Tube Bar prank calls

The Tube Bar prank calls are a legendary series of prank calls. Performed in the mid-1970s, John Elmo and Jim Davidson made a number of phone calls to the Tube Bar in Jersey City, asking the proprietor if they could speak to a named customer. The given names were homophones for other, often offensive, phrases. Recordings of the calls circulated widely on bootleg tapes, and were the inspiration for a running gag in The Simpsons.

History

In the mid-1970s, two young men, John Elmo and Jim Davidson (later known collectively as The Bum Bar Bastards, or BBB), began calling a bar named the Tube Bar which was located in Jersey City, New Jersey in Journal Square. The Tube Bar was owned by heavyweight boxer Louis "Red" Deutsch, and most of the time, Deutsch was the person who answered the calls. During each call, the callers would ask Deutsch to call out fictitious names, which, when said aloud, sounded like something else entirely (for example, "Al Coholic" = alcoholic, "Ben Dover" = bend over, or "Cole Kutz" = cold cuts). Most of the time, Deutsch would call out the names, unaware that he was being subjected to a prank. Sometimes, however, Deutsch would catch on to the prank, and when he did, he responded with extreme hostility, shouting at the caller with profanity, obscene sexual references, usually involving the caller's mother, and threats of physical harm. He would say things such as, "I'm gonna break dem bones in your feet, so you'll never be able to walk right again!" As well as, "I'll cut your belly open and show you all the black stuff you got in there!"

In an act of apparent desperation, Red also claimed that he would reward the caller with $100 if they would "come on down" to the bar and show his face, or meet Red at a place of their choosing. Red eventually raised the reward to $500, in hopes of enticing the young men, but the callers never collected their reward.

Although Elmo and Davidson initially said that they had picked the Tube Bar at random out of a phone book, they later admitted that they had passed by the bar several times while still in high school, and had developed a fascination with Red ever since they saw him yelling at his patrons. They recorded the calls that they made on tape. Unbeknownst to Elmo and Davidson, the tapes they had made were beginning to circulate among their friends, and their friends' friends, becoming an underground sensation.

By the 1980s, the equipment managers of several Major League Baseball teams had shared copies of the tapes, which had become known unofficially as the Red Tapes or Tube Bar Tapes. The tapes' popularity spread throughout the league, branching out to other professional sports leagues, and then to sports reporters and into the media. By 1981, one of the Bastards' gags ("Mike Hunt") was incorporated into the movie Porky's. Animator Matt Groening had obtained a copy and incorporated the phone high jinks into a running gag on The Simpsons with barkeeper Moe Szyslak, who is based on Deutsch. Several New York City alternative rock record labels released various edits of the tapes on vinyl, before the Bum Bar Bastards came forward in the 1990s to copyright the tapes. The Bastards later released their own "official" version on CD which is now available for purchase on iTunes.

Discography

Albums

Album information
The Tube Bar Released: 11/6/88 Label: : TeenBeat Records Notes: : Unauthorized release copied from the original leaked bootleg tapes.
Tube Bar (1993) Released: 1993 Label: : Detonator Notes: : Detonator Records had signed an agreement with the BBBs, however they wound up violating the contract which resulted in the BBBs releasing their own albums and versions.
Tavern Tour Released: 1997 Label: : Padded Cell Productions Notes: : After Detonator Records violated the agreement, the BBB's released their second album under their own label.
Bum Bar Bastards Special DVD/CD Collector's Edition Released: 9/1/04 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : After the failed Tavern Tour release, the BBB's put together a new album this time with T.A. Productions. This was one of the industries first video/audio combo sets (hence the DVD/CD title) instead of the now standard CD/DVD. The first 25 copies printed were personally autographed by the BBBs.
Tube Bar Collector's Edition [2-CD Set] Released: 1/1/06 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : CD Version reissue of the DVD Video's audio.
Drunk, Dirty and Disgraceful Released: 10/30/06 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : CD version of the third album from the BBBs with previously unreleased Tube Bar Calls.
Tube Bar Red's Bootleg Tape (Remastered) Released: 9/6/07 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : CD Remastered version of the 24 minute Bootleg recording.
Tube Bar (album) Released: 9/6/07 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : CD reprint of Tube Bar Collector's Edition Disc 1.
Tube Bar Collector's Edition DVD Released: 9/6/07 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : DVD reprint of Tube Bar Collector's Edition DVD.
Tube Bar 5.1 Surround Sound – Collector's Edition DVD Released: 04/04/08 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : Digital download only release that features enhanced 5.1 surround sound audio and a new music video featuring John Elmo.
Tube Bar Legendary Prank/Crank Calls (The Ultimate Collection) Released: 10/23/08 Label: : TubeBar.com Notes: : The "best of" compilation of 4 previous albums released under their sub-label TubeBar.com
Red's Tube Bar Christmas (Single) Released: 12/23/08 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : Digital download mp3 single of the "12 days of Christmas" song Tube Bar Spoof. The song was written and recorded by Bob Ryan and became a cult classic on YouTube Videos.
Tube Bar Prank Calls 35th Anniversary Collection Vol. 1 Released: 07/21/2010 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : This is a digital only release which contains the first half of all Tube Bar Calls in chronological order. Addtionally it contains a remix song by Charlie Benante who is the drummer for Anthrax (band).
Tube Bar Prank Calls 35th Anniversary Complete Collection (DVD+CD) Released: 09/01/2010 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : This is a DVD+CD Combo that features all 105 Tube Bar Calls as they were recorded in Chronological Order. Additional features include the RED movie by Chris Gore, a remix song by Charlie Benante who is the drummer for Anthrax (band) and some new animation and other rare videos. The DVD also features enhanced 5.1 Surround Audio tracks.
Tube Bar Prank Calls 35th Anniversary Complete Collection Released: 09/01/2010 Label: : T.A. Productions Notes: : CD only version of the 35th Anniversary, which contains all 105 Tube Bar Calls in Chronological order and a remix song by Charlie Benante who is the drummer for Anthrax (band).

Fictitious names used

Among the names used in the prank calls were:

• Al Brakyonek (I'll break your neck)
• Al Coholic (Alcoholic)
• Al Depanzyu (I'll de-pants you)
• Al Kaseltzer (Alka-Seltzer)
• Al Knockerup (I'll knock her up)
• Al Kykyoraz (I'll kick your ass)
• Al Killeu (I'll kill you)
• Al Rappu (I'll rap you, slang for "hit")
• Ben Debanana (Bend the banana)
• Ben Dover (Bend over)
• Bill Loni (Bologna)
• Billy McGuire
• Bob Wire (Barbed Wire)
• Butchie Pantsdown (Put your pants down)
• Clint Torres (Clitoris)
• Cole Kutz (Cold cuts)
• Connie Lingus (Cunnilingus)
• Dick Hertz (Dick hurts)
• Dick Yamada (Dick your mother)
• Frank N. Stein (Frankenstein)
• Hal Jalykakik (How'd ya like a kick?)
• Hank Deshank
• Hugh Douche (You douche!)
• Hugh Duct (You ducked)
• Hyma Domi (I'm a dummy)
• Izzy Cumming (Is he coming?)
• Jim Nasium (Gymnasium)
• Joe Dildo (Your dildo)
• Joe Mama (Your mamma)
• Joe Hardern (Your hardon)
• Lou Kout (Look out!)
• Mark Miewords (Mark my words)
• Marty Cone (Maricón)
• Mike Ocksmall (My cock's small)
• Mike Ockhurts (My cock hurts)
• Mike Hunt (My cunt)
• Mike Unstinks (My cunt stinks)
• Poncho Mouf (Punch your mouth)
• Pepe Roni (Pepperoni)
• Phil Miaz (Fill my ass)
• Phil Degrave (Fill the grave)
• Phil Lacio (Fellatio)
• Phil Mypockets (Fill my pockets)
• Sal Lami (Salami)
• Sid Down (Sit down)
• Stan Dup (Stand up)
• Stan DePain (Stand the pain)
• Stu Peit (Stupid)
• Tim Mara (Tomorrow)
• Willie Doit (Will he do it?)
• Willy Etter (Will he eat her?)
• Willie Facker (Will he fuck her?)
• Willie Faggo

External links

• Official BBB website
• Prantagonize magazine interview with Red's prank callers
• Legendary Tube Bar Recording by Mike Walsh
• Howard Stern Interview w/ Jim Davidson