Tower of Power (album)
| Tower of Power | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1973 | |||
| Studio | Wally Heider (San Francisco) | |||
| Genre | Soul,[1] funk,[1][2] jazz-funk[1][2] | |||
| Length | 39:56 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Tower of Power | |||
| Tower of Power chronology | ||||
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Tower of Power is the third studio album by American soul and funk band Tower of Power. Released in May 1973 by Warner Bros. Records, the album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in 1973.
Background
Tower of Power marked the debut of Lenny Williams being the lead vocalist (though Williams had a solo career prior to joining T.O.P., plus he co-penned the song "You Strike My Main Nerve" from the previous album Bump City). Tower of Power was also the first Tower of Power album to feature future Saturday Night Live band leader Lenny Pickett, who was the youngest member of the band at the time, replacing original lead sax player Skip Mesquite. Also joining the lineup were organist/keyboardist Chester Thompson and guitarist Bruce Conte, who replaced original guitarist Willie James Fulton. Some tracks for the album, such as "What is Hip" were recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California in 1973.[1][2]
Release
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[4] |
Tower of Power was released in May 1973 by Warner Bros. Records.[5] The album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in 1973 and received a gold record award for sales in excess of 500,000.[6] The album spawned their most successful single, "So Very Hard to Go" which peaked at No. 17 during the week of July 28, 1973 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] Two other singles from the album also charted on the Billboard Hot 100: "This Time It's Real" and "What Is Hip?".[7]
Track listing
All songs written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka except when noted.
- "What Is Hip?" (Castillo, Kupka, David Garibaldi) − 5:08
- "Clever Girl" (Castillo, Kupka, Willie Fulton) − 2:56
- "This Time It's Real" (David Bartlett, Castillo, Kupka) − 2:54
- "Will I Ever Find a Love?" − 3:51
- "Get Yo' Feet Back on the Ground" (Fulton) − 4:52
- "So Very Hard to Go" − 3:41
- "Soul Vaccination" − 5:13
- "Both Sorry Over Nothin'" (Castillo, Kupka, Lenny Williams) − 3:25
- "Clean Slate" (Castillo, Kupka, Fulton) − 3:22
- "Just Another Day" (Bruce Conte) − 4:34
Personnel
Tower of Power
- Lenny Williams – lead vocals
- Chester Thompson – organ, backing vocals
- Bruce Conte – guitars, backing vocals
- Francis Rocco Prestia – bass
- David Garibaldi – drums
- Brent Byars – bongos, congas
- Stephen "Doc" Kupka – baritone saxophone, oboe, backing vocals
- Lenny Pickett – clarinet, flute, first tenor saxophone, backing vocals
- Emilio Castillo – second tenor saxophone, backing vocals
- Mic Gillette – trombone, trumpet, flugelhorn, baritone horn, backing vocals
- Greg Adams – trumpet, flugelhorn, string arrangements and conductor, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Jay Spell – acoustic piano
- Bruce Steinberg – harmonica
Production
- Tower of Power – producers
- Emilio Castillo – supervising producer
- Jim Gaines – recording, mixing
- Alan Chinowsky – mix assistant
- Bruce Steinberg – design, illustration, photography
References
- ^ a b c d Droney, Maureen (January 11, 2004). "Classic Tracks: Tower of Power's "What Is Hip"". MixOnline.com. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ a b c Payne 2006, p. 216.
- ^ Ron Wynn. "Tower of Power - Tower of Power - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 16, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "Tower of Power (Advertisement)". Billboard. Billboard Publications, Inc. May 26, 1973. pp. 1, 52.
- ^ Whitburn 1996, p. 789.
- ^ a b Whitburn 2003, p. 719.
Sources
- Payne, Jim (2006). The Great Drummers of R&B: Funk and Soul. Pacific, Missouri: Mel Bay Publications, Inc. ISBN 9781609745820.
- Whitburn, Joel (2003). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop albums, 1955-1996. Menomonee Falls, WI, U.S.: Record Research Inc. ISBN 9780898201178.