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
Caught In The Balance
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh it seems so long ago
The cuts run deep
But the scars still show
I live in the shadows
Where it's been so hard to grow
I'm still a servant in a nobleman's robes
You know my weakness girl you know my kind
You helped me see when I was blind
It's a crime to live my life without you
Serve out my years in darkness
Inside these walls I die without you
And when I close my eyes
I'm caught in the balance
Afraid of the hurricane
I hide in my domain
I need release from all this pain
Please don't forsake me
In these ruins of your home
I can't wait forever
Don't leave me alone
I have a secret if you want to learn
I will surrender in return
It's a crime to live my life without you
Serve out my years in darkness
Inside these walls I die without you
And when I close my eyes
I'm caught in the balance
You know my weakness girl you know my kind
You helped me see when I was blind
It's a crime to live my life without you
Serve out my years in darkness
Inside these walls I die without you
And when I close my eyes
I'm caught in the balance
It's a crime to live my life without you
Serve out my years in darkness
Inside these walls I die without you
And when I close my eyes
I'm caught in the balance
The lyrics to Toto's song "Caught in the Balance" describe a person who is living in the shadows of their past mistakes and regrets. They feel as though they are still wearing the clothes of the nobility, even though they are just a mere servant. The scars from their past run deep, and they cannot seem to escape from them. Despite their efforts to hide from the world and its storms, they know they need to release themselves from the pain that they are experiencing.
The person reaches out to their love interest, desperate for them to not to leave them alone in the ruins of their home. They admit to having a secret and willing to surrender it in return for their love. The lyrics imply that the person needs their love interest to survive and cannot continue living this way without them. When they close their eyes, they are caught in the balance between the past and present, haunted by their mistakes and their desperate desire to escape.
Overall, the song "Caught in the Balance" speaks to the human condition of facing the consequences of our actions and the desire for redemption and forgiveness. It emphasizes the need for a human connection to help us navigate through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
What happened to me
Reflecting on past events that still affect me deeply
Oh it seems so long ago
The time passed since that moment makes it seem distant but the memory is still vivid
The cuts run deep
The emotional wounds have a lasting impact
But the scars still show
The evidence of the past pain is still visible
I live in the shadows
I exist in a place where there is little opportunity for growth or change
Where it's been so hard to grow
The circumstances have made it very difficult to move forward
I'm still a servant in a nobleman's robes
Despite having the trappings of success, I still feel like a subordinate
You know my weakness girl you know my kind
You understand my flaws and tendencies better than anyone else
You helped me see when I was blind
You opened my eyes to things I couldn't see on my own
It's a crime to live my life without you
My existence feels incomplete and unjust without you
Serve out my years in darkness
I feel trapped and isolated without you
Inside these walls I die without you
Without you, I feel like I'm just going through the motions and not truly living
And when I close my eyes
Even in moments of respite, my thoughts are consumed by you
I'm caught in the balance
I'm constantly trying to maintain equilibrium between the different aspects of my life, and your absence throws everything off-kilter
Afraid of the hurricane
I'm terrified of being overwhelmed by things beyond my control
I hide in my domain
To shield myself from the chaos, I retreat to my familiar surroundings
I need release from all this pain
I'm desperate for an escape from the agony of being without you
Please don't forsake me
I'm begging you not to abandon me
In these ruins of your home
I'm surrounded by the physical remnants of our love, which only serves as a cruel reminder of what's missing
I can't wait forever
I have limited time and energy to suffer without you
Don't leave me alone
I need your support and companionship to make it through
I have a secret if you want to learn
I have something important to share with you, if you're willing to listen
I will surrender in return
I'm willing to give up control and vulnerability if it means strengthening our connection
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mike Porcaro, Steve Lukather, Simon Phillips, Bobby Kimball, David Paich, Stan Lynch
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.