This band has been around for 50 years for a reason. REAL musicians playing REAL instruments - LIVE !! No beat box, no auto tune , no computerized instruments. What a concept !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm 72 and did vocals and percussion for years and it never leaves your Soul and TOP is just showing you that. You don't get older, You Get Better. Keep that Funky Soul acomin'
I hear You. I'm 68 and still singing and playing as ever. The groove never ends. This Group is hot. They're rockin'. I've gotta say it though - They can't touch the Original Group. I last saw Them in Oakland in 1975. Can't touch 'em. Come on now.
My first experience with TOP was in the late 60's. Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, California...Picking up my tickets the afternoon of the show, I crossed paths with Emilio and one other band member in the parking lot. In for a sound check. I got a hey man, see you tonight from Emilio...A pretty special day for a 16 year old kid! Thank you for the kindness and smile that day Emilio...Something I've never forgotten...You know what is hip!
I have played in some great bands with a brass section the past 50 years, and played much music by Tower of Power, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Ides of March, Cold Blood, and other greats. These days I am a Classical Music orchestral composer, and often utilize the brass "style" of some of these great horn bands in the brass arrangements of my classical compositions. The brass sections in all these bands is SO tight! ...Peace! 🎼❤
Sigh, vintage Cold Blood was also so hot. Even when singer Lydia Pense took a break on the instrumental tune Shop Talk, gives me chills, much like their gory album cover Thriller. But I also worship Tower of Power!
I was 13 or 14 when an audiophile friend turned me on to these guys. I was strictly a Southern Rock lover but not after hearing these guys on Klipsch Speakers. Now fifty years later I still love them and have a house full of Klipsch Speakers .I have seen them about 8 or 9 times.
Funky salt and pepper group with lots of sugar!!! Fantastic all these decades later. I'm 78 and they are still grooving and movin.....wowsi wow wow!! 🎶🎷🎺🎸🎤❣
Some of my greatest memories in high school 1971-73. We still get together, and TOP always brings down the house!! Greatest horn section on the plant!!
Just watched them last Friday! Was so much fun the new lead singer is fantastic also got to talk to Tom Politzer for alittle while after the show! I’m 23 and wish music was like this still
Wow watching this video gives me chills. I grew in the East Bay in San Leandro and went to at least 20 shows in and around the bay area featuring Tower Of Power. What fun times, dancing and listening to such blessed group of performers with so much talent. Brass in a band still moves me today and with so many great bands Tower Of Power tops. But I need to address Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Chicago, But the SF bay area has produced so many talents, I could write an essay. Thank You Tower Of Power for what you have accomplished & still rocking the house today. I would like to see you in Northern Idaho where I reside now Rick J.
I just saw TOP again for my 35th time on April 11, 2024. Their new lead singer as great, new drummer was phenomenal! To coincide with one of their songs “TOP CAME TO PLAY! Thank you TOP FOR SOME OF THE GREAT MUSIC OF ALL TIME.
I got to see them a number of times 50 years ago..... The city used to put on free concerts, Eugene, OR. I think there was a beer company involved. One of the best brass sections I have ever seen. Didn't know they were still around.... Loved Lydia Pense and Cold Blood also, and the Sons of Champlain. All Bay Area bands!
I saw TP in person when I was in college when they performed at FSU. I attended FAMU. My boyfriend at the time lived less than two blocks from the venue. We walked there jammed, smoked a joint before and after. Lenny Williams was the lead singer then. Boy did I have an awesome youth!!!
Saw this Band play at the "King Richards Nightclub" in Oakland, Calif. in 1972. The next day I went out and bought their first album named "East Bay Greese". Even met Lenny Williams. They have the sound that never gets old.
50 YEARS OF GOOD MUSIC. and it ain't no joke. sadly the guitar player Bruce Conte is no longer with us anymore. he passed away from Leukemia on 8/2021.R.I.P
Thank you so much for posting. One of my all-time favorite bands…since they started. This is just great! They NEVER fail to slay me. That funk, that bass, those horns!
I love TOP. I was in the audience for this show. TOP sounds hella good live. My uncle Beto (may he rest in peace) regaled my siblings and me with stories of running into the members of TOP and players from the Oakland Raiders and A's at Everett and Jones bbq or some bar in "The Town." He said there was nothing better than living in Oakland during the '70s driving around in his lowrider enjoying the best foods, the best sports, the best music, and the best weed.
Why is it that this is best band in world that has gone so under the radar for so long. I have been a huge amount fan fan for more years than I care to admit! A while back they were in Australia for one Melbourne gig but in a small venue too far from me to attend. I saw the band twice in the UK again in tiny places. There are a few die hard fans down under
Man way over in midwest usa some coworkers who love great music brought up Tower of Power and we all agreed their horn section kicks the hits of runaway freight train!these guys should be recording right today!They are still cream of the crop! Put this on DVD and I will buy my music friends one each as a gift and for myself toi
I sorely miss Mic Gillette (RIP), legendary ToP founding member, trumpet and trombone player, mentor and friend. A few times per year, we would hook up and play duets on our trumpets and trombones in his living room. Extremely memorable and such a great guy. Mic knows BKA! Miss ya buddy!
The music is still so relevant today. "There's only so much oil in the ground pretty soon there will be none around" reflected on the gas shortage of the 70s. Great song
TOP,,, hearing David G play, changed my entire drumming style, loved playing their music and meeting DG was an honor, Chris Coleman, my nephew and drummer protege I took him to one of his workshops when he was 6 yr's old,,,, never looked back, The best horn band ever!!!
First time i heard TOP I was in High school, probably 1970 and was blown away!!! I was a Junior when i heard What is Hip, and would play it over & over & over, etc .....again! Still my go to song if i wanna "Move My Groove" !!!!!
We first saw a TOP in Cleveland Ohio at the Agora when they just released East Bay grease. No one knew that there were maybe 20 people in the audience. The next time they came back to Cleveland you couldn't get into the club. One of the greatest groups of all time and should be in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. They are real musicians and have "Soul with a capital S."
RIP Rocco Prestia. You were a truly innovative musician that updated bass guitar technique. The guy playing bass in this video couldn't have done it without Francis's footprint on the history of bass playing technique.
So good to Lenny, CT and Ray Green with the band for this special night. I have loved this band since 1969 and followed them religiously...there is NOTHING like a ToP concert.
Grew up as a keyboardist playing many of their hits in different Top 40's groups around L. A .and Las Vegas. The best years of my life in the 1970s Killer band TOP took a mixture of James Brown's soul grooves and made their own style from it. Great ballads too.
OMG!! Thank you so much. I have been for years looking for non-TH-cam version of this. The TOP web site never has it for some reason. One Super Fan to another. Thanks again. Oh.. Amazon has it,
Love the short snippet with the 20 something couple near the end of "You oughta be having fun" groovin away and looking like they're having the best time ever. They weren't even born when this song came out in '76!
I see Lenny is back on Sax and Bboy dancer… man in 1973 he lit up the stage. He stood perfectly still for the first 15 minutes in a Tux.. then he cut loose and danced all over the concert arena… so exciting LENNY!!!
Marcus Scott is the singer here. The current singer is Ray Greene, who also doubles on trombone. He rejoined the band after a few years w/Santana. Whether he is permanent of just filling time before Santana does anything again, I don't know. Your mention of 'the original' when referring to Larry Williams prompts me to point out that the original singer for ToP was Rufus Miller (on 'East Bay Grease'), then Rick 'You're Still a Young Man' Stevens (on 'Bump City'). Then Williams joined for 'Tower of Power', which was album number three. And yes, Scott's voice and mannerisms are reminiscent of Williams, who was really the defining voice of the band. Personally, I really liked Larry Braggs in the live setting. I had the 'Oakland Zone' album - I believe he sang on that - but found it unbearable to listen to because of the production aesthetic. Modern production values might be convenient for the production of the music, but they don't always 'fit' in terms of suitability for the actual music itself. This is the case with the 6-disc version of the Allman Bros. 'At Fillmore East'. The original Tom Dowd production is great. The rest suffers from a more 'modern' touch.
The level of talent on that stage is just beyond anything today's big acts can produce. I know I'm old , but that's the F**king truth.
You are 100% RIGHT!
David Garibaldi has to be one of the best drummers of the last 50 years.
This band has been around for 50 years for a reason. REAL musicians playing REAL instruments - LIVE !! No beat box, no auto tune , no computerized instruments. What a concept !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen!
54 years now!!
= T H E B E S T 1 cause its the onlyest 1 ...
I wonder what inspired Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire to tour together a few years ago.
That's what I call back to basic.
Now that's what I like and APPRECIATE.
REAL MUSICIANS playin' REAL INSTRUMENTS.... That's what you call TALENT!!
100%
72 Stockton CA..
Was in heaven..
17 year old kid..the best horn section ever.
I'm 72 and did vocals and percussion for years and it never leaves your Soul and TOP is just showing you that. You don't get older, You Get Better. Keep that Funky Soul acomin'
Me too!
I hear You.
I'm 68 and still singing and playing as ever. The groove never ends.
This Group is hot. They're rockin'.
I've gotta say it though - They can't touch the Original Group. I last saw Them in Oakland in 1975. Can't touch 'em.
Come on now.
Saw them in 72 Stockton CA..
Was in heaven. The best horn section ever.
Great bass playing, laying down those classic Rocco sixteenth
My first experience with TOP was in the late 60's. Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, California...Picking up my tickets the afternoon of the show, I crossed paths with Emilio and one other band member in the parking lot. In for a sound check. I got a hey man, see you tonight from Emilio...A pretty special day for a 16 year old kid! Thank you for the kindness and smile that day Emilio...Something I've never forgotten...You know what is hip!
I’ve been a bass player for 60 years. For me, Dave Garibaldi is the VERY BEST !
I have played in some great bands with a brass section the past 50 years, and played much music by Tower of Power, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Ides of March, Cold Blood, and other greats. These days I am a Classical Music orchestral composer, and often utilize the brass "style" of some of these great horn bands in the brass arrangements of my classical compositions. The brass sections in all these bands is SO tight! ...Peace! 🎼❤
Hey pal, this video is NOT ABOUT YOU. No one cares about what you did.
Sigh, vintage Cold Blood was also so hot. Even when singer Lydia Pense took a break on the instrumental tune Shop Talk, gives me chills, much like their gory album cover Thriller. But I also worship Tower of Power!
love the reference to cold blood ........... lydia pense ,,,,,,,,, outstanding ......... and her band terrific .........
Listen to Leonid and friends
I was sooo in love with Lydia! Grrr!😊
Have loved this band for almost 50 years .Great to see Lenny Pickett still doing his dance moves on stage ❤️🤗
I was 13 or 14 when an audiophile friend turned me on to these guys. I was strictly a Southern Rock lover but not after hearing these guys on Klipsch Speakers. Now fifty years later I still love them and have a house full of Klipsch Speakers .I have seen them about 8 or 9 times.
Klipsch speakers! 👍😁👍
You know what makes me happy? Watching ToP, of course!
If only the new singers and rappers could play music like these guys, they would make more money and make people happier.
Funky salt and pepper group with lots of sugar!!! Fantastic all these decades later. I'm 78 and they are still grooving and movin.....wowsi wow wow!! 🎶🎷🎺🎸🎤❣
Some of my greatest memories in high school 1971-73. We still get together, and TOP always brings down the house!! Greatest horn section on the plant!!
Just watched them last Friday! Was so much fun the new lead singer is fantastic also got to talk to Tom Politzer for alittle while after the show! I’m 23 and wish music was like this still
I can't believe I'm nearly weeping with joy at the image of all these people, young and old, loving this band the way I do.
Te72
wet tree
Y all time favorite horn band.
To quote Sir Paul McCartney “That’s the power of music.”
Tower of Power musicians ain't no joke, 50 years playing!
Wow watching this video gives me chills. I grew in the East Bay in San Leandro and went to at least 20 shows in and around the bay area featuring Tower Of Power. What fun times, dancing and listening to such blessed group of performers with so much talent. Brass in a band still moves me today and with so many great bands Tower Of Power tops. But I need to address Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Chicago, But the SF bay area has produced so many talents, I could write an essay. Thank You Tower Of Power for what you have accomplished & still rocking the house today. I would like to see you in Northern Idaho where I reside now Rick J.
Originales del alameda county Oakland California
I just saw TOP again for my 35th time on April 11, 2024. Their new lead singer as great, new drummer was phenomenal! To coincide with one of their songs “TOP CAME TO PLAY! Thank you TOP FOR SOME OF THE GREAT MUSIC OF ALL TIME.
I got to see them a number of times 50 years ago..... The city used to put on free concerts, Eugene, OR. I think there was a beer company involved. One of the best brass sections I have ever seen. Didn't know they were still around.... Loved Lydia Pense and Cold Blood also, and the Sons of Champlain. All Bay Area bands!
Wow... just WOW! Love the added backup vocals and the orchestra! It really topped off an already sensational band
This singer is one of Towers best!! Been following for 30 years
I agree. The singer they had in Caterert NJ last Friday didn't have any range or stage presence. He was talented but the band drowned him out.
I would never exclude Lenny Williams or Larry Bragg from that accolade.
He is definitely special. I saw them/him live in Manhattan, Kansas about this long ago -- I wish he was still with 'em.
East Bay Grease! Love it since the 70's. Finally saw them live this year.
Absolutely Fabulous TOWER of POWER for 50 over the top years of funkalicios SOUL
Everyone sings. Everyone plays. Incredible
REAL music!
I sure wish this were the main stream music of the day in 2022. Not the auto-tune / rap crap that's happening right now. This is all music.
I saw TP in person when I was in college when they performed at FSU. I attended FAMU. My boyfriend at the time lived less than two blocks from the venue. We walked there jammed, smoked a joint before and after. Lenny Williams was the lead singer then. Boy did I have an awesome youth!!!
Excellent......I have been a fan for at least 30 years
50 years together, are u kidding me? Incredible sound, Back to Oakland LP is still my favorite. Don't shoot horses in the middle of the stream.
Great to see the great Chester Thompson on organ and the equally great Lenny Pickett on sax. I wish that Lenny Williams would have been there.
Saw this Band play at the "King Richards Nightclub" in Oakland, Calif. in 1972. The next day I went out and bought their first album named "East Bay Greese". Even met Lenny Williams. They have the sound that never gets old.
Man, Love these guys. Grew up with them. Bring tears. Still sound great, horn arrangements so cool
Yes, tears tears, my band never found again any good horn section since 2008... very sad
Grew up in the SF Bay Area in the 60s and 70s. T.O.P. was always one of my favorites to see live! Such a good band!
50 YEARS OF GOOD MUSIC. and it ain't no joke. sadly the guitar player Bruce Conte is no longer with us anymore. he passed away from Leukemia on 8/2021.R.I.P
Simply The Best .... !!!! Thanks Deanna .........
Best ding dang horn section in the world . . . period!
Thank you so much for posting. One of my all-time favorite bands…since they started. This is just great! They NEVER fail to slay me. That funk, that bass, those horns!
And David
the bands background vocals have been sooooo good for soooo long .......... Outstanding
Feel like I'm back in the 70's. They sure don't make music like this anymore. Awesome funk!!
Real music NEVER ages. It just gets better.
They... do.
@@kevinstone9638 Listen to cory wong, maybe that'll change your mind
@@rechargeproductions4894 will do.
@@rechargeproductions4894 Ok I must say DAMN on the Cory Wong. Thanks for the recommendation on them.
after 2 years , going to see ToP in 2 weeks . - for me , ToP. &. AWB. - been listening forever -- ~ JDS/CT
I've seen them 12 times. Amazing!
Well, that was eight minutes of the best uplifting, fun, enjoyable, FLAT OUT GOOD MUSIC, I've heard in a long, long, long time!!....... Man!
I love TOP. I was in the audience for this show. TOP sounds hella good live. My uncle Beto (may he rest in peace) regaled my siblings and me with stories of running into the members of TOP and players from the Oakland Raiders and A's at Everett and Jones bbq or some bar in "The Town." He said there was nothing better than living in Oakland during the '70s driving around in his lowrider enjoying the best foods, the best sports, the best music, and the best weed.
bring it back...times were so good back then not like right now...bring it back...
These guys are just the absolute BEST !! So much joy for so many ♥️♥️♥️
Tower of its power, sound for itself....
They was no joke!...Excellent dance music!..legends are our history!
One of the meanest horn section of all times thank you for this .Drummer N.C 63
What a amazing performance for 50 years.
Saw them last week in Spotlight 29 - Coachella a few days ago. Great concert. I spent 5 years in East Bay in late 70s early 80s - lots of memories.
Lucky you. TOP never lets you down.
Why is it that this is best band in world that has gone so under the radar for so long. I have been a huge amount fan fan for more years than I care to admit! A while back they were in Australia for one Melbourne gig but in a small venue too far from me to attend. I saw the band twice in the UK again in tiny places. There are a few die hard fans down under
What can one say but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for 50 YEARS of GREAT MUSIC (BEAUTIFUL) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saw these guys live for the first time this summer in Layton, Utah. Been listening to them for over 40 years though!
Just caught this on tv! My god such timeless music!! Been with me all my life! Forwarded to many music lovers. Thank you TOP!
OMG Joy overload ~ Thank you Deanna for sharing these amazing souls
Watching these old guys (my age😎) still grooving! Yes sir, that’s what I’m talking about!
Thanks for sharing .. blessings 50 years birthday..
50 years of experience in life of awesome soul and jazz funk and connecting some highlights in our memories ...for ever
Auckland NEW ZEALAND 🇳🇿 😍 .
Man way over in midwest usa some coworkers who love great music brought up Tower of Power and we all agreed their horn section kicks the hits of runaway freight train!these guys should be recording right today!They are still cream of the crop! Put this on DVD and I will buy my music friends one each as a gift and for myself toi
More than 50 years playing that excellent music🙀, Long Live good music 😻😻😻
These guys have kept me young and interested in all things in music & life......thank you TOP
No band could lay it down like ToP. I've been a fan forever.
WOW!! This is what you call INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH T.O.P!! That frontline horn section!! OMG!! And Lenny still got the moves!!
That’s not Lenny. But he’s good.
@@geerowr.6666 Dude! You’re crazy! That’s Lenny Pickett!
@@reginalddavis7578he may have thought you meant Lenny Williams as opposed to LP.
I sorely miss Mic Gillette (RIP), legendary ToP founding member, trumpet and trombone player, mentor and friend. A few times per year, we would hook up and play duets on our trumpets and trombones in his living room. Extremely memorable and such a great guy. Mic knows BKA! Miss ya buddy!
I was there. What a show, and what absolutely great players those guys are. Always were, just as good now!
The music is still so relevant today.
"There's only so much oil in the ground pretty soon there will be none around" reflected on the gas shortage of the 70s. Great song
Brilliant. This is an example that good music will stay forever.
Brilliant , Good Music is still alive!
TOP,,, hearing David G play, changed my entire drumming style, loved playing their music and meeting DG was an honor, Chris Coleman, my nephew and drummer protege I took him to one of his workshops when he was 6 yr's old,,,, never looked back, The best horn band ever!!!
Thank you God for bringing the world TOWER of POWER, they are undoubtedly, and indubitably THE GOAT!
TOP WE LOVE YOU IN DENVER COLORADO THANKS FOR THE PURE FUNK😎😎👍👍👍
People don’t realize how great Emilio Castillo’s voice is.
These band are in good shape and heathy and well balanced music for 50 years and still playing music keeps on going tower
in the pocket and groovin' for 50+ years.
This group changed my life - like Sly and Santana my heart and soul belonged to the Oakland Bay!!
Add Lydia Pense and Cold Blood to that mix also....
The Tower of Power Brass. Still the tightest MOFO's on the planet! It don't get any better than this!!!
What a fun concert with such a polished group!
Saw them in the mid 80s and today, still so damn good!!! They should be filling stadiums. Kids today should really check them out.
back again........ THANK U DEANNA !!
First time i heard TOP I was in High school, probably 1970 and was blown away!!! I was a Junior when i heard What is Hip, and would play it over & over & over, etc .....again! Still my go to song if i wanna "Move My Groove" !!!!!
We first saw a TOP in Cleveland Ohio at the Agora when they just released East Bay grease. No one knew that there were maybe 20 people in the audience. The next time they came back to Cleveland you couldn't get into the club. One of the greatest groups of all time and should be in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. They are real musicians and have "Soul with a capital S."
RIP Rocco Prestia. You were a truly innovative musician that updated bass guitar technique. The guy playing bass in this video couldn't have done it without Francis's footprint on the history of bass playing technique.
So good to Lenny, CT and Ray Green with the band for this special night. I have loved this band since 1969 and followed them religiously...there is NOTHING like a ToP concert.
Grew up as a keyboardist playing many of their hits in different Top 40's groups around L. A .and Las Vegas. The best years of my life in the 1970s Killer band TOP took a mixture of James Brown's soul grooves and made their own style from it. Great ballads too.
OMG!! Thank you so much. I have been for years looking for non-TH-cam version of this. The TOP web site never has it for some reason. One Super Fan to another. Thanks again. Oh.. Amazon has it,
Still cooking after 50 years!
Never gets old! You can’t stop moving!
Love the short snippet with the 20 something couple near the end of "You oughta be having fun" groovin away and looking like they're having the best time ever. They weren't even born when this song came out in '76!
I see Lenny is back on Sax and Bboy dancer… man in 1973 he lit up the stage. He stood perfectly still for the first 15 minutes in a Tux.. then he cut loose and danced all over the concert arena… so exciting LENNY!!!
Lenny is still front & center every week on SNL
I used to see Tower everywhere in Hollywood in the 80s.
This young newer vocalist reminds me of the original Great Lenny Williams! Same range , showmanship and energy.
Marcus Scott is the singer here. The current singer is Ray Greene, who also doubles on trombone. He rejoined the band after a few years w/Santana. Whether he is permanent of just filling time before Santana does anything again, I don't know.
Your mention of 'the original' when referring to Larry Williams prompts me to point out that the original singer for ToP was Rufus Miller (on 'East Bay Grease'), then Rick 'You're Still a Young Man' Stevens (on 'Bump City'). Then Williams joined for 'Tower of Power', which was album number three. And yes, Scott's voice and mannerisms are reminiscent of Williams, who was really the defining voice of the band. Personally, I really liked Larry Braggs in the live setting. I had the 'Oakland Zone' album - I believe he sang on that - but found it unbearable to listen to because of the production aesthetic. Modern production values might be convenient for the production of the music, but they don't always 'fit' in terms of suitability for the actual music itself. This is the case with the 6-disc version of the Allman Bros. 'At Fillmore East'. The original Tom Dowd production is great. The rest suffers from a more 'modern' touch.
Lenny Williams all the way!!!
Marcus Scott has a much wider range than Lenny
It was sad when Lenny left ToP but looking back I totally get why he left. As he himself said later, “Tower of Power was a big drug band.”
TOP one of my favorite bands of the mid70s. Sounding great .❤
Awesome. These guys can still bring it. Miss seeing Rocco P though
Fun, happy music with serious funk!! Today's "music" pales by comparison! Great to see this!!
3 Words .... Tight.Class. Joy !!
My all time favorite Funk/Soul band! Love TOP!!!!!
KEEP THE A's IN OAKLAND!!!
Brings back some very fond memories! What a great funky band, then and still today!
A blast from the past.
So thankful to attend this event. with such great Musicians and fans. Good times..
Don't matter what color you are,......... play that funky music boys. Get up and daaaaance.
It’s never about color! Either you’re funky, or you’re just not!