Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges, released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two records in favor of a more anthemic hard rock approach inspired by new guitarist James Williamson, who co-wrote the album's eight songs with singer Iggy Pop. Pop produced the recording sessions himself and David Bowie assisted with post-production work, though the team were allotted only one day to mix the album and the resulting fidelity was poor. Later reissues have attempted to either correct or enhance the original mix, most notably Pop's 1997 remix which became notorious for its extreme volume and compression.
Raw Power
Rough Power, a collection of Pop's original mixes for Raw Power, was released by Bomp Records in 1993.
Blue plaque at 275 Pentonville Road, London, marking the gigs of 14 and 15 July 1972 at which the Stooges and Lou Reed played; a photograph from one of these shows by Mick Rock appears on the cover of Raw Power.
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, and also known as Iggy and the Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the band sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Iggy Pop.
The Stooges at the Hammersmith Apollo (2010) L-R: Iggy Pop, Mike Watt, Scott Asheton, James Williamson
Cashbox advertisement, August 30, 1969
Iggy Pop on October 25, 1977, at the State Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Iggy and the Stooges – Sziget Fesztivál, 2006.