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
Lion
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were headed for disaster
Woke up, I got ready for work
You weren't around
I was fast, but you were faster
Such a night, feeling right
Nothing I could say
(Then you went away)
Couldn't even beg you to stay
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
Huntress, you compell me with your eyes
It's my heart that you're enslaving
Serpent dance
You really hypnotize
To the lion's den is the road for me you're paving
In a trance, saw you dance
And you made romance to me
(Don't take it away)
Took a chance, circumstance
And it wasn't hard to see
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
You're the one that made me feel this way
So alone without your smile
You took my heart
Left my soul to pay
Just to watch me crawl on another smile
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
The lyrics of Toto's song "Lion" talk about a relationship that is going through a rough patch. The singer talks about how his partner left him suddenly, leaving him confused and hurt. He is trying to understand why she left and feels that he couldn't convince her to stay. The singer is upset and is trying to forget about the love he had for her but it's proving to be difficult. He expresses how she compels him with her eyes and has enslaved his heart. She had a hypnotic effect on him and he took a chance with her but was left alone.
The lyrics use powerful imagery to describe the feelings of the singer. The use of metaphors such as "Huntress" and "Serpent dance" creates an atmosphere of danger and deception. The singer is drawn towards a woman who he knows is leading him towards a dangerous path, but he can't help himself. He feels powerless in her presence, she made him feel alive and excited but ultimately left him heartbroken.
The song's message speaks about the power of attraction and how it can often lead us to make dangerous choices. The singer is trying to move on but is finding it difficult, which is a very relatable emotion. The song has a slow and somber tone, which helps to accentuate the sadness and pain that the singer is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
I got my feet back on the ground
I have regained control of my life
We were headed for disaster
Our relationship was doomed to fail
Woke up, I got ready for work
I realized that life moves on and I have to continue with my daily routine
You weren't around
You had left me alone without any explanation
I was fast, but you were faster
You were quick to leave me and I couldn't catch up
Such a night, feeling right
Despite the troubles, that night felt good
Nothing I could say
There was no way for me to change your mind
(Then you went away)
You left me behind
Have to know, why'd you go?
I need to understand the reason behind your leaving
Couldn't even beg you to stay
You were determined to leave and I couldn't convince you otherwise
Huntress, you compell me with your eyes
Your gaze is captivating and irresistible
It's my heart that you're enslaving
You have a hold on my heart and emotions
Serpent dance
Your movements are hypnotizing and seductive
You really hypnotize
You have a way of mesmerizing me
To the lion's den is the road for me you're paving
Your actions are leading me down a dangerous path
In a trance, saw you dance
I was entranced by your dancing
And you made romance to me
Your movements felt like a romantic gesture towards me
(Don't take it away)
Please don't stop what you're doing
Took a chance, circumstance
I took a gamble based on the situation
And it wasn't hard to see
The outcome was predictable
You're the one that made me feel this way
You are the reason for my current emotional state
So alone without your smile
I feel lonely and incomplete without you around
You took my heart
You have control over my emotions
Left my soul to pay
I am paying the price for being too invested in you
Just to watch me crawl on another smile
You left me to suffer while you enjoy seeing me struggle
Lyin' in a sweat, tryin' to forget
I am struggling to move on and forget
All of my lovin' for you girl
My love for you is making it difficult to let go and move on
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOBBY KIMBALL, DAVID PAICH
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.