So how come Toto made it so big?

[André Lindberg]

I mean sure, Toto is a fantastic band with some of the finest songwriters and studio musicians in this world, but this is really not unusual in the westcoast/aor catalog. So, how come Toto made it so big? What is their special ingredient? This may sound a bit negative, but I can assure you that I'm a big Toto fan, who's just curious.

[Grace]

1.000.000 $ question ;-)

I think the whole band were able to deliver the best not only their ability as musicians and composers, been able to breathe the best music and transmit their wealth of experience. I think they have put their whole soul into this project it was a Jeff Porcaro vision for a sound at 360 ° I think this can not be alone in isolated in the west-coast-genre...always ready to make the right choice when they needed to change the members of the band...and TOTO are sometimes really loved or hated...but no one good musician could speak badly about that GREAT BAND ....
hugs from Italy

[GretschGal1]

Andre': First of all, can I ask which country you're from???

I promise you, TOTO was *much* bigger in Europe and in Japan than they EVER were here in their home country (United States).

By the time they'd swept the Grammy awards in 1983, they'd already been on the biggest-selling album of all time ("Thriller"), and played on countless others.
Each of the guys were successful OUTSIDE the band. I know Jeff had at least 700 credits to his own catalogue by the time he left us. That number would be mind-numbing were he still with us.

I think that it was several things that made them successful:

1. Paich and Porcaro inked the deal. THOSE two; they told Sony, "We know who we want in the band."
And they went out and grabbed Luke, Steve Porcaro (who had been with "Rural still Life" at Grant H.S.).
They'd known each other since gradeschool. That's the first thing.

2. DETERMINATION
Somewhere I read, that Jeff and Paich had just paid back a bank loan. Jeff and Paich put their homes up as collateral in case the loan wasn't paid back. YIKES. The band goes to Europe to play---using the money from that loan to play over there. They come home, FINALLY PAID THE BANK BACK.....
I heard Jeff in an interview, "It costs $10,000 a day to be in a band...."
Those guys took SERIOUS risk to get TOTO off the ground and that determination carried 'em for a while.

3. Ya gotta love what you do.
According to Joe Porcaro at insidemusicast.com:

"Jeff came to me and said, I'm gonna go....I'm goin'..." I told him "no you're not, you gotta finish school; I didn't-you gotta set the standard...you gotta finish high school." But he said, "Dad, this is was I wanna do for my livelihood...."

According to JOE, Jeffrey was making $50 here...$25 there...for doing tunes at a studio on the way home from school some days....already playing gigs in high school. I guess ifyou want to DO something you'll make it work.

Their studio reputations went before them---all MONSTERS. They get together in one place? The talent's off the charts.
People are gonna end up diggin' it.

THAT is what made Toto the success they were.

[Grace]

well done

[GretschGal1]

I asked Scott to attempt to "Date" this photo.

That's a "late-model Lynn" (drum machine created by Roger Lynn) over Jeff's shoulder.
Scott ball-parked the date at 1989-1991.

I'd love to know what session this was for....guess I can't ask, huh?
RATS!

[bob michalson]

GretschGal1 said:

I asked Scott to attempt to "Date" this photo.

That's a "late-model Lynn" (drum machine created by Roger Lynn) over Jeff's shoulder.
Scott ball-parked the date at 1989-1991.

I'd love to know what session this was for....guess I can't ask, huh?
RATS!

[bob michalson]

I think this pic is of jeff with the Late model Lynn" during the making of Los Lobotomys session in 1989 at the L.A. Complex. Jeff actually used this machine on some of the songs in Los Lobotomys, (1989) When he and Mikey and Luke and Paich first heard it, Jeff replied.. "Oh my God, We gotta destroy this" or it will be the end of Drumming as we know it. ha ha.
 
GretschGal1 said:

I asked Scott to attempt to "Date" this photo.

That's a "late-model Lynn" (drum machine created by Roger Lynn) over Jeff's shoulder.
Scott ball-parked the date at 1989-1991.

I'd love to know what session this was for....guess I can't ask, huh?
RATS!