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
Better World
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The things we believed
Are no longer true
'Cause we're older now
So much wiser than before
The pain that we've felt
We hold deep inside
And the tears we have cried
And the emptiness
Can we take it anymore
Have we lost all our faith in our God
And all that we are
When we look at our lives
What are we fighting for
Whoa, let's make this a better world
When push comes to shove
What have we really learned
Whoa, let's make this a better world
When you're lying awake with your life in your head
Thinking 'bout friends who are already dead
We can change
Whoa, let's make this a better world
When push comes to shove
What have we really learned
Whoa, let's make this a better world
Is there hope for us all
As we're waiting to die
Lying in bed as we take our last sigh
The song "Better World" by Toto is a call to action that asks listeners to reflect on the state of the world and their own lives. The lyrics speak to the disillusionment and pain that many people experience as they age and face the harsh realities of life. The opening lines of the song reveal a hesitation to uphold past beliefs in light of changed circumstances. The wisdom that comes with age is recognized, and the song acknowledges the pain and sacrifice that have often come with this knowledge.
The chorus of "Better World" contains the song's primary message, which is that it's time to make a change. The first line of the chorus, "Whoa, let's make this a better world," is a declaration of intent that is repeated throughout the song. The singer states that it is time to learn from the past, and to use this knowledge to make a more substantial difference in the world. The final verse of the song details the urgency of this mission, expressing the idea that we owe it to those we've lost and to ourselves to take action now.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello my friends I'm calling to you
The singer is addressing his audience, urging them to pay attention to their words.
The things we believed are no longer true
Old beliefs have been uprooted and established standards have changed.
'Cause we're older now, so much wiser than before
Time has passed and the singer believes they are now more experienced and aware.
The pain that we've felt, we hold deep inside
The singer suggests that they are carrying emotional pain within them still.
The dues we have paid and the tears we have cried
The singer refers to the hardships they faced and the sorrow they expressed.
And the emptiness, can we take it anymore
The singer poses a question about whether the audience can handle feeling empty any longer.
Have we lost all our faith in our God and all that we are
The singer questions whether people have lost faith in themselves and a higher power.
When we look at our lives, what are we fighting for
The singer suggests that people should reevaluate the reasons they are fighting for things in their life.
Whoa, let's make this a better world, when push comes to shove
The singer encourages people to make their world a better place, especially in difficult times.
What have we really learned
The singer prompts people to question their own learning and growth.
Is there hope for us all, as we're waiting to die
In a serious moment, the singer wonders if there is any hope for humanity as they approach death.
Lying in bed as we take our last sigh
The final line of the song focuses on the moment of death, and what people will be thinking about in their final moments.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN LEE LUKATHER, DAVID F PAICH, SIMON PETER PHILLIPS
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.