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
Mindfields
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So silent in disguise
And every time he looks your way
You see it in his eyes
Like a window to the storm
He just invades your paradise
Don't you buy what he is selling
It's just lies
When he says, these hearts are willing
Story goes, these dreams are free
Only takes a moment
But you must acclimatize
Don't you buy what he is selling
It's just lies
Over your left shoulder I have seen the angry beast
Heard the war horn screaming, as they gather for the feast
Seen a star-crossed angel with the death-card and a shield
We're walking through mindfields
You see an angel and she takes you by the hand
We're walking through mindfields
Her lips are moving like she's praying
We're walking through mindfields
She speaks so softly and you want to understand
What she's saying
There's a stairway leading to the sun
I walk it in my sleep
And a ship of fools above the sky
Who've gotten into deep
With a doorway into nowhere
And the path is way too steep
Don't lose your angry soul
It's yours to keep
Where it ends, it's the beginning
And it stays, right to the end
The reason is unclear my friend
It almost makes me weep
So don't lose your angry soul
It's yours to keep
The song "Mindfields" by Toto talks about the struggle between good and evil, truth and lies, and the power of one's mind. The lyrics suggest that there are forces in the world that try to deceive and manipulate people, but one should not be swayed by their false promises. The "midnight man" represents these forces, and his presence is felt through the storm in his eyes. The lyrics caution against buying into what he is selling, as it's all just lies. The lyrics also speak of an angel who takes the listener by the hand, leading them through "mindfields" and seeking to guide them towards understanding. The singer is also warned to not lose their "angry soul," which suggests that there's something deeper at play. There are references to death, war, and a stairway leading to the sun, further emphasizing the themes of struggle and transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a rumor of a midnight man
There is a notion of a man who appears at night
So silent in disguise
He is very quiet and is hiding his true identity
And every time he looks your way
Whenever he glances at you
You see it in his eyes
You can infer his intentions by looking into his eyes
Like a window to the storm
His eyes are an opening to the turmoil within him
He just invades your paradise
He comes in and disturbs your peaceful surroundings
Don't you buy what he is selling
Do not believe what he tells you
It's just lies
His words are untrue
When he says, these hearts are willing
When he claims that people are eager
Story goes, these dreams are free
The narrative suggests that aspirations have no cost
Only takes a moment
It only requires a short amount of time
But you must acclimatize
However, you need to adapt to the situation
Over your left shoulder I have seen the angry beast
I have observed a ferocious creature behind your left shoulder
Heard the war horn screaming, as they gather for the feast
I have heard the sound of a battle horn, as they prepare for combat
Seen a star-crossed angel with the death-card and a shield
I have witnessed a fated angel holding a card of death and a shield
We're walking through mindfields
We are navigating through hazardous mental terrain
You see an angel and she takes you by the hand
You encounter an angel who guides you
Her lips are moving like she's praying
She is reciting words that sound like a prayer
She speaks so softly and you want to understand
Her gentle voice makes you yearn to comprehend her message
What she's saying
The meaning behind her words
There's a stairway leading to the sun
There exists a staircase to the sun
I walk it in my sleep
I wander up it while asleep
And a ship of fools above the sky
A vessel of foolish individuals exists beyond the heavens
Who've gotten into deep
They have delved into difficult circumstances
With a doorway into nowhere
Featuring an entrance to oblivion
And the path is way too steep
The route is extremely arduous
Don't lose your angry soul
Do not misplace your wrathful spirit
It's yours to keep
It belongs to you alone
Where it ends, it's the beginning
The destination is the start of another quest
And it stays, right to the end
It perseveres until the finish
The reason is unclear my friend
The rationale behind it is uncertain, my comrade
It almost makes me weep
It causes me to almost cry
So don't lose your angry soul
Thus, do not relinquish your fuming spirit
It's yours to keep
It solely belongs to you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Paich, 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.