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

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