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
Without Your Love
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since you've gone away
I think I know why you left this time,
But it's still hard to say
I nearly lost it, when he came around you
Now I'm holdin' it all inside and it's killin' me
We used to meet at an old cafe in Chi-Town
Then my heart would pound
I remember everything you used to do, girl
Now I'm learning something that you already knew
[Chorus]
It's not the same without your love
Every night and every day, girl
It's not the same without your love
You don't have to be afraid
It's not the same without your love
Every night and every day, girl
It's not the same without your love
I see you through the door, with your motor runnin'
I can still hear the sound
I knew then, when you asked him in, you let your guard down
You're talking soft, don't tell me,
I know you're sincere
I just called to tell you I'm the only one here
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Toto's "Without Your Love" tell the story of a lost love and the pain and loneliness that the singer feels after their partner leaves. The verses are full of regret and self-doubt as the singer tries to come to terms with why their relationship ended. The first verse is particularly introspective, as the singer admits that they think they know why their partner left, but they are still having a hard time saying it out loud. This shows that the pain of the breakup is still too raw, and the singer is struggling to accept the reality of the situation.
The second verse is more nostalgic, as the singer reminisces about the times they used to spend with their partner at an old cafe in Chicago. They paint a picture of two people deeply in love, and the way their heart would pound when their partner was near. But now, looking back, the singer realizes that there were things their partner knew that they didn't, and this knowledge may have played a role in the breakup.
The chorus is a refrain that repeats the same sentiment over and over: "It's not the same without your love." This is a poignant way of expressing the depth of the singer's pain and loss. The final verse is the most dramatic, as the singer sees their partner leaving with another man, but still calls them to tell them that they are the only one who truly cares. This shows that even though their relationship has ended, the singer still has strong feelings for their partner and wants them to know that they are loved.
Line by Line Meaning
It's late at night, nothin's feelin' right
It is currently late at night, and everything in my life does not feel right.
Since you've gone away
Ever since you left me, things have not been the same.
I think I know why you left this time,
I believe that I understand the reason that you left me this time.
But it's still hard to say
However, it is still difficult for me to admit the real reason why you left me.
I nearly lost it, when he came around you
I almost lost my composure when I saw him with you.
Now I'm holdin' it all inside and it's killin' me
Now I am keeping all of my emotions inside, and it is causing me great pain.
We used to meet at an old cafe in Chi-Town
The two of us used to meet at an old cafe in Chicago.
At first you could hear the wind stop,
When we first met, the world around us seemed to come to a halt.
Then my heart would pound
This caused my heart to beat faster.
I remember everything you used to do, girl
I have vivid memories of all the little things you used to do.
Now I'm learning something that you already knew
However, now I am realizing something that you were already aware of.
It's not the same without your love
My life does not feel the same when I do not have your love.
Every night and every day, girl
This feeling persists both during the day and at night.
You don't have to be afraid
You do not need to fear my reaction to what you have to say.
I see you through the door, with your motor runnin'
I can see you through a door, and your car is running outside.
I can still hear the sound
I can still hear the sound of your car's engine running.
I knew then, when you asked him in, you let your guard down
At that moment, I realized that you had let your guard down by inviting him in.
You're talking soft, don't tell me,
You are speaking softly to him, but do not hide anything from me.
I know you're sincere
I can tell that you are being genuine in your words.
I just called to tell you I'm the only one here
I called you to let you know that I am still alone, and I miss having you with me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Paich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Glans Von Schwanson
Unquestionably one of the best bands in history.
Danny H
You might be right, so much talent here! A muscians band!
Charles Bobo
Toto is by far the most versatile band ever... from hard rock to pop to soul to a bit of R&B.
Nathaniel Masau
Earth, Wind and Fire.
MrElgordojorge
@Nathaniel Masau EWF doesn't have as many rock songs as Toto does
César Ángelo Silva Céspedes
And Queen.
Marshall Lancaster
The range is unbelievable and sustained.
Spos Kanal
Toto are up there, but The Beach Boys are arguably way more versatile. From Surf to Baroque to Lo-Fi and R&B to Progressive Pop to Soul, Yacht and Prog Rock to Synth Pop to New Wave. Not to mention the occasional Blues Rock, Hard Rock, Gospel, Country or Barbershop.
Daniel Fuentes Zaid
Sin dudas la mejor banda musical que he escuchado...con una gran calidad en su música y en sus magníficos vocalistas que ha tenido durante toda su trayectoria...mis respetos y admiración para TOTO.
Erin Collier
This man is without a doubt the most talented man. The harmony between these men are incredible. The love this song play it all the time. Pure candy to my ears!