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
Bottom Of Your Soul
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel for the Mothers who weep for them
I pray for the Fathers who are standing by their side
In their world of pain and suffering
Have you ever seen the look in a hungry child's eyes
They can't eat money or promises
Give them your smile and try holding out your hand
[Chorus:]
Why is it always the ones that we love
Are the ones that will never come home
Why must all of the bridges we cross take their toll
Always remember the voice in your head
Speaks to you when you're alone
And it comforts you
From the top of your heart to the bottom of your soul
You can swim in a river of tears they cry
For they sleep on the winds of uncertainty
Show us a sign and make us believe again
There's no other way, oh, there's no other way
The lyrics to Toto's song "Bottom of Your Soul" touch on the theme of loss and suffering. The opening lines “Where are the children we lost not long ago, feel for the mothers who weep for them” suggest a sense of despair and desperation for people who have lost loved ones, particularly children. There is a shared feeling of grief and injustice, as the chorus repeats, “Why is it always the ones that we love, are the ones that will never come home.” The song highlights the challenges of coping with loss and the difficulty of finding hope and comfort amidst turmoil.
In the midst of pain and grief, the song encourages people to come together and offer support. The line, “Give them your smile and try holding out your hand, let them know you're there, let them know you're there” is a call to action to reach out to those who are struggling, to be present for them in their difficult times. The song acknowledges that finding a way forward can be challenging, but that it is possible to find comfort even at the “bottom of your soul.”
Overall, Toto's "Bottom of Your Soul" is a powerful reflection on the human experience of loss and the importance of community and support in overcoming difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are the children we lost not long ago
Do you ever ponder where the missing kids are, who vanished recently?
Feel for the Mothers who weep for them
Have compassion for those mothers who heartbrokenly cry for their lost children?
I pray for the Fathers who are standing by their side
I sincerely hope and pray that those fathers who are standing beside the mothers would heal from the pain as well.
In their world of pain and suffering
It's a world of misery and agony; they are still in mourning and mourning for their children.
Have you ever seen the look in a hungry child's eyes
Have you been in the vicinity of hungry kids and observed the expression of desire and lack in their eyes?
They can't eat money or promises
Neither money nor assurances can satiate their hunger, and no parents want empty stomachs for their children.
Give them your smile and try holding out your hand
Offer them comfort with your warm gesture and extend a helping hand to feed them.
Let them know you're there, let them know you're there
Assure them that you are present for them when they need someone to support them, and they wouldn't have to suffer alone.
Why is it always the ones that we love
Why does it have to be our loved ones who go missing or get heartbroken?
Are the ones that will never come home
Sadly, those beloved people are the ones who may never come back to us.
Why must all of the bridges we cross take their toll
Why do we have to pay a price (toll) every time we cross a path (bridge) in life?
Always remember the voice in your head
Recall the voice that echoes within you, the wisdom and experiences you have accumulated throughout your life.
Speaks to you when you're alone
When left on your own, ponder upon your own voice in your head, which ought to guide you through troubled times.
And it comforts you
The same voice acts as a solace and comfort, strengthening you emotionally.
From the top of your heart to the bottom of your soul
From the deepest emotional bond of your heart to the core spiritual essence of your being, the inner voice reaches out and strengthens you.
You can swim in a river of tears they cry
The number of tears shed by the parents and families of the missing kids is so enormous that one can swim in that flood of tears.
For they sleep on the winds of uncertainty
They have no idea where their children are or what's happening to them, and live in a state of uncertainty, which only exacerbates their grief.
Show us a sign and make us believe again
Give us a sign that would help restore our faith and make us hopeful again.
There's no other way, oh, there's no other way
There's always a way out, and we must never give up hope or choose an alternative path that leads us astray!
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Royalty Network
Written by: DAVID F FRANK PAICH, MICHAEL J PORCARO, ROBERT T KIMBALL, SIMON PETER PHILLIPS, STEVEN LEE 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.