Rick Stevens, Lead Singer – You’re Nonetheless A Younger Man
In the summertime of 1968, tenor saxophonist/vocalist Emilio Castillo met Stephen “Doc” Kupka, who performed baritone sax. Castillo had performed in a number of bands, however Castillo’s father informed his son to “rent that man” after a house audition. Collectively, they grew to become the spine of Tower of Energy. Inside months the group, then often known as The Motowns, started taking part in numerous gigs round Oakland and Berkeley, their soul sound referring to each minority and rebellious listeners.
Castillo actually wished to play Invoice Graham’s Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, however he realized he would by no means get in with a reputation like The Motowns. So, on a break from recording in a little bit studio in Hayward, Castillo was sitting on the studio proprietor’s desk, and proper in entrance of him was an extended checklist of bizarre band names. He regarded by it and noticed Tower Of Energy and thought “Yeah, that describes us.” The band agreed so the identify caught.
By 1970, the now renamed Tower of Energy (together with trumpet/arranger Greg Adams, first trumpet Mic Gillette, first saxophone Skip Mesquite, Francis “Rocco” Prestia on bass, Willie Fulton on guitar, and drummer David Garibaldi) signed a recording contract with Invoice Graham’s San Francisco Data and launched their first album, East Bay Grease. Rufus Miller carried out many of the lead vocals on this debut album.
The group was first launched to the San Francisco Bay space by radio station KSAN, which performed quite a lot of artists similar to Chilly Blood, Eric Mercury and Marvin Gaye’s album “What’s Goin On” in its entirety earlier than the bay space’s soul and R&B stations grew to become conscious. Dusty Avenue of the Flying Eye Radio Community’s Fly Low present and Sirius XM radio was a DJ there within the late Nineteen Sixties/early Nineteen Seventies. The only “Glowing within the Sand” obtained airplay on famed Bay Space soul station KDIA.
Augmented by percussionist/conga/bongo participant Brent Byars, Tower of Energy was launched from their San Francisco label contract and moved to Warner Brothers Data. With Rick Stevens now singing lead, 1972’s Bump Metropolis gave the band their first nationwide publicity. This album included the hit single “You’re Nonetheless a Younger Man”, which peaked at #29 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 and was Stevens’ pinnacle vocal efficiency earlier than leaving the band.
Emilio Castillo, who, together with Stephen Kupka, co-wrote “You’re Nonetheless a Younger Man,” informed Songfacts that the music was primarily based on a real story regarding a former girlfriend who was six years older. Although not an enormous hit single “All the way down to the Nightclub” obtained heavy airplay on West Coast FM stations and a number of other AM stations. Each songs nonetheless get substantial airplay on oldies radio and stay fan favorites.
Tower of Energy, launched within the spring of 1973, was the third album for the band. It featured Lenny Williams on lead vocals and Lenny Pickett on lead tenor saxophone. Bruce Conte changed guitarist Willy Fulton and keyboardist Chester Thompson additionally joined the band in the course of the recording of the album. This was the group’s most profitable album. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and was RIAA licensed as a gold file (for gross sales in extra of 500,000 copies).
The album additionally spawned their most-successful single “So Very Onerous To Go”. Though the only peaked at #17 on the Billboard Sizzling 100, it landed within the Prime 10 on the surveys of many West Coast Prime 40 radio stations, hitting #1 on a lot of them. The album additionally charted two different singles on the Billboard Sizzling 100, “This Time It’s Actual” and “What Is Hip?” The latter is presumably their most enduring music.
1974’s Again to Oakland spawned one other hit, “Don’t Change Horses (within the Center of a Stream)”, that reached #26 on the Billboard Sizzling 100, and “Time Will Inform”, which charted at #69.
On a few of their releases within the mid-Nineteen Seventies, similar to City Renewal (1974), the band moved extra towards funk than soul; nevertheless, they continued recording ballads as properly. Williams left the band in late 1974, and was changed as vocalist by Hubert Tubbs.
Although the band remained widespread, their days of chart radio airplay declined. In the course of the late Nineteen Seventies they briefly tried recording disco-sounding materials. Chief Emilio Castillo mentioned in an interview that the band’s temporary foray into quasi-disco was on the request of Columbia Data, who had the band underneath contract on the time.
Tower of Energy nonetheless excursions extensively right this moment, though there have been many modifications in personnel through the years. Not less than 60 musicians have toured or recorded with the band over their 40-plus-year existence. These embody present Saturday Evening Reside musical director/saxophonist Lenny Pickett, drummer David Garibaldi, bassist Francis “Rocco” Prestia, organ grasp Chester Thompson, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Euge Groove, and guitarist Bruce Conte.
Conte’s cousin, BALCO founder Victor Conte, additionally performed bass guitar within the band from the late Nineteen Seventies to the early Nineteen Eighties. Former lead vocalist Rick Stevens (actual identify Donald Stevenson) was sentenced to life in jail on three counts of first-degree homicide for crimes dedicated after leaving the band. Stevens was paroled on July 20, 2012 after 36 years in jail.
Bruce Conte rejoined the band in 2006, changing veteran guitarist Jeff Tamelier. He departed after barely greater than a 12 months, citing private recording initiatives and well being points. Following Conte as guitarist was Charles Spikes (whereas auditions for a everlasting participant have been held), then Mark Harper. The band’s present guitarist is Jerry Cortez. Wiki
Rick Stevens, Lead Singer – You’re Nonetheless A Younger Man
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