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
Gypsy Train
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's no problem, this is what you gotta do
Telephone your baby, tell her that you're working late
Come and pay a visit, please don't hesitate
Come join the party, come along and be our guest
Sit back and let us do the rest, we're the best, yeah
Gotta get up, gotta get in, gotta get out, just look for me, I'm always there
[Chorus:]
Come on let's ride, ride that gypsy train
All aboard, now don't you be afraid
Come on let's ride, ride that gypsy train
Feed the fire, let's go one mo' time again
Medication, little love and sympathy, cool libation, it's complimentary
Play a little poker, love when the stakes are high
Lotta nasty women, giving everyone the eye
Say downtown Jimmy, tell me what you need, satisfaction guaranteed
Guaranteed, yeah
It's a perfect situation, it's so nice to have you here
Gotta get up, gotta get in, gotta pull out, happy shiny people everywhere
It's a perfect situation, it's so nice to have you here
Gotta get up, gotta get in, gotta put out, happy shiny people everywhere
The lyrics of Toto's song Gypsy Train depict a wild and carefree lifestyle of a group of people traveling on a train. The song appears to encourage a man named Jimmy to leave his worries behind and join in on the fun. The singer of the song invites Jimmy to come to a party and forget his blues by calling his girlfriend and telling her he's working late. The lyrics suggest that no one should be afraid to hop on the gypsy train because there are supportive and enthusiastic people on board who will take care of everything. They will provide medication, love, sympathy, and free booze. The song portrays a world where all the stakes are high because everyone is playing poker, and there are many nasty women giving everyone the eye. This sense of danger and excitement seems to be the reason for the singer's assurance that "satisfaction is guaranteed."
The chorus of the song emphasizes the feeling of freedom that comes from being on the gypsy train. It suggests that people should not be afraid to let go of their worries and board this train, which will take them on a wild adventure. The lyrics encourage listeners to feed the fire and go for one more round, to live in the moment and enjoy the ride.
Line by Line Meaning
Downtown Jimmy, say you're feeling kinda blue
Addressing a person who is feeling down and extending an invitation to them.
It's no problem, this is what you gotta do
Reassurance to the person feeling down that there is a solution.
Telephone your baby, tell her that you're working late
Suggesting a particular method for the person to solve their problem.
Come and pay a visit, please don't hesitate
Inviting the person to join the festivities.
Come join the party, come along and be our guest
Offering a welcoming feeling to the person.
Sit back and let us do the rest, we're the best, yeah
Assurance to the person of the quality of entertainment.
Come on an' meet me at the station, don't pack your bags, just fix your hair
Instructions to come prepared without any luggage, for a brief visit.
Gotta get up, gotta get in, gotta get out, just look for me, I'm always there
Emphasis on getting up and leaving with the person to enjoy the entertainment.
Come on let's ride, ride that gypsy train
Invitation to have a good time by dancing and singing.
All aboard, now don't you be afraid
Ensuring comfort and security while yielding to the entertainment on offer.
Feed the fire, let's go one mo' time again
Encouragement to keep the party going.
Medication, little love and sympathy, cool libation, it's complimentary
Offering assistance to those in need in the form of comfort, love, and drinks.
Play a little poker, love when the stakes are high
Suggesting a fun activity for entertainment.
Lotta nasty women, giving everyone the eye
Observation of flirty women present and adding to the excitment.
Say downtown Jimmy, tell me what you need, satisfaction guaranteed, Guaranteed, yeah
Inquiring about the needs of the person and assuring fulfillment of those needs.
It's a perfect situation, it's so nice to have you here
Expressing appreciation for the presence of the guests.
Gotta get up, gotta get in, gotta pull out, happy shiny people everywhere
Excitement related to the presence of cheerful and joyful people around to appreciate the entertainment on offer.
Gotta get up, gotta get in, gotta put out, happy shiny people everywhere
Continued excitement related to the presence of happy people who add to the energy of the party.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
Written by: DAVID PAICH, JEFF PORCARO, MIKE PORCARO, STEVE 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.