Anyone who slept on Lenny Williams, Tower of Power and this song must have been sleeping under a rock. They were AMAZING. I am still listening to them in 2023. BRAVO!!!
This is like James Brown's backup band on steroids. Can you imagine being in a small club hearing this? I'd be breathless! Kudos to the cameramen for excellent angles at just the right times -- unlike some of the crap you see on DVDs nowadays of live performances -- shots of drummer's feet while the guitarist solos, audience pans while the singer's peaking...
U N B E L I E V B L E !!! Absolutely the greatest "horn band" of all time. What a killer bunch of musicians. They were so awesome with Lenny Williams as lead vocalist. I mean, some of the other singers kept the torch burning, but no one could hang with Lenny.
súhlas a úspešný bol aj ako solový spevák v rebríčku R and B mal od roku 1975 do roku 1995 celkom 19 piesni. Najväčším hitom bola v oktobri 1978 Midnight Girl na 20.m., ktorá skončila v Billboarde na 102.m.
This band needed a vocalist that projected emotion. His singing voice has a certain urgency to it. It fits this mixture of Jazz, R&B, and Funk perfectly. They had a lot of hits together. The band is jamming and they are doing "Call and response" with Lenny. Lenny Williams is walking back and forth on the stage and singing like he is preaching. When you see the audience is getting into it, you know they are doing something special.
OMG thats the line-up I remember as a kid! Picket on the sax, Rocco and David, Chester, Mic, Greg, Doc, and Lenny!! Lady's and gentlemen, that's what funk is all about!
The tower of power one of the best diverse groups of the 70s with a great horn section and a great brother named Lenny Williams on lead vocalist Lenny is Arkansas boy and he can say what is hip
They were so very far ahead of their time. Glad I had such great taste in music for 13 years old. And for one great radio station that played it before it became HIP!!!
I used to see these guys at a dive called the On Broadway in Oakland in 71-72, monday nights for a ONE DOLLAR cover! Rick Stevens had just joined as the singer, Skip Mesquite was lead tenor, they were killer then now, it was heaven to see them up close in a small club. Now I can't even stay up that late!
Great music in the East Bay in the 70's; Tower of Power,Sly Stone, Pete, Coke & Sheila Escovedo, Pride and Joy, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood. All playing in small clubs. The East Bay music scene was every bit as good as San Francisco's and way funkier
10 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Dont Forget Mike Clarke & Paul Jackson from Herbie Hancock's Headhunters
Wonder where this is? Saw them 74ish in Vegas. Was supposed to be ZZ Top but they canceled and it was TOP instead. This kinda looks like that Vegas set. I was a runaway living on the LV streets and went by myself. Probably the only child in the room...
I never knew Lenny Pickett danced around so much! WOW! This is, in my opinion, the best Tower of Power lineup ever. (Still, I'm glad TOP is still up and strong making great music.)
AWESOME!!!!!! Brings back so much memories. . . TOWER of POWER, WAR, EWF, OHIO PLAYERS, COMMODORES, AVERAGE WHITE BAND . . . . when music was music and all was "HIP"!!!!!! :) DAMN. . the music of the 70s . . . .. was definitely hip :)
God bless Mic and thank you for your extremely artistic talent that brought us all together. Wish you were still here to help mend. You are now with the best in God's orchestra!
this was wihtout a doubt one of my favorite songs of my high school days... My first concert was Tower of Power and Herbie Hancock at the El Cortez in San Diego.... The experience shaped my decision to be in the industry.....
This is Tru Funk, The Grit. Chester Thompson, Garrabaldi is the funkiest Drummer of all time. Roco, what can I say? Bass Player of the Year more than once. Everyone uses the Horn Section. From Santana to Hornsby. School Trained Lenny Williams. Willie Fulton on Guitar. Outstanding. Even Rick Stevens. Real Music.
I saw TOP in a very small club in Huntington Beach in 1982. I thought the horn section of the band was literally going to blow us out of the place. It was GREAT!!!!!!
I was in the USC Trojan Marching Band and we played with these guys in the 1974 Rose Bowl game. What a great time we had, especially during preparations.
Nice, I saw them at Monterey Fair grounds. I was just 13 yrs. I remember getting a good look at Rick Stevens at front stage. I was really upset that he left. 😕
Ronda Fultz Skupina sa s nim rozišla pre drogovú závislosť a neskôr bol odsúdený za vraždu priekupníka s drogami.....na albume EAST BAY GREASE spieval solo v 9 minútovej piesni Sparkling in The Sand v ostatných piatich bol solovým spevákom Rufus Miller. Na albume hral na tenor saxofone Skip Mesquite, ktorý zomrel v roku 2010.
Ladies and Gentlemen from Oakland, California please welcome The Tower of Power.... up next Graham Central Station, Sly & The Family Stone, Pete Escovedo, The Pointer Sisters.... Whats you ideal concert up to 6 acts
I just saw TOP last night, and they're still tighter than a clenched fist, i can say that much. Even though i think only 3 of the original members are left, they're just as good as back in the day. They blew me away.
I saw Tower in this incarnation, as a Bay Area native, I have been digging them since 1969. How great to see this, it takes me back to those early days, and thank God they have David Garibaldi back on the drums for the last few years. Tower still rules the horn bands.
What can I say , these dudes are the tightest band ever to hit the stage. Lenny great vocal lead. So much talent in one group. Never ever to be duplicated. Dr. Doo Wop
The tower is overdosing on talent. Each individual is so damn awesome. It's truly one of the greatest bands ever. Late 60's early 70's can only be described as WHAT IS HIP💗🎵
Bad ass tune! Rocco Prestia's bass line is dope! One of Jaco's big influences. This band is still one of the funkiest band ever. Garibaldi funk is real!
I just saw TOP last night at House of Blues in Atlantic City. This makes three times that I have seen them this year and Larry Braggs is by far the best vocalist that they have had. He truly puts heart and soul in to EVERYTHING that he sings. LIDRUM4U - enjoy the show in NYC and if you get a chance, please tell Dave G that Gene Krupa's great nephew says hello sinc ehe didn' tcome out for meet and greet after last night's performance!
I saw these guys in concert at a Jazz Festival last February and wow they were absolutely and Positively Amazing I even got an autograped T shirt from the Bass player Wow!
First of all, Lenny Pickett is playing a tenor sax, but he also played baritone sax on several tunes such as "Soul Vaccination" and "Squib Cakes". Lenny Pickett was probably the most provocative original horn players in the T.O.P. horn section. I had the honor of seeing him play many times. And I actually had the opportunity to do monitor sound for them back in 2002. He is currently the music director for the Saturday Night Live Band. The consummate professional. Always a great attitude and it would rub off on the other members. T.O.P. is quite possibly the best funk band ever created with members of all creeds and color.
súhlas najlepšia soul funková skupina s najvyužívanejšou dychovu sekciou.....Lenny Pickett hral prvý tenor saxofon, alt saxofon a lyrcon a mal úžasný účes baryton saxofon hral v skuine výdy Steve Kupka Funky Doctor. Na album z ktorého pochádza táto skladba hral Lenny aj na flaute a klarinete
Tower of Power are the quintessential masters of funk/soul. It's so rare when you can get all these really ultra-talented musicians together on the same stage like this. When you go to local bars, the "original" bands and singer/songwriters usually display a very minimal amount of talent, just enough so that their non-musician friends really think they're something special. It kind of sucks that we are trapped in this American Idol culture where people tote a guitar on stage and stop playing their G, C and D chords 1/3 of the way through their song...and nobody cares. The standards in pop music couldn't get any lower.
eighta peach Yes thank you...The talent is hyper-focused on young, good looking hotties who can only sing. Record companies match them up with a team of producers and musicians and out comes the product, much like a bowel movement, no one really knows outside how the result is created.
OK I don't know if that is worth sharing or not, but anyway, they always told me if I couldn't make it by age 30, forget it. But you know, anybody who really cares about interesting, creative music doesn't become a pop star anyway. Rock is marginal, and country is the new rock, nobody cares about classic or 80s anymore. So we're left with Ariana Grande. Blah... She's just as good with mute on the TV set.
I bet you have some great shots of that night! This was when you really enjoyed music and didn't sell photos to the scandal rags. What a great time to be apart of great music.
Saw the Back to Oakland Tour in '74 -- concert finale featured huge CA freeway sign with title while band was finishing up What is Hip. Great band -- Lenny Williams the best vocalist -- gave them that high vocal they needed!
This is soooo bad, can't believe it! I love it...the organ solo and following breakdown are killing (and everything else)! Thank your for still funking out today:-)
Lenny Braggs has been the vocalist for the past ten years. If you want to hear how good a vocalist he is, find Tower of Power National Anthem - one of the best renditions you'll ever hear. Yeah Rick had that great raspy sound, but my favorite is still Lenny Williams.
And I almost forgot to mention David Garibaldi's incredible groovin' funky drumming here. (Maybe they just couldn't get cameras in there?) Again, thanks for posting!
@MikeyCapp -- Great memories indeed! In fact, I was the Stage Manager of the Brown Concert Agency that brought Tower of Power in back then, so it's particularly wonderful to hear that others still vividly remember the fruits of our labor, some 33 years later. Still occasionally spinning them on vinyl, here ... :-))
Love seeing them with all that hair. They were and always have been, awesome. See TOP quite often. From east bay. Jeff Tam..... and other TOP band members past and present are friends with different musicians from the bay area; specifically Pittsburg. See them around a lot; they love to play. I love to dance and listen to them. Exciting band. Went to 40 year reunion at S.F. Fillmore. Cannot say enough; awesome. Thanks for the video.
lenny IS the voice of TOP subsequently .... the band still great... but no other singer got it . He Is and will always be my favorite> His creation alone> Cannot Dupe that ever!
Historical moment and thanks for this! (Sadly ,didn't they know (the director?) that history was also being make by bassist Francis Rocco Prestia with his intense fingerstyle bass lines ?!!!) Long live the Tower!
All those great musicians from the 40's @50's gave their children talent and freedom to express themselves musically the same way swing and bebop took flight. when will we challenge our musical community that way again?
We used to do What is Hip in a ten piece horn band I was in. (I played guitar) Getting close to this level of tightness was a struggle and a pleasure. They're so good, and they make it look so easy.....WOW
I saw this group in Columbus, Ohio at the Agora on High Street located across from the Ohio State University School of Law. My ticket number was 0001. Lenny Williams had just left the group. For those who do not know, the album titled "Tower of Power was the 3rd album. The 1st was titled East Bay Grease." The 2nd album was titled "Bump City." Rick Stevens was the lead singer. The song that basically introduced them to the American public was "You're Still A Young Man."
Woolsey Hall, Yale, 1973(?). Windowpane. Sitting on top (balcony) of Chester. 2700 seats. Acoustics supreme. Maybe the best fxcking concert that I ever saw, and I've seen a lot of 'em.
I saw them in Kansas City, MO in summer 1974 at the Kool Jazz Festival at Royals Stadium. Had thousands in the aisles bumpin' to Squib Cakes...AWESOME!!!
Lenny Williams is the lead singer! Lenny Pickett is on tenor sax with the dancing feet! He is the musical director for Saturday Night Live and has been for years! Legends
A little reminder to y'all, this is a very rare clip for another reason... In the back is the one and ONLY Brent Byars on congas. He passed away at a young age and in respect, the Tower has NEVER EVER filled his slot. Brent will always be the one, the only conga player for the hottest dam* band to EVER grace a stage!!!
Anyone who slept on Lenny Williams, Tower of Power and this song must have been sleeping under a rock. They were AMAZING. I am still listening to them in 2023. BRAVO!!!
Me TOO! Since 1973 Washington DC
I was listening last weekend. Amazing
This is like James Brown's backup band on steroids. Can you imagine being in a small club hearing this? I'd be breathless!
Kudos to the cameramen for excellent angles at just the right times -- unlike some of the crap you see on DVDs nowadays of live performances -- shots of drummer's feet while the guitarist solos, audience pans while the singer's peaking...
It was about this time (73) that I saw TOP opening for Rod Stewart. What a show that was. Poor Rod, that was a tough act to follow
the era of the two Lennies, this is the tightest line-up ever!
Almost 50 years and they're STILL tearing shit up!!! baddest horns on the planet!!!!!
U N B E L I E V B L E !!! Absolutely the greatest "horn band" of all time. What a killer bunch of musicians. They were so awesome with Lenny Williams as lead vocalist. I mean, some of the other singers kept the torch burning, but no one could hang with Lenny.
Lenny Williams the best vocalist ever in this band!
súhlas a úspešný bol aj ako solový spevák v rebríčku R and B mal od roku 1975 do roku 1995 celkom 19 piesni. Najväčším hitom bola v oktobri 1978 Midnight Girl na 20.m., ktorá skončila v Billboarde na 102.m.
Yep, thats what the record sales indicate too! :). Best selling albums were with LW
That's right. He was hipper than hip!
This band needed a vocalist that projected emotion. His singing voice has a certain urgency to it. It fits this mixture of Jazz, R&B, and Funk perfectly. They had a lot of hits together. The band is jamming and they are doing "Call and response" with Lenny. Lenny Williams is walking back and forth on the stage and singing like he is preaching. When you see the audience is getting into it, you know they are doing something special.
Emilio...on his own words...say it was Rick Stevens...
I was amazed to see that the Lenny Pickett from Saturday Night Live, is the same Lenny Pickett in TOP.
And he can still do the Pickett Dance at 66 years of age;
No matter how many times I hear this song done by Tower of Power, I get chills everytime I listen to them do this song.
Saw TOP live. I can tell you no one could out dance LENNY PICKETT. He was absolutely amazing as well as his sax playing.
Lively band!
bloody hell guys...got this on vinyl from 73....what a band...made my new year to see this....Happy New Year to everyone!!!!
Just saw TOP tonight in Monterey...13-Jan-2022. Still trying figure out What Is Hip...after all these years. Great band then...great band now.
Grew up listening to my dad jamming TofP . Taking my mom to a concert tomorrow.
Introducing my son to them now ❤
OMG thats the line-up I remember as a kid! Picket on the sax, Rocco and David, Chester, Mic, Greg, Doc, and Lenny!! Lady's and gentlemen, that's what funk is all about!
I heard this song for the first time yesterday in my Jazz Band class in college and I love it! I'm going to try to sing this. Wish me luck!
This was and is the greatest BAND every to assemble. Every member of this particular set is genius.
Do you really think so? I have seen some tough bands out there especially during the 60s and early 70s. JB had some tight bands man
But a genius at every position my starting 5 would have to be Led Zeppelin. Respect!
You are right but there isn’t any horn section as tight as TOP
@@01birdman They also sing! Awesome.
The tower of power one of the best diverse groups of the 70s with a great horn section and a great brother named Lenny Williams on lead vocalist Lenny is Arkansas boy and he can say what is hip
They were so very far ahead of their time. Glad I had such great taste in music for 13 years old. And for one great radio station that played it before it became HIP!!!
Our High School Jazz Band is playing this song and it's GREAT.
This was the best rhythm section: Chester Thompson (organ), Rocco Prestia (bass), David Garibaldi (drums), and Bruce Conte (guitar)!
I used to see these guys at a dive called the On Broadway in Oakland in 71-72, monday nights for a ONE DOLLAR cover! Rick Stevens had just joined as the singer, Skip Mesquite was lead tenor, they were killer then now, it was heaven to see them up close in a small club. Now I can't even stay up that late!
Great music in the East Bay in the 70's; Tower of Power,Sly Stone, Pete, Coke & Sheila Escovedo, Pride and Joy, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood. All playing in small clubs. The East Bay music scene was every bit as good as San Francisco's and way funkier
Dont Forget Mike Clarke & Paul Jackson from Herbie Hancock's Headhunters
Don't forget Graham Central Station.
Yes. The TOWN Abides!
Wonder where this is?
Saw them 74ish in Vegas. Was supposed to be ZZ Top but they canceled and it was TOP instead. This kinda looks like that Vegas set. I was a runaway living on the LV streets and went by myself. Probably the only child in the room...
Great dancin party sounds ! We luved TowerofPower back in the eariy 70's. They played everywhere in No.Cali. Hip, yes it is......
Bruce Conte, Rocco P, Lenny williams, Lenny Pickett, Chester T. and the rest....the REAL TOP! Thanx 4 posting
I never knew Lenny Pickett danced around so much! WOW! This is, in my opinion, the best Tower of Power lineup ever. (Still, I'm glad TOP is still up and strong making great music.)
AWESOME!!!!!! Brings back so much memories. . . TOWER of POWER, WAR, EWF, OHIO PLAYERS, COMMODORES, AVERAGE WHITE BAND . . . . when music was music and all was "HIP"!!!!!! :) DAMN. . the music of the 70s . . . .. was definitely hip :)
God bless Mic and thank you for your extremely artistic talent that brought us all together. Wish you were still here to help mend.
You are now with the best in God's orchestra!
this was wihtout a doubt one of my favorite songs of my high school days... My first concert was Tower of Power and Herbie Hancock at the El Cortez in San Diego.... The experience shaped my decision to be in the industry.....
This is Tru Funk, The Grit. Chester Thompson, Garrabaldi is the funkiest Drummer of all time. Roco, what can I say? Bass Player of the Year more than once.
Everyone uses the Horn Section. From Santana to Hornsby. School Trained Lenny Williams. Willie Fulton on Guitar. Outstanding. Even Rick Stevens. Real Music.
This Tower Of Power lineup was my favorite, straight Fire!!!!!!!
Didn't know this song was this old. These musicians are totally badass. Rocco is easily one of my favorite bassists.
Great rythm section and horns and keys and vocals --- all working together. This is a band!
I saw TOP in a very small club in Huntington Beach in 1982. I thought the horn section of the band was literally going to blow us out of the place. It was GREAT!!!!!!
I was in the USC Trojan Marching Band and we played with these guys in the 1974 Rose Bowl game. What a great time we had, especially during preparations.
Chester Thompson on Hammond B-3...WOW!!!!
damn right !!! this is real musicianship at its best !!! this is what real funk is all about !!!
Today, they sound just as good 34 years later! No joke! If you haven't experienced T.O.P live - you need to.
Happy Silver Anniversary T.O.P!
My very first concert I attended, was Tower of Power. I love you guy's .
My 1st concert also. East Bay Grease had just been released. I've probably seen them 30x since.
Nice, I saw them at Monterey Fair grounds. I was just 13 yrs. I remember getting a good look at Rick Stevens at front stage. I was really upset that he left. 😕
Ronda Fultz Skupina sa s nim rozišla pre drogovú závislosť a neskôr bol odsúdený za vraždu priekupníka s drogami.....na albume EAST BAY GREASE spieval solo v 9 minútovej piesni Sparkling in The Sand v ostatných piatich bol solovým spevákom Rufus Miller. Na albume hral na tenor saxofone Skip Mesquite, ktorý zomrel v roku 2010.
The amount of envy !!! Love this chart so much
Ladies and Gentlemen from Oakland, California please welcome The Tower of Power.... up next Graham Central Station, Sly & The Family Stone, Pete Escovedo, The Pointer Sisters.... Whats you ideal concert up to 6 acts
T O P were & are RUFF TUFF & hard to BLUFF _/) & they're STILL ALL YOUNG MEN in spirit & musically for sure over 50 years later_/)
Remembering Brass Player
Mic Gillette
(May 7, 1951 - January 17, 2016)
[05/07/2020]
I just saw TOP last night, and they're still tighter than a clenched fist, i can say that much. Even though i think only 3 of the original members are left, they're just as good as back in the day. They blew me away.
classic top line-up the most underated band
ever. killer horn section. great find thx.
Lenny WIlliams WAS the voice of TOP it has been a struggle since to recapture his dominance
Rick Stevens was.Lenny replaced him after he went to jail
I saw Tower in this incarnation, as a Bay Area native, I have been digging them since 1969. How great to see this, it takes me back to those early days, and thank God they have David Garibaldi back on the drums for the last few years. Tower still rules the horn bands.
You could NOT get Mick Gillett to dress but that bone and trumpet! This lineup is on a MISSION!
Tower Power was one of the greatest bands in the 70s and today. They should have had more recognition. I love these guys they are bad!!!
What can I say , these dudes are the tightest band ever to hit the stage. Lenny great vocal lead. So much talent in one group. Never ever to be duplicated. Dr. Doo Wop
The tower is overdosing on talent. Each individual is so damn awesome. It's truly one of the greatest bands ever. Late 60's early 70's can only be described as WHAT IS HIP💗🎵
Bad ass tune! Rocco Prestia's bass line is dope! One of Jaco's big influences. This band is still one of the funkiest band ever. Garibaldi funk is real!
I just saw TOP last night at House of Blues in Atlantic City. This makes three times that I have seen them this year and Larry Braggs is by far the best vocalist that they have had. He truly puts heart and soul in to EVERYTHING that he sings. LIDRUM4U - enjoy the show in NYC and if you get a chance, please tell Dave G that Gene Krupa's great nephew says hello sinc ehe didn' tcome out for meet and greet after last night's performance!
Thanks Bobfunk,keep 'em coming...newer generation need this and more!!!!
I saw these guys in concert at a Jazz Festival last February and wow they were absolutely and Positively Amazing I even got an autograped T shirt from the Bass player Wow!
one of the best video clips of tower of power that I've seen. Nothing like the original T.O.P. Thanks for posting it
First of all, Lenny Pickett is playing a tenor sax, but he also played baritone sax on several tunes such as "Soul Vaccination" and "Squib Cakes". Lenny Pickett was probably the most provocative original horn players in the T.O.P. horn section. I had the honor of seeing him play many times. And I actually had the opportunity to do monitor sound for them back in 2002. He is currently the music director for the Saturday Night Live Band.
The consummate professional. Always a great attitude and it would rub off on the other members. T.O.P. is quite possibly the best funk band ever created with members of all creeds and color.
súhlas najlepšia soul funková skupina s najvyužívanejšou dychovu sekciou.....Lenny Pickett hral prvý tenor saxofon, alt saxofon a lyrcon a mal úžasný účes baryton saxofon hral v skuine výdy Steve Kupka Funky Doctor. Na album z ktorého pochádza táto skladba hral Lenny aj na flaute a klarinete
Tower of Power are the quintessential masters of funk/soul. It's so rare when you can get all these really ultra-talented musicians together on the same stage like this. When you go to local bars, the "original" bands and singer/songwriters usually display a very minimal amount of talent, just enough so that their non-musician friends really think they're something special. It kind of sucks that we are trapped in this American Idol culture where people tote a guitar on stage and stop playing their G, C and D chords 1/3 of the way through their song...and nobody cares. The standards in pop music couldn't get any lower.
I totally agree with you!
eighta peach Yes thank you...The talent is hyper-focused on young, good looking hotties who can only sing. Record companies match them up with a team of producers and musicians and out comes the product, much like a bowel movement, no one really knows outside how the result is created.
OK I don't know if that is worth sharing or not, but anyway, they always told me if I couldn't make it by age 30, forget it. But you know, anybody who really cares about interesting, creative music doesn't become a pop star anyway. Rock is marginal, and country is the new rock, nobody cares about classic or 80s anymore. So we're left with Ariana Grande. Blah... She's just as good with mute on the TV set.
I bet you have some great shots of that night! This was when you really enjoyed music and didn't sell photos to the scandal rags. What a great time to be apart of great music.
I was there...greatest band EVER!!!!!
Saw the Back to Oakland Tour in '74 -- concert finale featured huge CA freeway sign with title while band was finishing up What is Hip. Great band -- Lenny Williams the best vocalist -- gave them that high vocal they needed!
what an awesome clip you have posted. thank you soooo much. I'm one of the biggest fans of TOP.
Excellent post! I was fortunate enough to have seen this band several times in the 70's......
What great memories.....I'm tellin' ya.....!!
This is soooo bad, can't believe it! I love it...the organ solo and following breakdown are killing (and everything else)! Thank your for still funking out today:-)
What is hip? THIS is hip. 500 years from now it will STILL be hip!
Great tune, great musicians!
Lenny Braggs has been the vocalist for the past ten years. If you want to hear how good a vocalist he is, find Tower of Power National Anthem - one of the best renditions you'll ever hear. Yeah Rick had that great raspy sound, but my favorite is still Lenny Williams.
Yes … they were at their best with Lenny Williams singing
And I almost forgot to mention David Garibaldi's incredible groovin' funky drumming here.
(Maybe they just couldn't get cameras in there?)
Again, thanks for posting!
TIMELESS! Jazz with a touch of FUNK!
@MikeyCapp -- Great memories indeed! In fact, I was the Stage Manager of the Brown Concert Agency that brought Tower of Power in back then, so it's particularly wonderful to hear that others still vividly remember the fruits of our labor, some 33 years later. Still occasionally spinning them on vinyl, here ... :-))
Love seeing them with all that hair. They were and always have been, awesome. See TOP quite often. From east bay. Jeff Tam..... and other TOP band members past and present are friends with different musicians from the bay area; specifically Pittsburg. See them around a lot; they love to play. I love to dance and listen to them. Exciting band. Went to 40 year reunion at S.F. Fillmore. Cannot say enough; awesome. Thanks for the video.
The Great Lenny Williams with the Great Tower of Power!
Awesome TOP and Lead Vocals of Lenny Williams. Dance Sax guy, dance❤❤❤
That 'Sax Guy' now leads Saturday Night Live's band.
I love playing this song in pep band at my school. im always able to blow my brains out on it. it sounds so awesome!
that bass is crazy
Francis Rocco Prestia was a BAD MAN!!
crazy? How about good!!
lenny IS the voice of TOP subsequently .... the band still great...
but no other singer got it . He Is and will always be my favorite>
His creation alone> Cannot Dupe that ever!
Sick trumpet solos from that muppet looking dude.
Saw them last weekend in Philly at a FREE concert...They were jamming hard....
Historical moment and thanks for this!
(Sadly ,didn't they know (the director?) that history was also being make by bassist Francis Rocco Prestia with his intense fingerstyle bass lines ?!!!)
Long live the Tower!
they need to be in the ROCK and ROLL
HALL of FAME. they have been funkin it
for years. best horn section in the world.
Damn.......this is FIRE!!!!!! i swear i wish i was old enough back then to get exposed to this kind of music at a young age..
All those great musicians from the 40's @50's gave their children talent and freedom to express themselves musically the same way swing and bebop took flight. when will we challenge our musical community that way again?
At 2:30 Chester Thompson has that B3 barking.
How can 5 sentient beings NOT LIKE this magic?
Well put!
Likely because the video and audio quality suggest it was filmed with a potato. That said, Tower of Power were some baaaad MFers!!
The band was at its zenith. They still cook today, but this lineup was legendary...
This is the REAL TOP ! Lenny Williams was their BEST vocalist !
These guys put the jump in funk. Great memories for me, an old white guy.
We used to do What is Hip in a ten piece horn band I was in. (I played guitar) Getting close to this level of tightness was a struggle and a pleasure. They're so good, and they make it look so easy.....WOW
This clip is from Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve '74, hosted by George Carlin.
The best line up of Tower of Power.
Chester really grooves with Gribaldi and Rocco.
Good find.
One of the greatest bands of all time !!!!!!
I saw this group in Columbus, Ohio at the Agora on High Street located across from the Ohio State University School of Law. My ticket number was 0001. Lenny Williams had just left the group. For those who do not know, the album titled "Tower of Power was the 3rd album. The 1st was titled East Bay Grease." The 2nd album was titled "Bump City." Rick Stevens was the lead singer. The song that basically introduced them to the American public was "You're Still A Young Man."
I work in an O.R. and we love cranking the tower. Imagine doing a gallbladder to this it's a trip. :0)
Woolsey Hall, Yale, 1973(?). Windowpane. Sitting on top (balcony) of Chester. 2700 seats. Acoustics supreme. Maybe the best fxcking concert that I ever saw, and I've seen a lot of 'em.
I saw them in Kansas City, MO in summer 1974 at the Kool Jazz Festival at Royals Stadium. Had thousands in the aisles bumpin' to Squib Cakes...AWESOME!!!
I had to pay $2.00 in San Diego to see that lineup. Rick and Skip were so cool. Don't forget how fortunate you were to see Brent Byars on congas!!!
That some good music !
Great upload .
Killer original lineup and the only group where the tenor player dances as good as the lead singer
Lenny Williams is the lead singer! Lenny Pickett is on tenor sax with the dancing feet! He is the musical director for Saturday Night Live and has been for years! Legends
A little reminder to y'all, this is a very rare clip for another reason... In the back is the one and ONLY Brent Byars on congas. He passed away at a young age and in respect, the Tower has NEVER EVER filled his slot. Brent will always be the one, the only conga player for the hottest dam* band to EVER grace a stage!!!
You said it! I've hated "modern" music video production for years. It drives me nuts when the shots change every second too....