Posted on 03/15/2025 10:41:57 AM PDT by fidelis
Just released cover of Tower of Power's classic hit, "What Is Hip," by Leonid & Friends.
They’re a great copy band from Russia. The songs they copies from the group Chicago are historically accurate, note for note. Every the Earth Wind and Fire songs. They sound just like the band of the song they’re playing...
Decent attempt. 😂👍 Good job musicians!
TOP. A great hip/funk band in the 70’s when Oakland was winning championships in baseball, football, and basketball. I read Goodbye Oakland by Dave Newhouse. He mentions. Tower of Power-performed at the Super Bowl I believe. Mighta been the Rose Bowl. All the teams left the city that loved them. First chapter was on Al Davis. What a rat. Rick Berry was ‘misunderstood’. Another rat who quit on the team in a playoff game. TheRaiders were renegades-a perfect fit.
So Very Hard to Go/You’re Still A Young Man/This Time is RealClassics.
The sax player was a heck of a dancer when he put down the instrument.
That was a great version of Tower of Power’s What is Hip...
Back in the mid 70’s and 80’s I was in a band and our drummer turned me onto Tower of Power. He told me in California they played arenas, but in the midwest and south the would play big clubs. Lenny Pickett was their super funky sac player. He would hit those freak notes that weren’t even on his sax. They played on a few Huey Lewis albums, in fact when I saw Huey Lewis in Chicago half way through his show he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Tower of Power.” Their horn section came out and played the second half of his show. The crowd went nuts. They were a great band who was severely underrated...
Lenny Pickett...
.
You gotta love a band with a horn section.
If I’m not mistaken some of the Friends are from Russia and Ukraine. They formed their musical talents and friendship long before the war.
Watch him live on stage. We buy tickets stage left just for him.
All are Russian’s. A couple now live in the USA.
Yes. There was one Ukrainian. But not now......
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/are-any-members-pf-leonid-and-dqGp6vKjRXSg20ewE8cAKw
The wife and I got to see Tower of Power last year in a small 2200 seat venue. It was one of the best funk/soul/jazz shows I have ever seen.
I have never seen Leonid & Friends live but have seen them on TV. I have several of their CDs too. They are absolutely one of the best out there.
I send this to anyone who expresses an interest in horn sections. Pretty unusual but exceptionally badass 4x trumpets. And the incomparable Dave Weckl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkWQ0Wqe7f0
[music start @ 3:00]
Cover bands can make a lot of money.
I saw one woman from Germany in a video. She says her youtube video was viewed 290,000 times in just 5 days... for a Led Zeppelin tune. Now blocked.
She has had over 700 million views for her videos in the past 11 years... wow!
The copyright owners received between $2 to $4 million dollars for the playing of the songs she does. She receives nothing.
Led Zeppelin blocked my video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcA83yr231k
Here she is and her dad:
Wipe Out (The Surfaris); drum cover by Sina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQeC_6bOFqs
For this cover Ksenia Buzina tries to sing as well as Karen Carpenter but comes across as to moaning/crying as is what ‘singers’ do these days.
No one can match Karen Carpenter.
The playing of the instruments is very good.
Superstar - Leonid & Friends (The Carpenters cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhWrggrJ20I
Squib Cakes is one of my favorite Tower of Power songs. Saw them in concert in 75/76, their opening act was REO Speedwagon.
Thanks for that. I met Dave when he was playing with Chick Corea, and years later I saw him with the Brecker Brothers. Also had the privilege of meeting Michael before he passed.
The four trumpets reminded me of Bill Chase.
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