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 Theater couldn’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 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music.
