Tower of Power, known for their iconic horn-led funk and soul sound, is pleased to announce their new Holiday EP, It’s Christmas and a handful of select dates to kick off 2024. These announcements come on the heels of a major touring year for Tower of Power, celebrating 55 years since the band’s founding.
“55 years have flashed before us in the blink of an eye, and this year has been extraordinary,” shared Emilio Castillo - founder and bandleader for Tower of Power. “2023 has been a monumental year for Tower of Power - from a sold-out European tour to performances with world-renowned symphonies and shows that have attracted fans from every era of Tower of Power’s history. And we’re glad to be celebrating the holiday season with the release of our new EP. We can't wait to get back out in 2024 to keep the spirit of funk and soul alive!”
It’s Christmas was produced by Joe Vannelli and bandleader Emilio Castillo at Blue Moon Studios outside of Los Angeles. The EP features a number of traditional Christmas songs as well as an original, “It’s Christmas (A Long Way from Home),” written by Emilio, Doc Kupka and Joe Vannelli. It’s Christmas is available now, exclusively on CD through the band’s online store and on tour this winter. The complete tracklist includes:
The Christmas Song
This Christmas
A Very Special Christmas
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Silver Bells
It’s Christmas (A Long Way from Home)
O Holy Night
The band, currently on break following a month-long trek across the US, returns to the stage this fall and early winter with a series of Holidays and Hits performances. Following the New Year, Tower of Power will resume touring in January with a week-long stint across Florida and up into the Midwest. Additional dates are expected soon.
All current tour dates include:
Holidays and Hits 2023
November 25 - Thousand Oaks, CA
November 26 - Las Vegas, NV
November 28 & 29 - Scottsdale, AZ
December 1 - El Cajon, CA
December 2 - Coachella, CA
December 3 - Lemoore, CA
December 5 - Grass Valley, CA
December 7 - Salem, OR
December 8 - Spokane, WA
December 10 - Tulalip, WA
December 12 - Kalispell, MT
December 13 - Ketchum, ID
December 15 - Oakland, CA
December 16 - Campbell, CA
December 17 - Cerritos, CA
2024
January 27 - Soul Train Cruise
February 4 - Ft. Pierce, FL
February 6 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
February 8 - Clearwater, FL
February 9 - Ft. Myers, FL
February 10 - Orlando, FL
February 17 - Sparks, NV
February 29 - Ft. Wayne, IN
March 1 - Flint, MI
March 14 - St. Louis, MO
March 15 - Tunica, MS
March 16 - Nashville, IN
March 23 - Albuquerque, NM
May 11 - Houston, TX
About Tower of Power: For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. “We were a Soul band called The Motowns,” recalls Emilio Castillo, founder of Tower of Power. “Rocco was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. I met ‘Doc’ Kupka back in 1968 and gave him an audition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” East Bay Grease defined their sound and landed them with Warner Brothers. Bump City, their 1972 debut for the label, was a hit on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart and netted them the hits “You’re Still A Young Man” and “Down to The Nightclub.” The 70s were a boom period with radio classics like “So Very Hard to Go” and “What Is Hip?”, and the band continued to tour and record over the years. Castillo says their love of the stage is the same today as it was back in 1968.
The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations, traveling the world, enjoying hit singles on their own and backing legendary artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, and countless others. In the process they’ve defined an “Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia.
