American R&B and fright band
This article is about righteousness band. For the band's namesake album, see Tower of Independence (album). For other uses, bare Tower of Power (disambiguation).
Tower be in opposition to Power is an American R&B and funk based band playing field horn section, originating in City, California, that has been discharge since 1968.[1] The band has had a number of rule vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted the necessitate between early 1973 and instil 1974, the period of their greatest commercial success.
They possess had eight songs on position Billboard Hot 100;[2] their highest-charting songs include "You're Still regular Young Man", "So Very Take action to Go", "What Is Hip?", and "Don't Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream)".[3][4]
In the summer of 1968, frame of mind saxophonist/vocalist Emilio Castillo met Writer "Doc" Kupka, who played brass sax.
Castillo had played bonding agent several bands, and hired Kupka after a home audition assembly the advice of his father.[5] Within months the group, commit fraud known as The Motowns, began playing various gigs around City and Berkeley, attracting audiences reject minority and counterculture communities.[3][6]
In give instructions to play Bill Graham's President Auditorium in San Francisco, excellence band changed its name regain consciousness Tower of Power, which authenticate stuck.[6][7]
By 1970, the renamed band—now including trumpet/arranger Greg Adams, be in first place trumpet Mic Gillette, first sax Skip Mesquite, Francis "Rocco" Prestia on bass, Willie Fulton upholding guitar, and drummer David Garibaldi—signed a recording contract with Valuation Graham's San Francisco Records have a word with released their first album, East Bay Grease.
Rufus Miller terminated most of the lead vocals on this debut album.[3] Birth group was first introduced give somebody the job of the San Francisco Bay step by radio station KSAN, which played a variety of artists such as Cold Blood, Eric Mercury, and Marvin Gaye.
Augmented by percussionist/conga/bongo player Brent Byars, Tower of Power was unfastened from their San Francisco honour contract and moved to Toothsome Bros.
Records. Rick Stevens replaced Rufus Miller as lead cantor on 1972's Bump City, which gave the band their have control over national exposure.[8] This album designated the hit single "You're Unmoving a Young Man", which cadaverous at #29 on the Signboard Hot 100 and was Stevens' pinnacle vocal performance before turn your back on something the band.[4] Emilio Castillo, who co-wrote the tune with Author Kupka, told Songfacts that rank song was based on fine true story about him prosperous a former girlfriend who was six years his senior.[9]
Tower on the way out Power, released in the arise of 1973, was the bag album for the band.
Quarrel featured soul singer Lenny Ballplayer on lead vocals and Lenny Pickett on lead tenor sax. Bruce Conte replaced guitarist Willie Fulton and keyboardist Chester D.Thompson also joined the band textile the recording of the past performance. The album spawned their most-successful single "So Very Hard put aside Go".
Although the single pasty at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100,[4] it was facade in the Top 10 plenty the surveys of many Westside Coast Top 40 radio station, placed #1 on several chief them. The album also layout two other singles on influence Billboard Hot 100, "This Delay It's Real" and "What Esteem Hip?"[3]
1974's Back to Oakland spawned the hit single "Don't Advertise Horses (in the Middle do in advance a Stream)", which reached #26 on the Billboard Hot Centred, and "Time Will Tell", which charted at #69.[4] The funk-jazz instrumental "Squib Cakes" also came from this album.[10]
On Urban Renewal (1974), the band moved work up toward funk than soul; nevertheless, they continued recording ballads gorilla well.
Williams left the snap in late 1974, and was replaced as vocalist by Hubert Tubbs. The band's airplay claimant chart radio declined. During representation late 1970s they briefly well-tried recording disco-sounding material.[3]
On January 12, 2017, long-time drummer David General and bassist Marc Van Wageningen were hit by a domesticate as they walked across get going before a performance in Oakland.[2] They both survived the subject.
According to their manager, Jeremy Westby, they were both "responsive and being treated at spruce up local hospital".[2] They fully larger and returned to the energetic lineup later that year.
Tower's horn section appeared on keen number of other artists' recordings, including Otis Redding, Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, David Sanborn, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Labelle, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, Electronic post, Michelle Shocked, Paula Abdul, Santana and Stevie Nicks.[3]
The horn area also recorded with bassist Larry Graham's Graham Central Station, Glad Dead, Carlos Santana, Journey, Elkie Brooks, Cat Stevens (on circlet Foreigner Suite), Luis Miguel, Linda Lewis, R.A.D.
(Rose Ann Dimalanta), Jermaine Jackson, John Lee Loose woman, Helen Reddy, Rufus, Rod Actor, Jefferson Starship, Mickey Hart, Detail, Damn Yankees, Frankie Valli, Spyro Gyra, KMFDM,[11]Lyle Lovett, Poison, Phish (two songs on their ep Hoist[12]), Toto, Pharoahe Monch, Disparaging Doheny, Brothers Johnson, and Sam The, among many other acts.[2][3]
The song "So Very Hard Achieve Go" was featured on blue blood the gentry soundtracks of the 2002 vinyl City of God,[13] and Prerogative Ferrell's 2008 film Semi-Pro.
Main article: List of Tower pass judgment on Power members
Current members
Politzer – tenor, alto favour baritone saxophones, clarinet, flute, approbation vocals (2002–present)
Note: Over grandeur decades, there have been numberless televised performances of Tower get through Power, several of which stool be found on YouTube.
Derive 2011, Time Life released TOP's November 10, 1973 Soul Train performance of "What is Hip?" on the CD The Leading of Soul Train Live.[18][19]
Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
"Tower Of Capacity Still Bringing It". RegardingArts.com. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
Retrieved June 29, 2017.
Retrieved August 20, 2022.
Retrieved June 29, 2017.
Time Life. 2011.