Written by The Tubes

 

April 4th, 1983, saw the release of The Tubes’ now-classic Outside Inside album. David Foster was back in the producer’s chair after his successful work on The Completion Backward Principle for The Tubes a couple years before. Outside Inside became The Tubes’ biggest album ever, reaching #18 on Billboard’s Top 200. The San Francisco-based rockers were given their only Top Ten hit, “She’s A Beauty,” on Billboard’s Hot 100. “She’s A Beauty” was #1 on the mainstream Rock chart. The group had two other minor hit singles from the album, the irresistible, funky number, “Tip Of My Tongue,” and The Tubes’ cover of the soul/R&B classic, “The Monkey Time.” All those great songs sport fantastic production by Foster and were delivered by The Tubes with the help of a number of guest musicians including the Jerry Hey Horns, Bobby Kimball, Bill Champlin and Steve Lukather. If interested, you can find past reviews of those goodies in the archive section of this website.

On Outside Inside, The Tubes featured a number of fantastic album tracks showcasing their flamboyant and very personal style, satirical lyrics and sophisticted music. The main difference compared to their earlier albums was Foster’s approach to the various tracks, his meticolous work on the arrangements, his perfectionist touch, and the firm direction that brought the group into Toto’s pop/rock territory.

This time around, the review is a radio-friendly rock number titled “Theme Park.”

Written by the group, “Theme Park” was a good example of Foster’s musical influence on Outside Inside. The track was constructed on prominent keyboards and synths supporting Fee Waybill’s energetic vocal performance. The song had an ear-candy refrain and some awesome guitar work by Bill Spooner. Stuff got a bit crazy with some Frank Zappa influences towards the end of the song.

The Hitman kindly sent us a few thoughts about this song and his work with The Tubes:

“I Remember ‘Theme Park’ very well. I was so impressed with the great work that Mike Cotten did on the synth programming and the amazing drum groove that Prairie Prince played on this track. It’s really a great song and the whole band made contributions to it. The Tubes were so innovative in many different ways. My time working with the group was very valuable and I learned a lot from them.”

• Lead Vocals: Fee Waybill
• Drums: Prairie Prince
• Bass: Rick Anderson
• Keyboards & Vocals: Vince Velnick
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Synthesizers: Michael Cotten
• Guitars & Vocals: Bill Spooner & Roger Steen

• Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

I’m goin’ to the theme park
Lookin’ for a thrill
Gonna stay ’til they close it
‘Til I get my fill
Spinning on a Tilt-A-Whirl
Nothin’ like it in this world
Close your eyes and hold on tight
We can make it last all night

Can’t wait ’til the summer starts
Goin’ down to the theme park
Leave your cares in the parking lot
I lost my heart at the theme park
Can’t wait ’til the summer starts
Leave your cares in the parking lot
Down at the theme park

I’m sliding down the Matterhorn
I’m falling through the floor
Flying on a fantasy
Everyone can find a dream
Gonna make you feel so fine
Take a ride on love tonight

Can’t wait ’til the summer starts
Goin’ down to the theme park
Leave your cares in the parking lot
I lost my heart at the theme park
Can’t wait ’til the summer starts
Leave your cares in the parking lot
Down at the theme park

Read My Lips was the debut album of The Tubes’ lead singer and main songwriter, Fee Waybill. Released in 1984, Read My Lips was produced by David Foster and sounded like a textbook for the most refined AOR (Adult Oriented Rock). Foster brought his usual dream team to work on the record including famed engineer Humberto Gatica and hot session aces including Jerry Marotta, John Robinson and the late Jeff Porcaro (1954 to 1992) on drums, Larry Klein on bass with Steve Lukather and Michael Landau playing guitars.

Lukather, the legendary Toto axe-man, played a big role on Read My Lips by co-writing the bulk of the album with Waybill and Foster. Already responsible for The Tubes’ one-two chart punch of “Talk To Ya Later” and “She’s A Beauty,” the trio of writers came up with a series of solid rock numbers that were channeled through the Hitman’s trademark high-tech atmospheres and showcased various funk and pop influences. These pages were already graced by goodies from Read My Lips including “Caribbean Sunsets,” “Who Loves You Baby” and “Nobody’s Perfect.” This week, the spotlight goes on the album’s power ballad, “I Don’t Even Know Your Name (Passion Play).”

Another Foster, Waybill and Lukather co-write, “I Don’t Even Know Your Name (Passion Play)” was a killer rock ballad in a catchy style not too far from Lukather’s own legendary band Toto or the contemporary hits of Bryan Adams or Foreigner. Foster’s stamp was all over the radio-friendly arrangement; from the keyboard-driven intro to the powerful climax of the bridge with guitars and strings supporting Waybill’s heartfelt vocal performance. The veteran singer probably doesn’t have as distinctive a voice as other rock stars, but his passion and strength make up for it. Overall, the results were first class. Listening to these kinds of songs makes it easy to understand the chart potential of Read My Lips. All its musical qualities and radio-friendly appeal were killed by Capitol Records’ inexplicable decision to give the album zero support at a time when Foster ruled the North American charts. The Hitman was by the sides of Chicago, Kenny Rogers, Chaka Khan and Olivia Newton-John when many of their songs that he produced became certified hits.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Fee-Waybill-I-Dont-Even-Know-Your-Name.mp3|titles=I Dont Even Know Your Name|artists=Fee Waybill]

Lead Vocals: Fee Waybill

Keyboards: David Foster
Guitars: Steve Lukather & Michael Landau
Drums: Jerry Marotta
Bass: Larry Klein
Percussion Overdubs: Humberto Gatica

Synthesizer Strings Arranged by Jeremy Lubbock
Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

No Lyrics

written by The Tubes

The Wild Women of Wongo was a 1958 b-movie directed by James L. Wolcott. Although this trashy movie was poorly acted and crafted, it reached a cult status among the lovers of silly films. Who else could have written a song to go with it but the legendary rock band The Tubes? The group’s drummer, Prairie Prince, said that he loved that movie so much that he decided to write a song about it.

Consequently, San Francisco’s flamboyant rockers wrote “Wild Women Of Wongo” for their 1983 album, Outside Inside. The song was a parody of the movie with nonsense lyrics delivered by an effective spoken-word voice on top of a spectacular funky beat. David Foster produced Outside Inside and the match of his top-notch pop vibe, extreme care of the arrangements and superior sonic bravura found a miraculous balance with The Tubes’ dirty, weird, fascinating rock world. “Wild Women Of Wongo” had an enthralling backing track, infectious rhythm, funky guitars, percussions and tight horns. Jerry Hey and his celebrated horn section added so much to the tune with their pyrotechnical playing on the choruses and the wild break towards the song’s end. “Wild Women Of Wongo” was just one of the standout tracks onOutside Inside. That album included the hit single “She’s A Beauty,” “Tip Of MyTongue” and “The Monkey Time,” They are testament of a special, unique collaboration that resulted in some of the Hitman’s most different and captivating work ever.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/06-Wild-Women-of-Wongo.mp3|titles=Wild Women Of Wongo|artists=Fee Waybill]

Lead Vocals: Fee Waybill
Drums: Prairie Prince
Bass: Rick Anderson
Keyboards: David Foster
Keyboards & Vocals: Vince Velnick
Synthesizers: Michael Cotten
Guitars & Vocals: Bill Spooner & Roger Steen
Percussion: Mingo Lewis
Trumpets: Jerry Hey, Gary Grant & Chuck Findley
Trombone: Bill Reichenbach
Saxophone: Larry Williams & Gary Herbig
Horn Arrangement: Jerry Hey
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

From the foggy woggy banks
Of the Limpopo River,
There come the sounds of
Female ecstasy (I shiver),
Wet and wanton, their cries
Caress by swollen ears, with building
Fears, of this forsaken land of years.
Visions of furious fire-goddesses wielding
Blunt spits; figments of erotic escapades
With all branches of armed forces.
Surrounding, abounding,
They stoop to conquer with sighs and
Anxious whispers in a slow, steady rhythm. 

Wongo.
Wild Women of Wongo.
How does their song go?
Make a me wan mo, (Wild Women!)
Wongo.
No man can say no.
Wild Women of Wongo.
How does their song go?
Like this… 

On the dank, steaming shores of Wongo;
Its black sand beaches so bongo.
Patterned with leech-ridden creatures;
Bodies branded with cicatrix features
That once screeched through the
Heart of the Congo.
Stacked and berserk
They tower and flail all about.
Wailing sounds in tongues only ancient
Insects would understand or figure out.
Wild, willing, wenches; strutting and
Struggling, as they yank hanks of hair,
Rooting and rutting in heat,
As the earth heaves beneath their feet.
And so on and on the lores of Wongo go,
Throughout the sands of time.
Singing their song of love, so rare,
To only the chosen ones who dare.
The course of events, time after time.
The tradition remains the same.
A bloodcurdling scream, one of pure
Ecstasy, rings out; then it came —
The ultimate sacrifice.
Their wasp waisted figures twitch and twine,
Their sting is lethal, and I know I’m in for mine.
How can I resist this onslaught of love;
From over, from under, from behind and above.
I wish I could

Written by David Foster, Fee Waybill, Michael Landau, John Robinson & Humberto Gatica

David Foster’s reputation as a world-class music maker is partially due to his seminal work on chart topping ballads like Earth, Wind & Fire’s “After The Love Has Gone,” Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” the late Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” or Cèline Dion’s “Because You Loved Me.” The Canadian super-producer also brought that same, irresistible melodic appeal and his formidable knack for inventive arrangements to more left-field projects for big names including Alice Cooper and The Tubes.

Although these acts were known for their rock music, Foster carefully crafted tunes for them that exhibit a refined atmosphere with an ear candy flavor that was tailor-made for mainstream radio playing. Foster brought this same concept to Fee Waybill’s Read My Lips. After The Tubes’ incomprehensible refusal to work again with the Hitman after their successful one-two punch of The Completion Backward Principle and Outside Inside, the band’s front man would go on to team up with the Canadian music maker on Waybill’s 1984 debut album. Foster’s and Waybill’s original idea was to join forces to create an album that would deliver more hits like “Talk To Ya Later” and “She’s A Beauty.” With this purpose in mind, they collaborated extensively on Read My Lips with the axe-man of Toto, uber-talented Steve Lukather, who co-wrote rockers with them and graced the music with his powerful guitar. The result would have been huge with catchy rock anthems like “Saved My Life,” “You’re Still Laughing” or the golden ballad “I Don’t Even Know Your Name (Passion Play).” Unfortunately, Capitol Records boycotted Read My Lips. Capitol’s non-existent promotion showed that they were probably afraid that the eventual success of Read My Lips would have brought The Tubes to an end. Foster proves again that he is an absolute master when it comes to enhancing the level of a composition with his art of arranging. He brought to life some pop/rock gems including “Caribbean Sunsets” and “Who Loves You Baby”  from Read My Lips that have been reviewed in the past.

 This week, the spotlight is on the catchy number “Nobody’s Perfect.” This mid-tempo rocker is an A-team affair composed by Waybill and Foster with virtuoso guitarist Michael Landau, legendary drummer John Robinson and famed engineer Humberto Gatica. “Nobody’s Perfect” presents a catchy melody with a sing-along, guitar-driven refrain that leads to a wall of keyboards in the high-tech bridge that is 100% Foster. Waybill shows his chops with a splendid lead performance while Landau’s burning guitar, Robinson’s energetic drumming and Foster’s keyboards and synths reiterate they are key elements that make this recording sing. Read My Lips is an extremely interesting listen for those who only know Foster for his aforementioned pop/adult contemporary hit ballads or his platinum work with Michael Bublè, Josh Groban or Andrea Bocelli. It shows the all-around talent of the Canadian super-producer who, during the course of his long career, has graced almost every style of music with his strong personality and extraordinary results.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/02-Nobodys-Perfect.mp3|titles=Nobody’s Perfect|artists=Fee Waybill]

Lead Vocals: Fee Waybill
Keyboards: David Foster
Guitars: Michael Landau & Steve Lukather
Drums: John Robinson
Bass: Larry Klein
Keyboards & Synthesizers Programming: Steve Porcaro
Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa

Lyrics

No Lyrics

Every time The Completion Backward Principle or Outside Inside from the early eighties are listen to, you can see what superior musical value these recordings really had. Recorded by The Tubes and produced by David Foster, these albums epitomized the decade and what real music was all about. The benefit of having Foster in the control room gave the San Francisco rockers a more focused balance to their unique blend of pop/rock and new wave.

Their lyrics were considered different and eccentric compared to the usual stuff you found on Top 40 back in those days. Foster’s catchy approach to the material made some of those songs true anthems and irresistible for radio programmers and music lovers alike. Found in the archives, we have reviewed some of the group’s biggest hits from those albums including “Talk To Ya Later,” “She’s A Beauty” and “Don’t Want to Wait Anymore.” We have also looked at various fantastic album tracks like “Amnesia,” “Tip Of My Tongue” and “The Monkey Time.”

This week, focus is on another gem from The Completion Backward Principle entitled “Let’s Make Some Noise.” Co-written by Foster and The Tubes, “Let’s Make Some Noise” was a danceable rocker with a smart new wave twist that perfectly married Foster’s radio-friendly style with the group’s trademark atmospheres. This song can be seen as an evolution of Foster’s work with soul icons like Earth, Wind & Fire and Average White Band. The tune featured a sumptuous funky beat, top notch vocal harmonies performed by the great Bill Champlin and a refrain that’s total ear candy. Check out the amazing work on keyboards by Foster with group members Mike Cotten and Vince Welnick. The adventurous sounds of “Let’s Make Some Noise” underscored how Foster was at the top of his game. His work with The Tubes pushed the envelope to achieve an exciting, powerful sound that was quite far from Foster’s comfort zone.

The one regret The Tubes could have today was that they didn’t record a third album with Foster. There’s a good chance that such a release would have become that group’s Chicago 17, with more hits and platinum-plus sales and we would have been telling a very different story. Instead, the band decided to go back to Todd Rundgren for Love Bomb, their next album that didn’t go anywhere. The Tubes’ main man, Fee Waybill, did record his solo debut, Read My Lips, with Foster in 1984. It was poorly promoted by the label, but it honestly lacked the group’s eclectic musicianship. As good as it was, it didn’t match the heights of the previous two efforts by the group under Foster’s masterful production.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/let_s_make_some_noise.mp3|titles=Let’s Make Some Noise|artists=Fee Waybill]

Lead & Backing Vocals: Fee Waybill
Synthesizers: David Foster & Mike Cotten
Keyboards: David Foster & Vince Welnick
Drums: Prairie Prince
Guitar & Backing Vocals: Bill Spooner & Roger Steen
Bass: Rick Anderson

Background Vocals: Bill Champlin, Bobby Kimball,
Produced by David Foster

Lyrics

There you sit, waiting for someone
But is that perfect stranger gonna come?
It’s a lonely world out there when you’re all alone

Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight, tonight
Let’s make some noise

Cut through your walls, don’t act so dumb
We ain’t gonna quit ’til we have some fun
You and I could make that party scene

Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight, tonight
Let’s make some noise

Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise

Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise

Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight, tonight
Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)

Let’s make noise tonight
Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight, tonight

Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight

Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise
Let’s make some noise

Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight, tonight

Let’s make some noise
(Let’s make some noise)
Let’s make noise tonight
Let’s make noise tonight, tonight