Composed entirely of seasoned studio musicians, Toto seemed to come out of nowhere. They did not get known first on the club circuit as nearly all 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' album Silk Degrees.
Toto released their debut album Toto 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.
After the release 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 Frederiksen aka Fergie Frederiksen, who was replaced not long after by Joseph Williams.
Steve Porcaro left the band in 1988, however, he still contributes as a sideman.
In 1990, Jean-Michel Byron replaced Williams for the new recordings on Past to Present 1977-1990, then left with Lukather becoming the group's lead singer.
On August 5, 1992, Jeff Porcaro died of a heart attack, 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 1999, 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.
After a period of rumours and some allusions, on June 5th, 2008 Steve Lukather made an official announcement on his website stevelukather.net, stating: "The fact is yes I have left Toto. There is no more Toto." Lukather further stated that after 31 years of recording, producing and playing with Toto without even missing one single gig, he couldn't do it anymore: "I just can't do it anymore and at 50 years old I wanted to start over and give it one last try on my own." With Lukather being the only original member left in the band (Bobby Kimball was also an original member, but was out of the band from 1984-1998) there was no other option than to call it quits. As the main motivation for his decision, Lukather said: "When Dave retired that was REAL hard for me 'cause we started the band together. Hell, it's 35 years if you count High School where the core all met. When Mike fell ill and had to leave that was it for me. If there isn't Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto?" Luke also stated: "Honestly, I have just had enough. This is NOT a break. It is over. I really can't go out and play Hold The Line with a straight face anymore." The break-up of Toto after 31 years received mixed reactions from the fans, but in general the decision was understood and many agreed with Lukather's reasons to quit the band.
On April 5th, 2008, Toto played what would be their last show ever, in Seoul, Korea, as a part of their Falling In Between Live tour. This left lots of fans without a real farewell tour.
On February 26th, 2010, Steve Lukather announced on his Twitter-account that Toto are reforming for a brief tour in Europe in the summer of 2010 to honor bass player Mike Porcaro, who's suffering from ALS syndrome. Line-up will include David Paich, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, Simon Phillips, Joseph Williams and Nathan East.
Toto released their fourteenth studio album and their first in nine years titled Toto XIV on March 20 (Europe), March 23 (UK and Oceania), and March 24, 2015 (North America). To promote the newly finished project, the band started a world tour running with an extensive European headline arena tour including appearances at key festivals, along with a North American tour to follow in the summer of 2015 and Asia later that year.[43][44]
On March 15, 2015, former bassist Mike Porcaro died, due to complications from his battle with ALS, in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles.[45]
On 6 April 2015, Toto announced that they would embark on 7 August 2015 in Mashantucket, Connecticut with veteran progressive band Yes on a joint summer tour of North America due to end on 12 September 2015 in Coquitlam, British Columbia.[46][47][48] Shannon Forrest has continued to perform as the band's drummer.
On 29 September 2015, Toto announced the first leg of their 2016 Tour in support of Toto XIV consisting of European and Japanese dates. Leland Sklar, who joined them on their 2007 and 2008 tours, replaced founding member Hungate.[49] Sklar left Toto in early 2017 and was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Toto will release their anniversary album "40 Trips Around The Sun" on February 9, 2018. Then, they'll embark on their world tour promoting their album and celebrating 40 years of music.
The original lineup (1978)
* David Paich - vocals and keyboards
* Steve Lukather - guitar and vocals
* Bobby Kimball - vocals
* Steve Porcaro - keyboards
* David Hungate - bass
* Jeff Porcaro - drums
The last lineup (2017)
* David Paich - vocals and keyboards
* Steve Lukather - guitar and vocals
* Joseph Williams - vocals
* Steve Porcaro - vocals and keyboards
Afraid Of Love
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said hello but you were gone when I turned around
You can't get away, can't get away, even if you try now
I want to tell you but the words just can't be found
I like the way you move and just the way you are
I can't take anymore, 'cause girl, you're pushin' too hard
You can't get away, can't let you go, what's a boy to do now
[Chorus:]
I gotta get away from you, girl
'Cause I've never been afraid of love 'til I met you
Never thought a girl could make me feel the way you do
Never been afraid of, never been afraid of love 'til I met you
Ooh, yes you say
Can't be something that you never ever had
When I stop and think about you, it makes me laugh
You took me by surprise, I saw it in your eyes, I never had a chance, girl
Now that I see what you are, it doesn't hurt so bad
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Toto's song "Afraid of Love" depict a situation in which the singer, a man, falls in love with a woman who he cannot get out of his head. His feelings for her are instant and intense, and he struggles to express them. However, he is afraid of getting too close to her and opening himself up to love. He is scared that he will be unable to handle the pain that comes with loving someone who might not love him back or who he might lose.
The first verse of the song sets the scene, as the man describes how he fell in love with the woman "the moment [she] came to town." However, when he turned around to talk to her, she was already gone. The man is hopelessly smitten with the woman and cannot stop thinking about her. However, he is also aware that his feelings for her are dangerous, and he wishes he could get away from her. He knows that he is in trouble because he has never been afraid of love before meeting her.
In the second verse, the man describes how he is unable to resist the woman's charms. He likes "the way she moves and just the way she is." However, he also recognizes that she is pushing him too hard, and he cannot take it anymore. He is stuck between his attraction to her and his fear of being hurt. Nevertheless, despite his anxiety, he cannot deny that he has feelings for her.
Line by Line Meaning
You stole my heart the moment you came to town
You captured my heart immediately upon arriving, showing me that you have a remarkable quality that draws people to you.
I said hello but you were gone when I turned around
I greeted you, but you disappeared by the time I turned back around, showing me your elusiveness.
You can't get away, can't get away, even if you try now
You cannot escape my thoughts and feelings, even if you attempt to do so.
I want to tell you but the words just can't be found
I desire to express my emotions to you, but I struggle to find the appropriate words to describe them.
I like the way you move and just the way you are
I appreciate your unique and natural characteristics, including the way you carry yourself physically.
I can't take anymore, 'cause girl, you're pushin' too hard
I cannot handle the intensity of your efforts to sway me towards romantic feelings, often causing me to feel overwhelmed.
You can't get away, can't let you go, what's a boy to do now
I cannot rid myself of your influence, but I also cannot bear to let you go, creating a feeling of confusion.
You got me askin' myself how I survived this far
You make me question how I have managed thus far in life without experiencing a person like you.
I gotta get away from you, girl
I need to distance myself from you, recognizing that my emotions are too strong to continue as they are.
'Cause I've never been afraid of love 'til I met you
My fear of love is a new experience that emerged only after encountering you, illustrating the intensity of my emotions and how they have evolved.
Never thought a girl could make me feel the way you do
I am surprised that someone of the female gender could inspire such deep emotions within me, as if it was unexpected.
Never been afraid of, never been afraid of love 'til I met you
My newfound fear of love only emerged now that I have met you, indicating the magnitude of my love towards you.
Can't be something that you never ever had
It is impossible to be afraid of something you have never experienced before, highlighting the impact that meeting this person has had on the singer.
When I stop and think about you, it makes me laugh
Reflecting on the singer's emotions towards the person makes them laugh, either from disbelief or joy.
You took me by surprise, I saw it in your eyes, I never had a chance, girl
The singer was caught off guard by the person, and from their gaze, it was clear that they had no intention of letting the singer go, illustrating the intensity of the situation.
Now that I see what you are, it doesn't hurt so bad
Having a better understanding of the situation and the person's intentions has made it easier for the artist to come to terms with their emotions.
[Chorus]
Reiterating the artist's feelings of fear towards love and the impact that the person has had on their emotions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFF PORCARO, DAVID PAICH, STEVE LUKATHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Denis S. Pratt
on Take My Hand
Beautiful rendition of a reconciling moment that my mother and I will lay to rest.