Biography

The quintessential horn-driven funk-rock band of the 1970s, Tower of Power, fueld its engine with one of the best bassists in the business, Francis “Rocco” Prestia, and a horn section that functioned as a working unit on its own, backing countless other artists. The Oakland band's mix of funk, soul, and rock reached its commercial peak in the mid-'70s with such hits as “What Is Hip?” and “So Very Hard To Go,” but the band continued working tirelessly into the 21st century, albeit with a dizzying number of personnel changes.

Top Tracks

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• A Little Knowledge (is A Dangerous Thing)

• Credit

• Don't Change Horses (in The Middle Of A Stream)

• I Thank You

• Knock Yourself Out

• Pocketful Of Soul

• Skating On Thin Ice

• Squib Cakes

• Star Time (tribute To James Brown): It's A New Day/mother Popcorn/there It Is/i Got The Feelin'

• Stranger In My Own House

• This Time It's Real

• This Type Of Funk

• Time Will Tell

• We Came To Play

• What Is Hip?

• Who Is He (and What Is He To You)?

• You Got To Funkifize

Discography

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• 40th Anniversary

  Top / Top Records

  2010

• Great American Soulbook

  Tower of Power Records / Top Music (poland)

  2009

• Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now/We Came to Play/Back on the Streets

  Beat Goes On

  2008

• The Oakland Zone

  O.R.

  2003

• Soul Vaccination: Live

  Sony Music Distribution

  1999

• Rhythm & Business

  Epic

  1997

• Souled Out

  Epic / Sony Music Distribution

  1995

• T.O.P.

  Epic

  1993

• Monster On A Leash

  Epic

  1991

• Power

  Cypress

  1988

• Direct

  Sheffield Lab

  1988

• Back on the Streets

  Columbia / Sony Music Distribution

  1979

• We Came to Play

  Legacy / Sony Music Distribution

  1978

• Live and in Living Color

  Warner Bros.

  1976

• Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now

  Columbia

  1976

• In the Slot

  Warner Archives / Warner Bros.

  1975

• Urban Renewal

  Warner Archives / Warner Bros.

  1975

• Back to Oakland

  Warner Bros.

  1974

• Tower of Power

  Warner Bros.

  1973

• Bump City

  Warner Archives / Warner Bros.

  1972

• East Bay Grease

  Rhino

  1970