David Garibaldi is my brother in Soul and has been in the band four different times. The reasons for his departure are unclear, but it is likely that Scott was unhappy with the band's musical direction. At the time, there was a lot of good tenor players but nobody played baritone. What happened? And the line Smokin only the best weed was very, very controversial back then. He had a huge record collection and listened to the Texaco Afternoon Opera Hour every Saturday. Bill Graham (concert promoter/music impresario) had a lot to do with that. You did what you had to do.. A subscription to PACER is required. 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. My resolve has always been there., Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicles pop music critic. Aidin Vaziri is a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle. First and foremost, he was dissatisfied with his current situation. Irritated passengers aboard a cross-country flight experience dizziness, headaches and other symptoms. As the investigation into this mysterious disappearance deepens, the characters discover startling secrets about their own lives along the way. Photo credit: Erick Anderson. 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. After the military, I decided to devote all of my energy to drum set, but all of that early training really helped me. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. And he knew all of us. We even had to do a few gigs without any bass at all. I was like, O.K., go for it! Im proud of every song on the record. Compelling. I like Soul. Scott: How did you construct your drum part for the classic Soul Vaccination?. (jwr). I never knew how well respected he was. Youll be back to work in October. Sure enough, I was. Guys go to music school to learn that type of stuff and Rocco is like the ultimate garage player whos already got all that going on. Is Marcus Scott still with . It is difficult to pinpoint a single reason for his departure; rather, it was a combination of several factors. The thing is, theres a billion guitar players and drummers. Ive got the perfect guy for you. Emilio called and asked me to audition in Vegas. 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. It was like it was in the beginning. Tower of Power at Stern Grove on July 25, 1999. 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? This week marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of Tower of Power. Coming back four times was like, when you have a relationship with a woman and it doesnt work, you leave but come back because you want it to work. In order to determine for sure what caused the disturbance and prevent a similar thing from happening in the future, they need to find and isolate whatever it was that made everyone sick. When the sound of the pop charts shifted, the band temporarily lost its footing, hitting a low point with the 1979s disco driven Back on the Streets, which was recorded for Columbia. Emilio was doing a great job of making distinctive versions of other artists songs. Scott: The two recent T.O.P. I think it meant a lot to him that I remembered him and thanked him for it. He would tell his friends how well I was doing and how proud he was. Scott: I understand Francis Rocco Prestia is no longer performing with Tower of Power. We have our own voice. Doc: No. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia. Tower of Power - Marcus Scott Bio. He always replies the same way: Neither can I!. We had a prayer circle before we were going on. Scott went on to have a successful solo career. Jerry Brown in 2012 after 36 years behind bars. So, God blessed me with another fabulous player. BY MIKE KEPKA/THE CHRONICLE. My wife had to help me do everything. Any action you take based on the information found on cgaa.org is strictly at your discretion. In the midst of his vocal duties with the band, Scott has found time to complete a solo project, the album Back 2 Da Soul, which is set for release in September. I remember being on the airplane and listening to the mix for the first time. In its prime, Tower of Power was one of the most in-demand horn sections on the West Coast, performing with the likes of Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and Huey Lewis and the News; all while pointing the way forward for brass-heavy ensembles like Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. 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. As of now, it is difficult to predict the network's decision given the show's international appeal. may be available from PACER. Eventually, they went to Europe on a tour and called me to say that drummer Herman Matthews was getting ready to leave. He was putting us on all of these great shows. I noticed that when I would play on my cymbals, he would play a light legato soundbut if I played on my hi hat, he would tighten it up so it was really percussive. I made every mistake you possibly could in the early years. The 11-track album was produced by Mark Hornsby, Phil Naish and Chuck Surack at Sweetwater Studios facilities in Fort Wayne, IN, where it was cut live with a 13-piece band over the course of three days. He heard me in their playing bari scoops which really make a horn section sound better. It was early in the morning and we had played the night before at the Whisky or The Roxy. They both suffered serious injuries but have since returned to the lineup. So, every time I came back to Tower of Power, thered still be dope and weirdness going on. Weve had horrific things happen. This is the ultimate compliment because you want the musicians to be happy. 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. 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. Inject . It was love at first sight. ", Reasons for Leaving - Good and Bad Reasons for Job Departures, What was the immediate reason for Phatiks departure from his , the REAL reason for his sudden departure from France for New , the reason for his departure | English examples in context | Ludwig, Question 3 | Of Mice and Men Questions | Q & A | GradeSaver. As primary lyricist and baritone sax man, Doc has been at the very foundation of the band musically (at the bottom end of the horns tonal register) and philosophically (kickin low end theory that led to he and leader Emilio Castillos creative entrepreneurship as songwriters). The psychedelic stuff in San Francisco, all this funk from east Oakland plus the Latin music, world music and classical music. Theres us, the Seawind Horns, James Brown, Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears. Soul Vaccination started as a kind of jam. At 17, I hired Doc (Stephen Kupka). This was music to my ears because I knew we both wanted to get back to the soul. I completely went as far away as I possibly could in the opposite direction which meant leaving the band. For a while, we felt cursed not being able to sound like other bands. 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! He was Tower of Powers first manager. After being home about a month, I got up one morning and was able to put my pants on by myself. For record producers, #1 would be Thom Bell from Philadelphia, Steve Cropper out of Memphis, and of course all the Motown writers, James Brown, of course, Dyke & The Blazers, and one of my favorites of all-time: Curtis Mayfield. Egos, drugs, women. Gigs we did with James Brown were great, too. Then along came the Seawind Horns which, thanks to Quincy Jones, became the next popular sound for horns in the studio. So, I finally left one time that I thought would be forever. I love being a songwriter. Its been very good to us. 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. When we started to get into drugs and alcohol, that started to tear everybody apart. But with Youre Still a Young Man, when Greg Adams came into the band a year or so later, he touched up the arrangement. Emilio Castillo: God did it and I just showed up! There are two actors in Peacocks departure. All the musicians on the project were extremely happywhenever they came back into the control room, they would be singing the songs and humming the melodies. Hes that kind of a quirky thinker. Emilio: I remember the session but not the album or the track. Update my browser now. Pilots use 36000 feet to fly because the air is much thinner there. 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. The guys got 9 lives! I understand that hes recording a solo record now. Scott: Paint a picture for us of your audition for the band! But horn sections? At that time the band manager was Roland Barnett who was also The Loading Zones manager. So I said, Lets just make the music weve been making. As soon as we did that, things started to get better.. 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 . But when I got successful, he came to a show, Emilio dedicated Youre Still a Young Man to him and that made it good. All normal stuff was officially off the table. They contacted me. We realized its a blessing that we dont sound like other people. Case assigned to Judge Biggers and Magistrate Judge Percy. I thought, What if my dad saw me like this? It was a very sobering awakening. 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. Tower Of Power introduces Marcus Scott 2016! I remember Tower of Power had a trip to New York City to play the Fillmore East. He was Czechoslovakian on his fathers side and my mother was English and Scottish. I love him with all my heart. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. When we were recording our latest records, I had cut about 18 tracks in Sacramento then had a hard time getting back into that studio because it was so booked. Besides, who wants to be a cover band for your whole career anyway? 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. Scott exchanged demos with Surack and Hornsby while working on Tower of Powers 50th Anniversary Live DVD, and it was agreed that he should come to Sweetwater Studios to record the tracks for what would become Back 2 Da Soul. For Scott, who sought a classic feel for the tracks while still wanting it to sound modern and hi-fi, the partnership made perfect sense. They could have chosen any one of them and I would have been good. I felt ashamedand I never did that stuff again. Hed run out of gas It was difficult for him to accept at first but after being off the road for a couple of months, he called me and said, I aint mad no more, man. When it came to the horns, we would do a head chart. Castillo got sober in 1988 and turned to God, after making what he describes as every mistake he could possibly make during the bands first two decades. Back then, most of the chords and music came from him and I was more the lyrics. Scott: Those are very awesome records. The DVD is recommended since the visuals are key to enjoying the band's frisky dance steps and overall joy these guys are having, even if the editing is a little on the caffeinated side. 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. Scott: Did Emilios father ever share what he heard in you that made him say that? 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. 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. If you close your eyes and listen to his voice youll 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. But most of . In December 1974, Marcus Scott announced his departure from Tower of Power. James Brown also said in an article back in `78 that theres no Black band in the world that plays my stuff better than Tower of Power. So, playing Black music and getting compliments from The Godfather of Soul was really meaningful. He came back in `98. They were a very good band. $59.50-$79.50. Abrupt closure of S.F. I had broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, couldnt walk or feed myself and, realistically, I didnt know what to expect. Hes 35 years-old, got a good head on his shoulders, a great voice, is a great entertainer and very creative. He just took it to another level. Tags Back 2 Da Soul Chuck Surack Emilio Castillo Marcus Scott Mark Hornsby Musicetc Phil Naish Shure SM7B Sweetwater Studios Tower Of Power. Just like you said about Tower of Powers third album, I cant play just one song off of This Is My Country. Attorney-turned-writer Phil Peacock says hes thrilled with how Departure has turned out so far. Shes married to Joe so weve known him a long time. I said o.k., did two songs with him and was really impressed. David: Rocco is a beautiful man with a beautiful heart and just a really cool guy. I have great relationships with all of them. The groove, the vibe, the guys. You have entered an incorrect email address! The album reached the Top 20 on the R&B charts and included the hit single, "Darlin' I Think About You." They signed us to our first record deal (San Francisco Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records). Larry Dodson of the legendary Barkays gave him a call to collaborate on House Party, he has sung with James Ingram and has appeared at Isaac Hayes night club and hes been the lead singer with the house band for the NBAs Memphis Grizzlies. Horns a plenty: Oakland soul/funk band Tower of Power performs at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport on Thursday, Nov. 17. 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. You know, we have a song called Diggin On James Brown? We were unsure whether we should play it on those gigs in case he responded like, Ill see you in court! (laughs) But we decided to do it anyway. Doc: Yeah! Political chaos has erupted in this Peninsula city over one issue: Housing, Steph Curry adds to his Warriors legend by lighting up Kings for 50. R&B to him was like rap is to some parents now. That way we could own a song, make money off the song. He contacted me about Doc and I writing some lyrics about the COVID-19 pandemic to a really funky up tempo track they had with just the hook: Just keep holding on / Groove on. He also wanted me to sing it. Mark played a huge role in choosing the musicians. The last time he was out for 18 years. Emilio: We actually cut 5 or 6 of those songs with the original singer Rick Stevens, Willie Fulton on guitar and Skip Mesquite on tenor. It was his stamina that was waning. Scott: You recently did a video remake of What is Hip using six current and former lead singers of the group. Doc: Once again, Black music was the music that lit me up, but I like the Great American Songbook, too. They did a great job! I am more influenced by Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Johnnie Taylor, Sam Cooke, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. The band counted off, and they listened to me through in-ear monitors. Signing to Warner Bros. for 1972s Bump City, the multiethnic group had a spectacular run with uninhibited, brass-heavy releases like 1973s Tower of Power, 1974s Back to Oakland and 1975s Urban Renewal, all prominently featuring iconic imagery of the bands hometown. The Don Ellis Orchestra (Jazz) with Ten Years After (English Blues Rock) and The Buddy Miles Express (Soul) a wide range of music. 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. Good guys. That moved me to incorporate that into the way that I keep rhythm. Sentenced to death, he was paroled by Gov. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. Back then his name was Frank Houghton. We had been trying to listen to the record company and to sound like what was on the radio. Im very proud of that! There is a track called Just Fine and I always describe the song as if I were a preacher trying to convince his fiance or future wife that she will be just fine. The plane broke due to a power surge, which opened a small tear in the side of the aircraft. Not because hes an average singer who makes the most out of his voice and has a great personality. These three words exemplify the sound of the new lead singer of Tower of Power, "Memphis Soul Man" Marcus Scott. He enjoyed it, too. Scott: Lets close out with you sharing your thoughts about Stephen Doc Kupka, David Garibaldi, Rocco and your current lead singer, Marcus Scott. Born and raised in a city that is well known for its musical talent, Marcus Scott fits the bill. I was fast on my feet with clever things to say. When I dropped out of college, I was working as a roadie for a band called The Loading Zone and was on the scene. We just listened to each other and played. Almost every day, people come up to Emilio Castillo and tell him they cant believe Tower of Power, the Oakland funk band he co-founded in 1968, has been around for 50 years. Those lyrics have hung in there waaaay longer than anything that was hip back in `73. My optimism kicked in. It became the way that we approached all songs. Then I moved back to the Bay Area and I met the guy that was playing guitar for Tower of Power. From that moment on, I knew Id be OK. That thought helped me to heal and get back to my life.. I had all of these influences: big band (Count Basie, Woody Herman), jazz (John Coltrane, Miles Davis), Then I heard James Brown and that changed everything! My second favorite artist to work with was Huey Lewis. Tower of Power has dates booked to do some gigs with Lettuce in the Fall, God-willing.
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