Tower of Power/Live Anthology 1985-1986

The fourth installment of the Live Anthology series is a thorough compilation of Tower of Power’s live recordings. This is a 4-disc set, all soundboard, all masterpieces, a must-have title! After losing their record contract in 1979, they were active as backs for Huey Lewis, while steadily moving forward to a comeback, with the release of the 1981 live studio album Direct, which was recorded directly from the performance, and T.O.P., which was released only in Northern Europe, such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, in 1986. The first and second sets were recorded at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz on December 20, 1985 and April 11, 1986, respectively. Both sound quality is recorded with the ultimate soundboard recording, with multiple channel line sound sources matrixed. Guitarist Bruce Conte left the band in 1979, but Ellis Hall is still there on lead vocals, keyboards, and guitar. He is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who admires Ray Charles, and he wrote some of the songs for Tower of Power at this time. Ellis has contributed to Stevie Wonder, Maurice White, and Sheila E. in live performances, and he also contributed songs to Boochie Collins’ album The Power of the One, so you can see that he is a very talented person. Doggin’ At The Cathouse is a wonderful funk song that he wrote. This song is included on the European version of T.O.P., but not on the US version of 1987’s Power. Why was such a great song omitted? Ellis has such an unfortunate side. You Ought To Be Havin Fun from Ain’t Nothin Stoppin’ Us Now, which was only included on the 1986 T.O.P., is sung by Ellis instead of Edward McGee on the original, but you can hear the live version here, and his vocals are dynamic yet stable and soulful, and there is no wavering, making it a very fulfilling performance. Actually, David Garibaldi is not on drums, and Mick Mestek, who joined at this time, is playing. He was also confirmed to have participated in TOP and the Fillmore 40th anniversary live, but he has not been particularly prominent. In live performances, he shows off his tight drumming that faithfully supports the backbone. And TOP’s original guitarist Willie Fulton is there, and even more excitingly, Rocco Prestia is back on bass. They debut the pop funk Count On Me, which is included in the new album after a long time, and Rocco’s bass line, which intertwines with the horns and pushes forward, is so cool that it gives you goosebumps, and it is one of the things to listen to by him and Mick’s new lower body unit. Richard Elliott is a new saxophonist, and it is also noteworthy that he provides a new sound using the wind synthesizer Lyricon. In the live performances included in this item, the opening tracks of ’86’s T.O.P. and ’87’s Power, the refreshing tunes Baby’s Got The Power, Boys Night Out from those two albums, Up Against Yourself, which can only be heard on the European version, and On The One, which can only be heard on the American version, are played ahead of the album release. Among those new songs, the performance of Credit is particularly interesting. The ’81 mini-album Direct, which was recorded in just 29 minutes, was later re-released as Plus!, including sound checks and outtakes, but at that time TOP had been terminated from his contract with Columbia and was writing songs for a studio album in the midst of financial difficulties. The 1999 album Dinosaur Tracks, which is a collection of songs recorded from 1980 to 1983, includes songs from that time, and Credit is included at the beginning as if it were a masterpiece number from that period (it was composed in 1979). Credit was included in both T.O.P. in 1986 and Power in 1987, and even TOP’s first music video was made, but it was actually a re-recording different from the one for Dinosaur Tracks. The members of the mini-album Direct included Chester Thompson and others, and since the lineup was very different from back then, it was necessary to re-record with the members at that time. It’s shocking to be able to listen to a live version of Credit. Of course, the famous songs from TOP’s heyday in the 1970s are also played by the members who were only there at this time. In the famous song What Is Hip?, a monumental funk song and also covered by Prince, the Brothers Johnson’s Get The Funk Out Ma Face is inserted, and Ellis’ youthful scat is also a new version. Different songs are also played at the two live shows, and in the 1985 live show, a rare play of Make Someone Happy from the 1976 album Ain’t Nothin Stoppin’ Us Now is also a delight. And in 1986, Ellis sang “Trouble In Paradise” from Huey Lewis & the News’ first album. They actually played this song often at live shows, and TOP, who was backing them, also played it. If you think that 1985 and 1986 were not yet a time of revival, you will understand that TOP was fully prepared and all that was left was to decide on a record company. December 20, 1985 The Catalyst Santa Cruz, California, USA Disc 1 first set 01.crowd and tune ups before first song 02.opening vamp > Down To The Nightclub 03.Can’t You See (You Doin’ Me Wrong) 04.Count On Me 05.Can’t You Feel It? 06.This Time It’s Real 07.The Skunk The Goose and The Fly 08.Doggin ‘ at The Cathouse 09.Squib Cakes 10.instrumental interlude (Richard Elliot tenor sax and Lyricon solo) 11.Squib Cakes reprise (tape flip at the beginning) 12.Ain’t Nothin’ Stoppin’ Us Now 13.talk before set break and crowd Disc 2 second set 01.crowd and tune ups before first song of set 02.instrumental 03.You Got To Funkifize 04.Only So Much Oil In The Ground 05.Baby’s Got The Power 06.Credit 07.Up Against Yourself 08.Make Someone Happy 09.Boys Night Out 10.What Is Hip? 11.You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun > 12.We Came To Play > 13.unknown titled segue > 14.Knock Yourself Out 15.thanks and crowd before encore encore: 16.You’re Still A Young Man 17.final thanks and crowd April 11, 1986 The Catalyst Santa Cruz, California, USA Disc 3 first set 01.crowd and tune ups before first song 02.opening vamp > Down To The Nightclub 03.Can’t You See (You Doin’ Me Wrong) 04.Only So Much Oil In The Ground 05.Baby’s Got The Power 06.Count On Me 07.talk 08.Credit 09.The Skunk The Goose and The Fly 10.Doggin’ at The Cathouse 11.Squib Cakes > 12.instrumental interlude (Richard Elliot tenor sax and Lyricon solo) (tape flip at beginning) > 13.Squib Cakes reprise 14.band intros 15.So Very Hard To Go 16.What Is Hip? 17.thanks and crowd at end of set Disc 4 second set 01.crowd and tune ups before first song of set 02.instrumental 03.You Got To Funkifize 04.This Time It’s Real 05.Don’t Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream) 06.Trouble In Paradise 07.On The One 08.Ain’t Nothin’ Stoppin’ Us Now 09.Boys Night Out 10.You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun (tape flip in middle of song) > finale 11.thanks and crowd before encore encore: 12.You’re Still A Young Man 13.final thanks and crowd