Looks like Toto is back..again..with a new lineup

[zxcvbnm098]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/toto-announces-new-lineup-global-livestream-event/

[EscapeRocks]

Cool. Steve and Xavier will be a great fit. Both excellent keys players

[Al Coda]

Cool. Steve and Xavier will be a great fit. Both excellent keys players

 

I doubt it´s all cool and wonder why "they" (just only Luke and Joe W.) need a complete new lineup.

At least Shem von Schroek was a win for the band after Leland Sklar was gone.

There must be more going ´round in background than published.

 

 

A.C.

[Baldwin Funster]

Steve Porcaro has retired from touring. The original singer guy has a rift with Luke. Who's left?

[Mark Schmieder]

I don't know; I read that page and it all sounds perfectly normal to me. I don't sense any animosity. The others had frequently stated their desire to mostly retire, and the pandemic surely has further thinned the ranks of those willing to do it.

[elsongs]

Wow, okay. Glad I got to see them perform in August 2017 at the Greek Theatre in L.A. It was Lukather, Steve Porcaro, David Paich and Joseph Williams. You can't really have Toto without a Porcaro.

[Docbop]

Only two originals I don't think they should bill themselves as Toto especially with no Porcaro's in the band. Why not something along the lines of...Luke and Friends Remembering Toto.

[Reezekeys]

Only two originals I don't think they should bill themselves as Toto especially with no Porcaro's in the band. Why not something along the lines of...Luke and Friends Remembering Toto.

 

It is kinda like "Luke and Friends" if you read between the lines of what the graphic from that link says: "New Toto", "Dogz Of Oz" playing "Hits, Deep cuts, solo stuff and more." So why call it Toto? My .02 is that it's a business decision. Having "Toto" in the name will probably get promoters more excited about booking them â and move them into a higher tier of gigs. If the promoters feel like they can't sell this then the gigs won't happen - so I guess we'll soon see how many agree with you!

[Baldwin Funster]

There is alot of bands currently and over the years going back to the 70s that would tour with 1 or less original members. With all the OGs getting old or dying I think its soon the norm.

[zxcvbnm098]

There is alot of bands currently and over the years going back to the 70s that would tour with 1 or less original members. With all the OGs getting old or dying I think its soon the norm.

 

All true.

 

But also remember, we are not the normal concert-goers. We are super-fans. Most people have no idea who's original and who is not, or their names, or any history of the group. Only the songs. And the brand. And my guess the very small "NEW" above the name is a small concession to clear up some of the legal wrangling with Jeff's widow. And while the new guys in the band are monsters for sure, I suspect they ask (and will make) considerably less than someone like Sklar or Simon Philips or Greg Phillinganes. Or maybe this is a new business model that works well for a revised agreement with the estates of former members? All things that I'm sure went into the equation when this was put together.

 

The Beach Boys have a similar dynamic.....Mike Love is part owner of the name, but gives the estates of deceased members and Brian and Al a cut to use the name. And Bruce Johnson, while not an original member, is close to an original member. And exactly no one that sings along to "Fun Fun Fun" or "Kokomo" cares one bit. And there's still a version of the Glenn Miller Orchestra touring pre-COVID. Glenn died 76 years ago.

[UnderGroundGr]

This is no Toto...

They will give another name to this project/band...

[Baldwin Funster]

For some perspective think what it would be like if Paul McCartney started touring as the Beatles with 3 guys not John, George and Ringo.

[nursers]

This is no Toto...

They will give another name to this project/band...

 

I'd guarantee they will tour as Toto - there's too much to lose and nothing to gain by doing otherwise. As already mentioned there's nothing unusual about this, whether it sits well or not.

[marczellm]

On one hand Steve Porcaro talks about the background motivations, and his preference of studio work at a little more detail in this video. He states that TOTO is essentially Luke's band at this point and he does what he wishes with it.

[video:youtube]

 

On the other hand I have to quote Luke from 2008:

 

If there isnt a Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto?

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Good on Sput for making bank playing Rosanna! Any artist, no matter how famous, is lucky to have that guy behind the kit.

 

And yeah, it's pretty clear to me even from what Lukather is saying in this article that they're only maintaining the Toto name for the project because it will sell more tickets. Seems like a higher-publicity way to get out and play their new solo material along with some hits, instead of settling for smaller venues. More like when that band with Chris Squire and Trevor Rabin were convinced to keep calling their new project Yes, or whatever that later version of Black Sabbath was that had Tony Iommi and three or four other schmoes.

 

The Macca-calls-it-the-Beatles comparison is how I often feel about bands (including solo artists like Elton John and Billy Joel who had Classic Support Bands that get chiseled away over the years, robbing the artist of a signature sound), but the Fabs are the exception to the rule, where the four members were equal icons and celebrities in the eyes of the public, and that lineup was maintained for the entire recording career. It's not like George left after Rubber Soul and they made albums with Pete Best, Ringo, and Alan White as the drummers. Same four-person lineup for the band's entire recording career. It's more like if Macca went out solo and called it Wings... which is sort of what that band was, no disrespect intended to Denny Laine.

[KuruPrionz]

I saw Toto maybe 4 years ago, Leland Sklar was on bass - which was a treat.

I remember 4 things.

Mr. Sklar was flawless on bass, perfect for what he did and perfect for what he didn't do - a consummate player.

They played long versions of Rosanna and Africa that sounded great despite considerable meandering about in the middles to extend the length.

Everything else was pretty forgettable, except.

Luke took a long-winded, self-indulgent guitar solo that truly went nowhere musically, sort of an advanced lesson for all the Guitar Center Wanker Boys Club members in the audience.

 

Meh...

[Adan]

As someone else said, we look at this as musicians who pay studious attention to other musicians. Toto arguably stands at the pinnacle in pop music history for their ability to combine radio play success untethered to personalities. Beyond mumbling "Porcaro" while wondering whether they are really referring to the band Poco, or confusing Lukather with Luther Vandross, the majority of Toto sing-a-longers probably couldn't name anyone in the band, and certainly didn't care.

 

In that sense, Toto is more like a sports franchise than a band. We call today's national league champs "the Dodgers" even though the team has no players in common the team playing under that name that last won a world series.

[Tonysounds]

YES is proof that 2 members is plenty. (There are NO original Yes members in the band anymore after Chris died. Steve was their 2nd guitarist.)

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

... or whatever that later version of Black Sabbath was that had Tony Iommi and three or four other schmoes.

 

 

I always sort-of wished I'd seen the 1980 version of Deep Purple featuring original singer Rod Evans, and four other guys no one had ever heard of. Supposedly they did reasonably-good versions of the old Rod Evans-era songs, but then they had to go "back to the future" and do a bunch of Gillan and Coverdale stuff too... That had to be a hoot.

[timwat]

If there isnt a Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto?

 

Hello, Mr. Lukather. This is a courtesy reminder that your mortgage loan has a term of 30 years. Thank you for being a customer of Bank of America.

[zxcvbnm098]

If there isnt a Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto?

 

Hello, Mr. Lukather. This is a courtesy reminder that your mortgage loan has a term of 30 years. Thank you for being a customer of Bank of America.

 

Ha! Not to mention possible ex-wives and /or adult or college-aged children to provide for......

[marczellm]

Fortunately Bank of America is bank-rolled by the Bank of Africa in this case.

[Reezekeys]

YES is proof that 2 members is plenty. (There are NO original Yes members in the band anymore after Chris died. Steve was their 2nd guitarist.)

 

Here's another band with two originals - signed, an UN-original (and happy to be!). BTW my mortgage is with Chase. And I have a daughter in college. I'm glad our audiences don't have the same opinions of our "worthiness" as some here have about Toto!

 

All moot of course since right now gigs = 0. Hopefully next year.

 

[Adan]

YES is proof that 2 members is plenty. (There are NO original Yes members in the band anymore after Chris died. Steve was their 2nd guitarist.)

 

Here's another band with two originals - signed, an UN-original (and happy to be!). BTW my mortgage is with Chase. And I have a daughter in college. I'm glad our audiences don't have the same opinions of our "worthiness" as some here have about Toto!

 

All moot of course since right now gigs = 0. Hopefully next year.

]

 

Curious whether you think AWB could keep going without Alan? I'd say without Alan, it's just a cover band. I hope he lives on in good health forever so we never have to find out.

 

Toto is different. . There is no essential piece, no keystone personality or talent. I like their music, but the difference between the trademarked "Toto" band and a really good cover band will be largely academic to the average listener (even if it's not academic to musicians in the audience).

 

This has been debated here before ad nauseum. Bottom line . . . we all have more important things to be thinking about!

[stoken6]

As someone who saw AWB with Rob a few years ago, I confirm that there was nothing half-hearted or "tribute-ish" about the gig. It was simply a bunch of highly talented musicians putting a great show, with killer songs in a nice venue. 100% live, 0% tracks, 100% brilliant.

 

Dire Straits is another example of a band that ended up with only two original members (Knopfler, M., and Illsley). Money For Nothing is not a lesser Dire Straits album than their debut.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Baldwin Funster]

I go see band because I want to see certain individuals. Not to hear well played versions of songs. I dont really want to hear smoke on the water. But I would go see blackmore play it. Hold the line without the original vocal sound? Not hugely appealing. Even when luke sings it, which is admittedly not bad.

[zxcvbnm098]

As someone who saw AWB with Rob a few years ago, I confirm that there was nothing half-hearted or "tribute-ish" about the gig. It was simply a bunch of highly talented musicians putting a great show, with killer songs in a nice venue. 100% live, 0% tracks, 100% brilliant.

 

Dire Straits is another example of a band that ended up with only two original members (Knopfler, M., and Illsley). Money For Nothing is not a lesser Dire Straits album than their debut.

 

Cheers, Mike.

 

Meaning no disrespect to Alan or Rob (and I am very familiar with how great AWB is now, and band history), they absolutely could continue without Alan in my opinion with respect to live performances. The name (and the songs) is the brand, period, when it comes to touring. And promoters are getting less and less squeamish about booking bands with even no original members as long as the name is sanctioned by estates or living members - Foreigner and The Ventures being great examples. And yes, one could argue that it's a cover band at that point, but apparently not to the people booking the shows and paying the acts.

[synthetic]

They can call it Toto if they want, fans can decide if they want to buy a ticket. People want to get in a room (someday) and listen to that music. No one is left in the original Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart band but people still go to their concerts anyway. David Paich is apparently in poor health and can't tour anymore. I ran into Bobby Kimball at NAMM once and when they got back together he apparently didn't realise he was in Steve's Band. He gave me an intense look and with heavy beer breath said, "No one tells BC what to do!" OK dude good luck with the BC Band playing the Indian casino outside Bakersfield or whatever.

 

There was a Sting documentary in the 80s, about the original solo lineup, "Bring On The Night." Miles Copeland was the band manager, and he was getting some pushback from the band that they were getting paid so much less than Sting. He said something like, "if we announce you're not going to make the concert, how many people are going to ask for a refund? 6, 7 people. If we announce that Sting isn't going to make it, how many people will ask for a refund? Every single one of them!"

[RABid]

Reminds me of those state fair bands that travel the country, made up of original members from multiple bands.

[KuruPrionz]

YES is proof that 2 members is plenty. (There are NO original Yes members in the band anymore after Chris died. Steve was their 2nd guitarist.)

 

Here's another band with two originals - signed, an UN-original (and happy to be!). BTW my mortgage is with Chase. And I have a daughter in college. I'm glad our audiences don't have the same opinions of our "worthiness" as some here have about Toto!

 

All moot of course since right now gigs = 0. Hopefully next year.

 

 

Hey now, remain calm!!! I saw AWB with Tower of Power at the Fresno Fair one year. Really good show, all the way through. Solid players and good material. A great lineup, different enough keep things interesting and "similar" enough to make sense. Y'all had your groove on and were having a fine old time up there.

 

Maybe Toto had an off night, I dunno. I didn't find the songs inspiring, at that point you've lost me. They were working hard, they can all play their asses off but it just didn't float my boat.

 

Not a blowout, like the time I saw Rory Gallagher take down Fleetwood Mac (Bob Welch version, ugh) AND Deep Purple - who rocked hard and were great but Rory was off the hook.

Not a sucker punch like the time Taj Mahal opened as a solo act for Loggins and Messina and brought down the house with a banjo and foot stomping. Loggins and Messina were great but Taj was an impossible act to follow.

Not even like the time the Divinyls showed up Aerosmith (maybe they shot up too much smack or drank too much or both or something). Both great bands but...

 

 

I'd go see any and all of the above acts (well, maybe not Bob Welch era Fleetwood Mac), again any time, including AWB. Maybe it's not popular to say what one really thinks about things, but it's honest at least.