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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 May 1973.

Tower of Power
Studio album by Tower of Power
Released	May 1973[1]
Recorded	1973
Genre	Soul, funk, jazz-funk
Length	39:56
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Tower of Power
Tower of Power chronology
Bump City (1972) Tower of Power (1973) Back to Oakland (1974)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	B[3]

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. The album spawned their most successful single, "So Very Hard to Go". The single peaked at No. 17 during the week of July 28, 1973 on the Billboard Hot 100. 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 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.

Track listing

All songs written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka except when noted.

1. "What Is Hip?" (Castillo, Kupka, David Garibaldi) - 5:08
2. "Clever Girl" (Castillo, Kupka, Fulton) - 2:56
3. "This Time It's Real" (David Bartlett, Castillo, Kupka) - 2:54
4. "Will I Ever Find a Love?" – 3:51
5. "Get Yo' Feet Back on the Ground" (Willie Fulton) - 4:52
6. "So Very Hard to Go" – 3:41
7. "Soul Vaccination" – 5:13
8. "Both Sorry Over Nothin'" (Castillo, Kupka, Lenny Williams) - 3:25
9. "Clean Slate" (Castillo, Kupka, Fulton) - 3:22
10. "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

External links

• Tower Of Power-Tower Of Power at Discogs

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