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
Only the Children
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No understanding or reason, just fear and confusion instead
We need hope for the future, and the young need a chance to survive
No one knows the pain that's felt by the innocent, they're
Fighting to stay alive, can no one see the tears in their eyes
[Chorus:]
Only the children, only the children cry, only the children
Why do those who have plenty ignore those with nothing at all
Why must the ones just beginning, stand with their backs to the wall
They keep asking for answers and we keep on telling them lies
They only want to understand what they feel inside
The hunger that tears them apart
It's the one thing they've known from the start
Toto's song "Only the Children" captures the pain, confusion, and desperation felt by the innocent children who are fighting to stay alive in a world that's torn apart by conflicts, hunger, and poverty. Despite the fact that words fail us and we can't easily express how we feel, we continue to hurt each other, driven by fear and confusion. The song begins by acknowledging the difficulties in communicating our feelings and how we often resort to hurting each other instead of seeking common ground.
The song then shifts towards addressing the plight of children who are affected the most by the chaos around them. The children are the only ones who cry, emphasizing their vulnerability and helplessness in the face of the world's problems. The confusion and fear that adults feel is magnified many times over for the kids who are still trying to understand the world around them. They're fighting to stay alive, and yet nobody seems to understand the pain that they're going through.
The chorus of the song is poignant and heartbreaking, and it brings home the message of the song - only the children cry. This line is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the fragility of childhood and how it's the innocence of children that makes them the most vulnerable. The song ends with a plea for understanding and empathy, acknowledging that the hunger and poverty that these children face are the only things they've known since the start.
Overall, Toto's "Only the Children" is a powerful and emotional song that highlights the struggles of children in tumultuous times. It acknowledges the complexities of communication and how words often fail us, but it's through our actions that we can bring change and hope to the world's most vulnerable.
Line by Line Meaning
We keep hurting each other when words can't be easily said
We often harm each other when we are unable to express our thoughts and feelings clearly.
No understanding or reason, just fear and confusion instead
Rather than comprehending and behaving with rationale, we let fear and misunderstanding control us.
We need hope for the future, and the young need a chance to survive
It is crucial for us to envision a promising tomorrow, where the younger generation can thrive and survive.
No one knows the pain that's felt by the innocent, they're Fighting to stay alive, can no one see the tears in their eyes
The innocent are subjected to immense suffering and are struggling to live, but no one appears to realize their agony.
Only the children, only the children cry, only the children
Amid all the suffering, it's only the children that we see crying, expressing the pain that we often fail to recognize.
Why do those who have plenty ignore those with nothing at all
Why do individuals with abundance overlook those who have nothing?
Why must the ones just beginning, stand with their backs to the wall
Why should beginners be pushed up against the wall and have no other options?
They keep asking for answers and we keep on telling them lies
They ask questions, and we feed them answers that are not entirely truthful.
They only want to understand what they feel inside, the hunger that tears them apart
All they want is to comprehend the emotions that devour them from the inside and cause them to feel empty inside.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSEPH STANLEY WILLIAMS, DAVID PAICH, STEVEN LEE 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.