Discography
Although Mic Gillette is best known for 30+ years of stellar horns work with Cold Blood, Tower of Power, and the Sons of Champlin, not as many people realize that he has appeared on several hundred albums and CDs (!) for some of the biggest names in the music business—Santana, The Rolling Stones, Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Jefferson Starship, Huey Lewis and the News, and countless others. Mic also enjoyed brief stints with Blood, Sweat & Tears and The Fundamentals, an R&B/Motown band.
The majority of these appearances were during nearly two decades as leader of the world-renowned Tower of Power Horn Section. For a full list, see below.
So if you didn't know, now you do: Mic Gillette has been and continues to be one of the most prolific and sought-after horn players in the history of music! When it comes to searing funk, soaring brass solos, and deliciously soulful ballads, it doesn't get any better! Here's the full list (and we've probably overlooked a few in the process!):
1963 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Spring Concert | Irvington School District Honor Groups |
| Honor Group Festival | V.I.T.A.S.A.C.S. |
1964 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Spring Concert | Irvington School District Honor Groups |
| Spring Concert | Hopkins Jr. High School |
1965 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Spring Concert | F.U.S.D. Honor Groups |
1969 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Cold Blood | Cold Blood |
1970 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| East Bay Grease | Tower of Power |
| Sisyphus | Cold Blood |
| San Francisco Sampler | Tower of Power/Cold Blood |
| Be A Brother | Big Brother and the Holding Company |
1971 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Danny Cox | Danny Cox |
| Santana III (platinum album) | Santana |
| Sunfighter | Grace Slick/Paul Kantner |
| Papa John Creach | Papa John Creach |
| Heavy Turbulence | Merl Saunders |
| Rack Jobbers Rule | Hoodoo Rhythm Devils |
1972 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Bump City | Tower of Power |
| Lights Out: San Francisco | Tower of Power |
| Fillmore: The Last Days | Tower of Power |
| Believing | Alice Stuart & Snake |
| Rolling Thunder | Mickey Hart |
| Cosmo | Doug Clifford |
| The Barbecue of Deville | Hoodoo Rhythm Devils |
1973 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Tower of Power | Tower of Power |
| Betty Davis | Betty Davis |
1974 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Caribou | Elton John |
| Greatest Hits | Santana |
| Back to Oakland | Tower of Power |
| Urban Renewal | Tower of Power |
| Funkland | Tower of Power |
| In The Beginning | Roy Buchanan |
| And The Feeling's Good | José Feliciano |
| For My Love, Mother Music | José Feliciano |
| And His Lost Planet Airmen | Commander Cody |
| Ron Gardner | Ron Gardner |
| Have You Ever Smoked The Gorowerse? | Hiroshi Kamayatsu |
| Graham Central Station | Graham Central Station |
| Release Yourself | Graham Central Station |
| Free Beer and Chicken | John Lee Hooker |
| Feats Don't Fail Me Now | Little Feat |
| Insane Asylum | Kathi McDonald |
| Jezebel | Mary McCreary |
| Rumble | Linc Wray |
1975 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| In The Slot | Tower of Power |
| Rescue Me | Roy Buchanan |
| Ain't No Bout-a-Doubt It | Graham Central Station |
| Not A Little Girl Anymore | Linda Lewis |
| Rise Sleeping Beauty | Lenny Williams |
| I'm Not a Little Girl Anymore | Eiko Shuri |
| Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan | Rufus |
| Tales from the Ozone | Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen |
| Pages | Rich Page |
| Funk in a Mason Jar | Harvey Mason |
| Secret Sauce | Sky King |
| Change | Spanky and Our Gang |
1976 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Live and In Living Color | Tower of Power |
| Ain't Nothin' Stopping Us Now | Tower of Power |
| A Night on the Town | Rod Stewart |
| Hometown Boy Makes Good! | Elvin Bishop |
| Gavin | Gavin Christopher |
| Hard Candy | Ned Doheny |
| Mirror | Graham Central Station |
| Nine on a Ten Scale | Sammy Hagar |
| Jaye P. Morgan | Jaye P. Morgan |
| Impact | Impact |
| In Touch | Tommy James |
| Single Man | R.C. Succession |
| An Insatiable High | Masayoshi Takanaka |
| White Bird | David LaFlamme |
| Act Like Nothing's Wrong | Al Kooper |
| Billy Preston | Billy Preston |
| Stone Alone | Bill Wyman |
1977 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Greatest Hits Volume II | Elton John |
| Raisin' Hell Live | Elvin Bishop |
| Right On Time | The Brothers Johnson |
| Now Do You Want To Dance | Graham Central Station |
| Good News | Attitudes |
| Feel the Fire | Jermaine Jackson |
| Red | Sammy Hagar |
| Disco Fantasy | Coke Escovido |
| Time Loves a Hero | Little Feat |
| Marin County Line | New Riders of the Purple Sage |
| The Keane Brothers | Keane Brothers |
| New Directions | The Meters |
| Christopher Morris Band | Christopher Morris Band |
| Never Been Here Before | Paulette McWilliams |
| Sierra | Sierra |
| Supersonic Lover | Brian and Brenda Russell |
| The Tim Weisberg Band | Tim Weisberg |
| Big City | Lenny White |
| God Only Knows (45 RPM single) | Marilyn Scott |
1978 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| In The Slot | Tower of Power |
| Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band | The BeeGees and Peter Frampton |
| Jesse Barish | Jesse Barish |
| Dinner with Raoul | Bliss Band |
| Never Even Thought | Colin Blunstone |
| Desert Horizon | Norton Buffalo |
| My Radio Sure Sounds Good To Me | Graham Central Station |
| Jet Lag | Nick Chavin |
| Crimson Tide | Crimson Tide |
| Frontiers | Jermaine Jackson |
| Waiting for Columbus | Little Feat |
| Tattoo Man | Denise McCann |
| Before the Rain | Lee Oskar |
| Spark of Love | Lenny Williams |
| Choosing You | Lenny Williams |
1979 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Back on the Streets | Tower of Power |
| Silent Letter | America |
| Time Loves a Hero | Little Feat |
| Live and Learn | Elkie Brooks |
| Gavin Christopher | Gavin Christopher |
| Richard Evans | Richard Evans |
| Play It As It Lays | Alicia Bridges |
| Magic Lady | Sergio Mendes & Brazil 88 |
| Reddy | Helen Reddy |
| Never Been Here Before | Paulette McWilliams |
| Where I Should Be | Peter Frampton |
| Freedom at Point Zero | Jefferson Starship |
| Everything You've Heard Is True | Tom Johnston |
| 8 for the 80's | Webster Lewis |
| Melissa Manchester | Melissa Manchester |
| Gonna Getcha' Love | Charles Jackson |
| Dreams of Tomorrow | Marilyn Scott |
1980 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Heaven Above Me | Frankie Valli |
| LaToya Jackson | LaToya Jackson |
| But What Will The Neighbors Think | Rodney Crowell |
| The Hawkins Family Live | Walter Hawkins |
| Bebe Le Strange | Heart |
| Greatest Hits Live | Heart |
| No Night So Long | Dionne Warwick |
1981 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Direct | Tower of Power |
| Direct Plus | Tower of Power |
| Something About You | Angela Bofill |
| Don't Stop Now | Brian West Band |
| Heart | Heart |
| High Inergy | High Inergy |
| Hoy Hoy | Little Feat |
| Take No Prisoners | Molly Hatchet |
1982 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Carry On | Bobby Caldwell |
| Championship Wrestling | Al Kooper |
| Picture This | Huey Lewis and the News |
| Randy Meisner | Randy Meisner |
| Greatest Hits Live | Molly Hatchet (featuring the Tower of Power Horns) |
| One of the Glory Boys | Peter Noone |
1983 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Havana Moon | Carlos Santana |
| Without Warning | Marilyn Scott |
| Out of Our Hands | Pablo Cruise |
| Abrupt Edge | Willie Dee |
| Arcade | Patrick Simmons |
1984 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Look Who Loves You Now | Michelle Pillar |
1985 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Funky Sounds of the Soul 70's | Various Artists |
1986 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| The Best of Angela Bofill | Angela Bofill |
| What Is Hip? (released in England) | Tower of Power |
1987 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Some Assembly Required | Dave Mason |
| Classics, Volume II | The Brothers Johnson |
1988 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Viva Santana | Santana |
| Skatalation | Ryth-o-Matics |
1989 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| The Best of Cold Blood | Cold Blood |
1991 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| The Roots of LA's Rock and Roll | Art Laboe's Memories of El Monte (compilation CD) |
1992 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| The Best of Lee Oskar | Lee Oskar |
| The Best of Elvin Bishop | Elvin Bishop |
| The Best of John Lee Hooker | John Lee Hooker |
1995 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Newvo Kids | Mic Gillette |
| Best of Cold Blood | Cold Blood |
| The Best of Lenny Williams | Lenny Williams |
| Guitar Preacher (best of) | Linc Wray |
1996 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| House of Music | Tony, Toni, Tone |
| Horn Rock Bands | Various Artists |
1997 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Rhythm and Business | Tower of Power |
| The Lost Heritage Tapes (recorded 1976) | John Kay & Company |
| The Essence of (greatest hits) | Melissa Manchester |
1998 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Dignity | Fred Ross |
| Kick It Up A Step | Strokeland Superband |
| Sons of Champlin Live | Sons of Champlin |
| Cleveland Rocks/Music from The Drew Carey Show | Various Artists |
| Frankie B Is Back In Town | Frank Biner |
| Heavy Loader | Voodoo Roosters |
1999 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Supernatural | Santana |
| Dinosaur Tracks (recorded 1982) | Tower of Power |
| Sho Nuff Groove (best of) | Harvey Mason |
| Here I Go Again | Frankie Lee |
| Piranha Blues | Neil Schon |
| Love in Stereo | Rhasaan Patterson |
| The Muscleband Years | Poppeye |
2000 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Highway: 30 Years of America | America |
| The King of Retro Cool | Strokeland Superband |
| Littletown | Littletown |
| Blue Skies 707 | Blue Skies |
| Alice Street Sessions | Eric Westphal |
| Generations in Jazz 2000 | Lafayette Jazz Groups |
| That's It | David Raitt and Jimmy Thackery |
| The Kirk Bovill Project | Kirk Bovill |
| Zigaboo.com | Zigaboo Modeliste |
2001 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| What Is Hip? The Tower of Power Anthology | Tower of Power |
| The Very Best of Tower of Power: The Warner Years |
Tower of Power |
| Cold Blood/Sisyphus | Cold Blood |
| Larry Graham & Graham Central Station Anthology | Graham Central Station |
| Come See About Me | Freda Payne |
| Complex Simplex | Howard Wales |
| Tribute to Paul Butterfield | Robben Ford and The Ford Bros. Blues Band |
| Stuff Like That | Joe "Guitar" Hughes |
| Cain Does King | Chris Cain |
2002 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Soul With A Capital "S" | Tower of Power |
| A Simple Groove | Tony Adamo |
| Dance of Love | Tony Adamo |
| Prescription for Soul | Doctor Funk |
| Back on Track | Bjorn Skifs |
| Goldmember Soundtrack | Smash Mouth |
| Are You Ready? | Kirk Bovill |
| Yvette Jones | Yvette Jones |
| Soul Searchin' | Iari Melchor |
| No Distance | Kenoly Bros. |
| Secret (DVD and CD) | Sons of Champlin |
| Kiss The Sun | Lisa Madison |
| This Is A Hospital | The Ghost |
| In Memory of Michael Bloomfield | The Ford Bros. Blues Band |
2003 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Happy | Will Porter |
| Havin' Fun | Tower of Power compilation CD (Awarded a California Music Award in 2004 for Best R&B Album) |
2004 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Shadow of Your Wings | Lorna Emata Goodwin (Vivace Records) |
| Up In It | Tony Adamo |
| Romanticas | Jeff Eaton |
| Short Goodbyes | Dave Pellicciaro (Lucky Devil Sound) |
| My Way | Lenny Williams (Thump Records) |
| Still Groovin' | Merle Saunders |
2005 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Luna De Nosara | Native Vibe |
| Hip Li'l Dreams | Sons of Champlin |
| Piece of My Mind | Dale Ockerman |
| Places | Larry Braggs |
| The Law According to Fred Ross | Fred Ross (Strokeland Records) |
| Transfusion | Lydia Pense and Cold Blood |
| Ear Candy | Mic Gillette (inaugural solo CD) |
2006 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Full Blown | Steve Cannon and the Blowhards |
| Cinema | VTR (Ross Valory, George Tickner, Stevie "Keys" Roseman) |
| Pedal to the Metal | Studebaker Blues Band |
2007 |
|
| Title | Artist |
| Doc Goes Hollywood | Stephen "Doc" Kupka |
| Bumped Up To First Class | Strokeland Superband |
| Sittin' In | Roger Smith |
| Straight Up Deal | Tony Adamo |
| What You Need | Shane Dwight |
| Louisiana Mardi Gras Gumbo | Parker James |
| University of Soul | Professor R. J. Ross |
| Emerald Mountain | Leigh Wyckoff |
| The Ghost of Van Gogh | Dirk Hamilton |
| Soul Collective | Bradley Leighton |
| Funksway | Sage |
With special thanks and recognition to Jack Silva and Bob Burchfield for helping to compile this list.
