Toto (band)

For other meanings of the word, see Toto.

Toto (pronounced toe-toe) is an American rock/prog band which had their greatest commercial success in the 1980s.

Biography

Toto was formed in Los Angeles in 1977 (see 1977 in music) by David Paich, Steve Lukather, Bobby Kimball, brothers Steve and Jeff Porcaro, and David Hungate, the son of former United States Congressman and United States District Court Judge William L. Hungate. The bandmembers had met in high school and at studio sessions in the 1970s, when they became some of the busiest session musicians in the music business.

Composed entirely of seasoned studio musicians, Toto seemed to come out of nowhere. They did not get known first on the club circuit as most bands do prior to being signed by a label. Their reputations in the studio were enough. For example, Paich, Hungate and Jeff Porcaro wrote songs for and performed on Boz Scaggs' critically-acclaimed hit album Silk Degrees. David Paich wrote "Lady Love Me (One More Time)" with James Newton Howard, Steve Porcaro co-wrote "Human Nature" for Michael Jackson, and Steve Lukather co-wrote "Turn Your Love Around" for George Benson. Lukather was awarded a Grammy in 1983 when "Turn Your Love Around" (from the album The George Benson Collection) was chosen as best R&B song.

When Toto was in search for a name, the members came up with very different ideas. They wanted something simple, which would be pronounced the same all over the world. So, eventually, "Toto" was chosen. The origin of the name comes from Latin, meaning "all encompassing". As Toto played a mixture of different styles, they agreed this would be the best name.

Toto released their self-titled debut album in October 1978, selling two million copies based on their top ten hit "Hold the Line". The next two albums Hydra and Turn Back had little success, but Toto IV (released in 1982) featured the number one hit "Africa," as well as the top ten single "Rosanna". Toto IV went multi-platinum and earned several Grammy Awards including 1983 Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Rosanna").

Their only film work to date was for the 1984 David Lynch science fiction film Dune. In addition to their own score, they also recorded the "Prophecy Theme", composed by Brian Eno.

Toto uses a sword as a logo for the band. The sword appeared on the sleeves of Toto, Toto IV, The 7th One and Past to Present. Jeff Porcaro explained the story behind the sword and the rings in 1990: "It came about when we finished recording our first album. We hired an artist from San Francisco named Philip Garris, who had done the Grateful Dead album covers from the Haight-Ashbury days, many rock'n roll album covers. He came, listened to the record, went back to San Francisco, painted and brought back the famous emblem of the sword, the ring around the sword and the ribbons. He explained that the sword... that he felt... his exact words were that the music had... TOTO's music had a hard edge, the first album, and it was powerful, but we did many different kinds of music, so he said it was double-edge sword. And a song called Manuela Run says 'Don't look now, you better watch that sword that's hanging over you', the sword of Damocles. So first he said OK, sword. The stone ring represents a piece of work, an album, CD nowadays. And the ribbons... it was the year of the child in 1979 when the record came out, and the ribbons represented the royal year of the child for the children. So that's what the original emblem came from."

Lineup

Original lineup (1978)

Changes

After the recording of Toto IV, Mike Porcaro (brother to Jeff and Steve), joined the group on bass, replacing Hungate. In 1984, Bobby Kimball left the group after being arrested for selling cocaine and was replaced by Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen, who was replaced in 1986 by Joseph Williams, the son of famed conductor/composer John Williams. Joseph left the band in 1988 and recently contributed vocals to the 2006 Toto album Falling in Between, on the duet vocal track Bottom of Your Soul.

Steve Porcaro left the band as an official member in 1987, however, he still contributes as a sideman, considerably so on the band's 2006 album.

In 1990, Jean-Michel Byron joined the band for the new recordings on Past to Present 1977-1990, then left in 1991 with Lukather becoming the group's lead singer.

On August 5, 1992, Jeff Porcaro died of an allergic reaction to a pesticide, while working in his garden, (he had a non diagnosed heart condition), days after completing work on Kingdom of Desire. The group considered disbanding, before adding British drummer Simon Phillips for the subsequent tour. In the years since Porcaro's death, Lukather has seemingly succeeded Paich as the band's de facto leader.

In 1998, Bobby Kimball returned to the lineup after a 15-year absence.

Greg Phillinganes joined the lineup in 2004 to fill in for David Paich during a tour, then officially joined Toto in 2005. Along with Greg, David still contributed his writing, vocals, and keys to the 2006 album, however due mainly to family reasons, David is no longer able to tour.

Current lineup (2006)

David Paich - vocals and keyboards
Steve Lukather - guitar and vocals
Bobby Kimball - vocals
Mike Porcaro - bass
Simon Phillips - drums
Greg Phillinganes - vocals and keyboards

Trivia

American rapper Nas used a sample from the track "Africa" in his own song "New World".

American rapper Ja Rule used a sample from the track "Africa" in his own song "Reign".

American rapper Xzibit used a sample from the track "Africa" in his own song "Heart of Man".

DJ Roger Sanchez used a sample from the track "I Won't Hold You Back" in his own song "Another Chance Tonight".

DJ Eric Prydz used a sample from the track "Africa" in a Bootleg Remix

"Rosanna" was written in honor of Steve Porcaro's ex-girlfriend, actress Rosanna Arquette.

The band's name may have elicited a few giggles when they first toured Japan in 1979-1980. TOTO is the name of Japan's largest toilet manufacturer, makers of the high-tech Washlet.

Two of Toto's songs appeared in games in the Grand Theft Auto series: "Hold The Line" was in San Andreas on the "K-DST" radio station, and "Africa" was in Vice City on the "Emotion 98.3" radio station.

The song "Rosanna" was featured in a 2002 episode of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. The character Grace Adler was dating a now-incarcerated high-school friend who replaced "Rosanna" with "Grace Adler" and sung the song to her.

The song "Africa" was featured in a 2006 episode of the NBC sitcom Scrubs.

Following the release of the 1988 album, The Seventh One, a Danish journalist was so disgusted with the album that he wrote in his review that you could swap the first couple of letters in the band's name in order to form "Otto", the name of a rhinoceros in a famous Danish children's book. Subsequently, the journalist encouraged these imaginary rhinoceros to stomp on his copy of the album.

The band received a semi-random reference in the South Park episode "Gnomes." When the mayor needed a "Band that everybody likes" to perform on the day of the Prop 10 vote, she decides after one suggestion to go with Toto. Later, when they do perform, only one member of the audience in fact cheers them.

Steve Lukather claimed that the name of their musicial band was inspired by the name of the Indo-Bhutanese Toto tribe.^*

In 2003, Toto headlined the big festival "Night Of The Proms" for three months straight and was the seventh biggest act during that year.

Discography

Studio albums

1978 Toto
1979 Hydra
1981 Turn Back
1982 Toto IV
1984 Isolation
1986 Fahrenheit
1988 The Seventh One
1992 Kingdom of Desire
1995 Tambu
1999 Mindfields
2002 Through the Looking Glass (cover songs)
2006 Falling In Between

Compilations, live albums, & soundtracks

1984 Dune (original motion picture soundtrack, remastered and rereleased in 1997 and 2001)
1990 Past to Present 1977-1990 ('best of' compilation with 4 new tracks)
1993 Absolutely Live
1998 Toto XX (previously unreleased tracks)
1999 Livefields
2003 Live in Amsterdam
2003 The Essential Toto

Singles

1978 "Hold The Line" - #5 US
1978 "I'll Supply The Love" - #45 US
1978 "Georgy Porgy" - #48 US
1979 "St. George And The Dragon"
1979 "99" - #26 US
1979 "Hydra"
1980 "All Us Boys"
1981 "Goodbye Eleonore"
1981 "Turn Back"
1981 "Live For Today"
1982 "Rosanna" - #2 US
1982 "Make Believe" - #30 US
1982 "Africa" - #1 US
1983 "I Won't Hold You Back" - #10 US
1983 "Waiting For Your Love" - #73 US
1984 "Stranger In Town" - #30 US
1985 "Holyanna" - #71 US
1985 "How Does It Feel"
1985 "Endless"
1985 "Angel Don't Cry"
1986 "I'll Be Over You" - #11 US
1986 "Without Your Love" - #38 US
1987 "Till The End" - #26 US
1988 "Pamela" - #22 US
1988 "Stop Loving You"
1988 "Straight For The Heart"
1988 "Mushanga"
1990 "Out Of Love"
1990 "Can You Hear What I'm Saying"
1992 "Don't Chain My Heart"
1992 "Only You"
1990 "2 Hearts"
1990 "The Other Side"
1995 "I Will Remember"
1995 "If You Belong To Me"
1995 "Just Can't Get To You"
1996 "Drag Him To The Roof"
1996 "The Other End Of Time"
1996 "The Turning Point"
1998 "Goin' Home"
1999 "Mad About You"
1999 "Melanie"
1999 "Cruel"
2002 "Could You Be Loved"
2002 "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
2006 "Bottom Of Your Soul"

Gallery

Image:Simon Phillips on drums.jpg|Simon Phillips on drums - Varus Open Air in Osnabrück, Germany, 2004 Image:Steve Lukather with guitar, singing.jpg|Steve Lukather with acoustic guitar - Varus Open Air in Osnabrück, Germany, 2004 Image:Steve Lukather with Bobby Kimball.jpg|Steve Lukather (right) and Bobby Kimball (left) - Varus Open Air in Osnabrück, Germany, 2004 Image:Dsc04046.jpg|David Paich
on keyboard and
Toto in Stockholm,
Sweden November 2002 Image:Dsc04034.jpg|Toto in Stockholm,
Sweden November 2002

Image:totoFIB.jpg|Toto 2006

External links

French interview with Steve Lukather (2006)

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