Sam Phipps | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sluggo Phipps |
| Born | (1953-10-01)October 1, 1953 (age 71) California, United States |
| Genres | New wave,rock,alternative rock,ska,avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, clarinet, percussion |
| Years active | 1973–present |
Sam "Sluggo"Phipps (born on October 1st, 1953) is an American saxophone player, best known for being a member of thenew wave bandOingo Boingo.
Sam Phipps was born in Los Angeles, California. He playedpiano andtrombone from an early age, but an interest insurf rock lead him to begin playing saxophone at age 15. Between 1971 and 1972, Phipps attendedBerklee College of Music in Boston.[1]
Prior to the formation of Oingo Boingo, Phipps met future membersDanny Elfman andLeon Schneiderman while they were friends of his sister.[1][2]
While performing in Europe with singer and pianistAnnette Peacock,[3] Phipps was contacted byRichard Elfman and asked to return to the United States to play with the then theater group The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.[2] He playedtenor andsoprano 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.[4] During the early years of Oingo Boingo, Phipps recorded an album of original avant-garde jazz compositions entitledAnimal Sounds with pianistJohn Larkin.[3]
Following the breakup of Oingo Boingo, Phipps, along with Oingo Boingo membersJohn 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.[5]
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 bandOingo Boingo Former Members, led by drummer Johnny Vatos, playing songs from their Oingo Boingo career with vocalist Brendan McCreary.[6]
Phipps appeared as a member of Satan's band, alongside The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, in the 1980 filmForbidden Zone during the group's transformation period between being a theater group and becoming a rock band.[7] With Oingo Boingo, he appeared in theRodney Dangerfield filmBack to School, the punk documentaryUrgh! A Music War, and Longshot, as well as the music videos included inThe Best of Oingo Boingo: Skeletons in the Closet andFarewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheater, Halloween 1995. He also had a cameo alongside bandmate Steve Bartek in the 1998 comedy filmMeet the Deedles, for which Bartek composed original music.[8]
