Sam " Sluggo" Phipps (born on October 1st, 1953) is an American saxophone player, best known for being a member of the new wave band Oingo Boingo.
Early life
Sam Phipps was born in Los Angeles, California. He played
piano and
trombone from an early age, but an interest in
surf rock lead him to begin playing saxophone at age 15. Between 1971 and 1972, Phipps attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.
[ Oingo Boingo Secret Society Newsletter Winter/Spring 1987 ]
Prior to the formation of Oingo Boingo, Phipps met future members Danny Elfman and Leon Schneiderman while they were friends of his sister.[ Oingo Boingo Farewell - A Brief History: Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo YouTube]
Career
Music
While performing in Europe with singer and pianist
Annette Peacock,
[ Discogs – Sam Phipps] Phipps was contacted by
Richard Elfman and asked to return to the United States to play with the then theater group The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.
He played
Tenor Saxophone and soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, percussion, and provided occasional backing vocals for Oingo Boingo from 1973 until the band's breakup in 1995. Oingo Boingo's odd mixture of pop, rock, ska, and varying world musical styles often featured the band's brass and woodwind instruments, giving Phipps the opportunity to perform solos that are reminiscent of the band's more theatrical and traditional origins.
[ Allmusic – Oingo Boingo] During the early years of Oingo Boingo, Phipps recorded an album of original avant-garde jazz compositions entitled
Animal Sounds with pianist
Scatman John.
Following the breakup of Oingo Boingo, Phipps, along with Oingo Boingo members John Avila, Steve Bartek, Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez, and Doug Lacy formed the rock group Doug & the Mystics, who released their first and currently only album in 1995.[ Discogs – Doug & the Mystics]
Although former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman has stated that there will not be a full reunion, several other members, including Phipps, continue to perform with the band Oingo Boingo Former Members, led by drummer Johnny Vatos, playing songs from their Oingo Boingo career with vocalist Brendan McCreary.[ Oingo Boingo Dance Party]
Film and television
Phipps appeared as a member of Satan's band, alongside The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, in the 1980 film
Forbidden Zone during the group's transformation period between being a theater group and becoming a rock band.
[ Buzzine – Oingo Boingo] With Oingo Boingo, he appeared in the Rodney Dangerfield film Back to School, the punk documentary Urgh! A Music War, and Longshot, as well as the music videos included in and . He also had a cameo alongside bandmate Steve Bartek in the 1998 comedy film Meet the Deedles, for which Bartek composed original music.
[ IMDb – Sam Phipps]
External links
