Editing Tower of Power

{{short description|American R&B and funk band}}
{{about|the band|the band's namesake album|Tower of Power (album)||Tower of Power (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| image            = TOP Buffalo.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = Tower of Power, [[Buffalo, New York]], November 11, 2008
| name             = Tower of Power
| background       = group_or_band
| origin           = [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[California]], U.S.
| genre            = {{flatlist|
* [[Soul music|Soul]]
* [[funk]]
* [[R&B]]
* [[jazz]]
* [[jazz-funk]]
}}
| years_active     = 1968–present
| label            = {{flatlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
* [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
* [[Epic Records|Epic]]
* [[San Francisco Records|San Francisco]]
* [[Mack Avenue Records|Mack Avenue]]
}}
| associated_acts  = {{flatlist|
* [[Huey Lewis and the News]]
* [[Cold Blood (band)|Cold Blood]]
* [[Sons of Champlin]]
* [[Santana (band)|Santana]]
* [[Doobie Brothers]]
* [[Cat Stevens]]
* [[Lenny Williams]]
* [[Little Feat]]
}}
| website          = {{URL|http://www.towerofpower.com/}}
| current_members  = * [[Emilio Castillo]]
* Stephen 'Doc' Kupka
* Roger Smith
* Adolfo Acosta
* Tom E. Politzer
* Jerry Cortez
* Marc van Wageningen
* Dave Richards
* Pete Antunes
* Jordan John
| past_members     = see [[List of Tower of Power members#Former|past members]] }}

'''Tower of Power''' is an American [[R&B]] and [[funk]] based band and [[horn section]], originating in [[Oakland, California]], that has been performing since 1968.<ref name="official website1">{{cite web|url=http://www.towerofpower.com/|title=Tower of Power Home|date=1968–2009 |publisher= Tower of Power|access-date=2009-07-03}}</ref> The band has had a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being [[Lenny Williams]], who fronted the band between early 1973 and late 1974, the period of their greatest commercial success. They have had eight songs on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]];<ref name=":0" /> their highest-charting songs include "You're Still a Young Man", "[[So Very Hard to Go]]", "What Is Hip?", and "Don't Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream)".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tower-of-power-mn0000013393/biography|title=Tower of Power, Biography & History|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

==History==
In the summer of 1968, tenor saxophonist/vocalist [[Emilio Castillo]] met Stephen "Doc" Kupka, who played baritone sax. Castillo had played in several bands, and hired Kupka after a home audition on the advice of his father.<ref name="band profile">{{cite web|title=Tower of Power–Band Profile|url=http://www.towerofpower.com/the-band/index.html|website=towerofpower.com|access-date=6 September 2015}}</ref> Within months the group, then known as '''The Motowns''', began playing various gigs around [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] and [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], attracting audiences from minority and counterculture communities.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.yoshis.com/event/1132025-tower-power-oakland/|title=TOWER OF POWER|website=Yoshi's|language=en-US|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref>

In order to play [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]]'s [[The Fillmore|Fillmore Auditorium]] in San Francisco, the band changed its name to Tower of Power, which then stuck.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regardingarts.com/music/tower2014.html|title=Tower Of Power Still Bringing It|website=RegardingArts.com|last1=Lacy-Thompson|first1=Tony|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref>

By 1970, the renamed band—now including [[trumpet]]/arranger Greg Adams, first trumpet [[Mic Gillette]], first saxophone Skip Mesquite, [[Rocco Prestia|Francis "Rocco" Prestia]] on bass, Willie Fulton on guitar, and drummer [[David Garibaldi (musician)|David Garibaldi]]—signed a recording contract with Bill Graham's [[San Francisco Records]] and released their first album, ''[[East Bay Grease]]''. Rufus Miller performed most of the lead vocals on this debut album.<ref name=":2" /> The group was first introduced to the San Francisco Bay area by radio station [[KYLD#KSAN (1968 to 1980)|KSAN]], which played a variety of artists such as [[Cold Blood (band)|Cold Blood]], [[Eric Mercury]], and [[Marvin Gaye]].

Augmented by percussionist/conga/bongo player Brent Byars, Tower of Power was released from their San Francisco label contract and moved to [[Warner Bros. Records]]. Rick Stevens replaced Rufus Miller as lead singer on 1972's ''[[Bump City]],'' which gave the band their first national exposure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=T&bk=70|title=Robert Christgau: CG Book '70s: T|website=Robertchristgau.com}}</ref> This album included the hit single "You're Still a Young Man", which peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Stevens' pinnacle vocal performance before leaving the band.<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/430315/tower-of-power/chart|title=Tower of Power - Chart history|magazine=Billboard|language=en|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref> Emilio Castillo, who co-wrote the tune with Stephen Kupka, told Songfacts that the song was based on a true story about him and a former girlfriend who was six years his senior.<ref name="songfacts">{{cite web | url = http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3837 | title = You're Still a Young Man | work = Songfacts.com | access-date = 2009-05-27}}</ref>

''Tower of Power'', released in the spring of 1973, was the third album for the band. It featured soul singer [[Lenny Williams]] on lead vocals and [[Lenny Pickett]] on lead tenor saxophone. [[Bruce Conte]] replaced guitarist Willie Fulton and keyboardist Chester D.Thompson also joined the band during the recording of the album. The album spawned their most-successful single "[[So Very Hard to Go]]". Although the single peaked at #17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100,<ref name=":3" /> it was included in the Top 10 in the surveys of many West Coast Top 40 radio stations, placed #1 on several of them. The album also charted two other singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "This Time It's Real" and "What Is Hip?"<ref name=":2" />

1974's ''[[Back to Oakland]]'' spawned the hit single "Don't Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream)", which reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Time Will Tell", which charted at #69.<ref name=":3" /> The funk-jazz instrumental "Squib Cakes" also came from this album.<ref name="Allmusic Back to Oakland">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-to-oakland-mw0000652809|title=Tower of Power: Back to Oakland|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=23 May 2016}}</ref>

On ''Urban Renewal'' (1974), the band moved more toward [[funk]] than soul; however, they continued recording ballads as well. Williams left the band in late 1974, and was replaced as vocalist by [[Hubert Tubbs]]. The band's airplay on chart radio declined. During the late 1970s they briefly tried recording disco-sounding material.<ref name=":2" />

On January 12, 2017, long-time drummer David Garibaldi and bassist Marc Van Wageningen were hit by a train as they walked across tracks before a performance in Oakland.<ref name=":0" /> They both survived the accident. According to their manager, Jeremy Westby, they were both "responsive and being treated at a local hospital".<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7655109/tower-of-power-hospital-hit-train|title=Two Members of Tower of Power Hospitalized After Being Hit by Train|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref> They fully recovered and returned to the active lineup later that year.

== Collaborations ==
Tower's horn section appeared on a number of other artists' recordings, including [[Otis Redding]], [[Aaron Neville]], [[Aerosmith]], [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[David Sanborn]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Elton John]], [[Labelle]], [[Huey Lewis]], [[Little Feat]], [[Heart (band)|Heart]], [[Michelle Shocked]], [[Paula Abdul]], [[Santana (band)|Santana]] and [[Stevie Nicks]].<ref name=":2" />

The horn section also recorded with bassist [[Larry Graham]]'s [[Graham Central Station]], [[Grateful Dead]], [[Carlos Santana]], [[Journey (band)|Journey]], [[Elkie Brooks]], [[Cat Stevens]] (on his ''[[Foreigner Suite]]''), [[Luis Miguel]], [[Linda Lewis]], [[R.A.D. (artist)|R.A.D.]] (Rose Ann Dimalanta), [[Jermaine Jackson]], [[John Lee Hooker]], [[Helen Reddy]], [[Rufus (band)|Rufus]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[Jefferson Starship]], [[Mickey Hart]], [[Heart (band)|Heart]], [[Damn Yankees (band)|Damn Yankees]], [[Frankie Valli]], [[Spyro Gyra]], [[KMFDM]],<ref name="KMFDM">{{cite news | url=http://www.beermelodies.com/interviews/kmfdm-ready-to-%E2%80%98xtort%E2%80%99-2/ | title=KMFDM Ready to 'Xtort' |author =Fortunato, John | work=[[The Aquarian Weekly]] | publisher=Arts Weekly, Inc. | year=1996 | access-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref> [[Lyle Lovett]], [[Poison (American band)|Poison]], [[Phish]] (two songs on their album ''[[Hoist (album)|Hoist]]'' <ref>{{cite web |title=Hoist |url=http://phish.com/release/hoist/ |website=Phish |access-date=30 April 2019}}</ref>), [[Toto (band)|Toto]], [[Pharoahe Monch]], [[Ned Doheny]], [[Brothers Johnson]], and [[Sam The]], among many other acts.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

The song "So Very Hard To Go" was featured on the soundtracks of the 2002 film ''[[City of God (2002 film)|City of God]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundtrackinfo.com/OST/cityofgod/|title=City of God Soundtrack|website=SoundtrackINFO|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref> and Will Ferrell's 2008 film ''[[Semi-Pro]]''.

==Members==
{{main|List of Tower of Power members}}
'''Current members'''
*[[Emilio Castillo|Emilio "Mimi" Castillo]] – tenor saxophone, backing and lead vocals {{small|(1968–present)}}
*Stephen "Doc" Kupka – baritone saxophone, backing vocals {{small|(1968–present)}}
*Roger Smith – keyboards, backing vocals {{small|(1998–present)}}
*Adolfo Acosta – trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals {{small|(2000–present)}}
*Tom E. Politzer – tenor, alto and baritone saxophones, clarinet, flute, backing vocals {{small|(2002–present)}}
*Jerry Cortez – guitar, sitar, backing vocals {{small|(2010–present)}}
*Marc van Wageningen – bass {{small|(2018–present; plus touring appearances beforehand)}}
*Dave Richards – trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, backing vocals {{small|(2023-present)}}
*Pete Antunes – drums, percussion {{small|(2024–present)}}
*Jordan John – lead vocals {{small|(2024–present)}}

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]
|- 
! width="40"|<small>[[Billboard 200|US Pop]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"|<small>[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US R&B]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"|<small>[[Billboard charts|US Jazz]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
|-
| 1970
| align="left"| ''[[East Bay Grease]]''
| 106
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 1972
| align="left"| ''[[Bump City]]''
| 85
| 16
| –
| 
|-
| 1973
| align="left"| ''[[Tower of Power (album)|Tower of Power]]''
| 15
| 11
| –
| 
* [[RIAA]]: Gold
|-
| 1974
| align="left"| ''[[Back to Oakland]]''
| 26
| 13
| –
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1975
| align="left"| ''[[Urban Renewal (Tower of Power album)|Urban Renewal]]''
| 22
| 19
| –
| 
|-
| align="left"| ''[[In the Slot]]''
| 67
| 29
| –
| 
|-
| 1976
| align="left"| ''[[Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now]]''
| 42
| 25
| –
| 
|-
| 1978
| align="left"| ''[[We Came to Play!]]''
| 89
| 33
| –
| 
|-
| 1979
| align="left"| ''[[Back on the Streets (Tower of Power album)|Back on the Streets]]''
| 106
| 28
| –
| 
|-
| 1981
| align="left"| ''[[Direct (Tower of Power album)|Direct]]''
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 1987
| align="left"| ''[[Power (Tower of Power album)|Power]]'' <small>(US version of ''TOP'' album)</small>
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 1991
| align="left"| ''[[Monster on a Leash]]''
| –
| –
| 19
| 
|-
| 1993
| align="left"| ''[[T.O.P. (Tower of Power album)|T.O.P.]]''
| –
| 92
| –
| 
|-
| 1995
| align="left"| ''[[Souled Out (Tower of Power album)|Souled Out]]''
| –
| –
| 7
| 
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1997
| align="left"| ''[[Rhythm & Business]]''
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 1999
| align="left"| ''Dinosaur Tracks'' <small>(recorded 1980–1983)</small>
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 2003
| align="left"| ''Oakland Zone''
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 2009
| align="left"| ''The Great American Soulbook''
| –
| –
| 3
| 
|-
| 2018
| align="left"| ''Soul Side of Town''
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 2020
| align="left"| ''[[Step Up (Tower of Power)|Step Up]]''<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tower-of-power-mn0000013393/discography/all|title=Tower of Power Discography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref>
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| 2023
| align="left"| ''It's Christmas''
| –
| –
| –
| 
|-
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "–" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Live albums===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Chart positions
|- 
! width="40"|<small>[[Billboard 200|US Pop]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"|<small>[[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US R&B]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
! width="40"|<small>[[Billboard charts|US Jazz]]</small><br><ref name="Awards"/>
|-
| 1976
| align="left"| ''[[Live and in Living Color]]''
| 99
| 29
| –
|-
| 1999
| align="left"| ''[[Soul Vaccination: Tower of Power Live]]''
| –
| –
| 8
|-
| 2008
| align="left"| ''The East Bay Archive Volume 1'' <small>(recorded April 1973 at K-K-K-Katy's, Boston, MA)</small>
| –
| –
| –
|-
| 2011
| align="left"| ''40th Anniversary: The Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco''
| –
| –
| 6
|-
| 2013
| align="left"| ''Hipper Than Hip: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Live on the Air & In the Studio 1974)''<ref name=":4" />
| –
| –
| –
|-
| 2021
| align="left"| ''50 Years of Funk & Soul - Live at the Fox Theater Oakland CA - June 2018''
| –
| –
| –
|-
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "–" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}

===Compilations===
* 1974: ''Funkland''
* 1999: ''What Is Hip? The Tower of Power Anthology''
* 2001: ''[[The Very Best of Tower of Power: The Warner Years]]''
* 2002: ''Soul with a Capital "S" - The Best of Tower of Power''
* 2003: ''Havin' Fun''
* 2003: ''What Is Hip and Other Hits''<ref name=":4" />

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" 
! width="28" rowspan="2"| Year
! width="257" rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="3"| Chart positions<br> 
! width="257" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! width="40"| <small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]</small><br><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/tower-of-power|title=Tower of Power|website=Billboard.com|access-date=30 May 2018}}</ref>
! width="40"| <small>[[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]</small><br><ref name="Awards">{{cite web|title=Tower of Power - Awards|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tower-of-power-mn0000013393/awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=August 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920075151/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tower-of-power-mn0000013393/awards|archive-date=September 20, 2012}}</ref>
! width="40"| <small>[[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]</small><br>
|-
| rowspan="1"|1971
| "Back on the Streets Again"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
| rowspan="1"|''[[East Bay Grease]]''
|-
| rowspan="2"|1972
| "You're Still a Young Man"
|align="center"| 29
|align="center"| 24
|align="center"| 30
| rowspan="2"|''[[Bump City]]''
|-
| "Down to the Nightclub"
|align="center"| 66
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|-
| rowspan="2"|1973
| "[[So Very Hard to Go]]"
|align="center"| 17
|align="center"| 11
|align="center"| 36
| rowspan="3"|''[[Tower of Power (album)|Tower of Power]]''
|-
| "This Time It's Real"
|align="center"| 65
|align="center"| 27
|align="center"| –
|-
| rowspan="4"|1974
| "What Is Hip?"
|align="center"| 91
|align="center"| 39
|align="center"| –
|-
| "Time Will Tell"
|align="center"| 69
|align="center"| 27
|align="center"| –
| rowspan="2"|''[[Back to Oakland]]''
|-
| "Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream)"
|align="center"| 26
|align="center"| 22
|align="center"| 59
|-
| "Only So Much Oil in the Ground"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| 85
|align="center"| –
|rowspan="2"|''[[Urban Renewal (Tower of Power album)|Urban Renewal]]''
|-
| rowspan="3"|1975
| "Willing to Learn"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| 77
|align="center"| –
|-
| "You're So Wonderful, So Marvelous"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| 57
|align="center"| –
|rowspan="2"|''[[In the Slot]]''
|-
| "Treat Me Like Your Man"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|-
| rowspan="2"|1976
| "You Ought to Be Havin' Fun"
|align="center"| 68
|align="center"| 62
|align="center"| –
|rowspan="2"|''[[Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now]]''
|-
| "Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| 95
|align="center"| –
|-
| rowspan="2"|1978
| "Lovin' You Is Gonna See Me Thru"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| 98
|align="center"| –
|rowspan="2"|''[[We Came to Play!]]''
|-
| "We Came to Play"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|-
| rowspan="2"|1979
| "Rock Baby"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| 61
|align="center"| –
|rowspan="2"|''[[Back on the Streets (Tower of Power album)|Back on the Streets]]''
|-
| "In Due Time"
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|align="center"| –
|-
| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

===Videos and DVDs===
* 1986: ''Credit'' (the band's first music video, released to promote ''Power'')
* 2003: ''Tower of Power in Concert'' (1998, Live at Ohne Filter, just after the return of David Garibaldi)
* 2007: ''Live from Leverkusen'' (recorded in November 2005)
* 2011: ''40th Anniversary (Live)'' (recorded in 2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.towerofpower.com/discography/detail/40th_anniversary_dvd_cd_box_set/index.html|title=Discography|website=Tower of Power|access-date=2016-01-18}}</ref>
* 2020: ''Look In My Eyes'' (the band's first music video in over 30 years, released to promote ''Step Up'')

Note: Over the decades, there have been many televised performances of Tower of Power, several of which can be found on [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tower+of+power YouTube]. In 2011, [[Time Life]] released TOP's November 10, 1973 ''[[Soul Train]]'' performance of "What is Hip?" on the CD ''The Best of Soul Train Live''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0002150457|title=The Best of Soul Train Live - Various Artists|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-06-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=The Best of Soul Train Live |year=2011 |type=booklet |publisher=[[Time Life]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lenny Williams]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.towerofpower.com/}}
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/emilio-castillo Emilio Castillo] [[NAMM Oral History Program]] Interview (2005)
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/stephen-doc-kupka Doc Kupka] NAMM Oral History Program Interview (2005)
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/david-garibaldi David Garibaldi] NAMM Oral History Program Interview (2013) 
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/rocco-prestia Rocco Prestia] NAMM Oral History Program Interview (2013)
* {{Discogs artist|Tower Of Power}}

{{Tower of Power}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tower Of Power}}
[[Category:American soul musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Oakland, California]]
[[Category:American funk musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1968]]
[[Category:1968 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Musical groups from the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Warner Records artists]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]
[[Category:Epic Records artists]]