Tower of Power

2013 five CD box set containing a quintet of albums packaged in cardboard mini LP sleeves and housed in a slipcase. Tower of Power has remained a significant Californian funk/soul/R&B horn band since its formation in 1968…

With a history 50+ years in the making, Tower of Power has been a funk institution since 1968, knocking out hits like “What is Hip,” “So Very Hard to Go,” “This Time It’s Real” and “You’re Still a Young Man" while lending their soulful sound to collaborations with Santana, the Grateful Dead, Elton, Huey Lewis, Justin Timberlake and everyone in-between. "50 Years of Funk & Soul - Live at the Fox Theater" captures their storied career with no-holds-barred victory lap concerts in Oakland, CA, performing their full spectrum of life-affirming funk and soul hits to sold out audiences in 2018. Available as a 3-LP set, 2-CD/1-DVD package, standalone DVD and digital audio configuration, these historic performances include alumni special guests Chester Thompson, Lenny Pickett, Francis ‘Rocco’ Prestia, Bruce Conte and Ray Greene.

Tower of Power, the definitive horn-driven funk band, celebrates its 50th anniversary with Soul Side of Town. Founding tenor saxophonist and composer Emilio Castillo is still at the helm, along with original baritone sax player Stephen "Doc" Kupka and a team of ace musicians who bring an easy confidence to the album's 14 tracks, highlighted by the instrumental workout "Butter Fried" and the punchy "Do It With Soul."

50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater captures Tower of Power’s storied career with no-holds-barred victory lap concerts in Oakland, CA on June 1 & 2, 2018, performing their full spectrum of life-affirming funk and soul hits…

Stepping back from its 1979 disco foray, Tower of Power dropped out of sight for the better part of a decade, as internal strife and member changes ripped the band asunder and the Tower of Power Horns spent more time backing other musicians. Returning to the studio in 1986 with only Steve Fulton and Willie James Fulton held over from the earlier regime, the band recorded the shaky TOP LP (different from a similarly titled 1993 date). Initially released only in Sweden, the album was trimmed of two tracks, retitled Power, and racked in America the following year. But even the rejigging couldn't help what ultimately emerged as an uninspired and mediocre set, showcasing musicians who sounded like they really didn't care anymore. It was a feeling that was only reinforced by their fans – the album was the first to miss the charts since their 1970 debut.