Tower of Power (album)
| Tower of Power | ||||
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| Studio album by Tower of Power | ||||
| Released | May 1973[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1973 | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk | |||
| Length | 39:56 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Tower of Power | |||
| Tower of Power chronology | ||||
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Tower of Power is the third album release for the Oakland-based band, Tower of Power. This is their most successful album to date, which was released in the Spring of 1973.
Contents |
[edit] Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
The album peaked at #15 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart in 1973 and received a gold record award for sales in excess of 500,000. The album also spawned their most successful single, "So Very Hard To Go". Although the single peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, "So Very Hard To Go" landed in the Top 10 on surveys of many West Coast Top 40 radio stations, hitting #1 on most of them. Two other singles from the album also charted on the Billboard Hot 100: "This Time It's Real" and "What Is Hip?". It 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 also introduced the world to saxophonist and future Saturday Night Live band leader, Lenny Pickett, who was the youngest member of the band at the time.
[edit] Track list
All songs written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka except when noted.
- "What Is Hip?" (Castillo, Kupka, Garibaldi) - 5:08
- "Clever Girl" (Castillo, Kupka, Fulton) - 2:56
- "This Time It's Real" (Castillo, Kupka, Bartlett) - 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, Williams) - 3:25
- "Clean Slate" (Castillo, Kupka, Fulton) - 3:22
- "Just Another Day" (Conte) - 4:34
[edit] Personnel
- Greg Adams – Strings, Trumpet, Arranger, Conductor, Flugelhorn, Horn, Vocals, String Arrangements
- Brent Byars – Bongos, Conga
- Emilio Castillo – Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Vocals, Production Supervisor
- Bruce Conte – Guitar, Vocals
- David Garibaldi – Drums
- Mic Gillette – Trombone, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn, Horn (Baritone), Vocals
- Stephen "Doc" Kupka – Oboe, Saxophone, Sax (Baritone), Vocals
- Lenny Pickett – Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, Sax (Tenor), Vocals
- Francis "Rocco" Prestia – Bass
- Jay Spell – Piano
- Bruce Steinberg – Harmonica, Art Direction, Design, Photography, Illustrations, Cover Design
- Chester Thompson – Organ, Keyboards, Vocals
- Lenny Williams – Vocals
[edit] Charts
| Year | Album | Chart positions[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
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| 1973 | Tower of Power | 15 | 11 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[4] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Dance |
||
| 1973 | "So Very Hard to Go" | 17 | 11 | — |
| "This Time It's Real" | — | 65 | 27 | |
| 1974 | "What Is Hip?" | 91 | 39 | — |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "Tower of Power (Advertisement)". Billboard (Billboard Publications, Inc.): 1, 52. May 26, 1973. http://books.google.com/books?id=HgkEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r20346/review
- ^ "Tower Of Power US albums chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5677/charts-awards/billboard-albums. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
- ^ "Tower Of Power US singles chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5677/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
