Oakland's Tower of Power is, without a doubt, my favorite band ever. With the world's best horn section and Lenny Williams' buttery vocals, ToP flipped the game with a unique combination of Oaktown funk and full-bodied soul. They are still on tour with some original members, but they were at their best with this diverse line-up in the early 70s. If you aren't familiar with the Tower then you're required to listen to East Bay Grease, Bump City, Tower of Power and Back to Oakland on vinyl to maintain your Town citizenship.
Below is a clip of Tower of Power on Soul Train in 1973. These clips ain't exactly HD, they're more like watching Channel 4 without cable at the house, but they will have to suffice for now.
Above: "So Very Hard to Go"- Tower of Power
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2 comments:
Yes, Tower of Power withstands the test of time. They are great music.
BTW, Lenny Williams is a big supporter of music in the San Leandro schools. Every December he puts on a great fundraising show, and I think he also does a golf benefit for the music programs. Last December his show had a full band including another original TOP member. They had everyone dancing.
Singer Tony Adamo's "What Is Hip" is a pleasant and refreshing project that reflects back on a legendary time in music history where REAL INSTRUMENTS were played. No Garage Band, Live, Fruity loops here buddy!
On top of that Tony and his Producer Jerry Stucker dared to cover one of the most famous songs to garner appeal from jazz enthusiasts, lovers of funk, and R&B. This is the type of music that SHOULD be on the radio as it was when "Tower Of Power" initially released it.
Urban AC radio and the few Jazz stations out there get on this one! You can believe we're playing it on Soundcheck!
www.strokeland.com
www.myspace.com/tonyrocadamo
Ken "Special K" Spellman
Founder / CEO - Soundcheck Incorporated
Ken Spellman - Founder / CEO - Soundcheck Incorporated
www.soundcheckny.com
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