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
Living For The City
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city...ee ha!
His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city... yeah!
His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for the city...
I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough...
For the city... ooh, ooh
The song "Living for the City" by Toto tells the story of a boy born in Mississippi. He is surrounded by four walls that are not attractive, but his parents try to give him love and affection to keep him strong and moving in the right direction. However, it is still a hard life in Mississippi as his father works long hours for very little pay, and his mother is struggling to make ends meet by scrubbing floors. As a result, the boy decides to leave the poverty and move to New York City. Unfortunately, life in the big city is not easy either as he has to walk the streets where the air pollution is dangerous. He tries to vote but feels powerless and hopeless.
The song's message is universal and resonates with many. It addresses poverty, inequality, and social injustice. The lyrics represent a call to action for change by the listeners as the world will soon be over if we do not pay attention and take charge. The singer's voice is filled with sorrow and despair, and he begs the listeners to hear and believe in his message.
Line by Line Meaning
A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
The song describes a boy born in a difficult period and place, Mississippi, where life isn't easy and opportunities are limited.
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
The boy grows up in a place with harsh living conditions.
His parents give him love and affection
Despite their own struggles, the boy's parents provide him with emotional support and encouragement.
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
The love and guidance from his parents help the boy stay on the right path towards success and happiness.
Living just enough, just enough for the city...ee ha!
The boy's life is a constant struggle as he tries to make it in the city with limited resources and opportunities.
His father works some days for fourteen hours
The boy's father works long and hard hours just to make ends meet, but it's still not enough to provide for his family.
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
Despite his hard work, the father's income is still very low, making it difficult to provide for his family's basic needs.
His mother goes to scrub the floors for many
The boy's mother has to work as a cleaner to earn some extra money for the family.
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Despite her hard work, the mother's income is also very low, which makes it difficult for the family to survive.
Living just enough, just enough for the city... yeah!
The boy and his family are barely surviving in the city, where opportunities and resources are scarce.
His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
The boy's physical appearance reflects the harsh living conditions he's grown up in and the struggles he's faced.
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
The boy struggles to find his place in the city and has to spend a lot of time walking around aimlessly.
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution
The boy's health is suffering due to the bad air quality in the city, which is a result of industrialization and urbanization.
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
The boy has tried to participate in democracy and make his voice heard, but he feels like his vote doesn't count and that he has no real power to effect change.
Living just enough, just enough for the city...
The boy's life is a constant struggle and he's barely surviving in the city.
I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
The singer expresses his sadness and empathy for the boy and his family's struggle.
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
The song is a call to action, urging listeners to take action to help those who are struggling and work towards creating a better future for all.
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
The city and society in general are portrayed as harsh and uncaring, with little compassion or support for those who are struggling.
If we don't change the world will soon be over
The song highlights the urgent need for change, as the world is on a path towards destruction if we don't take action.
Living just enough...
The repetition of this phrase highlights the ongoing struggle for survival and the difficulty of living in poverty in the city.
For the city... ooh, ooh
The song ends with a repetition of the title phrase, underscoring the main theme of the song, which is the struggle of living in the city with limited resources and opportunities.
Contributed by Jasmine M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brucehirsch909
GREAT ALBUM! These guys have permission to do whatever they want.
@GodsWarriyah33
Love this song
@georghagglund9338
"Toto XIV" is the name of the next album by Toto. Will be out in marsch 2015 and there already is a video for the first single "Orphan". Sounds pretty good to me!
@capseba73
the bass line remenbers another wonder's hit: Boogie on Reggae Woman . it's a great idea mix two song like this
@ClassicTVMan1981X
It would be funny if either David Paich or Steve Porcaro ever played the "TONTO" (The Original New Timbral Orchestra) synthesizer! Toto meets TONTO! They could have at least recorded this track in Calgary, Canada, where the massive synthesizer is presently being preserved.
@lancetop
go Luke go!
@reiseinszenierungen2123
I never Play this Album...I prefer them creating and playing their own Songs....and in this field they are fabolous....
@MrMegaman2000
Is that original or is there an additional bassline on it?
@drummerxx1
where can i buy it?
@englishcountryside4581
drummerxx1 ^ Amazon