended the production as Quay Lewd in platform boots, a blond wig, and an oversized prosthetic attachment. A mock amplifier stack collapsed over the character during “White Punks on Dope.” Other scenes used bondage costumes, simulated sex, exploding television sets, and a working chainsaw. The Tubes also appeared on The Old Grey Whistle Test with “God-Bird-Change” and “White Punks on Dope.”

What Do You Want From Live

In February 1978, The Tubes released What Do You Want From Live, a two-record document of their .

The double album documents November 1977 performances at Hammersmith Odeon in London. Mingo Lewis played drums and percussion beside Prince, while Styles joined the expanded stage lineup. The sequence preserved the introductory medley, television-theme interlude, character pieces, and extended “White Punks on Dope” finale.

“Overture” hurtles through six compressed themes with headlong transitions and grand ensemble flourishes. “What Do You Want from Life?” rattles through spoken stage cues and an accelerating catalogue of consumer prizes. “Smoke (La Vie en Fumér)” sprawls across an expanded nightclub sequence punctuated by theatrical asides.

“Crime Medley” stalks from a siren cue through tightly linked television-detective themes. “I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk” charges through sardonic taunts and confrontational audience address. “I Saw Her Standing There” barrels ahead with rough-edged momentum and exaggerated showmanship.

A1. “Overture” (6:39)
A2. “Got Yourself a Deal” (4:30)
A3. “Show Me a Reason” (3:28)
A4. “What Do You Want from Life” (5:12)

B1. “God-Bird-Change” (4:48)
B2. “Special Ballet” (1:01)
B3. “Don’t Touch Me There” (3:48)
B4. “Mondo Bondage” (3:25)
B5. “Smoke (La Vie en Fumér)” (8:20)

C1. “Crime Medley” (3:05)
C2. “I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk” (4:02)
C3. “I Saw Her Standing There” (2:57) – swipes the Beatles riff for that of “New Rose” by The Damned.
C4. “Drum Solo” (4:20)

D1. “Boy Crazy” (2:40)
D2. “You’re No Fun” (3:15)
D3. “Stand Up and Shout” (3:30)
D4. “White Punks on Dope” (8:33)

Pete Henderson engineered the Hammersmith recordings and co-produced the album with Tubes manager Rikki Farr. Henderson soon co-produced and engineered the 1979 Supertramp album Breakfast in America. Farr had established his live-production background through British clubs and the Isle of Wight festivals before managing the Tubes.

Michael Cotten and Chuck Beeson developed the album package. Jeff Ayeroff completed the art team for the gatefold and illustrated inner sleeves.

A&M issued “Show Me a Reason” in April 1978 (b/w the live version of “I Saw Her Standing There”). What Do You Want from Live reached No. 82 on the Billboard album chart and No. 38 on the UK Albums Chart.

1978 Touring

The Tubes opened the year with an extended Pantages Theatre production in Hollywood. “The Terrorists of Rock” interrupted the show with a staged bomb threat. Cher left the theatre after taking the warning as genuine, then invited the group to appear on her television special. Other attendees during the run included Gene Simmons, Kate Jackson, and members of the Laverne & Shirley cast.

Spring dates paired the Tubes with Pat Travers in Buffalo and with Zon and Carol Pope in Toronto. Squeeze supported the May British tour. During the May 9 concert at De Montfort Hall in Leicester, Waybill performed his Johnny Bugger character with a chainsaw and ran beyond the stage edge. The fall caused a spiral fracture of his right fibula; spectators initially treated the impact as another staged collapse. The injury curtailed the European schedule.

The Tubes returned in September for the Knebworth Festival with Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, the Boomtown Rats, Rockpile, and Wilko Johnson’s Solid Senders. The group drove an open-top Ford Fairlane onto the stage, where its front wheels broke through the platform. A Netherlands festival appearance followed with Zappa, Gabriel, the Boomtown Rats, and Brand X.

Year-end California shows paired the Tubes with the Ramones at Winterland on December 28 and at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on New Year’s Eve.

Remote Control

The Tubes released their fourth studio album, Remote Control, in March 1979 on A&M.

Fee Waybill developed a television-dependency narrative from the 1970 Jerzy Kosinski novel Being There. Todd Rundgren joined the group on guitar and keyboards and received additional composition credit on “T.V. Is King” and “Love’s a Mystery.” Waybill and Styles shared “Prime Time,” while saxophonist Lenny Pickett appeared on “No Mercy.”

“Turn Me On” charges behind a bleating analog synthesizer and insistent group delivery. “TV Is King” skips through a bright electronic figure and deadpan media satire. “Prime Time” glides beneath a cool lead by Re Styles and massed replies before a textured electronic break. “I Want It All Now” swings through resounding handclaps, then detours into a loping middle passage with light percussion. “No Way Out” vaults between show-tune swagger and stinging guitar fills.

“Getoverture” surges through recurring motifs, a circular-saw rasp and a flashing piano break. “No Mercy” stomps through blues changes and round-robin replies. “Only the Strong Survive” snarls through street-gang responses and swaggering accents. “Be Mine Tonight” sweeps through soaring harmonies before bass drives a dramatic bridge. “Love’s a Mystery (I Don’t Understand)” swoons through broad romantic phrases and a sustained fade. “Telecide” careens through screams, rapid-fire lists and a deadpan interruption before a brief thematic reprise.

A1. “Turn Me On” (4:10)
A2. “T.V. Is King” (3:08) – with Rundgren
A3. “Prime Time” (3:15)
A4. “I Want It All Now” (4:27)
A5. “No Way Out” (3:22)

B1. “Getoverture” (3:23)
B2. “No Mercy” (3:27)
B3. “Only the Strong Survive” (3:54)
B4. “Be Mine Tonight” (3:30)
B5. “Love’s a Mystery (I Don’t Understand)” (3:27) – with Rundgren
B6. “Telecide” (5:41)

Rundgren produced the sessions at Music Annex in Menlo Park and participated throughout the recordings. His recent production work included the 1977 Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell and the 1979 Patti Smith album Wave.

Roland Young directed a package designed by Cotten and Prince. The front shows an infant watching Hollywood Squares through a custom television seat called the Vidi-Trainer. Band portraits occupy eight squares on the reverse. Jim McCrary photographed the front image, while Mark Hanauer handled the back. Hanauer also contributed photography to the contemporary Supertramp package for Breakfast in America.

A&M issued “Prime Time” in February 1979 (b/w “No Way Out”). The single reached No. 34 on the UK Singles Chart. “Love’s a Mystery” followed as a June US single (b/w “Telecide”). Remote Control reached No. 46 on the Billboard album chart and No. 40 on the UK Albums Chart.

Iconoclassic reissued the album in 2013 with “Dreams Come True,” “Dangerous,” “Don’t Ask Me,” and “Holy War” from the unreleased Suffer for Sound sessions.

1979 Touring

Michael Cotten devised a Remote Control production with multiple television monitors and a 35 mm film projector. The system cost approximately $12,000 and received its first full test at Royce Hall at UCLA without a dress rehearsal. Small screens obscured portions of the video, while the film and live action lost synchronization. Waybill, Roger Steen, and management objected to the expense and the dominance of the machinery, and the group abandoned the design for a reduced touring setup.

Squeeze supported much of the ensuing American and European itinerary. April bills in Toledo and Buffalo also included April Wine. The British leg returned to Hammersmith Odeon for five May nights. When Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis became ill before one Hammersmith performance, Mingo Lewis played the support set in his place before rejoining the Tubes.

Summer dates included two Greek Theatre concerts in Los Angeles with Yellow Magic Orchestra. The Tubes joined Kansas at Richfield Coliseum and appeared at Chicago Jam II with Rush, Foghat, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and Roadmaster. An Oakland Auditorium bill paired the group with the Motels, Pearl Harbor and the Explosions.

September brought the first Japanese itinerary, with concerts in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. The group ended 1979 with four nights at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco.

1980: Suffer for Sound and Capitol

The Tubes recorded a self-produced follow-up at Tubesound in San Francisco, completed under the working title Suffer for Sound. A&M declined the album and ended the band’s contract with the 1981 compilation T.R.A.S.H., which includes “Drivin’ All Night” from the rejected project.

The group appeared with Olivia Newton-John on “Dancin’” in the 1980 film and soundtrack Xanadu. Manager Bruce Garfield and former Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby subsequently helped secure a Capitol contract. Colomby introduced the band to arranger and producer David Foster.

The Completion Backward Principle

The Tubes released their fifth studio album, The Completion Backward Principle, on April 6, 1981, on Capitol.

The first Capitol album reduced the recorded lineup to Waybill, Spooner, Steen, Welnick, Cotten, Anderson, and Prince. Re Styles had left the studio ensemble. Guitarist Steve Lukather co-composed and played on “Talk to Ya Later,” while David Foster entered the composition credits on four tracks.

“Talk to Ya Later” charges a slick three-sharp-five riff (in A) and belts its terse brush-off with widescreen assurance, unabated by Cotton’s frantic detour. “Sushi Girl” pings with anticipation as Waybill encounters exotic charms. “Amnesia” swells across broad chord turns and dramatic declarations. “Mr. Hate” prowls through a deranged character performance with theatrical menace. “Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman” plods with menace as a ’50s convertible make-out scenario turns into a B-movie horror show.

“Think About Me” sprints against machine-tight time and restless momentum. “A Matter of Pride” struts through taut R&B accents and forceful declarations. “Don’t Want to Wait Anymore” rises through expansive chord turns as Bill Spooner delivers an earnest belt. “Power Tools” pounds from a hard-rocking entrance into progressive detours and more forceful refrain sections. “Let’s Make Some Noise” bounces through pop-funk accents and stadium-sized chants.

A1. “Talk to Ya Later” (4:41) – Tubes, Foster, Lukather
A2. “Sushi Girl” (3:28) – Tubes
A3. “Amnesia” (4:25) – Tubes, Foster
A4. “Mr. Hate” (3:35) – Tubes
A5. “Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman” (4:30) – Tubes, Snyder

B1. “Think About Me” (3:16) – Tubes
B2. “A Matter of Pride” (3:13) – Tubes
B3. “Don’t Want to Wait Anymore” (4:16) – Tubes, Foster
B4. “Power Tools” (4:04) – Tubes
B5. “Let’s Make Some Noise” (3:24) – Tubes, Foster

The Tubes recorded at Davlen Sound Studios in North Hollywood, Monterey Sound Studios in Glendale, and Goodnight L.A. in Van Nuys. David Foster produced after arranging and composing for the 1979 Earth, Wind & Fire album I Am and working on the 1980 Boz Scaggs album Middle Man. Humberto Gatica engineered and mixed the sessions; Paul Lani and Don Smith handled additional rooms. Gatica subsequently engineered and mixed the 1982 album Chicago 16 and engineered Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Cotten and Prince designed the corporate-instruction concept and the blue cover with its white T-shaped pipe fitting. Capitol art director Roy Kohara supervised the package. Jim McCrary photographed the back portraits, while Jonathan Exley handled an inner-sleeve image.

Capitol issued “Don’t Want to Wait Anymore” on May 1, 1981 (b/w “Think About Me”). The single reached No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 22 on the Mainstream Rock chart. “Talk to Ya Later” followed in August (b/w “Power Tools”) and reached No. 7 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The album reached No. 36 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 4 in New Zealand.

The Tubes’ Completion promotional rounds included two numbers on the Canadian sketch-comedy series SCTV for the Season 4 episode “Bouncin’ Back to You with The Tubes,” aired July 24, 1981. The band mimes “Sushi Girl” in The Fishin’ Musician segment with John Candy as Gil Fisher. They reappear in orange stage suits with “Talk to Ya Later” during the Bouncin’ Back to You segment, where the Tubes served as fill-ins for collapsed showgirl Lola Heatherton, a Catherine O’Hara character based on Joey Heatherton.

A 2011 Iconoclassic edition added the outtakes “Tube Talk” and “What’s Wrong with Me,” the soundtrack recording “Gonna Get It Next Time,” and the 1982 single “Sports Fans.”

1981: The Tubes Video

Thorn EMI issued the 53-minute The Tubes Video on VHS and Betamax in November 1981. Pioneer Artists and RCA followed with LaserDisc and CED editions. The program adapts material from The Completion Backward Principle alongside “Mondo Bondage,” “White Punks on Dope,” the unreleased “Business,” “Sports Fans,” and the stage piece “Weebee Dance.”

Russell Mulcahy directed the production at Shepperton Studios in England, with Christine Smyth as producer and Kenny Ortega as choreographer. Mulcahy had directed the Buggles video “Video Killed the Radio Star” and the 1981 Duran Duran clips “Planet Earth” and “My Own Way.” Ortega transferred the Tubes stage routines into constructed video sequences, with Cynthia Rhodes among the dancers.

“Think About Me” – instrumental introduction
“A Matter of Pride”
“Sports Fans”
“Amnesia”
“Mr. Hate”
“Mondo Bondage”
“Don’t Want to Wait Anymore”
“Business”
“Talk to Ya Later”
“Sushi Girl”
“Let’s Make Some Noise”
“Weebee Dance”
“White Punks on Dope”

“White Punks on Dope” follows the closing credits and combines newly assembled material with early cable-access appearances and concert footage of Waybill as Quay Lewd. The Recording Academy nominated The Tubes Video for Video of the Year at the 25th Grammy Awards, where it competed with long-form releases by Olivia Newton-John and Elton John.

Outside Inside

The Tubes released their sixth studio album, Outside Inside, on April 4, 1983, on Capitol.

Foster expanded the supporting cast with guitarist Steve Lukather, bassists Nathan East and Freddie Washington, and keyboardists David Paich, Steve Porcaro, and James Newton Howard. Jerry Hey arranged the horns. Martha Davis of the Motels shared “The Monkey Time” with Waybill, while Maurice White co-composed and sang on “Tip of My Tongue.” Patti Austin, Bill Champlin, and Bobby Kimball joined the backing singers.

“She’s a Beauty” strides through interlocked electronic figures, backing harmonies and a brisk guitar solo. “Out of the Business” bursts from a wild science-fiction opening into upbeat defiance. “The Monkey Time” shuffles through a flirtatious duet and tightly sprung dance rhythm. “Glass House” slides beneath a slinky saxophone line and emotionally exposed delivery.

“Wild Women of Wongo” rises from a choral invocation into primitive accents, spoken declamation and shouted replies. “Tip of My Tongue” struts through brassy dance motion and overblown ad-libs by Maurice White. “Drums” tumbles through a concentrated percussion feature by Prairie Prince and Mingo Lewis. “Outside Lookin’ Inside” loops a spoken exchange over a repeating riff.

A1. “She’s a Beauty” (4:01) – Foster, Waybill, Lukather
A2. “No Not Again” (3:28) – Tubes
A3. “Out of the Business” (3:30) – Tubes
A4. “The Monkey Time” (3:54) – Mayfield, Tubes
A5. “Glass House” (3:31) – Tubes

B1. “Wild Women of Wongo” (3:57) – Tubes
B2. “Tip of My Tongue” (3:58) – White, Snyder
B3. “Fantastic Delusion” (3:54) – Tubes
B4. “Drums” (2:21) – Tubes
B5. “Theme Park” (3:13) – Tubes
B6. “Outside Lookin’ Inside” (0:57) – Tubes

San Francisco sessions used the Automatt, Different Fur, Russian Hill Recording, and Tubesound. Los Angeles-area work took place at Capitol Studios, the Complex, Davlen Sound Studios, Lion Share, the Manor, and Record One. Foster produced the album after completing Chicago 16. Gatica returned as engineer and mixer, while Greg Ladanyi and George Massenburg shared portions of the mix. Cotten, Prince, and Stacy Baird produced “Drums.”

Cotten and Prince developed the die-cut package with Capitol art director Roy Kohara. An illustrated eye by Prince appears through the circular cover opening. Paul Knotter and Balfour Patterson assisted with the cover construction, while Jim McCrary contributed photography.

Capitol issued “She’s a Beauty” in March 1983 (b/w “When You’re Ready to Come”). The single reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. “Tip of My Tongue” followed in July (b/w “Keyboard Kids”) and reached No. 52 on the Hot 100. “The Monkey Time” appeared in September (b/w “Sports Fans”) and reached No. 68 on the Hot 100. Outside Inside reached No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Iconoclassic restored the original Martha Davis version of “The Monkey Time” for its 2012 CD. The edition added “When You’re Ready to Come,” “Keyboard Kids,” “Satellite,” and the single version of “The Monkey Time” with Michele Gray.

Love Bomb

The Tubes released their seventh studio album, Love Bomb, in February 1985 on Capitol.

Todd Rundgren returned as producer and participant six years after Remote Control. The core seven-piece lineup handled most of the instrumental parts. Five tracks carry shared composition credits with Rundgren, while nine short titles form a continuous sequence across the second LP side.

“Piece by Piece” pounds through distorted guitar layers, glass-shatter samples, and a tightly traded bridge. “Stella” stomps across a recurring riff, synthesizer stabs, a shouted-name break, and a darting saxophone outro. “Come as You Are” glides from a clean entrance into closely coordinated harmonies and ornate keyboard lines. “One Good Reason” charges through a reverse-gated entrance, stereo hammer-ons, and a dead-stop break. “Bora Bora 2000/Love Bomb” clicks through sampled chants and manipulated ticking before erupting into staccato theatrical rock.

“Night People” cruises across a smooth electronic beat, flanged bass, and sustained whole-note figures. “Say Hey” bops over a repeating ostinato, sampled chatter, and loose ad-libs. “Eyes” passes from Roger Steen to Vince Welnick through rising lines and a seamless handoff. “Muscle Girls” swirls through a repeated word sample, scat phrases, sudden time changes, and a double-time break.

“Theme from a Wooly Place” collides two familiar tunes across opposing stereo channels at matched tempos. “For a Song” pleads through intrusive samples, vocoder replies, and a chorused break. “Say Hey (Part 2)” claps through rapid chords before sampled phrases yield to a group response. “Night People (Reprise)” returns with slippery tempo shifts and nocturnal resolve.

A1. “Piece by Piece” (4:24) – Tubes, Rundgren, Snow
A2. “Stella” (4:07) – Tubes, Crew
A3. “Come as You Are” (3:38) – Tubes, Rundgren, Lorie Welnick
A4. “One Good Reason” (4:04) – Tubes, Rundgren, Lorie Welnick
A5. “Bora Bora 2000/Love Bomb” (4:28) – Tubes, King Tao Tu

B1. “Night People” (2:09) – Tubes
B2. “Say Hey” (2:41) – Tubes
B3. “Eyes” (3:32) – Tubes
B4. “Muscle Girls” (1:12) – Tubes
B5. “Theme from a Wooly Place” (0:45) – Discant, Steiner, Samudio
B6. “For a Song” (3:16) – Tubes, Rundgren
B7. “Say Hey (Part 2)” (0:35) – Tubes
B8. “Feel It” (3:51) – Tubes, Rundgren, Lorie Welnick
B9. “Night People (Reprise)” (1:38) – Tubes

The Tubes recorded the album in 1984 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and the Sound Hole in San Francisco. Rundgren produced and mixed the sessions and shared engineering with Wally Buck and Stacy Baird. Adjacent work included the 1984 Utopia album Oblivion and the 1985 follow-up POV.

Michael Cotten and Prairie Prince created the front-cover artwork and shared art direction with Jim Welch. Brad Mollath photographed the band for the reverse.

Capitol issued “Piece by Piece” in February 1985 (b/w “Night People”). The single reached No. 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Love Bomb reached No. 87 on the Billboard album chart and No. 98 in Canada. BGO issued a 2001 CD reissue.

The original lineup separated in 1985 after the album cycle. Prince and Welnick subsequently worked with Rundgren, while Waybill continued as a solo artist before later Tubes reunions.

1984–85 Solo Albums

Capitol released the 1984 Fee Waybill solo album Read My Lips between Outside Inside and Love Bomb. Waybill co-composed all ten songs with David Foster, Steve Lukather, Richard Marx, Mark Goldenberg, Tom Keane, and members of the Los Angeles session circle. Lukather played guitar and shared six composition credits, while Michael Landau supplied additional guitar. Keyboardist Steve Porcaro joined a supporting group with bass guitarist Larry Klein and drummers Jerry Marotta, Jeff Porcaro, John Robinson, and Tris Imboden. Bill Champlin and Bobby Kimball joined the backing singers.

David Foster produced the album after completing the Chicago release Chicago 17 in 1984 and continued the partnership established on the previous two Tubes albums. Lukather co-produced “Thrill of the Kill,” and Humberto Gatica engineered and mixed the sessions. Contemporary work by Gatica with Foster also included Chicago 17. Clive Piercy designed the package after creating the sleeve for the 1983 Elton John album Too Low for Zero; album-cover specialist Ron Slenzak supplied the photography.

Capitol issued “You’re Still Laughing” in September 1984 (b/w “Saved My Life”). “I Don’t Even Know Your Name (Passion Play)” followed later that year. Read My Lips reached No. 151 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Ralph Records issued the 1985 Bill Spooner album First Chud after the temporary suspension of Tubes activity. The San Francisco independent, then operated by the Cryptic Corporation, developed through releases by the Residents and other experimental acts. Spooner composed five songs alone and collaborated elsewhere with Chris Lockheed, Nate Ginsberg, Ron Appelman, and Vince Welnick.

The sessions reunited Spooner with Rick Anderson, Michael Cotten, Prairie Prince, Roger Steen, Welnick, and former Tubes percussionist Mingo Lewis. Drummer Aynsley Dunbar joined the outside players. Spooner produced the album with co-producer Lockheed at Cavum Soni and Bear West in San Francisco. Engineering credits went to Spooner, Marc Senasac, and Mark Needham, who later established a long recording partnership with Chris Isaak. Ralph released First Chud on vinyl and cassette without a compact-disc edition.

Discography: