TOWER OF POWER
Le fait que son fondateur Emilio Castillo soit natif de Détroit n'est pas étranger au fait que cette formation, éclectique par ses goûts et les origines culturelles de ses membres, se soit fait connaitre dans la région de San Francisco sous le nom des Motowns avant d'opter pour Tower of Power en 1969.
Le groupe marque sa préférence pour le funk dans une ville marquée par l'héritage du rock, Tower of Power débute sa carrière sur la scène du Fillmore West avant d'enregistrer son premier album, East Bay Grease en 1970.
Pris sous contrat par Warner, la formation enchaine les recueils dont Bump City (enregistré à Memphis en 1972 avec You're Still A Young Man), Tower of Power (disque d'or en 1973 avec So Very Hard To Go), Back To Oakland en 1974 et Urban Renewal en 1975, sont les plus marquants.
You're Still A Young Man
So very Hard To Go
Après un passage chez Columbia au cours de la seconde moitié des années 1970 qui voit le succès ralentir, Tower of Power retourne chez Warner avant de très vite signé avec Epic pour l'album T.O.P. en 1993.
Malgré une fluctuation constante au sein de la section cuivre du groupe, celle-ci est toujours restée soudée, ce qui leur a permis de vendre leurs services, en studio comme en tournée, à des des artistes très divers, depuis Rufus & Chaka Khan jusqu'à Elton John. Une succession rapide de chanteurs à en partie freiné la progression de l'orchestre ; après Rufus Miller, Rick Stevens a longtemps assuré la direction vocale de la formation avant que la condamnation pour meurtre de ce dernier n'amène Lenny Williams à lui succéder de 1972 à 1975.
Depuis son départ, Tower of Power n'a jamais trouvé un vocaliste capable d'assurer son avenir sur les charts, mais l'orchestre se contente de l'excellence de sa réputation dans le métier du disque.
> TOWER OF POWER <
source : Encyclopédie du Rhythm & Blues et de la Soul (éditions Fayard, 2002)
1970 / East Bay Grease
A1. Knock Yourself Out
A2. Social Lubrication
A3. The Price
B1. Back On The Streets Again
B2. The Skunk, The Goose, And The Fly
B3. Sparkling In The Sand
1972 / Bump City
A1. You Got To Funkifize
A2. What Happened to the World That Day?
A3. Flash in the Pan
A4. Gone (In Memory Of Jacqueline Mesquite)
A5. You Strike My Main Nerve
B1. Down To The Nightclub
B2. You're Still A Young Man
B3. Skating On Thin Ice
B4. Of The Earth
1973 / Tower Of Power
A1. What Is Hip?
A2. Clever Girl
A3. This Time It's Real
A4. Will I Ever Find A Love?
A5. Get Yo' Feet Back On The Ground
B1. So Very Hard To Go
B2. Both Sorry Over Nothin'
B3. Soul Vaccination
B4. Clean Slate
B5. Just Another Day
1974 / Back To Oakland
A1. Oakland Stroke...
A2. Don't Change Horses (In The Middle of a Stream)
A3. Just When We Start Makin' It
A4. Can't You See (You Doin' Me Wrong)
A5. Squib Cakes
B1. Time Will Tell
B2. Man from the Past
B3. Love's Been Gone So Long
B4. I Got the Chop
B5. Below Us, All the City Lights
B6. ...Oakland Stroke
1974 / Urban Renewel
A1. Only So Much Oil In The Ground
A2. Come Back, Baby
A3. It's Not The Crime
A4. I Won't Leave Unless You Want Me To
A5. Maybe It'll Rub Off
B1. (To Say The Least) You're The Most
B2. Willing To Learn
B3. Give Me The Proof
B4. It Can Never Be The Same
B5. I Believe In Myself
B6. Walkin' Up Hip Street
1975 / In The Slot
A1. Just Enough And Too Much
A2. Treat Me Like Your Man
*
A3. If I Play My Cards Right
A4. As Surely As I Stand Here
A5. Fanfare: Matanuska
A6. On The Serious Side
B1. Ebony Jam
B2. You're So Wonderful, So Marvelous
B3. Vuela Por Noche
B4. Essence Of Innocence
B5. The Soul Of A Child
B6. Drop It In The Slot
1976 / Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now
A1. Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now
A2. By Your Side
A3. Make Someone Happy
A4. Doin' Alright
A5. Because I think the World Of You
B1. You Ought To Be Havin' Fun
B2. Can't Stand To See The Slaughter
B3. It's So Nice
B4. Deal With It
B5. While We Went To The Moon
1978 / We came To Play
A1. We Came To Play
A2. Lovin' You Is Gonna See Me Through
A3. Let Me Touch You
A4. Yin-Yang Thang
B1. Share My Life
B2. Bittersweet Soul Music
B3. Am I A Fool
B4. Love Bug
B5. Somewhere Down The Road
1979 / Back On The Streets
A1. Rock Baby
A2. Our Love
A3. Heaven Must Have Made You
A4. And You Know It
A5. Nowhere To Run
B6. Something Calls Me
B7. It Takes Two (To Make It Happen)
B8. In Due Time
B9. Just Make A Move (And Be Yourself)
1981 / Direct
A1. Fanfare / You Know It
A2. You're Gonna Need Me
A3. Squib Cakes
B1. That's Why I Sing
B2. What Is Hip?
B3. Never Let Go Of Love
1987 / Power
A1. Baby's Got The Power
A2. Credit
A3. Some Day's Were Meant For Rain
A4. Boys Night Out
B1. Ball And Chain
B2. Through Lovers' Eyes
B3. Count On Me
B4. On The One
B5. Up Against Yourself
1991 / Monster On A Leasch
A1. Little Knowledge (Is A Dangerous Thing)
A2. How Could This Happen To Me
A3. Who Do You Think You Are
A4. Attitude Dance
A5. You Can't Fall Up (You Just Fall Down)
A6. Funk The Dumb Stuff
B1. Believe It
B2. Personal Possessions
B3. Miss Trouble (Got A Lot Of Nerve)
B4. Keep Your Monster On A Leash
B5. Someone New
B6. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
1993 / T.O.P
A1. Soul With A Capitol 'S'
A2. It All Comes Back
A3. Please Come Back To Stay
A4. The Real Deal
A5. Come To A Decision
A6. Cruise Control
A7. The Educated Bump (Part 1)
B1. Mama Lied
B2. Quiet Scream
B3. I Like Your Style
B4. You
B5. South Of The Boulevard
B6. Come On With It
B7. The Educated Bump (Part 2)
1995 / Solded Out
A1. Souled Out
A2. Taxed To The Max
A3. Keep Comin' Back
A4. Soothe You
A5. Do You Wanna (Make Love To Me)
A6. Lovin' You Forever
B1. Gotta Make A Change
B2. Diggin' On James Brown
B3. Sexy Soul
B4. Just Like You
B5. Once You Get A Taste
B6. Undercurrent
1997 / Rhythm And Business
01. So I Got To Groove
02. Crazy For You
03. East Bay Way
04. Unconditional Love
05. You Do The Math
06. The More You Know
07. Recapture The Magic
08. What's Your Trip?
09. Rhythm & Business
10. Don't Knock Me Down
11. That Was Then And This Is Now
12. It Really Doesn't Matter
13. Spang-A-Dang
2003 / Oakland Zone
1 Eastside
2 Give Me Your Love
3 Get What You Want
4 Could've Done It Better
5 This Type of Funk
6 Pocketful of Soul
7 Remember Love
8 Oakland Zone
9 Life Is What You Make It
10 Happy 'Bout That
11 Stranger In My Own House
12 Back In the Day
13 Page One
14 ...Eastside
