Tones on Tail was a musical side project of Daniel Ash of the gothic rock group Bauhaus, along with art school friend, flatmate and "Bauhaus roadie" Glenn Campling in 1982. The band's name is a reference to the way calibration tones were recorded on the "tail" of reel-to-reel tape. After the breakup of Bauhaus in 1983, they were joined by drummer Kevin Haskins. Their music was described by one critic as "doom-and-dance-pop." The band disbanded in 1984 shortly before Ash and Haskins went on to form Love and Rockets.

In concert, the band sported all-white. Their track "Go!" was one of the sample sources for Moby's "Go". They did one short tour of the UK and North America.