Tower of Power Quotes

Fortunately things have been good for us. We're making more money at the box office and getting better offers. All the members get supplemental money from writing, producing and such, recording sessions, clinics. We do pretty good. 
Emilio Castillo

I remember I got a call one night. I was rehearsing the band and this was shortly after the Jimi Hendrix concert. My agent from Bill Graham's booking agency called. He said "I want you to go out and buy a couple of Janis Joplin records and learn as many songs as you can and be at the Fillmore at six o'clock 'cause you're gonna back her up tonight." I knew she had stopped working with Big Brother And The Holding Company and she started her own band. I think they were called the Kozmic Blues Band. She had a horn section 'cause I knew the baritone sax player, Snooky Flowers. Apparently she had gotten into a big fight with them and fired them all. We weren't very much into her music at all. We got the record and I started learning the songs. Plus, I didn't have any money. I was broke. The he called about five o'clock and said "Never mind. She re-hired them." I said "You owe me $20 for records. (laughs) That was my experience with Janis. 
Emilio Castillo

We played with The Grateful Dead in 1987. We played with them several times, but in 1987, I remember we did New Year's Eve with them. He called us up and said they were backing Etta James at the Henry J. Kaiser Arena, which originally was the Oakland Auditorium and they had just changed the name of it. Tower Of Power was opening for the Jefferson Starship at the Fox Warfield in San Francisco. So, we said we'll do the gig, but you gotta get a limo and shuttle us back and forth between our gig and yours. It was two nights of performing and recording.
Emilio Castillo