In the Slot

Yes, Lenny Williams performs as lead vocalist on "In the Slot," which marked his final studio album with Tower of Power before departing the band. Williams had joined the group in 1972 and his soulful tenor had become a defining element of their sound on earlier albums like "Back to Oakland" (1974). His departure after this album represented a major transition for the band's vocal identity.

"In the Slot" was released in 1975 on Warner Bros. Records as Tower of Power's sixth studio album. It followed 1974's "Urban Renewal" and preceded 1976's "Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now," which was the band's first album on Columbia Records. It represents the close of their most commercially significant Warner Bros. era.

The Tower of Power horn section at this time included founding members Emilio Castillo on tenor sax and Stephen "Doc" Kupka on baritone sax, along with Mic Gillette covering trumpet and trombone. This brass section was the backbone of the band's signature sound and had become one of the most sought-after horn sections in 1970s pop, soul, and rock. Their ensemble writing is central to the arrangements on tracks like "Just Enough and Too Much."

Key tracks include "Just Enough and Too Much," "Treat Me Like Your Man," and a cover of the standard "As Surely as I Stand Here." The album leans heavily into tightly arranged funk grooves and brass-driven ensemble passages, though it did not produce a single as commercially large as the band's earlier "You're Still a Young Man." Fans often regard it as one of the tighter late-period Warner Bros. records in the band's catalog.