Doc: Once again, Black music was the music that lit me up, but I like the Great American Songbook, too. 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? Emilio: Marcus Scott is out of Memphis, Tennessee. There are a lot of people who can sing, or perform, or write, but its a very hard thing to find someone who can do all three really well, explained Hornsby. My dad always loved me and was really supportive. He said hed call me back in five days, but he called me two days later and offered me the gig. Scott: Lets close out with you sharing your thoughts about Stephen Doc Kupka, David Garibaldi, Rocco and your current lead singer, Marcus Scott. Thats what youve got to find.. Sentenced to death, he was paroled by Gov. Being a rebellious teenager, since I was force fed classical music, I didnt appreciate it like I should have. David Garibaldi is one of the most imitated and influential drummers in 70s Soul who inspired many across the board in music including Prince and Morris Day. 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. The next week, they were all playing into a mic and they kicked our ass! I read that the album was cut with another lead singer at first who was fired then Lenny Williams joined and had to recut all of the songs. Im grateful that I came from an integrated high school where they used to sing Daddys Home in the stairwell a cappella. Compelling. I have to play the whole album. So, we wound up staying, those guys were there, we did it and it was cool. 5501 US HIGHWAY 30 WEST, FORT WAYNE, IN 46818. When I realized that Marcus was as talented of a writer as he was a singer and performer, I knew we had to work on this material together. 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. 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. A window in a plane is designed so that part of the pressure differential created by being in the air can escape. 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!. We never really spoke about what we do together. The passengers and crew are bewildered as to what could have caused the aircraft to vanish, leaving behind only mystifying clues. So I said, Lets just make the music weve been making. As soon as we did that, things started to get better.. Back then his name was Frank Houghton. Doc: The gig we did with Aretha Franklin and King Curtis is my favorite gig we ever didby a long shot. I have great relationships with all of them. I like Soul. 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. Thats just what it was like growing up around here. My wife had to help me do everything. 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. Jacques Sonyieux talks with vocalist Marcus Scott about his new solo album, Back 2 Da Soul, creating a sonic palette, and what it was like to become the new frontman for Tower of Power. The guys got 9 lives! I understand that hes recording a solo record now. My second favorite artist to work with was Huey Lewis. As the investigation into this mysterious disappearance deepens, the characters discover startling secrets about their own lives along the way. Scott: Paint a picture for us of your audition for the band! Born and raised in a city that is well known for world class soul . But Seawind and Tower of Power pretty much became the go to sections for sessions along with the Memphis Horns. needs these 5 sites to thrive so the city can recover. What happened? 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. He called a bunch of people who were great session players, but he also put me in a room with people who didnt get in my way. Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Born and raised in a city that is well known for its musical talent, Marcus Scott fits the bill. It was such a joy to see him over the last several years. Any action you take based on the information found on cgaa.org is strictly at your discretion. Then everything dried up no record deals, nothing happening. Tower of Power lead singer, Rick Stevens, is arrested on Feb. 19, 1976 for multiple murders committed in Boulder Creek and San Jose. And from that point, he immediately became Tower of Powers horn arranger. *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.. David: I was 23 when I joined Tower. Thats when I met Mike who was just a couple years older. Besides the God thing, we as a band made a commitment about 15 years in that when we stay true to ourselves, we do better and the fans like it more. 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. Emilio: Marcus Scott is out of Memphis, Tennessee. Gigs we did with James Brown were great, too. And I keep working to make it better every single day. . He didnt want to come between us. 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. Beneath a Michelin-starred restaurants recent success, a bitter Warriors crush Kings 120-100 as Steph Curry scores Game 7-record 50 points. 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. My personal favorite though is your third self-titled album, Tower of Power (Warner Bros. 1973). I actually got a big kick out of that! So, I said, Lets have him sing this one song and put it out as a single. I already knew it was gonna be a hit. He recognized that so they hired me. In the meantime, though they have been sidelined from the road due to the COVID-19 pandemic (as all creatives have been), they still have a brand-new album that they are virtually promoting entitled Step Up (Mack Avenue Records). 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. Hornsby and Surack had already been impressed by Scott's performances with Tower of Power, but when he told . So, when stuff goes south with family members, it really hurts. CDs were co-produced by you with Joe Vannelli who is known for making great sounding records. From that moment, I realized I was gonna get better. You get your bell rung like that and things change in your body. We really miss him We just had to move on. A person would freeze to death within a few seconds if they fell off a 40,000 foot long plane without any protection. I loved the drum set. I think that my father being a rather successful doctor in treating TB (tuberculosis) did have a little bit to do with me getting that name. So, it was a real thrill playing with him. Compelling. Hes very sensitive and quite a player. These three words exemplify the sound of the new lead singer of Tower of Power, "Memphis Soul Man" Marcus Scott. All the stuff we did with Huey was really cool. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. You did what you had to do.. 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. It was absolutely stunning. Tags Back 2 Da Soul Chuck Surack Emilio Castillo Marcus Scott Mark Hornsby Musicetc Phil Naish Shure SM7B Sweetwater Studios Tower Of Power. After analyzing the passengers data, the investigators piece together that something released from the airplane after takeoff caused the commotion. 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. Scott: A big part of the Tower of Power signature is the horn section which did many sessions for other artists. Scott: Who were your saxophone, songwriting and singing heroes? What made you fall in love with Black music? For a while, we felt cursed not being able to sound like other bands. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. I was having drug problems with a couple of those guysso Willie and Skip went out but I let Rick stay. 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. What inspired you and Doc to write a song contemplating the very definition of hip?. Then along came the Seawind Horns which, thanks to Quincy Jones, became the next popular sound for horns in the studio. 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. 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. He came back in `98. He's just 34 years old, but his voice and style evoke an era of music born before his time. Dave said, This might be cool for your What is Hip song. I said, Absolutely! Rocco nailed the bass line immediately and the song was born. Their greatest trick perhaps has been to be one of the longest-running and highly influential bands inspiring musicians from the UKs Incognito to the U.S. Snarky Puppy though the majority of the band is not African American. The last time he was out for 18 years. When I talked with Mark Hornsby, I said I wanted the musicians to play while I sing. It was January then. Emilios father was a bartender in nightclubs that had showbands so he was an afficionado. But the last time I asked him, I said, Were getting another singer one way or the other. That way we could own a song, make money off the song. Michael Shrieve, Santanas drummer, took me to see Tito Puente at El Corsos nightclub in New York City. 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. He always replies the same way: Neither can I!. Then we brought in Chester Thompson on organ. Mark and I hit it off when we first met over all the right things, he said. As a young boy, he would sit with his ears glued to the radio, mimicking every sound he heard. 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. "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 . He sounds incredible. Now we have Marc Van Wageningen we call him Marc V.W. Im in the process of mixing our 50th anniversary DVD documentary and Marc plays on 90% of it. Rick kept saying he wasnt going to sing the tracks until everything was recorded. 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. The passengers on board reported the large hole to airline staff when they disembarked in Australia. Diane said, Joe would love to have you come in and do a couple of tracks. His studio is right below our office down in L.A. For vocals I love Johnnie Taylor, Gladys Knight, Phillippe Wynne and Ronald Isley. He would rather just play his loud music without considering anyone else's feelings. Related Read: What do leaves do for a plant? A more recent docket listing It didnt matter what color you were. "Look In My Eyes" off of the new album "Step Up" from Tower of Power, released March 20th, 2020"We knew when we went into the studio, we were going to make t. In this article, we'll be looking at each of these marcus scott leaves tower of power in detail. The album also features Tower of Powers 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 Theater, along with several other former members, including keyboardist Chester Thompson and saxophonist Lenny Pickett, who now leads the Saturday Night Live house band. Youll be back to work in October. Sure enough, I was. Hes that kind of a quirky thinker. Needless to say, its been incredible ever since. He would tell his friends how well I was doing and how proud he was. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found it was likely that one of the bolts securing the left wheel well to the aircraft's fuselage had sheared off, resulting in the breach. As a young boy, he would sit with his ears glued to the radio, mimicking every sound he heard. After the military, I decided to devote all of my energy to drum set, but all of that early training really helped me. Scott went on to have a successful solo career. Hed have to go to the hospital and wed have to fly in somebody to sit in on bass. It was a mix of things that we all wanted to incorporate into our playing, So, thats how all of these multi-headed players evolved. I am more influenced by Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Johnnie Taylor, Sam Cooke, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. Emilio was doing a great job of making distinctive versions of other artists songs. I remember Tower of Power had a trip to New York City to play the Fillmore East. A Scott Galloway: Tower of Power holds a really special place in Black music in that 90% of the founding members are not Black. I wanted to cut 25 tracks but at that time we were touring so much it was taking forever. They werent even going to try out anyone else but I talked my way into an audition. If an airplane broke up in mid air, passengers would have trouble breathing due to the low oxygen levels at that altitude. Eighth Degree 92 subscribers Subscribe 323 Share 43K views 6 years ago The Sound & The Legends that only come from TOWER OF POWER!. Additionally, he was homesick; he missed his family and friends back home. This is a carousel. Joe stepped up and showed his production skills, his musician skills and his technology skills. Emilio: Weve had a lot of great players, singers, managers, crew people a ton of alumni. Scott: How did you construct your drum part for the classic Soul Vaccination?. But when I got successful, he came to a show, Emilio dedicated Youre Still a Young Man to him and that made it good. you came up with your first song: Youre Still a Young Man, one of the most classic ballads of `70s Soul. These guys are world-class players.. These three words exemplify the sound of Memphis Soul Man Marcus Scott. All information published on this website is provided in good faith and for general use only. My dad had tuberculosis as a young man and had to be in a sanitorium for a long time. 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 December 1974, Marcus Scott announced his departure from Tower of Power. Memphis singer Marcus Scott helps propel Tower of Power into its next 50 years. If I had to make any cues or changes, I could do that on the fly. I was experimenting with Latin music, rudiments and learning all these different things. Emilio: For saxophone, Arnett Cobb a big tenor player out of Texas Maceo Parker, King Curtis and Junior Walker. 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. My roots are really gritty, dirty, soulful-driven Southern music. Theres a story I like to tell. Im still dealingbut, hey this is my life. Contact him via: [emailprotected]). I wanted it to be in the presence of all the musicians, where we are all sitting down, jamming on a record like they would back in the day. Everything was open. Bill was educating the public on all this diverse music. I thought, What if my dad saw me like this? It was a very sobering awakening. wine startup leaves customers with thousands of S.F. Will Downing on New Song Following Daughters Suicide, Advice Kandi Burruss Hustles Up KFC Ad Based on Scene Dr. Phil Calls Professors $350,000-Per-Person Reparations Idea an Absolute Four Tops Singer to Sue Racist Hospital: They Told Suge Knight Says Snoop Dogg and Harry-Os Death Row Barbies Racial Justice Dolls Continue Mattels Path Toward Representation Daveed Diggs Planned Twister Sequel with All-Black and Brown Laura Coates Unlikely to Host CNNs 11 p.m. He had a huge record collection and listened to the Texaco Afternoon Opera Hour every Saturday. is the city's financial engine and it is sputtering. 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. Hes my best friend even today. A Scott Galloway: What qualities allowed you to step up and be leader of such a milestone band? Raw. Tower of Power continued to enjoy success with hits like "What Is Hip?" This something may have been an unknown toxin or another piece of dangerous equipment. Thats where I was born, too, in 1946 but we lived in Los Angeles. Taken together, these factors led him to decide that it was time for a change. In the interview below, he talks about leadership, purpose, longevity and the future. (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. We'll discuss their features, prices, and other important information to help you decide which one is . Soulful. Those lyrics have hung in there waaaay longer than anything that was hip back in `73. 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. My resolve has always been there., Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicles pop music critic. However, there is still one lingering question: Who was behind the entire heist? No matter what the circumstances looked like, I filled my mind with Faith and the thing that I wanted to happen. may be available from PACER. We changed our name from The Motowns to Tower of Power, aimed our sights on the Fillmore West. David: Wellfrom a weird perspectiveI was knocked out for a few minutes. Its been hard for me to see the physical aspect of his health deteriorate over the years but we jokingly tell each other all the time, Rocco is going to be at all of our funerals. With a landmark 50th anniversary album, 2018's Soul Side of Town, still visible in their rearview mirror, one would think Tower of Power (or TOP, as it is more often referred to by its global legion of fans), the much-lauded creators of their own horn-based, hybrid brand of East Bay soul/funk/R&B/rock, would take a well-deserved breather. 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. Scott: Please share some details about the lyrical development of What is Hip.. ", 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. Irritated passengers aboard a cross-country flight experience dizziness, headaches and other symptoms. In December 1974, Marcus Scott announced his departure from Tower of Power. Emilio: I had to take him off of the road because he kept breaking down. At the time, there was a lot of good tenor players but nobody played baritone. Not because hes an average singer who makes the most out of his voice and has a great personality. Id love to. So, I brought him aboard and that proved to be a really smart decision. David Garibaldi: Coming up, my parents had me learn piano and theory. He and (bassist) Paul Jackson were already playing together. That was the instrument he decided I should play so I went for it. I lost all feeling. 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. Doc: Yeah! Scott: Im imagining Latin music had an influence as well. These three words exemplify the sound of Marcus Scott. After one months work. Youre still standing 50+ years later. Compelling. Then he came out to California and met my mother who was born in Hollywood. He heard me in their playing bari scoops which really make a horn section sound better. Attorney-turned-writer Phil Peacock says hes thrilled with how Departure has turned out so far. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. After being home about a month, I got up one morning and was able to put my pants on by myself. Im gonna push and make it as great as I can. Mark played a huge role in choosing the musicians. Take Ooo Baby (Smokey Robinson) simple but beautiful. Tower of Power - Marcus Scott Bio. Toms married to an Oakland girlso you know hes got Soul! Eventually, they went to Europe on a tour and called me to say that drummer Herman Matthews was getting ready to leave. 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. Tower Of Power introduces Marcus Scott 2016! Tower of Power photographed on 12/02/11 in El Cajon (San Diego) and on 12/03/11 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. 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. How did you guys deal with that? 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. Vocalist Rick Stevens, who joined Tower of Power in 1969, replacing Rufus Miller, left the group after its second album was released, just as it was on the cusp of a major breakthrough. It was love at first sight. David: Rocco is a beautiful man with a beautiful heart and just a really cool guy. Stephen Doc Kupka: It was the music that lit me up, When I started playing, I was an oboe player in college. Between the two of us, I think we made two of the greatest records of Tower of Powers career.