To me, this song and sound is the Los Angeles sound of the early 80's. What a time it must have been; cruising around the L.A. area, convertible or windows down, summer of 1981, blasting music and this one in particular. Anyone have or had that experience
According to a few Tubes members in an interview at the time, it was climbing the charts, them, once people realized it was the Tubes, it sank like a rock off the charts.
@@superbassomatic I didn’t even know who the Tubes were at the time, someone at my (boarding) school had a copy of the album which we listened to on repeat. I was surprised years later to find out that the Tubes had a “reputation”.
Feels so funny to watch this, ahem, cheesy 80s video, but at the same time listening to this great piece of music. The right words, the right harmonies, the right arrangement. Excuse me while i push repeat.
I really loved this song, Bill Spooner was such a great talent, to me, he was the soul of the band. And let's face it, with the Tubes, you either got them or you didn't... I always "did" get them!
You know have to tell you I was 15 years old when I saw the tubes at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown Pennsylvania such a great show and this is my favorite song from The Tubes
I never "got them" but understood enough when I first discovered them. Neighbor had a summer party n a Tubes 8 track (!) was lying around. Remote Control (?) n Prime Time was the single from it, I think. This was 1979; I was 10. Next yr saw them in Xanadu...weird but ok. And 1981 they went mainstream, away from Theatrical rock. That's my knowledge but a great band nonetheless....
Seriously, one of the most harmonically sophisticated power ballads of all time. Sure, the thunder at the end of the bridge is a little much, but ... perfection.
Notice the same. During the chorus "wait any more". Some kind of inverted chord voodoo? Definitely not a dominant harmonics as usual but is the hook of the song if you ask me.
I never knew Bill Spooner sang the lead on this. Wow 37 years later. I remember this while driving up to a music camp in Wisconsin the summer of 81. My summer of great memories.
I was a Tubes fanatic. I had all their albums. I just about flipped when I won tickets to see them from Charles Laquideria's The Big Mattress on WBCN in Boston. That was a monumental big deal for a girl from NH. Completion Backward show...prairie prince's drums moved all over the stage. I was in love with Spooner because of this song. Fee doing White punks as Quay. $#+! was solid and one of my favorite shows.
The first I'd heard of or seen The Tubes was back in '81 when they were a guest on Tom Snyder's late night talk show. They came out wearing business attire (like what Bill is wearing in this video) and performed this song. I was blown away and the next day bought the album - The Completion Backward Principal. To this day - 42 years later, I'm still listening to that album and this song still gives me chills. Good music is forever.
One of the greatest rock bands of all time ...fact! stupendous song from a stunning album that for me defined the 80's. Spooner is a legend! id kill to see the Tubes play with him back in the band!
I was honestly shocked to find Foster was the producer on this. My first guess was Todd Rundgren based on the key changes and complex harmonies. I can’t believe I never heard the song before this week. Absolutely fantastic.
It's kind of funny to think that The Tubes were intentionally trying to create an album that would skyrocket them to fame and probably wrote some songs that they never would have thought about writing because they were too commercial. This song obviously has a pretty strong "cheese factor" and yet they pull it off just because it's so damn good.
Not only did this album came out in April, 1981, it was recorded in August, 1980! A year ago, I wrote to The Tubes about the the museum page being taken down, it was due to a new page that they had created. They were having a 38th anniversary of The Completion Backward Principle album and tour. And they asked me if I had any questions. I asked them if they had any songs off of The Completion Backward Principle album on their set list including Talk To Ya Later on a show at the Palace Of Fine Arts on October 5, 1980, but they didn't remember, and they couldn't fine the set list from that show from their concert collection. But one member told me that he knows that The Completion Backward Principle was recorded in August, 1980. I believe that it was Fee Waybill that was talking to me through the responding letter. You should listen to 1983's Outside/Inside (A.K.A. She's A Beauty) in which he said it was recorded in 1982! It's a more powerful album, sounds more ahead of time. Like 1986ish. You should also listen to Roxy Music's 1980's Flesh + Blood album. It sounds like to me it was recorded in 1983. And The Buggles, the group that had a hit with Video Killed The Radio Star, which was the first video ever played on MTV. The song from their first album, The Age Of Plastic. Released in 1980. Their second album, Adventures In Modern Recording, released in 1981, They were way, way ahead of their time when they were recording that album. And it sounds like more like 1986-87! You can probably find it on you tube. Also, If you remember The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Listen their album called Next, released in 1973. It sounds like 1977.
Yeah...several artists from that era were more fwd n progressive than others/peers. Can hear it now...this could've been released in 83-84 n been fine. Who knows? Maybe could've charted higher than #35 on the Top 40.
Saw The Tubes open for SRV at Philly's Mann Music Center back in the day. Fantastic show, under appreciated group. 70 years old now... and this song STILL gives me chills!
One of the best tunes from The Tubes. Though they had many great songs in their day back in the 80's. I was so fortunate that I got to see them with Eddie Money back in the mid 80's! What a decade for great music. I sure miss the 80's.....
In 1980, I was 20, left America for Ireland to sow my wild oats, fell gob smacked in love with a woman from Tipperary, Ireland. I left her and Ireland twice... once with her then leaving Ireland in 1980. I heard this song in 1981 in America and mourned the time lost of time and the future
Sadly I only heard this for the first time yesterday…in 2021, and I’m a musician? Wtf? What a great song and think about this came out 3 years before foreigners I want to know What love is”. To me, similarities?
Dripping in sincerity😏 Seems like they just wanted to show the industry they could do any genre to a high standard so long as tongues were kept firmly in cheek
#35 on the Top 40 charts summer of 81. David Foster's keys n production....that sound of Los Angeles bc of his many involvements musically. That big keyboard sound.
Remember I was in the RAF working on F4 Phantoms in the Hanger and over the Tannoy they kept playing this song on Radio 1, nobody knew who it was, after many years a friend played it to me and I just had to know who sung it and he said it was the Tubes, I remember saying to myself thats the same Band that sung white punks on dope - Anyway I luckily got to recount that story to Fee Waybill after a gig in Annapolis
This hit is from my youth! I was almost 14 and in High School. I haven't listened to this for years and I am so glad to have found it again. I'm going down memory lane listening to this right now...
The Tubes were always overlooked !! They had a lot of really good songs. I love everything they have ever done. "completion backwards principle"...my fav... still listening...9/10/2021
Now I hear the keyboards that became so prevalent on Chicago recordings later on in the 80's. WOW!! David Foster? Hmm...but THIS IS A MASTERPIECE!!! Great Band-Great Tune!!
The harmonies really do it for this tune. Spooner really shows some chops with these vocals. Perhaps the Tubes could have spread the lead vocals around a little. It sounds like Bill could have been a more prominent vocalist for the band on certain tracks. No insult to Fee. Love the band.
Anybody else think that Bill Spooner has a stark resemblance to the character "Gary" played by Lawrence Monoson in the 1982 "classic" (lol) film "The Last American Virgin" ? ... Well, ..SOITENLY !!! .... :^]
