In 1970, TOP signed a recording contract with Bill Graham's San Francisco Records and quickly released its first album, East Bay Grease. 1972's Bump City and 1973's self-titled release were breakout albums for the band; the latter included possibly their most enduring song, What is Hip?.
Tower of Power has remained active throughout the 1970s, '80s, '90s, and into the 21st century, and is still touring in 2010. Personnel changes have been part of the history and evolution of the band; at least 60 musicians have performed, toured, and/or recorded with the band through the years, including Saturday Night Live musical director Lenny Pickett, drummer David Garibaldi, bassist Rocco Prestia, and bassist and BALCO founder Victor Conte. (His brother Bruce Conte played guitar in the band as well.) Lenny Williams served as lead singer for several years after one of the original singers, Rick Stevens was imprisoned. Rufus Miller performed most of the lead vocals on "East Bay Grease." Former lead vocalist Rick Stevens (real name Donald Stevenson) was sentenced to life in prison on three counts of first-degree murder relating to a botched drug deal, crimes committed after leaving the band. Stevens was paroled on July 20, 2012 after 36 years in prison. Rick Stevens died on September 5th, 2017.
TOP has released 15 albums over the years, the latest being 2003's The Oakland Zone. In addition, the horn section has become well-known as a backing horn section for other artists. The TOP horn section has appeared on many recordings, including some made by the Monkees, Santana, Elton John, John Lee Hooker, Rod Stewart, Jefferson Starship, Heart, Huey Lewis and the News, Lyle Lovett, Poison, Phish, Pharoahe Monch, and Aerosmith.
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(2) The renowned horn-driven funk outfit Tower of Power have been issuing albums and touring the world steadily since the early '70s, in addition to backing up countless other musicians. The group's leader since the beginning has always been tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo, who was born in Detroit but opted to pursue his musical dreams in Oakland, California. It was in Oakland that Castillo put together a group called the Motowns, which, as their name suggested, specialized in '60s-era soul. In 1967, Castillo teamed up with baritone sax player Stephen "Doc" Kupka, and soon the Motowns were transformed into Tower of Power. (One of the first tunes the duo penned together was "You're Still a Young Man," which would eventually go on to be one of Tower of Power's signature compositions.)
Tower of Power played regularly in the Bay Area throughout the late '60s, as their lineup often swelled up to ten members, including such other mainstays as Greg Adams on trumpet and vocals, Lenny Pickett on sax, and Rocco Prestia on bass. By 1970, the funk outfit had inked a recording contract with Bill Graham's San Francisco Records, resulting in the group's debut the same year, East Bay Grease, which failed to make an impression on the charts as Tower of Power were still trying to find their own sound.
But it soon came together for the group, as 1972's Bump City would touch off a string of classic hit albums, including 1973's self-titled release (which introduced vocalist Lenny Williams and included another of the group's most enduring tunes, "What Is Hip?"), 1974's Back to Oakland, and 1975's Urban Renewal and In the Slot. While Tower of Power remained a must-see live act, as disco became the new trend in R&B the group's original funk-laden style fell out of favor, and disco-oriented albums like 1978's We Came to Play and 1979's Back on the Streets didn't please critics or fans, and the band would go nine years without releasing an album.
Despite it all, Tower of Power -- in particular their horn section -- remained a much in-demand backing group for some of pop/rock's biggest names, including Elton John, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, David Sanborn, Michelle Shocked, Paula Abdul, Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Public Image Ltd., and many others. In 1988, Tower of Power returned to the studio for the album Power, and in 1991 they signed with Epic Records, where they released five albums by the end of the decade.
Into the new millennium, Tower of Power kept up their reputation as a strong live band, maintaining a steady touring schedule, and in 2009 they launched their own TOP Records label with The Great American Soulbook, in which they covered a dozen soul and R&B classics in the trademark Tower of Power style. In 2007, Tower of Power celebrated their fourth decade together with a special concert at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium, and a year later the show was issued in a special CD/DVD package, simply titled 40th Anniversary. In 2013, Tower of Power took a look back with the release of Hipper Than Hip: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, which documented a live radio broadcast from 1974. The bandmembers also announced they would be touring in 2013 and 2014 with two other iconic acts from Northern California, Journey and the Steve Miller Band. ~ Greg Prato & Steve Leggett, Rovi
Attitude Dance
Tower of Power Lyrics
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Don't even want to try
Your dancin can improve
With a little attitude
And the attitude dance
And the
If you're feeling kinda low
don't' even want to go
With a little attitude
In the attitude dance
In the attitude dance
Get a grip
Just cop an attitude trip
Get a groove
You need some attitude
Move your feet
Go ahead and feel the beat
What you do is up to you
Once you begin to compete
In the attitude dance
If you want to shake your hips
It don't have to be no trip
Break down and bust a move
In the attitude dance
In the attitude dance
If you want to throw a shake
Don't make a great escape
Adjust your point of view
Just add some attitude
In the attitude dance.
Get a grip
Just cop an attitude trip
Get a groove
You need some attitude
Move your feet
Go ahead and feel the beat
What you do is up to you
Once you begin to compete
In the attitude dance
If you getting in the swing
You can really do your thing
And become the baddest dude
With the meanest attitude
In the attitude dance
In the attitude dance
If you've got a certain style
Even if it's kinda wild
Most anything will do
With the proper attitude
In the attitude dance
In the attitude dance
Get a grip
Don't cop an attitude trip
Get a groove
You need some attitude
Move your feet
Go ahead and feel the beat
What you do is up to you
Once you begin to compete
In the attitude dance
In the attitude dance
What it gonna be like, when you begin
What it gonna be like
Tower of Power's song "Attitude Dance" is about the power of having an attitude in everything you do, especially in dancing. The lyrics are essentially a pep talk for those who may feel shy or low in confidence. The song encourages people to adopt a new mindset and approach to dancing, one that is upbeat, confident, and positive. The repeated refrain, "get a grip, just cop an attitude trip," emphasizes the importance of one's attitude in achieving success.
The lyrics also highlight the idea that there is no right or wrong way to dance, as long as one has the right attitude. The song suggests that even if you have a unique, wild or strange style of dancing, it can still be successful as long as you believe in it and approach it with the right attitude. The song speaks generally about life and how having a positive attitude can lead to success in many areas of life.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're feeling kinda shy
You may be hesitant to dance
Don't even want to try
You may even consider not trying
Your dancin can improve
However, your dance skills can improve
With a little attitude
If you have the right attitude
And the attitude dance
And are willing to try the dance
If you're feeling kinda low
You may be feeling low or depressed
Don't' even want to go
You may even consider not going out
Even if you change your mood
Even if you try to change your mood
With a little attitude
You still need the right attitude
In the attitude dance
To join in on the attitude dance
Get a grip
Take control of your mindset
Just cop an attitude trip
Adopt a new attitude
Get a groove
Get in sync with the rhythm
You need some attitude
You need the right attitude
Move your feet
Start dancing
Go ahead and feel the beat
Let the rhythm guide you
What you do is up to you
The way you dance is your decision
Once you begin to compete
Once you start dancing
In the attitude dance
In this dance of attitude
If you want to shake your hips
If you want to move your hips
It don't have to be no trip
It doesn't have to be difficult
Break down and bust a move
Just let yourself go and dance
If you want to throw a shake
If you want to try a new move
Don't make a great escape
Don't back away from the challenge
Adjust your point of view
Change your perspective
Just add some attitude
Adopt the right mindset
If you getting in the swing
If you're getting into the rhythm
You can really do your thing
You can express yourself
And become the baddest dude
You can become skilled at this dance
With the meanest attitude
By having the right attitude
If you've got a certain style
If you have your own unique style
Even if it's kinda wild
Even if it's unconventional
Most anything will do
Anything goes in this dance
With the proper attitude
If you approach it with the right mindset
What it gonna be like, when you begin
What will it be like when you start to dance?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: E. CASTILLO, S. KUPKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind