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Phoenix rock legends the Tubes mourn bassist Rick Anderson
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Prairie Prince
Bassist Rick Anderson (right) with the Tubes
Arizona’s music community lost a longtime member of a legendary band with roots in Phoenix. Earlier this month, The Tubes announced the passing of bassist and founding member Rick Anderson on Dec. 16.
The Tubes traced their roots to the Phoenix rock scene of the late sixties. The Show spoke with drummer Charles “Prairie” Prince, Anderson’s partner in the band’s rhythm section.
“Rick and I went to the same high school — Central — Bill and Roger went to Camelback High and they knew each other from that,” Prince said. “I think Fee went to Scottsdale high and we knew all the Alice Cooper guys — I think they went to Arcadia High — and so it was all sort of a big community of musicians that went to high school.”
The Tubes began as two Phoenix bands — The Red White and Blues Band and The Beans — both bands moved to San Francisco in 1969, then the nexus of rock and roll in America. In 1972, the two bands merged to form the Tubes and cultivated a sound combining the expansive orchestration of progressive rock with the over-the-top glam-funk dominating arenas — kind of a mash-up of Steely Dan and Roxy Music. In 1973, they were invited to open for Led Zeppelin. Prince described that experience:
“The crowd had been waiting in line for this event for a few days, so it was a bit surly out in front. And we went on at ten AM - this was early, just a day concert, and we went on at ten AM and did a full show . . . . and we started off with our character which was new - Fee Waybill as Quaye Lude - and so we started the show with Quay Lude coming out throwing candy and powder into the crowd saying they were drugs. It was not a good experience because once they found out they weren’t drugs, they started throwing it back at us. So we got bombarded.”
This led to a record contract and in 1975, the Tubes released their self-titled debut album, and the lead-off single “White Punks on Dope” reached 28 on the British Charts. They found chart success in America in 1983 with “She’s A Beauty” — reaching the top 10. The anthem became a soundtrack staple in television commercials and 80’s films.
The Tubes have been active and touring for fifty years, Prairie Prince indicated that while the band will continue to tour, it won’t be the same without Anderson.
“He was just the most wonderful human being, man. Funny. He was an incredible bas player, he came up with the most perfect parts. You know, we all wrote those songs together and he always came up with the bass parts and we just collaborated so nicely and I’m just gonna miss the guy so much,” Prince said.
Anderson performed on all eight of the Tubes albums and he can be seen performing with Olivia Newton John in the 1980 cult film, Xanadu. He was 75.
