Toto

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Toto

In 1976, Jeff Porcaro and David Paich, who played together in high school bands and are already acclaimed studio musicians and currently working with Boz Scaggs, decide to start a new band. Joining them are Steve Lukather and Jeff´s younger brother Steve Porcaro (who have been playing together in a band called Still Life), singer Bobby Kimball from the LA. and bassist David Hungate. Jeff suggests the name "Toto" after having watched The Wizard of Oz on TV, which is a name that´s easy to pronounce and to remember.
Coincidentally, "Toto" in Latin means "all encompassing", so it’s an accurate name for a band who wants to do all kinds of musical styles.

In September 1977, their first album is released with the debut single "Hold The Line". With two more hit singles, "I´ll Supply The Love" and "Georgy Porgy".
In 1979, Toto releases their second album Hydra. It features one of their biggest hits, "99".
The 1981 album, Turn Back, produces no hit singles, but 1982 marks the biggest year in Toto’s career. The album Toto IV goes platinum and the hit singles from this album, especially "Africa" and "Rosanna", become classics and make Toto a household name around the world. Before the Toto IV tours begin, David Hungate leaves the band and is replaced by the third Porcaro brother, Mike.
In 1983, while their 4th album is still selling millions all over the world, Toto is the big winner at the Grammy Awards. They receive 6 golden gramophones for Album Of The Year - Toto IV, Record Of The Year Rosanna, Producer Of The Year - Toto, Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals - Rosanna, Best Vocal Arrangement - Rosanna and Best Engineered Recording - Toto IV. Steve Lukather also wins a Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Song.
After Toto’s big world tour, Bobby Kimball leaves and is replaced by Fergie Frederiksen from the band Le Roux. Isolation is released in early 1984 and features two hit singles, "Stranger In Town" and "Holyanna". This album becomes a favorite among the fans.
After yet another change of lead singer, Toto releases their 6th album “Fahrenheit” in 1986, with the voice of Joseph Williams. The big hit single from that album, "I´ll Be Over You", is sung by Steve Lukather.
In 1987, Steve Porcaro leaves the band to work with other projects, but continues working with Toto on their next album, “The Seventh One”. The next albums gets two hit singles in Europe, "Pamela" and "Stop Loving You". After the release of the album in 1988, Joseph Williams leaves the band.
Steve Lukather releases his first solo album simply called Lukather in 1989. During the time Luke and Jeff releases a album together.
Toto gets together again in 1990 and Bobby Kimball becomes the lead singer for the second time. Their are a lot of members that changes gropes and a lot of disputes between band members and who’s going to be the lead singer.
After the departure of Byron in 1991, Steve Lukather takes over the role of lead singer. Toto starts writing songs for their next album and performs some of them at different summer festivals in Europé.
On 5 August 1992, only a short time before the release of the new album Kingdom of Desire, Jeff Porcaro dies of a heart attack after an allergic reaction working in his garden. His family, band, friends, fans and the whole music world mourns the death of him.
The time goes by and Toto is still doing more albums and more hit songs. I think Toto is going to survive and live on because there are so many fans who loves and adore them, and I’m one of them.

Toto has got a lot of members which have been exchanged because of different things. But a person who was within from the beginning and still is, David Paich.
He was born June 25th 1954 in Los Angeles. When he was a little child he started playing piano and that was the beginning of his musical-carrier. When he went to High School he was within the grope Rural Still Life together with, among others, the future Toto-members Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Steve Lukather and David Hungate. After high school he started working as a session musician. He also composed and arranged music by himself and together with his father. David Paich co-wrote and arranged music for Boz Scaggs´ platinum-selling album "Silk Degrees" in 1976. During the work in the studio he agreed with Jeff Porcaro to form Toto. David Paich is a musical genius and a great composer and arranger. He has written most of the songs on Toto’s albums and is the maestro of the band. He has arranged almost all the orchestral parts in the songs by himself, or together with others.

Steve Lukather is also one of the few who has been within the band all the time. He was born October 21th 1957 in San Fernando Valley, California. During high school at Grant High School he also played in the band Rural Still Life. After the graduation he started working as a session musician and played with among others Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper. He joined Toto from the start in 1977 and during the last several years he has taken over the role as the band leader.

Robert "Bobby" Kimball was born March 29th 1947 in Vinton, Lousiana. He started playing the piano when he was four years old. In the early seventies he moved to Los Angeles. In the middle of the seventies he did a session where David Paich and Jeff Porcaro where present. When Toto was about to be formed they both remembered Bobby Kimball and contacted him and asked him to join the band. Bobby Kimball was lead singer on Toto’s first four albums, but in 1984 he was asked to leave the band. The reason why he was asked to leave the band is unclear, but he did anyway leave the band. After he had left Toto he met the producer Frank Farian and joined the band Far Corporation including studio musicians, many of them from Scandinavia. Bobby Kimball was the lead singer on the first album "Division One" (1985). Also David Paich, Steve Lukather and Simon Phillips played on the album. In 1989 the band’s second album was released. He has also sung on albums by Fee Waybill and Richard Marx. After Bobby Kimball left Toto he often performed Toto hits when he toured solo. In 1994 his first solo album "Rise Up" was released. In 1998 he joined Toto for the small promotion tour in Europe for the album "Toto XX". After the tour he went into the studio for the recording of Toto’s album "Mindfields" and made a come-back as lead vocalist in the band.

A little bit about the songs and what they really are about:
Africa
The song Africa is mostly a love song and I can’t exactly found out the announcement, but I think it’s also about how two people fits together quit well in the beginning but in the end split up, for a reason that was known from the start.

Rosanna
Is definitely my...