Tower Of Power - What is hip? & Knock yourself out 1973

[@BillFEILHAUER-bu7go]

This is musical royalty. No one comes close to tower of power .I saw this exact lineup in Cincinnati in 73 , besides having all their albums, autographed, I had them autograph my shirt that is framed in my living room to this day. I've never missed a show within driving distance . Roccos bass strings, Garibaldis drumsticks, you name it. We are down to 2 original members, doc and mimi. Their getting up in years but still kicking butt.the 90 to 94 lineup was great for the times as the guys were climbing back for the hell of addiction. After Larry Braggs left, Rocco died and David Garibaldi hung it up I get the feeling our time with them is coming to a close . God bless the hardest working band that ever existed

[@gregoryturner6586]

I was there at the Kool Music Festival, I became a true fan that night.:-):-)

[@kevinmccabe5253]

I agree ... only 2 left ... but what great music and memories!!

[@BillFEILHAUER-bu7go]

F​@@kevinmccabe5253

[@BillFEILHAUER-bu7go]

​@@kevinmccabe5253father time catches up with all of us

[@bryanthompson1925]

@@gregoryturner6586

[@georgejordan5611]

RIP Francis Rocco Prestia..one of the best funk bass players EVER!!!

[@charlesbrazell2136]

He was a genius-that bass line was so unique! 12-9-23.

[@pudgydaddy]

And sadly got no camera time here

[@zombi3907]

His spiritual successor is a guy named Joe Dart. If you don't know, check out Vulfpeck.

[@jplew138]

Rocco played sequencer lines before sequencers EXISTED.

[@Gerard-yt3dz]

ROCCO!!!!!!

[@claudehopper9813]

At this time 70's there was a lot of good music , played by real musicians . No computers , no auto tune , nothing fake these Cats were on fire !

[@scopius2]

It makes me happy to see 207 comments. That means at least 207 people know how great Tower of Power was. It gives me faith in the human race, that so many still recognize greatness.

[@babezillafrankenstein2282]

Same, dude. Same ❤

[@IMCcanTWEESTED]

Probably all 207 are people in their late 60s early 70s like the times TOP was at their best. I was too young to see the their show at San Diego's "Funky Quarters" in 1972. But that didn't stop me from leaning up against a brick planter out front on the sidewalk, listening to the whole show. The guy at the door had mercy on me when I asked if he could please leave the door open so I could hear. He smiled and said the boss just asked him to open the doors because the AC was struggling to cool down the hot crowd. By far, their best performance. And I've seen them five times over their 56 year career.

[@JohnSteele-ln4vy]

count me in 255

[@glennrobbins5225]

TOP was the funking (not a misspell) best EVER. Saw them many, many times in the 70s and 80s.

[@johngarin8290]

Thanks to good Drs,luck & old school experience well travelled training. I think we're luckiest gen, Onya Cob,Jackie's thing

[@paulnicolosi4792]

This band at this point in time, was unbeatable. In the realm of funk and soul, unsurpassed…

[@alcambrola2834]

Definitely.

[@paradoxward2533]

OMG....I was a 12 year old kid when I first saw this very clip on Rock Concert late one Saturday night. Now I am senior citizen remembering how cool this was..... god help me!

[@johngarin8290]

B4+ after Bandstand we had GTK, depending on distance from a big city &Only in B&W in Aus😊Hip-71 #music express

[@b.a.samuels]

I was 10, this tune, is when I discovered what a horn section is all about....Seawind... KC and the Sunshine Band.

[@diannecombs8433]

I'm right there with you!! My 45th reunion is in two weeks,,,, bunch of old people will show up...

[@petestevens5816]

David Garibaldi one of the best drummers ever

[@342rockinrandy3]

You know you’re funky when you can make the people who can’t dance dance. LOVE T.O.P. and have for 50 years!!!!!

[@marcelladillard3556]

Bravo!!!!🎉

[@marcelladillard3556]

😊q😊aq😊😊😊àaqa

[@LeeZeidel-s1h]

I graduated high school in 1974 and these guys ruled 💯

[@bigetcb9994]

76 here

[@anthonylopez9900]

Oh boy! The music these guys made literally seeped deep into my soul. If you don't come alive from the inside out while listening to Tower of Power, you just might not be human.

[@nachtstrom]

Even with TOP TIER Bands of today like Snarky Puppy i still have to say: nothing, yes NOTHING beats this era of Tower of Power. This brass section... they are so precise they could cut trough glass 🙇

[@jdjk7]

i mean... you're comparing funk with jazz fusion, so yeah, it's gonna be different.

[@georgesheffield1580]

Tower is still around and still very powerful and has played in Denton where Snarkey Puppy started .

[@nachtstrom]

was just mentioning the "sharpness" of the brass @@jdjk7

[@darrenmoffitt7248]

I was there! To see them live! You can't compare!

[@Raymond-zz5pi]

Yes staccato notes executed so precisely, they sound like one instrument.

[@SimirJohnson]

One of the best live bands around, even 50 years later. So glad Ive had the opportunity to see TOP many times.

[@SimirJohnson]

@taylorfusion Every time Ive seen them they’ve gone a solid 90-minutes. No break, and no meet-and-greet afterwards. These guys play their butts off.

[@mxfxdlg]

Oh my lord! This is the lineup I was raised on. Lenny is the absolute voice of TOP. And Rocco is the soul! Love these guys. Any new musicians that are introduced to this will do well in their musical growth. This is the real stuff.

[@IMCcanTWEESTED]

Still love to see Lenny Pickett blowin' on SNL as music director. And he can still do that crazy-legs dance of his. Damn...makes me realize how old I must be.

[@kathleenmancle8450]

So very glad to have experienced this. TOP is simply unsurpassed funk!

[@GlennZullo]

Need to be in R&R Hall of Fame Immediately. Seen them probably 15-20 times. Best horns in the business since 1968.

[@turbo1234ist]

One of the greatest funk jazz rock bands in history. No one comes close. Dynamite

[@richardmclendon7362]

The atomic clock in Greenwich is calibrated by this rhythm section..❤

[@brettgroh1112]

Perfect!!!

[@gradybird3336]

Man, I miss the '70's so much. The best rock, country and R&B. I especially miss '70's Motown. Magical times. We didn't know how good we had it.

[@reginashadwick3382]

God, wasn't it FUN. My grands can't comprehend that we danced EVERY SINGLE NIGHT

[@lizdavies6796]

No.. we didn’t know .. loving it and expecting it.. only thinking now, how lucky.. how unbelievably lucky.. we were. Still are, mind, still listening, still loving it. Not minding too much how old I am, not with the music that was our’s. Still is.. Liz Davies from Aus

[@brianniegemann4788]

Yes, real music, no computers, no cellphones, people still talked to each other face to face.

[@terryhill4100]

tell it on the mountain brother,or sister for all to hear,it truly was a magical time to live,it wasn't perfect,but it was the best in my lifetime,am 70,I don't now if youngsters now days think like that now?

[@gmoneygeffects]

This is why I still listen to this MUSIC TODAY THAT'S WHAT IS HIP NOT TODAY'S BULL SHIT

[@BillFEILHAUER-bu7go]

Amen brother

[@bryanthompson1925]

Preach!

[@tedhudgines8802]

❤ One the Funkiest! Tight bands of all times . They Kicked Down color barrier,s ! And Slapped the Funk out of anyone that challenged the Funky Oakland soulful sound ! Long Live TOWER OF POWER !

[@tedhudgines8802]

TOWER OF POWER ! Simply knocked The Sparks Out Your Ass ! 😎🤘🏽

[@ME-wx5dg]

I was a 16 yr old white boy from a hick town in Yorkshire who bought this album. This and the Ohio Players set mi musical life up. The good groove never fails.

[@markmurray1282]

I saw TOP at an outdoor concert in Buffalo, NY. in the early 70s. Stunningly funky!

[@ajn465]

Remember kids it's not a contest. But Tower power is the origin of precisely orchestrated masterfully executed high-powered psychedelic era power funk. They were powerful influences on people like Jerry Hay who wrote ALL of Michael Jackson's horn parts. And let me tell you there's nothing more exciting than a live band that is truly on fire. And no one burned hotter than Tower of power has for over 50 years. Unbelievable.

[@genedouglas6445]

saw them chi-town 70's 2024 still da best!

[@mobettabud30]

This is a true definition of what music is.

[@tbluesboye]

The Mighty Tower of Power! Great tracks!

[@DiscoMood]

This band still rocks today. RIP Rocco. RIP Mick Gillette. RIP Bruce Conte. You all brought it every performance.

[@Exjewatlarge]

The 2 Lenny years were utterly ridiculous. For people who heard/watched this as it aired, did you know what you were hearing? Greg Adams is still the king of that long, slow gliss. Much love to Mimi and Doc, you have made many people’s lives better and richer for your contribution.

[@BillFEILHAUER-bu7go]

Lenny Williams has been on sat night live for 20 years. 17 when he joined t o p

[@Exjewatlarge]

@@BillFEILHAUER-bu7go *Lenny Pickett

[@gmoneygeffects]

The best lineup of T O P

[@robomaster4882]

Yes. When Bruce Conti joined the band on their third album after they signed with Columbia. He co-wrote some songs as well. He was thrown out later on due to alleged heroin use. Rejoined in the 2000's for an anniversary tour. Passed a few years back due to leukemia.

[@g4p5l6]

Remember hearing this as a child in the middle of the night on a transistor radio. Shines just as brightly now as then.

[@bak-mariterry5180]

David and Rocco holding it all together ❤

[@MrSouthernman73]

It pained me to hear that David Garibaldi retired from the band recently as he tired of constantly touring. So now there's only two originals left. Emilio Castillo and Steven Kupka.

[@arachnipope]

Tower of Power is greatest funk band in the entire world !

[@arrjee9474]

WOWWWW … it’s now 50 years ago! Unbelievable!! The best of their time!! I first saw them I was 15 years old and my jaw was on the ground!! Damn this was some good times!!!

[@IMCcanTWEESTED]

My older bro turned me onto TOP in 1970. His traveling 6-piece showband needed to work out several Tower of Power hits and the band really got off on playing those tunes. The band's tenor sax player was an altissimo guy just like Lenny Pickett and their band gained quite a bit of popularity as a TOP cover band. My brother (drummer) perfected Garibaldi's Oakland Stroke groove and the B3 player doubled on trumpet to fill out the 3-piece horn section. The bass player also rocked Rocco Prestia's remarkable staccato style. He even looked like him.I was a huge fan of Tower of Power. All my friends who were Zepplin Heds, asked me why I was so hung up on "N!@@er music." I told them I was raised on XERB. Wolfman Jack soul music out of L.A. broadcast to So Cal and West AZ out of Baja. Wooo!

[@kellycbeckett9092]

these guys were so tight , so soulful , so unique - I'm eternally grateful and blessed to have seen these guys live in the Bay Area on many occasions..brilliant time for music and such timeless songwriting..bravo

[@TomRivieremusic]

Burning funk .I love them all and especially Chester Thompson organist.Great funk and Jazz player. I also saw them live 3 times.

[@tomcooper6108]

Live and no filler! Just great musicians!!

[@stefanpolihronopoulos723]

And the mixing was top notch.

[@DomingoAquino-vq5uy]

The best of the best of all the rest TOP

[@alcambrola2834]

Definitely. I was fortunate to see this lineup many times. RIP, Brent Byars, Bruce Conte, Mic Gillette and of course Rocco.

[@thomasschaefer9312]

nothing is better than '70's funk.

[@robertherrera5975]

One of the gems of the 70s era. These guys are so good

[@robomaster4882]

It's amaxing how many great bands there were back then. Each with their own distinctive sound. From this hardcore funk to the Moody Blues. With Deep Purple, Eagles, Ten Years After, ELP, and everyone else. All different but all great musicians. Compare that to the "all sounds the same" manufactured music of today.

[@Kimberly-pf4iy]

Tower of Power is so extremely talented. Their horn section is fabulous. These guys have to be THE best in the world. Hats off to Lenny and the rest of Tower of Power. You guys rock!! ♥

[@petersonlafollette3521]

The tower was VERY hip in those days- evidenced by the dancing horn section.

[@kwgib]

@@petersonlafollette3521 And whattabout that OakTown Fashion Sense?

[@petersonlafollette3521]

@@kwgib And they got their soul and funk on- way on...

[@kwgib]

@@petersonlafollette3521 Despite impending Collapse of Western so called Civilization, even YuToo knows What's Hip or Not. Praise dat Poo Ole' Lord,.

[@kcerezo4539]

Soooooo Cooooool! My No.1 favorite band ever!!!

[@callmelegendawight8298]

That horn section was epic, Mic, Emilio, Lenny, Greg and Doc.

[@philipashbourn1538]

Part of the package Warner Bros UK tour in 1974 at the Manchester Free Trade Hall sell out - the best rock gig I ever went to. As a jazz fan I was always attracted to rock/funk bands with horns.

[@normwinkler9566]

The First, The Only, The Original, The Utmost Best in the World... T.O.P. ... Saw them many times during this period in Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area...Only 3 original members left...RUN to see them while you still can!

[@congapilon]

I was two years old lol. Love this band been listening to tower all my life!

[@victorstevenson8261]

Rocco lived right around the corner from me in Fremont...when the band would practice they made sure the garage door was shut. Made know difference we still heard them play..

[@rsvp9146]

To hear these guys playing in a garage... damn. Neighborhood treat.

[@Prescott-w2u]

OK. This is real funk music with a driving beat. Tower of Power was TIGHT!

[@unclemikey808]

I went to HS w Greg Adams… he was running the school band… good times… cuz really, after all…. What is Hip🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@gabekarp3008]

And Chester Thompson, the Great.

[@stevebarnes9345]

This was groundbreaking and we all knew when we first heard this band this was instant history!

[@ralphalvarado4770]

I used to see TOP at least twice a year for a very, very long time. San Mateo and Pleasanton. Also at the S.J. Jazz festival and other venues. Friends asked me why I wasn't tired of them. WHAT? I do miss the falling to one knee when singing "You're still a young man". But I'm their age and I understand.

[@JamesHenry-o8m]

Saw this show when it aired with my brother-boy were we stoked! Have seen them many times live since then-greatest horn section in the world 😊😊😊😊

[@beigenegress2979]

My dad had this album 💿 and played this constantly back in the day! 🎉 Still sounds great 50 yrs later!

[@drew-shourd]

50 years later and STILL awesome!!!

[@robinbeers6689]

Just like us.

[@johnnykR9]

Saw these guys in Boston in the mid 70’s. It was one of the best shows I ever saw👌

[@Alexandra_acount3]

Went to HS with Dave Garibaldi every time TOP played Frenchies in Hayward we were there, what a super group.

[@songwriting101]

True soul and funk. Good luck finding anything like that these days.

[@AMFUNKII]

The very best, Tower of Power ladies and gentleman!

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Rock Concert TV show. Saw them summer of ‘73 open for Santana @ Providence (R. I.) Civic Center. Couldn’t believe how tight and funky they were. LP on tenor and whirling dervish dance steps knocked me out. Pre-rap real music.

[@victorvernon2507]

Puts a dervish to shame. Truly, Tight as F.

[@skipmessier765]

Was at the same show and they were just amazing ! Thought it was great when the horn section was rocking’ on stage and went out into the audience without missing a note. Killer band !

[@321snoot]

I saw them two years earlier at the RI Auditorium opening a show for Bo Diddley (up 2nd) and Creedence as the headliner. That 13 year old kid from Warwick was mesmerized! Boy, those were the days when it seemed like a big-time band came to town every couple of weeks - and $5 a ticket for the best seats in the house!

[@alcambrola2834]

I was at that show too. Saw Chicago 2 nights later there with Terry Kath. What a weekend.

[@TheRoafer]

Because Carlos Santana really enjoyed listening to Chester Thompson over the years, he invited him to play in his band. Chester toured all over the world with both bands.

[@jefferybatts8005]

Saw these guys along with the Allman Brothers at the Orange Bowl sometime back in the early 70's. Every member of TOP is an incredible musician. No chopped steak with these cats, only filet mignon ! They were the best !!!! Sadly, I don't hear anything out there that remotely comes close to the TOP. I'm afraid todays rap artists couldn't tell you the difference between a major and a minor chord is their life was on the line. RIP good misic.

[@rafaelzavala7765]

Only 9 years old at this time and loved TOP. I would stay up to watch them on Don Kirchners Rock Concert and Midnight Special. I loved that sax player. Oh man he was a dancing fool !!

[@randy3907]

Saw these guys live in 1973, Tower Theatre, Upper Darby Pa...........Excellent!

[@allen6924]

What a great band and excellent performance. We had some great music in the 70's

[@kevincrozier8625]

Yepper. I am 64 and still live in the 70's. Lol. Never been a decade like the 70's where everyone had their own sound. You knew who was who right off the bat.

[@robertcurrie5140]

70's definitely the best decade for quality music.

[@tgirard123]

You know that's Lenny Picket playing Sax with the fro. He's the sax player and music director for the SNL Band. Such a monster player!!!!

[@fretfix1]

Wait! What!? I did not know that...

[@jplew138]

​@@fretfix1- Lenny wrote and played the closing "SNL" theme song.

[@hayfordfrempong6369]

Lenny Pickett is one of my favorites Tenor Saxophone Players

[@debbiemyre814]

The Lenny dance.......❤

[@hayfordfrempong6369]

@@jplew138you’ mean the Waltz In A

[@doorswhofan]

Wow. The very essence of the era captured right here in all of its glory. Outstanding. Far out. 🙂

[@jones1351]

The incomparable Lenny Williams. ToP is Lenny, that tight rhythm section, and the Horns!! What is Hip, indeed. So Very Hard To Go.

[@keithsetzer9580]

In 2006 I went to the Bean town Jazz Festival. The Berklee students had a Tower of Power ensemble. It pleased and surprised me at the same time.

[@michaelmmofo]

Mr. Greg Adam's on trumpet went to westmoor hs. same as me...wowwee

[@lgndnhswnmnd]

Thanks for this post! Grateful for KZbin!

[@GeeThevenin]

With Don kirschners rock concert and midnight special vying for acts it was a great time to catch acts live on tv. Remember this show and others, papa John creech, frampton, tearing it up.

[@petergeorgemusic]

Smokin’ TOP bringin the funk to the 21st century and beyond👍

[@jet357]

55 years and still at it. There was years where , the Stones, Santana, Elton John all took a break....not TOP....the hardest working band that ever was.

[@Mrtellitlikeitis]

Seen them in the 70s. Fantastic then and now. Music endures. Not the music of today if thats what i call it

[@tomkitchen9457]

From an era when musicianship counted.

[@jerryferko8309]

THE BEST BAND IN THE LAND ........ AND LENNY ....... THEIR BEST LEAD SINGER ......... AND THEY HAVE HAD SOME TERRIFIC ONES ........ LARRY BRAGG ......... for sure

[@michaelfarranto-wg6zw]

I'M 81 YEARS AGO AND STILL JAMMIN' WITH ONE OF THE BADDEST RHYTHM AND BLUES INTEGRATED BAND KNOWN TO MAN OR WOMAN! I'M A FORMER RHYTHM AND BLUES TRUMPET PLAYER. THIS DUDE PLAYIN' THAT TRUMPET WITH TOWER OF POWER CAN BLOW THAT HORN! YEAH 👍 MAN OR WOMAN, HE'S UNPARALLELED! AS ALWAYS GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE AND STAY STRONG IN THE FAITH AND IN THE FAITHFUL! ✌️ PEACE TO ALL WHO READ MY COMMENT! RIGHT 👍 ON! RIGHT 👍 ON! I'M OUTTA' HERE 4 NOW CROCODILE 🐊🎆🎇🕊️✌️😄❤️😁! RHYTHM AND BLUES THE ONLY WAY TO GO! LISTENING TO THEM NOW AND I'M SURE NOUGH' GETTIN' DOWN! 🎉

[@gup8175]

Classic! Thanks for this past blast !

[@ovationplayers]

The biggest thrill of my life was joining a TOP / AWB cover group in Chicago in '77. This set just brings it all back . . .!!

[@sapelesteve]

TOP is one of my favorite all time bands! Saw them once in concert a long time ago & they were totally incredible! RIP Rocco

[@markborges3056]

The 70s, we really started something, TOP inspires so many bands today.

[@soulone22]

Elain Benes is in the House!!! Laying down the small kicks with the thumbs up. George and Jerry know what I'm talking about.

[@garyhallgren]

Damn, I saw these guys in Berkeley in 1973. Unforgettable! The best!!

[@fishfinder4]

I was 16yo just graduated high school, and was introduced to TOP. To this day I still listen to their music. On of my all time favorite groups..

[@neilmcanally8464]

Classic TOP. They were the horn section for Little Feat's Waiting For Columbus, absolutely made the album.

[@dyrldouglas2087]

One of the greatest funk bands of the 70's, so many cuts & this guy was their best lead singer, Lenny Wms.

[@KBB4eva]

Rocco my dear friend was one of the greatest soul bassist ever. Along the lines of Jamerson

[@MrSouthernman73]

He is well missed.

[@robertodell8900]

One of the best performances I had the privilege to attend.

It’s so great to see Doc groove.

[@adrianfisher9641]

Real stylish. And singing through the best vocal mic of all time! Really stylish man keep cooking.

[@ed2929]

This is the Tower of Power I know with Lenny Williams. I was very fortunate to work during a lot of concerts in the 70’s to see a lot of these groups. My very first show I worked was Jethro Tull, which I learned was the bands name not the guy playing the flute.

[@jimdep6542]

Same here. The late 60's and early 70's was an incredible time to be in the SF Bay Area and going to concerts every month.

[@leobell3502]

TOP was on fire for that performance. I heard someone in the audience yell, "Somebody call the Fire Dept. Tower Of Power is about to burn the joint down." Le😎 San Francisco, Califusa

[@elexmage806]

I saw them at Winterland in the Haight, in ‘67. I’m seeing them again for the umpteenth time end of the month. Love me some of that funk ! 😊

[@kennethjones8309]

My favorite band studio musician awesome tight rhythm and horns professionals 😊

[@gordoh7634]

To everyone who loves this video. Go see this band soon. They're not going to be around much longer. God love them. I'll be seeing them this Saturday 12/10 and I can't wait. It will be so much fun. They have a Christmas thing going on, so we'll stand by to be amazed.

[@alcambrola2834]

Since you wrote this, singer Mike Jerel is gone and they have a new guy Jordan John. They're getting up there.

[@tiportangeles2696]

My sister Lyza dated one of the Sax players in the late 60's to early 70's but for the life of me his name escapes me. Love their music to this day. Funkadelic!

[@wilgreenstreet]

Incredible group!

[@jonathanrodgers4893]

How is even one person left sitting in their seat during this? Jezz. Been listening to and seeing these guys for almost 50 years. When TOP leaves this earth I think it'll be time for me to go too.

[@AlfredoGueco-h3x]

Love this band very much ❤️❤️

[@Bob-fp5wf]

Saw this show at the Roxy in Hollywood Was Amazing! 1973

[@congarodno]

Tower Of Power has been my All Time favorite group ever since I heard them unannounced on Jazz station WRVR in NY! I thought it was a huge orchestra with an incredible drummer & organist! At the end of the tune ( with me totally out of breath) the DJ came on & said, “ Well, it looks like R&B is getting closer to Jazz every day; That was ‘Squib Cakes’ by Tower Of Power!” I said out loud, “The ‘What Is Hip’ Tower Of Power?”, and The DJ said, “Yes, The What Is Hip Tower of Power!!!” ( true story) needless to say, I went out & bought their new album, “Back To Oakland” the same day!!! I was never to be the same again! BTW thanks for putting Their “Rock Concert” appearance back on KZbin! I’ve felt deprived for YEARS! 👍🏽🎉👌🏾🙌🏽👏🏾👏🏾

[@lancemollusk150]

RVR. !!