So Very Hard to Go

This song about a tough goodbye was written by Tower of Power saxophone players Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka. Castillo came up with the lyrics, which were inspired by a girl named Sharon, about whom he wrote the song "You're Still A Young Man." In our interview with Castillo, he explained: "Basically it says our relationship is ending and how hard it is to say goodbye to her. I write a lot about specific situations but I let the song play out in a general way."

This was the biggest chart hit for Tower of Power, reaching #17 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the R&B chart. Emilio Castillo told us: "We wrote it in one sitting and as soon as we were done writing it I knew it was going to be a hit. I actually called my manager and I said, 'We wrote a hit.' He said, 'Yeah, sure.' I go, 'No, I'm serious. We wrote a hit.' I played it for him over the phone and he heard a verse and the chorus and he goes, 'Damn, I think you're right.'" While the group itself never had a bigger hit, the Tower of Power horn section played on several tracks for other artists that did very well. Among them: "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by Elton John, "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & the News, and "Everybody's Everything" by Santana.