The Tubes had their beginnings in two separate bands from Phoenix, Arizona: The Beans and The Red, White & Blues Band. Both bands had residencies at San Francisco’s Fillmore West concert hall, albeit without much success. After returning to Phoenix, the Red, White & Blues Band’s manager suggest that they unite with members of the Beans, with roadie John “Fee” Waybill on lead vocals.
The Tubes’ self titled debut album, produced by veteran studio musician Al Kooper, was released in 1975. Actress Shirley Macleod, who had worked on the album as a cover hand model, was soon recruited as a second lead vocalist, performing under the name Re Styles. The newly-expanded band released three more albums, the last of these being Remote Control, produced by Todd Rundgren.
Remote Control’s lead single “Prime Time” got a good amount of radio play, but the album itself wasn’t a hit, leading A&M Records to drop the band. They signed to Capitol Records and had two single-driven hit albums in The Completion Backward Principle and Outside Inside.
Waybill left the band after the release of Love Bomb, a less successful follow-up to Inside Outside. For a couple of years, David Killingworth replaced Waybill as lead singer. The band reunited with Waybill in 1996 with Genius of America and has toured consistently since.
Discography
- The Tubes (1975)
- Young and Rich (1976)
- Now (1977)
- Remote Control (1979)
- The Completion Backward Principle (1981)
- Outside Inside (1983)
- Love Bomb (1985)
- Genius of America (1996)
Tropes associated with The Tubes
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman" from The Completion Backward Principle, a tribute to the movie of the same name.
- Let's Duet: Frequently occurred during Styles’s time in the band, with “Prime Time” perhaps being the best known example.
- Lonely Rich Kid: “White Punks on Dope” was inspired by some of the band’s first followers, kids from wealthy families who were alienated from their parents and didn’t have much in the way of friends.We're white punks on dope
Mom and Dad live in Hollywood
Hang myself when I get enough rope - Longest Song Goes Last: This is true of both “White Punks on Dope” (6:45) on the self-titled album and “You’re No Fun” (4:51) on Now.
- Motor Mouth: Waybill does a game show host “consolation prize” monologue in this style in “What Do You Want from Life”.