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
Last Night
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's guiding my way to your doorstep
And your voice called my name
With a sound that I've never known
I was a kid in a comic book-world looking for answers
When out of the darkness she came
Like a cat on a crown
Doesn't care if it's late
Doesn't matter if it's right
And I laugh when I think
I may never have knocked on your door
[Chorus]
Last night
You turned a frightened little boy into a man without shame
Last night
We tore the hands off a clock and it read just the same
Last night
I had a crazy little dream and you turned it all around
Last Night
We took a chance, we shook it up, and now the world's upside down
All the fire in your heart
And the heat of your touch I'll remember
And you're dancing like a flame
Perfection in motion
It was the masterpiece from the start
Only you and I could have rendered
And I'll never be the same
I'm a cat on a crown
In the middle of the night
Doesn't care if it's late
Doesn't matter if it's right
And I laugh when I think
I may never have knocked on your door
[Chorus]
Like a cat on a crown
In the middle of the night
Doesn't matter if it's late
Doesn't matter if it's right
'Cause I laugh when I think
I may never have knocked on your door
[Chorus]
Last night
, Toto's song is a vivid description of a man looking for love and finding it unexpectedly in one night. The lyrics start with the singer being guided by the light in his lover's eyes all the way to her doorstep. He is amazed by the sound of her voice, an unfamiliar sound that he has never known before. The singer paints the picture of his past self as a lost child in a comic book world, searching for an answer to life. But when his lover came out of the darkness, she transformed him.
The chorus describes the transformative power of the night that the singer spent with his lover. It was a night of passion that turned him into a man without shame, tearing the hands off the clock as time stood still. And it was all because of the lover's ability to make the singer feel alive and turn his "crazy little dream" into reality. The world is now upside down, and the singer has taken a chance that has shaken things up.
The verses have a recurring theme of the singer being like a cat on a crown in the middle of the night. It doesn't matter if it's late or wrong; he is willing to take risks for love. The lover he met that night is the masterpiece from the start, and he will never be the same. The song Last Night is a beautiful love story about taking a chance and finding happiness in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, there's a light in your eyes
I can see hope and direction in your eyes
That's guiding my way to your doorstep
The light in your eyes is my guide to where you are
And your voice called my name
Your voice grabbed my attention and made me listen
With a sound that I've never known
Your voice is unique and special to me, unlike any other sound
I was a kid in a comic book-world looking for answers
I was lost, searching for meaning and direction like a character in a comic book
When out of the darkness she came
You appeared suddenly, out of the unknown darkness that was my life before you
Like a cat on a crown
Moving with confidence and ease, like a cat on a rooftop
In the middle of the night
When everything else is dark and quiet
Doesn't care if it's late
Not concerned with the time of night or the lateness of the hour
Doesn't matter if it's right
Not concerned with societal norms or expectations of what is right
And I laugh when I think
Reflecting on how absurd it is that I ended up with you
I may never have knocked on your door
It's easy to imagine how different my life could have been if I never took a chance on you
Last night
Reflecting on a transformative experience that occurred the night before
You turned a frightened little boy into a man without shame
You helped me find courage and confidence, freeing me from the fears that had held me back
We tore the hands off a clock and it read just the same
Our experience was so intense that time seemed to stand still, yet the clock continued ticking as if nothing had changed
I had a crazy little dream and you turned it all around
My life's ambitions and hopes were pie in the sky, but you helped me achieve them and exceed my wildest dreams
We took a chance, we shook it up, and now the world's upside down
Our crazy, spontaneous decision to take a chance on each other has completely transformed our lives and turned everything upside down
All the fire in your heart
The passion and drive within you
And the heat of your touch I'll remember
The intimacy and connection we shared physically stays with me
And you're dancing like a flame
You move with grace and passion, like a flame dancing in the wind
Perfection in motion
Your movements are flawless and precise, as if no action is wasted
It was the masterpiece from the start
Our connection and relationship was perfect and complete from the very beginning
Only you and I could have rendered
Our relationship and experiences are unique, something no one else could have created
And I'll never be the same
Our experience together has changed me permanently, leaving an indelible mark on my soul
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.