The Band Toto
The band Toto has been around for almost 40 years. In the summer of 2010, they reformed and went on a short European tour. The band was named after the dog from The Wizard of Oz, Toto. Toto’s name comes from the Latin phrase “in toto,” which means “all”. Jeff Porcaro, the group’s lead vocalist, had first written the songs for Toto on demo tapes.
The group was initially known as a progressive rock band, but in the following years, the group expanded its sound and branched out into various genres. The band released several albums over the next few years, and a few of them are still in use today. Their first album, Toto (1979), was an unqualified success, but the following two albums were less successful. The band’s members had to reinvent themselves. Toto became a band known for their heavy guitars and a unique style.
The band contacted Phillips after discovering that he had worked with Santana and Jeff Beck. Lukather had previously worked with Phillips on a tour with Santana and Jeff Beck. The singer also recorded a few tracks with Toto, but eventually replaced him with another member of the band: Joseph Williams. The two remained in contact and remained in touch. Toto contacted Phillips because he was a longtime friend of the musician’s father.
Toto’s success led to many collaborations. The band played with Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Larry Carlton, and James Newton-Howard. They worked with Earth, Wind & Fire, Boz Scaggs, and Yoso. They played with Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather on the Michael Jackson hit “Beat It.” A song by Toto also featured Sonny & Cher.
The band released an album in 1994 called Fahrenheit. It was a tribute to Toto’s musical influences and went gold on October 3, 1994. Toto decided to keep the five-member lineup and began a world tour with their five-member lineup. The band announced a North American tour in November 2014, and a European tour in early 2014. Toto’s newest album, Through the Looking Glass, was released in 2002 and featured a cover by Steely Dan.
In 2008, Toto split up. Hungate rejoined the band, and Bobby Kimball joined the group. After the breakup, Hungate’s death, David Paich, and Steve Porcaro all left the group. However, the band reformed in 2000 and toured in the United States until 2003. Toto has been a part of the music industry for over forty years. A few of its members have been active in the music industry for decades.
In early 1979, Toto’s debut album “Hold the Line” earned the band widespread popularity, and the band’s second album, Return to Oz, is also a hit. Both albums were a major success and earned the band a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The group’s first two albums both featured the number one single “Africa”. A few years later, the band added the song “Hash Pipe” to its setlist after a successful European tour.