from TALK TO YA LATER/WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME (single)
written by The Tubes, David Foster & Steve Lukather
“Talk To Ya Later” was the lead-off single from The Tubes’ 1981 “Completion Backward Principle” album. It’s a catchy rock’n’roll tune that quickly became a Top Ten hit on the Mainstream Rock chart. David Foster, who produced the album, co-wrote “Talk To Ya Later” with the band’s lead singer, Fee Waybill, and Toto axe-man Steve Lukather. Here’s what Waybill said about the recording with Goldmine magazine :
“When we got near the end of the record, Foster said, ‘We’ve got this great power ballad, “Don’t Want To Wait Anymore,” which I wrote with Vince (Welnick) and David, but we don’t have a rock and roll hit.’ The band wrote a couple of songs, and he goes, ‘No, no, no.’ That was when he said, ‘I’ve got a guy who can do this for us.’ And that’s when David introduced me to Steve Lukather. Luke, David and I wrote “Talk to Ya Later” in about 20 minutes! We presented the song to the rest of the band, and they couldn’t deny it was incredible and gonna be a hit.”
Incredible it was with its powerful drive, Lukather’s amazing guitar sound, the band’s soaring vocal harmonies and Foster’s top notch production. Lukather also played bass on the track with Foster on keyboards and The Tubes’ great drummer, Praire Prince, setting the song’s solid foundations. Foster recently told us a little story about that session:
“We did the guitar solo at Sunset Sounds in the small studio. Lukather was really amped up and at some point, right before he was going to play the solo, he kicked the volume up on the big speakers all the way to ten and then played that solo that you hear on the record in one take! It was so loud in the studio we thought we were going to blow $100,000 worth of equipment, but that’s what Luke needed for inspiration.”
“Talk To Ya Later” balanced The Tubes’ original raw sound, unique lyrics with new wave echoes and the LA slick production atmospheres of those years.
A recent reissue of “Completion Backward Principle” by Iconoclassic Records is a welcome opportunity to once again appreciate the superior quality of this great rock album. The “Completion Backward Principle” has a few bonus tracks including “What’s Wrong About Me,” a very good rocker that was the b-side of “Talk To Ya Later,” but didn’t make the final cut of the original recording.
Listen
[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/talk_to_ya_later.mp3|titles=Talk To Ya Later|artists=Fee Waybill]
Lead Vocals: Fee Waybill
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitars & Bass: Steve Lukather
Drums: Praire Prince
Backing Vocals: The Tubes
Produced by David Foster
Lyrics
met her on a strip
It was another lost weekend
The band was too slick
And the people were twisted
So I asked her for a date
She reluctantly agreed
Then we went to my place
And she never did leave
She won’t even miss me when she’s gone
And that’s okay with me I’ll cry later on
It’s been six months
She hasn’t shut up onceI’ve tried to explain
She’s driving me insane
She won’t even miss me when she’s gone
And that’s okay with me I’ll cry later on
Talk to ya later-don’t want to hear it again tonight
Talk to ya later-just save it for another guy
Talk to ya later-don’t want to hear it again tonight
I’ll just see you around
Get outI’m telling you now
Do you catch my drift
What could be plainer than this
Nothin’ more to be said
Write me a letter instead
I don’t mean to be cruel
But I’m finished with you
She won’t even miss me when she’s gone
That’s okay with me I’ll cry later on
Talk to ya later-don’t want to hear it again tonight
Talk to ya later-just save it for another guy
Talk to ya later-don’t want to hear it again tonight
I’ll just see you around