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
Crazy for you
Tower of Power Lyrics
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So very sane
So very clear
Within my brain
I never was the kind of guy
Who would ever lose it
Oh, no
With my mind
You know I crossed
That invisible line
And now I'm trippin' all the time
Because I'm flippin'
All the out
You got me going crazy
Going crazy
You got me going
I used to be
So down to earth
So rational
For what its worth
I never was the kind of guy
Who could ever get on
On 's way out
The things you do
Drive me berserk
And I can see
It'll take some work
I'm diggin' what you do to me
Still I'm wiggin'
Ohh way down, ohh
You got me going crazy
Going crazy
You got me going crazy
Going crazy
Got me going crazy, yeah, yeah
I know why
I want you so much
You got that look
And you got the touch
There's nothing left to prove
Girl you move me
And you groove me
You got me going crazy
Going crazy
Repeat 3x
Crazy, crazy babe
(Crazy for you)
Yeah, going crazy
(Crazy for you)
Repeat and Fade Out
In Tower of Powerโs song Crazy For You, the singer describes how he used to feel in control of his thoughts and actions, but upon meeting someone, his sanity was thrown out of the window. He insists that he was never the kind of guy to become crazy, but the person he has come into contact with has led him to trip all the time. He acknowledges that he used to be down to earth and very rational. However, the individual has driven him berserk, and even though it requires work, he enjoys what she does to him.
The songโs chorus is repetitive and catchy, with the singer continually insisting that the person has gotten him going crazy. He acknowledges that he knows why he wants her so much, describing her as having a look and touch that moves and grooves him. To conclude, the lyrics highlight how the person he has met has driven him out of his mind, leading him to go crazy for her.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to feel
I used to feel emotionally stable
So very sane
Very balanced and level-headed
So very clear
Very focused and able to think sharply
Within my brain
Within my mind and thoughts
I never was the kind of guy
I was always someone who wouldn't
Who would ever lose it
Who would never lose their emotional stability
Oh, no
Absolutely not
But when you messed
When you interfered with my feelings
With my mind
With my thoughts or emotions
You know I crossed
I definitely crossed
That invisible line
The line of emotional stability that I never thought I'd cross
And now I'm trippin' all the time
And now I'm losing my mind on a regular basis
Because I'm flippin'
Because I'm losing my emotional stability
All the out
All the time
You got me going crazy
You're making me lose control
Going crazy
Losing my emotional stability
I used to be
I used to have a certain personality
So down to earth
Very practical and reasonable
So rational
Very logical
For what its worth
For what it's worth
I never was the kind of guy
I was never the type of person
Who could ever get on
Who could ever get on board
On 's way out
With losing my mind
The things you do
The things you do to me
Drive me berserk
Drive me crazy
And I can see
And I can see that
It'll take some work
It will be a challenge
I'm diggin' what you do to me
I'm enjoying the way you make me feel
Still I'm wiggin'
Still, I'm losing my emotional stability
Ohh way down, ohh
Oh, deep down, I'm really struggling
You got me going crazy
You're making me lose control
Going crazy
Losing my emotional stability
You got me going crazy
You're making me lose control
Going crazy
Losing my emotional stability
Got me going crazy, yeah, yeah
You're definitely making me lose control
I know why
I understand why
I want you so much
I really want you
You got that look
You have an irresistible appearance
And you got the touch
You have a sensual touch
There's nothing left to prove
It's clear to me that
Girl you move me
You excite me
And you groove me
You give me a rhythmic feeling
You got me going crazy
You're making me lose control
Going crazy
Losing my emotional stability
Repeat 3x
Repeat the chorus three times
Crazy, crazy babe
I'm going crazy for you
(Crazy for you)
(I'm going crazy over you)
Yeah, going crazy
I'm definitely losing my emotional stability
(Crazy for you)
(I'm going crazy over you)
Contributed by Elizabeth N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.