#TOWER OF POWER POWER FULL#

When most folks think of Tower of Power, it’s those horns-among them longtime trumpeters Greg Adams and Mic Gillette (who died in 2016) and saxophonist Lenny Pickett-they have in mind. Regardless of who’s come and gone through the years-and ToP has hosted a number of fine vocalists as well as instrumentalists-the core of the band has always been its five-piece horn section. All of the band’s signature tunes-“What Is Hip?,” “You’re Still a Young Man,” “So Very Hard to Go,” “You Ought to Be Having Fun,” and 18 others-are given definitive live treatments by the ensemble, numbering more than a dozen players for the occasion. The highlights, which included guest appearances from several alumni-Tower of Power has encompassed more than 60 individuals during its half-century-have now been released as a two-CD/one-DVD set, appropriately titled 50 Years of Funk & Soul-Live at the Fox Theater (Artistry).

#TOWER OF POWER POWER FULL#

It all came full circle for ToP in June 2018, when the then-current lineup celebrated the outfit’s 50th anniversary over the course of two nights at Oakland’s historic Fox Theater.

“Our album designer said, ‘You guys need to claim Oakland.’ So we named that first album East Bay Grease and we’ve been promoting Oakland, California, ever since, throughout the world.” “It was pointed out to us early in our career that we were not a San Francisco band,” says Tower of Power tenor saxophonist and bandleader Emilio Castillo, one of the two co-founders still performing with the group, along with baritone saxophonist Stephen “Doc” Kupka. And second, Tower of Power didn’t play psychedelic rock-from the start, they were all about soul and funk. For one thing, they were from Oakland although located directly across the bay from San Francisco, it might as well have been a suburb of Chattanooga as far as the rock audience was concerned. But one new band, Tower of Power, found themselves on the outside looking in. Local rock bands like Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana, and Big Brother & the Holding Company (with Janis Joplin) were already famous or about to be. Must be 21+.I n the late 1960s, the San Francisco sound was all the rage. The future of Tower of Power is set out to be vigorous and dynamic, and will prove to be just that for fans around the world starved for the band’s groove just the way Tower of Power likes it! In the process they’ve defined an “ Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia.

The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations, traveling the world, enjoying hit singles on their own and backing legendary artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, and countless others. Tower’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm for the soul throughout their half-century existence, but the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theatercouldn’t have arrived at a better time. Castillo says their love of the stage is the same today as it was back in 1968.ĥ0 years later, in 2018, they returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary. Bump City, their 1972 debut for the label, was a hit on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart, and netted them the hits “ You’re Still A Young Man” and “ Down to The Nightclub.” The 70s were a boom period with radio classics like “ So Very Hard to Go” and “ What Is Hip?,” and the band continued to tour and record over the years. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind.Įast Bay Grease defined their sound and landed them with Warner Brothers. I met “Doc” Kupka back in 1968, and gave him an audition. “ Rocco was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. “We were a Soul band called The Motowns.” recalls Emilio Castillo.

For over 50 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music.

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