''East Bay Grease'' is the debut album by the

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

group

Tower of Power 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. There have been a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted the b ...

, released in 1970. The band was one of the early music groups to be signed by Bill Graham's Fillmore Records, which released the LP. The album shows the band at an early stage of development, trying out several lead singers including Rick Stevens who soon left the band because of heavy drug abuse. In a retrospective review, music historian

Rickey Vincent Rickey Vincent is an American author, historian, and radio host based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the author of ''Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of The One'' (St. Martin’s Press, 1996), which encompasses the history of funk m ...

said the album contained "sloppy and raggedy horn-heavy R&B." Drummer David Garibaldi later said that his playing style was undisciplined during this time, that the album showed his "rough edges". He began private drum lessons with a Bay Area drum teacher named Chuck Brown, and polished his technique in time for the improvements to be heard on 1973's ''

'' album. The album was released on CD in 1992 by

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

Track listing

All selections written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka, except "Sparkling in the Sand" by Emilio Castillo, Stephen Kupka and Lawrence Lopez. # "Knock Yourself Out" - 7:08 # "Social Lubrication" - 7:28 # "The Price" - 6:09 # "Back on the Streets Again" - 5:50 # "The Skunk, the Goose, and the Fly" - 5:55 # "Sparkling in the Sand" - 9:06

Personnel

Production credit * Rufus Miller - lead vocals (except "Sparkling in the Sand") *

Emilio Castillo Emilio Castillo (born September 24, 1950) is an American saxophone player and composer, best known as the founder of the band Tower of Power. Background In 1965, Emilio Castillo took to music after he and his brother Jack were caught stealing by ...

- alto saxophone, vocals, extra greasy vocal on "The Skunk, the Goose, and the Fly" * David Garibaldi - drums, vibes, background vocals * Greg Adams - first trumpet * Stephen "The Funky Doctor" Kupka - baritone saxophone, background vocals * Skip Mesquite - tenor saxophone, flute, vocals * David Padron - second trumpet * Frank Rocco Prestia - bass * Rick Stevens - lead vocal on "Sparkling in the Sand", background vocals * Willie James Fulton - guitar, background vocals *

Mic Gillette Mic Gillette (May 7, 1951 – January 17, 2016) was an American brass player, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay. He is best known for being a member of the bands; Tower of Power, Cold Blood, and The Sons of Champlin. He pl ...

- trumpet, trombone, flugelhorn with solo on "Sparkling in the Sand" * Ken Balzell - trumpet ;Technical *Bruce Steinberg - cover and liner design, artwork, photography

References

External links

Tower of Power - website discography
* {{Authority control 1970 debut albums Tower of Power albums Albums produced by Dave Rubinson Atlantic Records albums