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
Hydra
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He walked around
Searching for the girl who had just caught his eye
"I was a fool!" he cried
His mind had wandered
He blinked and the sky moved e'er so slightly
He searched the city and she was nowhere to be found
Meanwhile she was floating downward, downward
[Chorus]
Do you want your freedom
Do you want my love
Do you want your freedom
From the one you're thinking of
There lies a lady
Naked and yet not knowing
A spell, it gains her heart forever
Preyed upon by the wolves in Time Square
Fell into an abyss of dead air
Innocence caged in sanctuary
There sat the Dragon Lord
Playing solitary
Defying the rules the holy boys leap Hell's Kitchen
[Chorus]
Suddenly a voice was heard
Ina a flash the brave young man appeared
The Dragon will cut him with his tail
Chased him to the stairway
Caught him halfway to the top
Sent him whirling down
Fireball, summer solstice
Dragon Lord descended down on him
She turned to look but saw only darkness, silence
[Chorus]
The song "Hydra" by Toto tells a story of a man and a woman who are searching for each other in a city. The man, who had been foolish before, walks around the city looking for the girl who caught his eye, but she is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, the woman is preyed upon by the wolves in Time Square and falls into an abyss of dead air, where she is eventually trapped in a sanctuary. The Dragon Lord is also mentioned, playing solitary and defying the rules.
In the chorus, the lyrics ask if the listener wants their freedom from the person they are thinking of, and whether they want their freedom or love. The song talks about the struggles of finding love and the consequences of being trapped in a bad situation. The story seems to end tragically as the brave young man is chased and caught by the Dragon Lord, and the woman is left in darkness and silence, having lost sight of the man she was searching for.
Overall, "Hydra" is a song about the dangers of love, and how the hunt for it can lead individuals down dark paths. It also highlights the need for freedom and the consequences of being trapped in a bad situation.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a man
The song begins by introducing a man who is in search of a girl that caught his eye.
He walked around
The man is seen wandering around aimlessly in search of the girl.
Searching for the girl who had just caught his eye
The man's sole purpose is to find the girl who caught his attention.
"I was a fool!" he cried
Realizing that he made a mistake, the man is lamenting his actions and is feeling foolish.
His mind had wandered
The man was distracted and lost focus leading him to miss the girl's presence.
He blinked and the sky moved e'er so slightly
He blinked for a moment and when he opened his eyes again he realized that he lost sight of the girl.
He searched the city and she was nowhere to be found
Despite his best efforts, the man is unable to find the girl and continues to search in vain.
Meanwhile she was floating downward, downward
While the man was searching, the girl seemed to have fallen in a downward spiral seemingly without his notice.
Do you want your freedom
Do you want my love
Do you want your freedom
From the one you're thinking of
The chorus takes on a question and answer format, asking if she wants freedom, their love, or freedom from the one who she's thinking of.
There lies a lady
Naked and yet not knowing
A spell, it gains her heart forever
Preyed upon by the wolves in Time Square
Fell into an abyss of dead air
Innocence caged in sanctuary
There sat the Dragon Lord
Playing solitary
Defying the rules the holy boys leap Hell's Kitchen
This verse talks about a lady who is oblivious to the world around her and is lost in a world of fantasy where her heart is captured by a spell. She finds herself preyed upon by men in a seedy place where her innocence is destroyed. She then comes across the Dragon Lord who seems to sit atop it all and defies all authority without interference.
Suddenly a voice was heard
In a flash the brave young man appeared
The Dragon will cut him with his tail
Chased him to the stairway
Caught him halfway to the top
Sent him whirling down
Fireball, summer solstice
Dragon Lord descended down on him
She turned to look but saw only darkness, silence
The song takes an unexpected turn, bringing the man and the girl together or so it is implied. In this scene, the man is heard, and the Dragon Lord begins attacking him. In this battle, the man is thrown down a flight of stairs while engulfed in flames, and the Dragon Lord descends upon him. The girl witnesses it all but is left in darkness and silence.
Do you want your freedom
Do you want my love
Do you want your freedom
From the one you're thinking of
The chorus repeats, once again asking if the girl wants freedom, their love, or freedom from whoever she's thinking about.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Steven M Porcaro, David Hungate, Bobby Kimball, Steve Lukather, David Paich, Jeff Porcaro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kireymrdr2000
There was a man who walked alone
Searching for the girl who had just caught his eye
I was a fool!, he cried
His mind had wandered
He blinked and the sky moved ever so slightly
He searched the city and she was nowhere to be found
Meanwhile she was floating downward, downward
Do you want your freedom?
Do you want my love?
Do you want your freedom
From the one you're thinking of?
There lied a lady
Naked and yet not knowing
A spell had chained her heart forever
Preyed upon by the wolves in Times Square
Fell into an abyss of thin air
Innocent 'n caged in sanctuary
There sat the dragon Lord playing solitary
Confined to rule the holy walls 'neath Hell's Kitchen
Do you want your freedom?
Do you want my love?
Do you want your freedom
From the man who lives above?
Suddenly a voice was heard
In a flash the brave young man appeared
The dragon whirled and caught him with his tail
Chased him to the stairway
Caught him halfway to the top
Sent him whirling down
Fireballs, summer solstice
The Dragon Lord descended down on him
She turned to look but saw only darkness, silence
You don't want your freedom
You don't want my love
You don't want your throat cut
By the Satan I'm thinking of
@HavocWWC
I am a big fan of Toto and when I happen to play any of their videos on YouTube I end up trapped in a Toto hits marathon. I don't know if I could ever pick a favorite Toto album but this one could very well be it. Bands like Toto and Saga deserve more recognition than what they get. Still enjoying their classic s in 2021.
@fernandoastudilloastudillo137
Fuck, Toto isn't my favorite one but I end up listening the entire tracks YT offers me.
@larx4074
Yep, same here......
@Elboliman
You and I like wrestling and the same music. I’m puertorrican too. We must had crossed paths before and I don’t know you. Shame! We could had spent hours talking about our hobbies.
@nickavenoso7851
And, this album didn’t sell that well. It’s one of my favorites.
@gentilegiants9895
Holyshit, I thought Myself and maybe about 100 other people were blessed with an excellent ear for great music when you mention SAGA! So let's make it 101!!!
@r.n6775
No autotune, no computers, just pure talent and skill.
@juanpablocastano2192
Yes I agree.
@borjapauloenricoabm9673
100% music genius- toto
@kevinkaatz883
And a great sounding song to top it off