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
Stranger in Town
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the middle of a dream
Woke up in a pool of sweat
Thought I heard a scream
Ran over to the window sill
Stuck my head out for a peek
Dressed in black was a man I didn't recognise
Running down my back street
[Chorus x2]
You better watch out, there's a stranger in town
You better watch out when he comes around
Don't make a sound
The morning paper and the head-lines read:Danger to the queen
Buckingham Palace better tighten things up
The son of a bitch is mean.
Vendors on the corner just doin' their job
Acting like nothing's new
Scotland Yard's still looking for him
But he doesn't leave
A single clue
[Chorus x2]
You better watch out
Who's this man who fell out of the sky?
What's he done and where's he live?
How can a man who's a criminal be a hero to the kids?
The old couple swear that the Riper's back
They say it's him all right.
The young girl says it's Jesus and he won't be back again
Tonight
I wonder who's right ?
[Chorus]
You better watch out
The song "Stranger in Town" by Toto talks about an uninvited and unknown person who has arrived into the vicinity, creating fear and terror among the people. The track starts with a nightmare sequence where the singer wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing a scream, only to see a stranger dressed in black running down the street. The chorus is a warning to others that there is a stranger in town, and it advises everyone to remain quiet and watch out for their safety. The second verse mentions a newspaper report claiming that the stranger is dangerous and wanted for his criminal activities, and even the Buckingham Palace has been asked to take precautions. However, the stranger is still out there, and there is no clue about his next move as he continues to roam around the place.
The final verse raises certain questions: who is this stranger, where did he come from, what did he do to be a hero to the kids despite being a criminal, and why are people divided in their opinions about him? These lines reflect upon the different perceptions and opinions of people in a society based on their experiences and knowledge of an individual. The overall tone of the song is tense, urging the listeners to be careful, but it also highlights how people can have different notions of good and evil.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember it was late one night
This is a flashback to the night the singer had the experience detailed in the next few lines.
In the middle of a dream
The singer is describing how he experienced this strange disturbance
Woke up in a pool of sweat
The singer became frightened or anxious and subsequently began sweating profusely.
Thought I heard a scream
The artist thinks he heard someone scream, contributing to his growing sense of unease.
Ran over to the window sill
The artist goes to the window to try to get a better understanding of what is happening.
Stuck my head out for a peek
The singer looks outside to see if he can spot what is causing the noise or his fear.
Dressed in black was a man I didn't recognise
The singer sees a stranger dressed in black near his home and, having never seen him before, he grows concerned.
Running down my back street
The stranger is running away and happens to be in the street adjacent to the artist's residence.
My heart skipped a beat
The artist's heart rate elevated in reaction to his fear.
You better watch out, there's a stranger in town
This is a warning to anyone that may find themselves in the same situation as the artist; a strange danger has arrived in town.
You better watch out when he comes around
The singer is again warning others to be vigilant about the stranger in town.
Don't make a sound
The artist is cautioning people to remain quiet to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
The morning paper and the head-lines read:
The singer is referencing an article likely published in the newspaper.
Danger to the queen
The article discusses some type of danger posed to the queen.
Buckingham Palace better tighten things up
The author of the article is suggesting that the palace needs to increase security measures.
The son of a bitch is mean.
The person responsible for the danger to the queen is described as nefarious.
Vendors on the corner just doin' their job
The people present in the city seem ignorant of the danger.
Acting like nothing's new
No one seems alarmed or suspicious of the stranger in town or the danger to the queen.
Scotland Yard's still looking for him
Scotland Yard is continuing to search for the person responsible for the danger to the queen.
But he doesn't leave a single clue
Despite the investigation, no clues have been discovered about the identity of the dangerous individual.
Who's this man who fell out of the sky?
The artist is questioning who this stranger is and how he came to be in town.
What's he done and where's he live?
The artist is curious about how the stranger's presence and actions relate to the danger to the queen.
How can a man who's a criminal be a hero to the kids?
Despite being a criminal and danger to the queen, it is suggested that some people still view the stranger as a hero of sorts.
The old couple swear that the Ripper's back
The Ripper, a serial killer, is mentioned, implying that someone dangerous has once again surfaced in town.
They say it's him all right.
The old couple believes that the danger in town is indeed the Ripper.
The young girl says it's Jesus and he won't be back again tonight
The young girl offers a different view, positing that the stranger may be a religious figure and that his presence is only temporary.
I wonder who's right ?
The singer is unsure who to believe or who is correct about the identity and behavior of the danger in town.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID PAICH, JEFF PORCARO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@javiercassianobustamante4705
STRANGER IN TOWN
(Oh, oh, oh, )
I remember it was late one night
In the middle of a dream
Woke up in a pool of sweat
Thought I heard a scream
Ran over to the window sill
Stuck my head out for a peek
Dressed in black was a man I didn't recognise
Running down my back street
My heart skipped a beat
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out when he comes around)
(Don't make a sound)
(Oh, oh, oh...)
The morning paper and the head-lines read:Danger to the queen
Buckingham Palace better tighten things up
The son of a bitch is mean.
Vendors on the corner just doin' their job
Acting like nothing's new
Scotland Yard's still looking for him
But he doesn't leave
A single clue
(What can they do?)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out when he comes around)
(Don't make a sound)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out when he comes around)
(Don't make a sound)
[x5]
(Oh, oh, oh...)
Who's this man who fell out of the sky?
What's he done and where's he live?
How can a man who's a criminal be a hero to the kids?
The old couple swear that the Riper's back
They say it's him all right.
The young girl says it's Jesus and he won't be back again
Tonight
I wonder who's right ?
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town) (You better watch out)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town)
(You better watch out when he comes around)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town) (You better watch out)
(You better watch out, there's a stranger in town) (You better watch out)
(You better watch out when he comes around)
(Don't make a sound)
(Oh, oh, oh...)
0:01 ●━━━━━━━━━━━ 5:45
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Replays, Only Cost a Like.
@thedarkdeath5094
Toto should be a music genre
@foxspurplelolli4318
AGREED!!!!!!
When these great session players came,they came to work.....
@alvarocontreras5040
Totally correct
@twebasenoi
I'm totally convinced that Toto have never made a bad song
@tinog100
True
@leonidasv2716
I can't argue that!
@wch3417
Till mid 90's
@nickavenoso7851
I agree with you totally. There’s no Toto song that I hate.
@WrathofArminius
Yeah… pretty much. They are very talented.
@luana3429
This is the BEST song by Toto!! The LEGEND Brad Dourif is another reason why I love this song and this video!! Even though I can't stop thinking about Chucky/ Charles Lee Ray!!