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
Angela
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere she weeps, her hair gently brushes the floor
I know my way, I know that I'll find her somehow
Angela carries me back to the time
When I knew that her love was still mine
Angela's holding the child in her womb
And I pray that she will be calling soon
Cold moon, dark sky, I'm watching my mind disappear
She sits alone, not knowing that I am so near
Why can't she hear my voice as I call out her name?
Angela carries me back to the time
When I knew that her love was still mine
Angela's holding the child in her womb
I pray that she will be calling soon
Oh no, oh no, oh no
It's a silly situation
It's just infatuation
No need to be sorry
Can't eat, can't sleep, can't seem to find time anymore
Somewhere she weeps, her hair gently brushes the floor
I know my way, I know that I'll find her somehow
Angela carries me back to the time
When I knew that her love was still mine
Angela's holding the child in her womb
And I pray that she will be calling soon
Oh no, oh no, oh no
It's a silly situation
It's just infatuation
No need to be sorry
The song "Angela" by Toto appears to be about a man who is desperately missing a woman named Angela. He seems to be consumed by his longing for her, as he can't eat, can't sleep, and can't seem to find time anymore. He knows that she is weeping and is somewhere nearby, indicated by the gentle brushing of her hair on the floor. The man believes that he will find her eventually, as he knows his way.
The chorus serves as a tribute to the love that the man and Angela once shared. It carries him back to a time when he knew that her love was still his. However, Angela is now holding a child in her womb, which implies that she has moved on from their relationship. Despite this, the man is still holding out hope that Angela will reach out to him soon.
The man seems to be struggling with his emotions, as indicated by the cold moon and dark sky that are causing his mind to disappear. Angela sits alone, unaware of his presence, and he wishes she could hear his voice when he calls her name. The final line of the chorus, "and I pray that she will be calling soon," reinforces the man's longing for Angela and his hope that she still has feelings for him.
Overall, the lyrics of "Angela" convey a sense of deep yearning and unrequited love. The man's emotions are raw and intense, and he is holding onto hope that Angela will come back to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't eat, can't sleep, can't seem to find time anymore
I am so consumed by my thoughts of Angela that I am unable to focus on my daily activities and my routine seems disrupted.
Somewhere she weeps, her hair gently brushes the floor
Angela is going through a tough time and is shedding tears while her hair falls delicately on the ground.
I know my way, I know that I'll find her somehow
Despite the obstacles, I am confident that I will locate Angela and reach out to her.
Angela carries me back to the time
When I knew that her love was still mine
Angela's holding the child in her womb
And I pray that she will be calling soon
The thought of Angela reminds me of the past when we were together and in love. I am aware that she is pregnant and I long for her to contact me.
Cold moon, dark sky, I'm watching my mind disappear
The bleak night sky and the absence of Angela are driving me into a state of madness where my thoughts are scattering into oblivion.
She sits alone, not knowing that I am so near
Angela is all by herself and isn't aware of the fact that I am close by and trying to reach out to her.
Why can't she hear my voice as I call out her name
I am yelling out her name, but she seems oblivious to my calls and is lost in her own world.
It's a silly situation, it's just infatuation, no need to be sorry
This state of mind is temporary, and it's okay to regard it as an infatuation. There is no need to feel apologetic about the same.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Paich
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.