Scott: Tower of Power has always been a racially integrated band with a melting pot of cultures running through it. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Scott: Those are very awesome records. Our drummer David Garibaldi and bassist Doug Rausch of Santana were jamming on that groove. I wish that I would have embraced it earlier. I made every mistake you possibly could in the early years. My wife had to help me do everything. Not only did Graham ask them to play, but he signed Tower of Power to his San Francisco Records imprint, releasing the groups breakthrough 1970 debut, East Bay Grease., Coming up behind psychedelic rock acts like Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, Tower of Power came to be known for carving its own show-stopping R&B niche across the bay with horn-driven, era-defining hits like Down to the Nightclub and What Is Hip?, Weve always pushed the bar musically from a rhythmic standpoint, said Castillo, 67, a tenor sax player and vocalist, taking a breather at his home in Phoenix last week. Abrupt closure of S.F. But Seawind and Tower of Power pretty much became the go to sections for sessions along with the Memphis Horns. Thank God for YouTube. Cant fill the gap / Thats just where its at / Dealing with the plague / We dont know / Just how it should go / Solutions mighty vague / Feelin oppressed, completely distressed / Just cant change the news / Cant let it bring us down / Lets change our point of view. How are you doing now? Scott: Lenny stayed for three albums and remains, to this day after all these years the bands most recognizable lead singer. We have our own signature. Id love to. So, I brought him aboard and that proved to be a really smart decision. Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. I dabbled in it as well. All the stuff we did with Huey was really cool. Back then, most of the chords and music came from him and I was more the lyrics. Hornsby and Surack had already been impressed by Scott's performances with Tower of Power, but when he told . They relocated to L.A., became very popular on the session scene and did awesome work. To be honest, he hadnt been bringing his100% best to the gigs for a while only because his health was not good. Case assigned to Judge Biggers and Magistrate Judge Percy. Kicking it off is the slammin, sexy and sophisticated Soul of its lead single/video, Look in My Eyes. Also, in defiance of the COVID-quarantine, six past and present lead singers of Tower of Power united to record a Zoom-style video singing What is Hip in a powerful new arrangement that was a musical and historical TKO. Scott: What was going on in the Bay Area with cats like you and Mike Clark (Headhunters) that was triggering all of this insane Funk-Jazz drumming? They both suffered serious injuries but have since returned to the lineup. Mark and I hit it off when we first met over all the right things, he said. All normal stuff was officially off the table. And he knew all of us. Being a rebellious teenager, since I was force fed classical music, I didnt appreciate it like I should have. I was already working on this project, but I had to put it on hold because once I got into Tower of Power, I immediately started touring and then recording the latest Tower album, The Soul Side of Town. Good guys. I lost all feeling. I completely went as far away as I possibly could in the opposite direction which meant leaving the band. We finished the lyrics in one day. 159 views, 12 likes, 2 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Prime Time Entertainment, Inc.: Marcus Scott on vocals with Tower of Power Doc: While I was very studied in oboe, for bari I just listened to the songs of the day and figured out what the bari part was to the best of my ability playing along to the radio. From co-writing nearly all of the bands classic songs with partner Stephen Doc Kupka to monitoring the turnstile of musicians and especially singers that have come through T.O.P., he is a tireless soldier of Soul who stands proud to fan the flame of T.O.P.s mighty legacy. Scott: What were the most satisfying moments of collaboration for you outside of Tower of Power? He was Tower of Powers first manager. Rhythmically, I was working with the rudiment called The Swiss Triplet so my drum part was based on that mixed with Funk and Latin accents. When I dropped out of college, I was working as a roadie for a band called The Loading Zone and was on the scene. Hornsby agreed, saying, From a producing point of view, [Surack] and I are both heavily rooted in old school R&B music, so we were all on the same page and speaking the same language. In 1976, Stevens was convicted of murder for killing three people in a drug deal gone wrong in Los Gatos. (jwr). That song was written by our former and legendary bass player Francis Rocco Prestia with Tom Schuman, the keyboard player of Spyro Gyra. In the beginning, my brother and I started a band. We Publish News 24/7. As if to prove the potency of that healthy mix, Tower of Power is marking its 50th year in 2018 with a new album, Soul Side of Town, a new lead singer, and the blended blast of its five horns still as polished as a mint condition Conn. Four members from the 1968 line-up are back on the stand and in good health. Id already recorded So Very Hard to Go and knew that song was perfect for Lennys voice because when I was writing it, I had already written some songs with him and knew the way he sang. We have our own voice. When I woke up, I remember saying, Oh, no, realizing what had happenedand I knew that it was really messed up. We never really spoke about what we do together. Take Ooo Baby (Smokey Robinson) simple but beautiful. Hornsby and Surack had already been impressed by Scotts performances with Tower of Power, but when he told them that he had written his own material, they were intrigued. Doc: The gig we did with Aretha Franklin and King Curtis is my favorite gig we ever didby a long shot. David: Wellfrom a weird perspectiveI was knocked out for a few minutes. Doc: I had been thinking: what is hip? (A. Scott Galloway is a prolific Los Angeles-based Music Journalist who has been writing about the artform since1988 in many capacities, most prominently as a composer of over 300 liner note essays for classic album reissues and compilations including the Average White Bands Soul Searching, The Very Best of the new Birth, Inc., Minnie Ripertons Petals, The Dells Freedom Means, Curtis Mayfields Superfly, The Isley Brothers Complete RCA and T-Neck Records Recordings and David Sanborn: Anything You Want The Warner Reprise Elektra Years. Update my browser now. Whats hip today might become pass. That line was the glue that put that song together. When it came to the horns, we would do a head chart. I studied mallet percussion (marimba, vibraphone and xylophone) in school. Born and raised in a city that is well known for world class soul music, Marcus Scott is the real deal. Tower of Power is an American R&B and funk based band and horn section, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968. I wrote to the demo. Everything was open. Emilio: I remember the session but not the album or the track. We go on the road together, hang together backstage, call each other all the time. At that time, I enjoyed playing in Broadway shows like The King & I and Oklahoma. I did well with oboe, playing with the University of California Symphony Orchestra. and everything seemingly falls into place. I told the guys, Lets just go back to doing it the way we do it: writing songs, trying them out on the audience then keep perfecting them. We became passionate about making music our way. And yet, Tower of Power represents authentic Soul music of its own creation that is the real thing through and through. What blew my mind was how it sounded once we added a choir to that song. We had a singer in the early` 90s named Tom Bowes who said, You could play the phone book and it would still sound like Tower of Power!. From that moment on, I knew Id be OK. That thought helped me to heal and get back to my life.. He would book the Fillmore with four bands on one show but they would all be radically different. It didnt matter what color you were. Castillo still has vivid memories of meeting baritone sax player Stephen Doc Kupka that year at the Alameda County Fair over the Fourth of July weekend, and together forming the band with the express mission of getting to play at concert impresario Bill Grahams famed Fillmore Auditorium. A California man is forced to live in a country hes never known, Warriors lean into championship DNA, beat Kings behind sublime Curry, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Emilio Castillo: God did it and I just showed up! A Scott Galloway: Tower of Power holds a really special place in Black music in that 90% of the founding members are not Black. A window in a plane is designed so that part of the pressure differential created by being in the air can escape. Brent said he wanted to do a video of What Is Hip and for me to introduce it the way I do on stage: asking The Eternal Question Social Distancing Style! This fascination evolved into an insatiable desire to entertain and capture the hearts of audiences everywhere. *With their punchy 5-man horn-spiked instrumental sound, lyrics of timeless hipness, galvanizing history of dynamic lead singers and unparalleled Soul with a capital S, Oakland-based super band Tower of Power has been knocking audiences out around the globe since 1968 with stone-cold classics such as So Very Hard To Go, Youre Still a Young Man, Down to the Nightclub, You Ought To Be Havin Fun, Some Days Were Meant For Rain, Diggin On James Brown, This Time Its Real, Only So Much Oil in the Ground and, most notorious of all, What is Hip.. As the leader and heartbeat of Tower of Power, singer/saxophonist/songwriter Emilio Castillo has weathered many personal and professional storms to present authentic Soul music to generations of appreciative audiences. Joe stepped up and showed his production skills, his musician skills and his technology skills. Will Downing on New Song Following Daughters Suicide, Advice to Parents, TikTok Food Critic Regrets Houston Hot Chicken Review | Watch, Issa Rae and Shameik Moore Would Unalive Spiders Matthew Lawrence Opens Up About Hollywood Casting Couch & More | PicVideos. Emilio: Weve had a lot of great players, singers, managers, crew people a ton of alumni. I felt I had the parts down pretty close. But I got there eventually. We couldnt afford it anymore. I said o.k., did two songs with him and was really impressed. My dad always loved me and was really supportive. That was the instrument he decided I should play so I went for it. Soulful. By Gods grace, Bill Graham (legendary creator of The Fillmore) liked us and so did Dave Rubinson (famed Bay Area record producer). But Harvey insisted. Beyond the musicianship, hip arrangements and obscure covers they were doing, Roccos sound was a really big part of their unique sound in the bottom. you came up with your first song: Youre Still a Young Man, one of the most classic ballads of `70s Soul. But they were able to put their parts together in their home studios then send me the track. My album is called Back 2 Da Soul because we just wanted to get back to soul music. Would you like to come back to the band? Theyd never asked me beforeso I thought Id give it a try. And the line Smokin only the best weed was very, very controversial back then. We cut the tracks over with Bruce Conte on guitar and Lenny Pickett on tenor. Compelling. Big shift in weather is headed to California. Rocco Prestia Ive played with since I was 15. There are two actors in Peacocks departure. It is difficult to pinpoint a single reason for his departure; rather, it was a combination of several factors. Scott: Did your father being a doctor have any bearing on you later getting the nickname The Funky Doctor?. In the chat below, he discusses the broad range of styles that inform his playing, leaving and returning to the band four times, his relationship with former T.O.P. The next week, they were all playing into a mic and they kicked our ass! We just listened to each other and played. He came up to us after the show and said, I really like that James Brown song! That was the nicest compliment we ever got as far as Im concerned. It keeps changing. Eighth Degree 92 subscribers Subscribe 323 Share 43K views 6 years ago The Sound & The Legends that only come from TOWER OF POWER!. I wasnt perfectbut I was back playing this music again. Then Rhino/Warner Bros. started downsizing and I never heard about it again. These days actually for a long time when Im at home, I spend my time doing songwriting stuff rather than practicing the sax. He invited me to come hang out and wanted me to work on a solo project that Doc was doing. He totally agreed and told me that he wanted my voice to be the focal point. And I keep working to make it better every single day. DAY THAT SHOOK "BUMP CITY" San Francisco, CA- When Tower of Power made the announcement that lead singer Rick Stevens would be replaced circa late 1972 by a then unknown Lenny Williams, the then still in it's adolescent years Tower of Power fan base freaked out, "You can't replace Rick." Before we go any further, Rick sang Sparking In The Sand (with Skip Mesquite) on the debut East Bay . Compelling. After one months work. It was recorded over the course of the 2010s, and was released on March 20, 2020. Bill Graham (concert promoter/music impresario) had a lot to do with that. Sentenced to death, he was paroled by Gov. Downtown S.F. Weve had horrific things happen. And I didnt like it. Were brothers in sobriety, brothers in Christ and best friends for life like-minded souls. He and (bassist) Paul Jackson were already playing together. This website collects data from 97431 different reviews to give you an idea of which marcus scott leaves tower of power is really the best. Besides, who wants to be a cover band for your whole career anyway? These three words exemplify the sound of Marcus Scott. I heard the band (then The Motowns) and told him they were pretty good but could use some bottom in the horns. For a while, we felt cursed not being able to sound like other bands. The album also features Tower of Power's latest vocalist Marcus Scott, who was brought on after Carlos Santana lured away Ray Greene although Greene may drop in on the shows at the Fox. Theyre mixing it now and it came out really good. I have to play the whole album. He has a great personality and a lot of love for me, too. Scott: You recently did a video remake of What is Hip using six current and former lead singers of the group. Scott was replaced by lead singer Lenny Williams. That way we could own a song, make money off the song. It was chaos, Stevens said in an interview with The Chronicle in 2013. At 16, I really got turned onto Soul music which became my passion. To this day, he was the best manager we ever had. Describe for me your friendship and musical brotherhood with bassist Francis Rocco Prestia because you two were a special drum and bass lock. How does that all sit with you in your spirit about what you have been able to contribute to Black Music and what youve taken from Black music? David: First of all, Tower of Power is home for me. Hes very sensitive and quite a player. Stephen The Funky Doctor Kupka (pronounced coop-kuh) is the eldest member of Tower of Power, is a wise sage and, in some respects, its most identifiable member with his Alfred Hitchcockian visage, suspenders, shades, lid and funky-funky attitude. So, every time I came back to Tower of Power, thered still be dope and weirdness going on. We realized its a blessing that we dont sound like other people. My doctor told me, Luckily, you had no neurological damage, Dave. Issa Rae and Shameik Moore Would Unalive Spiders Matthew Lawrence Shaquille ONeal Releasing New Hip-Hop Track to Celebrate NBA Playoffs, Elon Musk Announces Charging Option for Publishers on Twitter. There have been a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted the band between early 1973 and late 1974, the period of their greatest commercial success. What made you fall in love with Black music? These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia. On its previous album, 2018s Soul Side of Town, Tower of Power proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary and putting the finishing touches on a commemorative DVD documentary that will definitively tell the true story from the inside out. This is the kickoff show of the 2022 year First Night performance for Mike Jerel Tower of Power Band Emilio Castillo - Band Leader - Tenor Sax Steven "Doc" Kupka - Baritone Sax David Garibaldi. His playing was great. The last time he was out for 18 years. There is no more complete source for urban news than the Electronic Urban Report. Castillo said the group has learned to roll with the punches. Emilio was also better at teaching songs to the guys. Emilio Castillo doing business as Tower of Power, Stephen Kupka doing business as Tower of Power and Mack Avenue Records II, LLC, US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, NOTICE OF ASSIGNMENT. In December 1974, Marcus Scott announced his departure from Tower of Power. Tower of Power continued to enjoy success with hits like "What Is Hip?" Now thanks to being off the road all this time due to the virusIve gotta practice! I was having drug problems with a couple of those guysso Willie and Skip went out but I let Rick stay. Soulful. If you close your eyes and listen to his voice you'll realize that Marcus is on a trajectory towards becoming a truly elite soul singer in the vein of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding. You get your bell rung like that and things change in your body. He always replies the same way: Neither can I!. Scott continued to release albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The APU is also used to recharge the batteries on board jet ski boats and other small watercraft. But when I got successful, he came to a show, Emilio dedicated Youre Still a Young Man to him and that made it good. That voice will be recognized by the city of Oakland with a Tower of Power Day celebration on the steps of City Hall at noon on Thursday, May 31, followed by a pair of homecoming shows at the Fox Theater on Friday and Saturday, June 1-2. The propelling, intricately syncopated parts he came up with for Tower of Power classics such as What is Hip, Knock Yourself Out, Down to the Nightclub, Git Yo Feet Back On The Ground, Soul Vaccination, Oakland Stroke and many more are the stuff that sends aspiring drummers deep into the woodshed. David: I was 23 when I joined Tower. Thats when I met Mike who was just a couple years older. Scott: You were the one who casually mentioned to Emilio that instead of doing all those hip arrangements of other peoples tunes that you should write your own songs though neither of you had ever done that before. Shes married to Joe so weve known him a long time. Inject . But in the mid-`60s, Sam & Daves Hold On, Im Comin came outJames Brown and Otis Redding. After the military, I decided to devote all of my energy to drum set, but all of that early training really helped me. How long has it been since May started off this cold in Bay Area? I told him about what I was hearing and asked, Why do you do that? He said, Well, I just think its what I should do. That was pretty intuitive to him. When we first started playing together, it was instant chemistry. Bringing back the soul At that time the band manager was Roland Barnett who was also The Loading Zones manager. I had a dear friend named Earvin Moore who let me hang out with him. The horn-fueled Bay Area R&B/jazz group . He died in 2017, the same year Garibaldi and bass player Marc Van Wageningen were struck by an Amtrak train crossing the tracks to get to a performance at Yoshis nightclub in Oaklands Jack London Square. Hes that kind of a quirky thinker. I love him with all my heart. Everybody was living together, eating together, making music together. I dont know if its true but I heard somewhere that If You Dont Know Me By Now by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes was somehow inspired by Youre Still a Young Man. Id like to think that it had something to do with it. The guys got 9 lives! I understand that hes recording a solo record now. The hole in the tail is so that the APU can unobtrusively generate power to help planes take off and fly. Tower of Power's sound changed significantly after Scott's departure. But hes never come back to record. This fascination evolved into an insatiable desire to entertain and capture the hearts of audiences everywhere. I also really like the line You done even went and found you a guru / In an effort to find you a new you. At the time the Yoga Nandi was really big, Transcendental Meditation, the Beatles and all that. Additionally, he was homesick; he missed his family and friends back home. Subscribe to Justia's Free Newsletters featuring summaries of federal and state court opinions. He's just 34 years old, but his voice and style evoke an era of music born before his time. A lot of unique players in a lot of unique bands. It was such a joy to see him over the last several years. Doc has been my partner in crime since I was 17 years-old. Pro Sound News recently spoke to Scott about the soul of Memphis and the importance of live presence in recording studios. Contact him via: [emailprotected]). Scott: I recall the Tower of Power horns and Seawind Horns playing together on one session for Harvey Mason on a song called Freedom Either Way (from Funk in a Mason Jar Arista 1977). However, there is still one lingering question: Who was behind the entire heist? My roots are really gritty, dirty, soulful-driven Southern music. Just like you said about Tower of Powers third album, I cant play just one song off of This Is My Country. He was Czechoslovakian on his fathers side and my mother was English and Scottish. Emilio: Marcus Scott is out of Memphis, Tennessee. Production-wise, you cant really arrive at that sound if everybody is cutting demos out of their own homes and sending each other filesbut if you are in the room with the other people, you can capture the spirit of it. They had excellent horn players. This is the ultimate compliment because you want the musicians to be happy. All that Thom Bell, Gamble & Huff stuff. We wanted to get that old school sound but put it in a modern context., 5501 US HIGHWAY 30 WEST, FORT WAYNE, IN 46818(800) 386-6434 // STUDIO@SWEETWATER.COM. It was in the way of everything. Theres us, the Seawind Horns, James Brown, Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears. Scott: How did you construct your drum part for the classic Soul Vaccination?. I figured with that instrument I might catch some opportunities. David: Rocco is a beautiful man with a beautiful heart and just a really cool guy. It was one of my favorite songs because when I close my eyes and listen to the song, it just captures every emotion and sends chills down my spine. It was the first song we put together that didnt have a traditional 2 and 4 approach to the drums. Finally, he was tired of the cold weather and longed for a change of scenery. I had broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, couldnt walk or feed myself and, realistically, I didnt know what to expect. Emilio: Marcus Scott is out of Memphis, Tennessee. He recognized that so they hired me. "Forever and a Day," a new musical by Marcus Scott and Steven Silverstein, will be part of the Downtown Urban Arts Festival's 20th Anniversary season, running June 1-June 25 at Theatre Row . E-mail: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF, Tower of Power: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, June 1-2. So, sit back, take your time and marinate in the compelling history of one of the last bands standing in Soulwith a capital S!. Beneath Michelin-starred restaurants success, landlord dispute is boiling. When I finally finished everything and was ready for Rick, he copped a real attitude So I told the guys we have to get another singer. Emilio tells the story that while we were playing, his father peeked in, asked him to come outside for a minute and told him, Hire this guy. He would tell his friends how well I was doing and how proud he was. It was early in the morning and we had played the night before at the Whisky or The Roxy. But King Curtis is my favorite saxophonist of all-time. For the past few years, Marcus Scott has been making a name for himself as the lead singer of the legendary band Tower of Power. marcus scott leaves tower of power May 31, 2022 Formed in August 1968, the group is centred around a horn section which originally featured tenor . Im grateful that I came from an integrated high school where they used to sing Daddys Home in the stairwell a cappella. Needless to say, its been incredible ever since. I have great relationships with all of them. Use the links below to access additional information about this case on the US Court's PACER system. The week before, we did a Grammy thing in Los Angeles: Tower of Power and King Curtis & The Kingpins. I was super excited and said, Im on my way now. I wore my double-breasted grey suit and polka dot socks, and auditioned with four songs; I already knew all the lyrics. Eric Clapton: Basically because Jack White was so into his volume, he didn't want to listen to any suggestions from the other band members. He just took it to another level. We have our own voice. And as if all that werent enough, Tower of Power are band ambassadors of the France-based Make Music Festival in which people from around the world professional and amateur are invited to pick up an instrument and revel in the joy and camaraderie of creating and enjoying music. He heard me in their playing bari scoops which really make a horn section sound better. Wed like it to be you. Lenny told me he rolled over in bed and told his wife, I think hes serious this time. I just started playing with them and the whole band. The songs are different because Towers songs are not really influenced by Memphis music. His writing is great. Drum set became my focus. It was love at first sight. In the series of in-depth interviews that follow and in the spirit of Black Music Month, L.A.-based Music Journalist A. Scott Galloway goes deep with Tower of Power founder Emilio Castillo plus legendary members Stephen Doc Kupka and David Garibaldi to break down secrets and rarely told stories about how theyve each been shaped by the bands connection to Black music, personal revelations, song origins and so much more. But . Scott was replaced by lead singer Lenny Williams.Tower of Power's sound changed significantly after Scott's departure. All those guys were there in the beginning of the development of Bay Area music. A Tower of Power show can last anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes. When I first joined the band, I made a lot of cassette recordings. That was a huge moment. In the interview below, he talks about his classical music roots, his passion for writing, and the bands overall contributions and takeaways to the sweet-sweet artform of Black music. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WHO WE AREThe news you want unfiltered.The Electronic Urban Report/EUR puts the most buzz worthy African American news at your fingertips. Is Marcus Scott still with . The plane broke due to a power surge, which opened a small tear in the side of the aircraft. bassist Francis Rocco Prestia, and how he has been able to get his own feet back on the ground after being hit by a train in January 2017. Scott: Do you think you will write a song about this crazy time America is struggling with right now? Emilio: Our business manager is Diane Ricci whos been with us 10 years. I didnt want a separate track of me recording to music being played backI wanted all of us to be in the room at the same time, where the drummer counts it off. So, I just started doing gigs with the band. Doc: Once again, Black music was the music that lit me up, but I like the Great American Songbook, too. Most commercial airplanes fly around 35,000 or 36,000 feet in the air. Scott: Did your father appreciate the direction in popular music? In 1968 its one thing, in 1972 its another. David; Well, its still a work in progress. But no matter what we did, we sounded like Tower of Power. Emilio: That was Docs idea. Memphis-born and bred Marcus Scott was indoctrinated three years ago as the new frontman and lead singer of the legendary R&B band Tower of Power, which is still making records and performing to sold-out crowds around the world after 50 years.

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