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Tower Records (record label)
Encyclopedia
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
from 1964
1964 in music
-Events:*January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television.*January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show....
to 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
. A subsidiary of Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, Tower often released music by artists who were relatively low profile in comparison to those released on the parent label, including a number of artists—such as The Standells
The Standells
The Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...
and The Chocolate Watch Band—later recognized as "garage bands". For this reason Tower is often associated with the garage rock phenomenon of the 1960s.
Overview
Named after Capitol's headquarters building, Tower was formed as a subsidiary to Capitol in 19641964 in music
-Events:*January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television.*January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show....
. In its early years, it released recordings by British invasion artists like Freddie and the Dreamers
Freddie and the Dreamers
Freddie and the Dreamers were an English band who had a number of hit records between May 1963 and November 1965. Their stage act was based around the comic antics of the 5-foot-3-inch-tall Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying. The group remained active...
, (whose "I'm Telling You Now" became Tower's only #1 hit on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
) and Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
(only 6 songs recorded in 1963, that were released by Tower on the strength of his hit "It's Not Unusual" two years later in 1965, much to the dismay of the singer, who was actually signed to London
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
subsidiary, Parrot
Parrot Records
Parrot Records was a division of London Records in the United States which started in 1964. Notable artists whose records were released by Parrot included: The Zombies, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Them featuring Van Morrison, Jonathan King, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, Lulu, Bobby "Boris"...
). It also gave Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
his first national releases. Tower's first single (#101) was "Car Party/Outta Gas" by The Sunrays
The Sunrays
The Sunrays were an American band from Pacific Palisades, California.-Career:Their first job as the Renegades was at the Seaside Session at Palisades Park in Pacific Palisade...
, a California pop group produced and managed by Murry Wilson
Murry Wilson
Murry Gage Wilson was an American musician and record producer, best remembered as the father of The Beach Boys members Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson, uncle of bandmate Mike Love, and the husband of Audree Wilson...
, father of Beach Boys Brian, Dennis and Carl.
Tower labels from 1964 to approximately 1968 had a solid brownish-orange color. This design was used for both singles and albums. Starting sometime around late 1968 or early 1969 the design was changed to a multicolored stripe label, and again, the stripe design was used for both singles and albums. The stripe label lasted until Tower ceased operations sometime around 1970. Tower releases have numerous many small variations of label type for stereo and mono releases and re-pressings. Minor label variations also sometimes make it possible to determine which of the three Capitol Records factories manufactured each copy.
In 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
, Tower made a bit of a risky move by releasing "You Turn Me On" by Ian Whitcomb
Ian Whitcomb
Ian Whitcomb is an entertainer, singer, songwriter, author, record producer, and actor...
, a song that was considered racy by some. It became Whitcomb's biggest hit (and Tower's only other Top 10 record, peaking at #8 on Billboard). Other Tower hits that year included "I Live For The Sun" by The Sunrays
The Sunrays
The Sunrays were an American band from Pacific Palisades, California.-Career:Their first job as the Renegades was at the Seaside Session at Palisades Park in Pacific Palisade...
and "Dirty Water", by The Standells
The Standells
The Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...
.
In 1966
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...
, the label gained what could be called a "future cult" status, becoming one of the premiere purveyors of what would later be called garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
. While not releasing recordings from this genre exclusively, it seemed their greatest chart successes came from garage bands, such as "Blues' Theme" from The Wild Angels
The Wild Angels
The Wild Angels is a 1966 Roger Corman film, made on location in Southern California. The Wild Angels was made three years before Easy Rider and was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motorcycles and 1960s counterculture...
by Davie Allan
Davie Allan
Davie Allan is a guitarist best known for his work on soundtracks to various teen and biker movies in the 1960s. Allan's backing band is almost always the Arrows , although the Arrows have never been a stable lineup....
& The Arrows.
Tower released the first recordings by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
in the U.S. in 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
without success after acquiring the rights from EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's UK Columbia
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
label (a different company than Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in the U.S. and Canada.) Tower released three Pink Floyd albums. The four Pink Floyd singles on Tower have become the most valuable (fetching three figures in mint condition) and sought-after of the label's recordings. Tower released the single See Emily Play
See Emily Play
"See Emily Play" was the second single recorded by the English psychedelic rock group Pink Floyd. It was written by original frontman Syd Barrett and recorded on 23 May 1967. The single featured "Scarecrow" as its B-side...
(Tower 356) three times between July 1967 and late 1968, but each time it failed to reach the top 40. Two other Pink Floyd singles, Flaming
Flaming (Pink Floyd song)
"Flaming" is a song by psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured in their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The song, written by Syd Barrett, is basically a child-like game scenario between two friends, hence "Lazing in the foggy dew"...
(Tower 378) and Let There Be More Light
Let There Be More Light
"Let There Be More Light" is the opening track on Pink Floyd's second album A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also released in edited form as the fourth US single by the group. A rare US-only single release contains edited mono versions of this song and "Remember a Day". The single did not chart...
(Tower 440) are especially rare and were not released at all in the U.K. After the Tower label was dissolved the Pink Floyd albums were re-issued on another Capitol/EMI subsidiary Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
.
Several singles by The Chocolate Watch Band were released also in 1967. Today these are very collectible. Mississippi "sunshine pop" group Eternity's Children (who evolved into Starbuck
Starbuck (band)
Starbuck was a rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974 by keyboardist/vocalist/record producer Bruce Blackman and marimba player Bo Wagner. Both Blackman and Wagner, along with guitarist Johnny Walker, had previous success with Mississippi-based "sunshine pop" group Eternity's Children,...
in the 70's) placed Tower back on the charts with "Mrs. Bluebird" in the summer of 1968.
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
joined the label in 1968
1968 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.*January 6 – Gibson Guitar Corporation patents its Gibson Flying V electric guitar design....
. Curb had a hand in releasing several soundtracks on the Tower label, most notably, Wild in the Streets, featuring Tower's last major hit: Max Frost and the Troopers
Max Frost and the Troopers
Max Frost and The Troopers was a fictional rock music group created for the exploitation film Wild in the Streets, released in 1968. The film featured Christopher Jones as the highly influential singer Max Frost. The songs performed by Frost and his band, a group that was never formally named in...
' "The Shape of Things To Come".
Capitol shut down Tower Records in 1970. In 1992, the original label was used as part of EMI's "Legends Of Rock And Roll" series of CD's for their "Best Of Freddie And The Dreamers" compilation.
Label variations
- 1964–1968: Brownish orange label with Tower logo on left side
- 1968–1970: Multi-color striped label with Tower logo on left side (album labels feature the logo at the top)
Charted singles
- Chittlins—Gus Jenkins—Tower 107—US #113, 11/64
- Apache '65—The Arrows featuring Davie Allan—Tower 116—US #64, 2/65
- This Sporting Life—Ian Whitcomb & Bluesville—Tower 120—US #100, 3/65
- I'm Telling You Now—Freddie & The Dreamers—Tower 125—US #1, 3/65
- Little Lonely One—Tom Jones—Tower 126—US #42, 5/65
- You Were Made For Me—Freddie & The Dreamers—Tower 127—US #21, 5/65
- You Turn Me On (Turn On Song) -- Ian Whitcomb & Bluesville—Tower 134—US #8, 5/65
- I Live For The Sun—The Sunrays—Tower 148—US #51, 9/65
- N-E-R-V-O-U-S! -- Ian Whitcomb—Tower 155—US #59, 9/65
- Send A Letter To Me—Freddie & The Dreamers—Tower 163—US #123, 10/65
- Dirty Water—The Standells—Tower 185—US #11, 4/66
- Chills And Fever—Tom Jones—Tower 190—US #125, 12/65
- Andrea—The Sunrays—Tower 191—US #41, 1/66
- Still—The Sunrays—Tower 224—US #93, 5/66
- Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White—The Standells—Tower 257—US #43, 8/66
- Theme From "The Wild Angels" -- Davie Allan & The Arrows—Tower 267—US #99, 11/66
- Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On Saturday Night—Ian Whitcomb—Tower 274—US #101, 11/66
- Why Pick On Me—The Standells—Tower 282—US #54, 10/66
- Winchester Cathedral—Dana Rollin—Tower 283—US #71, 11/66
- Blue's Theme—The Arrows featuring Davie Allan—Tower 295—US #37, 4/67
- Riot On Sunset Strip—The Standells—Tower 314—US #133, 3/67
- Edelweiss—Vince Hill—Tower 323—US #119, 4/67
- Devil's Angels—Davie Allan & The Arrows—Tower 341—US #97, 7/67
- Can't Help But Love You—The Standells—Tower 348—US #78, 11/67
- See Emily Play—Pink Floyd—Tower 356—US #134, 9/67
- Mrs. Bluebird—Eternity's Children—Tower 416—US #69, 7/68
- Shape Of Things To Come—Max Frost & The Troopers—Tower 419—US #22, 9/68
- Sunshine Among Us—Eternity's Children—Tower 439—US #117, 9/68
- Fifty-Two Percent—Max Frost & The Troopers—Tower 452—US #123, 12/68
Charted albums
- Mai Tai Time Hawaiian instrumental—Favorites by The Eddie Lund Organ and Quartet—Tower 5001—US #did not chart, ?/64
- I'm Telling You Now—Freddie & The Dreamers—Tower 5003—US #86, 5/65
-
- Features only two tracks by Freddie & The Dreamers; the other 10 tracks are by other British artists and groups
- You Turn Me On—Ian Whitcomb—Tower 5004—US #125, 7/65
- Dirty Water—The Standells—Tower 5027—US #52, 7/66
- Way Out WestWay Out West (Mae West album)-Charts:...
—Mae WestMae WestMae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
—Tower 5028—US #116, 7/66 - The Wild Angels (Soundtrack) -- Davie Allan & The Arrows—Tower 5043—US #17, 10/66
- The Wild Angels, Volume II—Davie Allan & The Arrows—Tower 5056—US #94, 4/67
- Devil's Angels (Soundtrack) -- Davie Allan & The Arrows—Tower 5074—US #165, 8/67
- Pink FloydThe Piper at the Gates of DawnThe Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut album by the English rock group Pink Floyd, and the only one made under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership. The album contains whimsical lyrics about space, scarecrows, gnomes, bicycles and fairy tales, along with psychedelic instrumental songs...
-- Pink Floyd—Tower 5093—US #131, 12/67 - Wild In The Streets—Soundtrack—Tower 5099—US #12, 7/68
- Best Of The Soundtracks (Compilation) -- Various artists—Tower 5148—US #198, 2/69
- Features only two tracks by Freddie & The Dreamers; the other 10 tracks are by other British artists and groups
Other Tower label artists
- Davie Allan & the Arrows
- Laurindo AlmeidaLaurindo AlmeidaLaurindo Almeida was a Brazilian virtuoso guitaristand composer who made many recordings of enduring impact in classical, jazz and Latin genres...
- Ray Chafin
- The Chocolate Watch Band
- The E-Types
- Eternity's Children
- Freddie & The Dreamers
- Max Frost and the TroopersMax Frost and the TroopersMax Frost and The Troopers was a fictional rock music group created for the exploitation film Wild in the Streets, released in 1968. The film featured Christopher Jones as the highly influential singer Max Frost. The songs performed by Frost and his band, a group that was never formally named in...
- Annette FunicelloAnnette FunicelloAnnette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
-
- Her one and only single on Tower, "What's A Girl To Do"/"When You Get What You Want" (Tower 326), shows her name misspelled as "Annettte"
- Brother Dave GardnerBrother Dave GardnerDavid Gardner , known as Brother Dave Gardner, was a U.S. comedian and singer.A Tennessee native, Gardner studied drumming, beginning at age 13. After a one-semester term as a Southern Baptist ministerial student at Union University in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee, he began a musical career...
- The Green Beans (rare garage single with an even rarer promotional color picture sleeve)
- Susan HartSusan HartSusan Hart is an American actress, and the widow of American International Pictures co-founder James H...
- Heinz (Heinz Burt of The TornadosThe TornadosThe Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
) - Jake HolmesJake HolmesJake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s...
- Gus Jenkins
- Tom JonesTom JonesTom Jones is the name of:* Tom Jones , Welsh singer* Tom Jones , Australian politician representing Collie-Wellington district...
- Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
- Darlene McCrea (of The CookiesThe CookiesThe Cookies were an American R&B girl group in the 1950s to 1960s. Members of the original lineup would later become The Raelettes, the backing vocalists for Ray Charles.-History:...
) - Harry NilssonHarry NilssonHarry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
- Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
- Dana Rollin
- The StandellsThe StandellsThe Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...
- The SunraysThe SunraysThe Sunrays were an American band from Pacific Palisades, California.-Career:Their first job as the Renegades was at the Seaside Session at Palisades Park in Pacific Palisade...
- Teddy & The Pandas
- Vince HillVince HillVince Hill is an English traditional pop music singer, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
- Mae WestMae WestMae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
- Justin WilsonJustin Wilson (chef)Justin E. Wilson was a southern American chef and humorist known for his brand of Cajun cuisine-inspired cooking and humor. He was a self-styled "raconteur" and a staunch political conservative....
- Ian WhitcombIan WhitcombIan Whitcomb is an entertainer, singer, songwriter, author, record producer, and actor...
- Brother Dave Gardner
- Her one and only single on Tower, "What's A Girl To Do"/"When You Get What You Want" (Tower 326), shows her name misspelled as "Annettte"