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
Could You Be Loved
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let them fool you, or even try to school you, oh! no
We've got a mind of our own, so go to hell if what you're thinking is not right
Love would never leave us alone
I say the darkness there must come out to light
Could you be loved and be loved, could you be loved and be loved
Could you be, could you be loved
Don't let them change you, or even rearrange you, oh! no
We've got a life to live, they say only, only
Only the fittest of the fittest shall survive
Stay alive
Could you be loved and be loved, could you be loved and be loved
You ain't gonna miss your water, until your well runs dry
No matter how you treat him, the man will never be satisfied
Could you be, could you be, could you be loved
Could you be, could you be loved
Say something, say something, say something
Say something, say something, say something
Could you be, could you be, could you be loved
Could you be, could you be loved
The lyrics of Toto's "Could You Be Loved" convey a message of acceptance and love. The chorus repeats the question "Could you be loved and be loved?" suggesting that there is a barrier to love that needs to be overcome first. The verses warn against those who would try to control or manipulate, reminding the listener that only they have control over their own mind and life. The lines "Love would never leave us alone" and "I say the darkness there must come out to light" suggest the power of love to overcome obstacles and bring out the best in people.
The second verse speaks to the importance of valuing and respecting others. The phrase "the fittest of the fittest shall survive" suggests that only the strongest or most competitive will succeed, but the following line "Stay alive" reminds the listener that survival alone is not enough. The final lines of the song, "You ain't going to miss your water, until your well runs dry / No matter how you treat him, the man will never be satisfied" conveys the idea that we should appreciate what we have before it's gone, and that material possessions or power can never truly satisfy a person.
In conclusion, the song "Could You Be Loved" encourages the listener to embrace love and reject those who would hold them back. It speaks to the power of love to overcome obstacles and bring out the best in people, and reminds us to value and respect others.
Line by Line Meaning
Could you be loved and be loved, could you be loved and be loved
Is it possible for you to be loved and return love to others?
Don't let them fool you, or even try to school you, oh! no
Do not be deceived by others or allow them to manipulate you.
We've got a mind of our own, so go to hell if what you're thinking is not right
We have our own thoughts and opinions, and others' opinions should not affect us if we believe they are incorrect.
Love would never leave us alone
Love is always with us, even in the midst of difficult times.
I say the darkness there must come out to light
Negative emotions or situations must be brought to the surface to find a resolution or peace.
Don't let them change you, or even rearrange you, oh! no
Do not allow others to alter your personality or beliefs.
We've got a life to live, they say only, only
We have our own path in life, despite what others may say or believe.
Only the fittest of the fittest shall survive
Only the strongest or most capable individuals will succeed in life.
Stay alive
Keep persevering and surviving, even in difficult times.
You ain't gonna miss your water, until your well runs dry
You will not appreciate what you have until it is gone.
No matter how you treat him, the man will never be satisfied
No matter how much you may give someone, it may not be enough to satisfy them.
Say something, say something, say something
Encouragement to express oneself or speak up.
Say something, say something, say something
Reinforcing the previous line.
Could you be, could you be, could you be loved
Asking if someone is capable of receiving or giving love.
Could you be, could you be loved
Repeating the question to emphasize its importance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bob Marley
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.