Tower of Power

Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music for 58 years.

“We were a soul band called The Motowns.” recalls saxophone player and vocalist Emilio Castillo. “Rocco [Francis Rocco Prestia] was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. I met “Doc” Kupka back in 1968, and gave him an audition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” 

Tower of Power’s 1972 debut album East Bay Grease defined the band’s sound and landed them a contract with Warner Brothers. The band’s second album, Bump City 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.” All in all, the 70s were a boom period for Tower of Power  with radio classics like “So Very Hard to Go” and “What Is Hip?,” and the band continued to tour and record over the years. Castillo says their love of the stage is the same today as it was back in 1968.

The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations. Throughout their storied career, the group has traveled the world, produced hit singles, and backed legendary artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, The Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, and Bonnie Raitt. In the process they’ve defined an instantly recognizable “Oakland soul” sound.

In 2018, Tower of Power returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary. The band’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm for the soul throughout their half-century existence, with the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater continuing this legacy. The future of the band is set out to be just as vigorous and dynamic as its past: just the way Tower of Power likes it!