Tower Of Power

Tower of Power is a funk band from Oakland California created in the 1970s and still in business, renowned for its horn section and bass lines that have influenced the greatest.

In the mid-1960s, tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo, who was 17, leaving Detroit to Fremont, California. He created a group called The Gotham City Crime Fighters evolving in Motown, specializing in soul music. In 1968, Castillo plays the baritone saxophone Stephen "Doc" Kupka (or The Funky Doctor) and trumpeter Mic Gillette, moved to Oakland, and began composing. They renamed the band Tower of Power and begin to play frequently in the Bay Area of San Francisco.

In 1970, Tower of Power (which includes trumpeter Greg Adams then) signed a contract with the promoter Bill Graham in San Francisco Records and quickly released his first album, East Bay Grease. The group changed record label to Warner Bros. Records, and released in 1972 Bump City in 1973 self-titled album the group. Both are fantastic success and Tower of Power contains probably their biggest hit, What is Hip?. On some of their albums from the mid-1970s, such as Urban Renewal (1974), the group opted for a more funk sound, while continuing to record ballads. After singer Lenny Williams left, the great period of commercial success of the group ends. In the late 1970s, they add sounds to disco music.

Tower of Power has remained active since its inception, and continues to turn. The changes are part of a member of the band's history: at least 60 musicians have been part of the group, toured with them or participated in the recording of albums. Among them include the musical director Lenny Pickett of Saturday Night Live, David Garibaldi Group's current drummer, trumpeter Rick Waychesko, bassist Rocco Prestia, saxophonist Richard Elliot and bassist and founding member of the company BALCO Victor Conte whose cousin Bruce Conte also played guitar in the band.

Tower of Power has released 16 studio albums to date (compilations and live albums are not taken into account), the Oakland Zone album being released in 2003. In addition, the group's horn section has become very famous and has participated in the recording of many albums for other artists as Carlos Santana, Elton John, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart or Aerosmith1. The song So Very Hard To Go is part of the soundtrack of the film City of God.