The late Sixties and early Seventies were incendiary times in politics and music – reflected in the fiery brass sections of funk bands like Tower Of Power.
What was it about the late 1960s and early 1970s that brought brass to the fore in funk?
Bands like Blood, Sweat & Tears, B.T. Express, Brass Construction and Chicago were blowing up a storm on the East Coast (and, er, Chicago).
Meanwhile, over on the West Coast in California, another horn-driven R&B outfit was blending funk, soul and rock guitar in Tower Of Power.
Led by Detroit-born tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo, the Oakland-based band had hits like You’re Still a Young Man and What Is Hip? throughout the ’70s.
Their horn section also became one of the most sought-after backing ensembles in pop, playing on recordings by Elton John, Rod Stewart, Little Feat – and even Public Image Ltd.
While their lineup has changed over the years, Castillo remains a constant and continues to guide the ensemble live and in the studio to this day.
Tower Of Power began life when Castillo swapped Detroit for the Bay Area and teamed up with baritone sax player Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka to create a group called The Motowns, initially specialising in his home town’s ’60s-era soul.
Quickly building a following in Oakland and Berkeley with their incendiary live performanes, they were soon transformed into Tower of Power, with a line up of up to ten members, including such other mainstays as Greg Adams on trumpet and vocals, Lenny Pickett on sax, and Rocco Prestia on bass.
By 1970 the renamed band, also including first trumpet Mic Gillette, first saxophone Skip Mesquite, Willie Fulton on guitar, and drummer David Garibaldi, they had signed up to Bill Graham’s San Francisco Records.
Their debut album, East Bay Grease, failed to make an impact but its follow-up in 1972, Bump City, launched a string of classic hit albums, including 1973’s self-titled release, which introduced vocalist Lenny Williams and included this classic tune, What Is Hip?
Like a lot of other long-running funk and soul bands, they tried to jump on the disco bandwagon towards the end of the decade, but their new club sound failed to please either old fans or a new generation.
After a hiatus of almost a decade, they bounced back in the 1990s and have never looked back, touring ten years ago with two other iconic acts from Northern California, Journey and the Steve Miller Band, and marking their 50th anniversary five years later with their 26th album.
Over the decades, Tower’s horn section also recorded with artists as diverse as Cat Stevens, Jermaine Jackson, John Lee Hooker, Santana, Jefferson Starship, Heart, Frankie Valli, Lyle Lovett, Poison and Phish.