Gary Cambra
| The Tubes | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Origin | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Genres | Rock, hard rock, experimental rock |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Past members |
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The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their eponymous 1975 debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope" while their 1983 single "She's a Beauty" was a top 10 U.S. hit and a frequently-played music video in the early days of MTV. They also performed in the 1980 film Xanadu, singing the rock portion of the cross-genre song "Dancin'" opposite a big band.
The Tubes formed in 1972 in San Francisco from two Phoenix bands after both relocated to San Francisco in 1969. The Beans featured Bill Spooner, Rick Anderson, Vince Welnick and Bob Macintosh, while The Red White and Blues Band featured Prairie Prince, Roger Steen and David Killingsworth. After playing Expo '70 in Japan, Killingsworth left the Red, White and Blues Band leaving Steen and Prince to audition bass players unsuccessfully. The Beans had been a local favorite in Phoenix selling out shows with a tongue in cheek concept rock show called "The Mother of Ascension" featuring costumes and props before moving to San Francisco. After moving, Bill Spooner worked at the Fillmore West sweeping floors in between Beans gigs at the Longshoreman's Halls and other depressing venues. The band's loud, heavy jamming style didn't attract attention and the band would go back to Phoenix and sell out shows to make rent. Bean's manager and former Alice Cooper Group drummer John Speer suggested they add Prince and Steen along with their roadie John Waybill for one of these shows. Waybill's nickname among the band was "Fee" short for "Fiji" thanks to his insane head of hippie hair.
"The Radar Men from Uranus" played the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix as well as a show in Mexico where they were run out of town by the police and Rick Anderson almost drowned after he was washed out to sea while swimming. The group would stick together and play shows at biker bars such as The Inn of The Beginning. The vocals at this time were shared by Spooner, Steen and Waybill as different characters. Prairie Prince and Phoenix high school friend Michael Cotten were attending art school at the San Francisco Art Institute at this time, they started attracting local press attention by painting a mural of crashing waves on the side of the Cliff House Restaurant. Cotten was asked by Spooner to buy an ARP synthesizer instead of a film camera and began to perform with the band as well as create props and costumes.
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Wikipedia