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
Let It Go
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doesn't seem so far away
So much pain in long goodbyes
There is much I need to say
You've been shadowing my door
A tempest wind that never dies
Every sorrow washed ashore
[Chorus]
Let it go
Gonna make your life whole
Let it go
Time to lose the crooked smile
Cast your grief upon the ground
Got no time for vain illusion
Cause it's killin' me inside
[Chorus]
You should know
It t be the anger you hide
Your pride
Maybe someone has stepped on your pride
Every night
It'll keep you awake every night when you're old
Your heart
Your heart has been painfully bruised
Something to lose
You still t have something to prove
Let it go
Is it worth all the time you misuse for your sad demise
When there's vengeance in your heart
What comes next is up to you
Better to think before you start
Or you can dig that grave for two
[Chorus]
You should know
It t be the anger you hide
Your pride
Maybe someone has stepped on your pride
Every night
It'll keep you awake every night when you're old
Your heart
Your heart has been painfully bruised
Someone to lose
You t still have someone to prove
Let it go
Is it worth all the time you misuse for your sad demise
The song "Let It Go" by Toto describes the struggle of letting go of past pain and anger in order to move forward in life. The opening lines of the song, "Staring death between the eyes, doesn't seem so far away. So much pain in long goodbyes, there is much I need to say," convey a sense of urgency to release deep-seated emotions before it's too late. The singer is haunted by painful memories and regrets, symbolized by the "tempest wind that never dies" and "every sorrow washed ashore." The chorus repeats the call to action to "let it go," to shed the burden of negative emotions and embrace a new, whole life free from the weight of past grudges.
The second verse of the song offers further insight into the source of the singer's pain. They are struggling with anger, pride, and the desire for vengeance. The lyrics caution against acting on these impulses without careful consideration, as it can lead to a self-destructive path. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "let it go," emphasizing the importance of finding peace by forgiving others, letting go of grudges, and looking forward with hope.
Overall, "Let It Go" offers a poignant reminder of the importance of forgiveness, self-reflection, and moving on from past pain. It is an anthem of hope and liberation, reminding listeners that it's never too late to let go of the hurt and embrace positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Staring death between the eyes
Facing mortality or a dire situation with bravery
Doesn't seem so far away
That mortality or dire situation is imminent
So much pain in long goodbyes
The hurt caused by lengthy partings or unresolved issues
There is much I need to say
A need to express inner thoughts or emotions
You've been shadowing my door
An issue or stress that is ever-present and unrelenting
A tempest wind that never dies
An intense and consistent problem or emotion
Every sorrow washed ashore
All of the hardships that have negatively affected one's life
No more tears to fill my eyes
Having overcome sadness and no longer burdened by it
Let it go
Release oneself from past burdens and worries
Gonna make your life whole
By letting go, one can become whole and content
Time to lose the crooked smile
It's time to let go of forced happiness or a facade
Cast your grief upon the ground
Release one's emotional pain and burdens onto the earth
Got no time for vain illusion
There's no more time to be fooled by things that don't matter
Cause it's killin' me inside
The weight of emotional baggage is damaging one's well-being
You should know
A that person should realize or understand
It t be the anger you hide
One should not hide their anger or grudges
Your pride
A situation where someone's ego was hurt
Maybe someone has stepped on your pride
Perhaps someone has purposely or accidentally disrespected you
Every night
A repetitive and constant struggle
It'll keep you awake every night when you're old
It will continue to be a source of stress and pain for the rest of your life
Your heart
One's emotional center
Your heart has been painfully bruised
One's emotions have been deeply hurt
Something to lose
A risk that could lead to loss
You still t have something to prove
There's no need to prove oneself to anyone
Is it worth all the time you misuse for your sad demise
Is it worth holding onto negative emotions and experiences when one's time is limited?
When there's vengeance in your heart
When one is filled with a desire for revenge
What comes next is up to you
What actions one takes is their own choice
Better to think before you start
It's better to consider potential consequences before acting impulsively
Or you can dig that grave for two
Impulsively seeking revenge can lead to negative consequences for both parties involved
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: David Paich, Gregory Arthur Phillinganes, Michael Porcaro, Robert Kimball, Simon Phillips, Steven 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.