Tower of Power

Tower of Power

Tower of Power, Buffalo, New York, November 11, 2008
Background information
Origin Oakland, California, United States
Genres Soul, funk, R&B, jazz, jazz-funk
Years active 1968–present
Labels Warner Bros., Columbia, Epic, San Francisco, SPV
Associated acts Cold Blood, Sons of Champlin, Santana, Doobie Brothers, Cat Stevens, Lenny Williams
Website www.towerofpower.com
Members Emilio Castillo
Stephen 'Doc' Kupka
Francis 'Rocco' Prestia
David Garibaldi
Roger Smith
Sal Cracchiolo
Adolfo Acosta
Marcus Scott
Tom Politzer
Jerry Cortez
Past members see past members

Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968.[1] There have been a number of lead vocalists, the most well-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted the band between early 1973 and late 1974, the period of their greatest commercial success. They have landed a total of nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100,[2] with highest-charting songs include "You're Still a Young Man", "So Very Hard to Go", "Soul With a Capital S", "Soul Vaccination", "What Is Hip?", and "Don't Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream)".[3][4]

History

In the summer of 1968, tenor saxophonist/vocalist Emilio Castillo met Stephen "Doc" Kupka, who played baritone sax. Castillo had played in several bands, but Castillo's father told his son to "hire that guy" after a home audition.[5] Within months the group, then known as The Motowns, began playing various gigs around Oakland and Berkeley, their soul sound relating to both minority and rebellious listeners.[3][6]

Castillo wanted to play Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, but he realized he would never get in with a name like The Motowns.[6] The band agreed on Tower of Power and the name stuck.[7]

By 1970, the now renamed Tower of Power—now including trumpet/arranger Greg Adams, first trumpet Mic Gillette, first saxophone Skip Mesquite, Francis "Rocco" Prestia on bass, Willie Fulton on guitar, and drummer David Garibaldi—signed a recording contract with Bill Graham's San Francisco Records and released their first album, East Bay Grease. Rufus Miller performed most of the lead vocals on this debut album.[3] The group was first introduced to the San Francisco Bay area by radio station KSAN, which played a variety of artists such as Cold Blood, Eric Mercury and Marvin Gaye. The single "Sparkling in the Sand" received airplay on the Bay Area soul station KDIA.

Augmented by percussionist/conga/bongo player Brent Byars, Tower of Power was released from their San Francisco label contract and moved to Warner Bros. Records. With Rick Stevens now replacing Rufus Miller as lead singer, 1972's Bump City gave the band their first national exposure. This album included the hit single "You're Still a Young Man", which peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Stevens' pinnacle vocal performance before leaving the band.[4] Emilio Castillo, who, along with Stephen Kupka, co-wrote "You're Still a Young Man," told Songfacts that the song was based on a true story concerning a former girlfriend who was six years older.[8] The single "Down to the Nightclub" received heavy airplay on West Coast FM stations and several AM stations.

Tower of Power, released in the spring of 1973, was the third album for the band. It featured Lenny Williams on lead vocals and Lenny Pickett on lead tenor saxophone. Bruce Conte replaced guitarist Willie Fulton and keyboardist Chester Thompson also joined the band during the recording of the album. This was the group's most successful album. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and was RIAA certified as a gold record (for sales in excess of 500,000 copies). The album also spawned their most-successful single "So Very Hard to Go". Although the single peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100,[4] it landed in the Top 10 on the surveys of many West Coast Top 40 radio stations, hitting #1 on many of them. The album also charted two other singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "This Time It's Real" and "What Is Hip?"[3]

1974's Back to Oakland spawned another hit, "Don't Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream)", that reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Time Will Tell", which charted at #69.[4] The funk-jazz classic instrumental "Squib Cakes" also came from this album.[9]

On Urban Renewal (1974), the band moved more toward funk than soul; however, they continued recording ballads as well. Williams left the band in late 1974, and was replaced as vocalist by Hubert Tubbs. Though the band remained popular, their days of chart radio airplay declined. During the late 1970s they briefly tried recording disco-sounding material.[3] Leader Emilio Castillo said in an interview that the band's brief foray into quasi-disco was at the request of Columbia Records, who had the band under contract at the time.

On January 12, 2017, long-time drummer, David Garibaldi, along with a bass player, Marc Van Wageningen, were hit by a train as they walked across tracks before a performance in Oakland.[2] They both survived the accident. According to their manager, Jeremy Westby, they are both “responsive and being treated at a local hospital”.[2]

Collaborations

The Tower of Power's horn section has appeared on a number of other artists' recordings such as; Otis Redding, Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, David Sanborn, Elton John, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, Michelle Shocked, Paula Abdul and Santana.[3]

Other performers that have been supported by the Tower of Power's horn section include electric slap bass guitarist Larry Graham's Graham Central Station, The Monkees, Grateful Dead, Santana, Journey, Elkie Brooks, Cat Stevens (on his Foreigner Suite), Luis Miguel, Linda Lewis, rad. (Rose Ann Dimalanta), Jermaine Jackson, John Lee Hooker, Helen Reddy, Rufus, Rod Stewart, Jefferson Starship, Mickey Hart, Heart, Damn Yankees, Huey Lewis and the News, Frankie Valli, Spyro Gyra, KMFDM,[10] Lyle Lovett, Poison, Phish, Toto, Pharoahe Monch, Brothers Johnson, and Sam The Band, among many other acts.[2][3]

The song "So Very Hard To Go" was featured in the soundtrack of the 2002 film City of God,[11] as well as Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro.

Band members

Current members

Past members

Tower of Power still tours extensively today, although there have been many changes in personnel over the years. At least 60 musicians have toured or recorded with the band over their 40-plus-year existence. These musicians include current Saturday Night Live musical director/saxophonist Lenny Pickett, David Garibaldi on drums, Francis "Rocco" Prestia on bass, organ master Chester Thompson, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Euge Groove, and guitarist Bruce Conte.

Victor Conte is Bruce Conte's cousin[12] and he played bass guitar in the band from 1977 until 1979.[12] Victor Conte went on to create the former nutritional supplement company Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) which was closed in 2003 after a sports drug scandal.[13] Victor Conte was replaced in the band by Vito San Filippo (later of the Joe Cocker band).

Former lead vocalist Rick Stevens (real name Donald Stevenson) was sentenced to life in prison on three counts of first-degree murder relating to a botched drug deal, crimes committed after leaving the band.[14] Stevens was paroled on July 20, 2012 after 36 years in prison.[14]

Bruce Conte joined the band as lead guitar in 1979 and rejoined in the 1990s, and has had an on again/off again relationship with the membership in the band.[15] In 2012 Bruce Conte announced he was battling leukemia.[15] Veteran guitarist Jeff Tamelier (on again/off again since 1997), Mark Harper (2007 until 2009), and Jerry Cortez (2010 until now) have been the guitarist for the band.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

Singles

Videos and DVDs

Note: Over the years, there also have been many television performances of Tower of Power aired though not released for sale. One worthy of mention took place in 1991, also part of the German TV live performance series Ohne Filter, Musik Pur, which included Tom Bowes (lead vocals) and the other then-current members. In 2011, Time Life released their November 10, 1973 Soul Train performance of "What is Hip?" on the CD The Best of Soul Train Live.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tower of Power Home". Tower of Power. 1968–2009. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Two Members of Tower of Power Hospitalized After Being Hit by Train". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tower of Power, Biography & History". AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Tower of Power - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  5. ↑ "Tower of Power–Band Profile". towerofpower.com. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  6. 1 2 "TOWER OF POWER". Yoshi's. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  7. ↑ Lacy-Thompson, Tony. "Tower Of Power Still Bringing It". RegardingArts.com. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "You're Still a Young Man". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  9. ↑ "Tower of Power: Back to Oakland". AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  10. ↑ Fortunato, John (1996). "KMFDM Ready to 'Xtort'". The Aquarian Weekly. Arts Weekly, Inc. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  11. ↑ "City of God Soundtrack". SoundtrackINFO. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  12. 1 2 Williams, Lance; Fainaru-Wada, Mark (2006). Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports. Penguin. ISBN 110121676X.
  13. ↑ Almond, Elliot (2013-09-02). "BALCO’s Victor Conte now realizes the errors of his past". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  14. 1 2 "After 36 Years in Prison, Tower of Power's Rick Stevens Returns to Sing". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  15. 1 2 Speer, Deborah (2012-09-10). "Tower Of Power’s Bruce Conte Battles Leukemia". Pollstar. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Tower of Power Discography". AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  17. ↑ "Discography". Tower of Power. Tower of Power. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  18. ↑ "The Best of Soul Train Live - Various Artists". AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-06-29.
  19. ↑ The Best of Soul Train Live (booklet). Time Life. 2011.
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