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
Kick Down The Walls
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took the low road to the high ground, had to feel it in my bones
Everybody wants some heaven, but nobody wants to die
It's been brought to my attention
You'll be dead a long time, now ain't that a crime
[Chorus:]
Kick down the walls, shake down the building, must be time for a change
I went driving in the moonlight, there was no place left to go
I went digging in my coal mine, when I hit the mother load
If this world could work together, like a big old human clock
It would run on till forever, it would never have to stop, never have to stop
You can't buy no protection, don't care who you are
Spreading out in all directions, now it's no hold barred
Everybody runs for cover, from the sun and sex and sin
If you think you got the answers, buddy just you come on in, step right in
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
In Toto's "Kick Down The Walls," the lyrics describe a sense of frustration and disillusionment with life's limitations and expectations. The singer took the long way to a shortcut and encountered walls made of stone, symbolizing the barriers and obstacles of life. However, they also took the low road to the high ground and had to feel it in their bones, emphasizing the importance of experiencing and persevering through challenges. The sentiment of wanting heaven but not wanting to die is a poignant reminder of how often people yearn for something more but are hesitant or unwilling to take the necessary risks to achieve it. The lyrics also suggest that time is precious and finite, and it's a crime to waste it.
The chorus of "Kick Down The Walls" urges action and change, to not be content with being caged in by life's limitations. The repetition of "kick down the walls, shake down the building" signifies a need to break free and challenge the status quo. The singer went driving with nowhere to go and digging in a coal mine, possibly alluding to the idea that even in the most mundane or hopeless situations, there could be a breakthrough or opportunity for growth. The verse about the world working together like a human clock highlights the idea that progress and longevity require cooperation and unity.
Line by Line Meaning
Took the long way to the shortcut, and the walls were made of stone
I took a roundabout way to get to my goal, and the obstacles in my path were substantial
Took the low road to the high ground, had to feel it in my bones
I chose the more difficult path towards success and I knew it was the right choice instinctively
Everybody wants some heaven, but nobody wants to die
Everyone desires happiness and success, but few are willing to put in the work and make sacrifices to achieve it
It's been brought to my attention. You'll be dead a long time, now ain't that a crime
I've come to realize that life is short, and it's a shame to waste it by not pursuing our dreams
Kick down the walls, shake down the building, help me bust out of this cage
We need to break free from our limitations and obstacles to achieve our goals
Kick down the walls, shake down the building, must be time for a change
It's time to make a significant shift in our lives to reach our full potential
I went driving in the moonlight, there was no place left to go
I felt lost and directionless, with no clear path to follow
I went digging in my coal mine, when I hit the mother load
I kept searching and working hard, and finally found great success
If this world could work together, like a big old human clock
If humanity could collaborate and function as a cohesive unit, we could achieve great things
It would run on till forever, it would never have to stop, never have to stop
We could sustain progress and growth indefinitely if we work together towards common goals
You can't buy no protection, don't care who you are
No amount of money or influence can protect us from the challenges and dangers of life
Spreading out in all directions, now it's no hold barred
Problems and issues in our lives can spread quickly and need to be addressed urgently
Everybody runs for cover, from the sun and sex and sin
People try to escape from difficult and uncomfortable topics or situations, such as temptation and wrongdoing
If you think you got the answers, buddy just you come on in, step right in
If you have solutions or ideas for how to improve the world, we're open to hearing them and implementing them
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
We need to break down barriers and disrupt the status quo to make significant progress
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
We must be bold and fearless in challenging structures and norms that are holding us back
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
We need to take action and actively work towards change instead of being passive and complacent
Kick down the walls, shake down the building
We need to keep pushing and keep fighting for progress, no matter how difficult it may be
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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.