Lead guitarist and founding member of Toto, Steve Lukather, came up with the concept for the triple act combo back in 1977. Since both are traveling members of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, he is acquainted with Colin Hay, the lead singer of Men at Work. In the early 1980s, Lukather collaborated with Cross on a number of tracks.
In a vivacious interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from his Los Angeles home, Lukather declared, “We’re all old friends.” Let’s go enjoy ourselves!
The source is Ryan Fleisher.
The source is Ryan Fleisher.
In contrast to Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Hall & Oates’ Dalel Hall, Lukather does not discount yacht rock’s ascent or Toto’s status as a fictitious subgenre that was created decades after the music’s initial popularity.
“Call it whatever you want,” Lukather stated, “as long as people enjoy the music.” It has been referred to as soft rock. West Coast is something I enjoy, but no one uses.
Nicholas Niespodziani, the main singer of the well-known Yacht Rock Revue in Atlanta for 17 years, is amazed by Toto’s comeback.
According to Niespodziani, “I don’t know of any artist who has been more reassessed than Toto.” They are viewed much differently now than they were fifteen or twenty years ago. When they came out, people criticized them. Despite winning Grammys and selling millions of CDs, they were ridiculed by everyone for a long time.
On Spotify alone, Toto now attracts 27.8 million unique listeners each month. Rock band counterparts Journey (26.2 million), Foreigner (18.7 million), Def Leppard (9.2 million), and Styx (5 million) have lower numbers than that.
According to Lukather, we overcame the doubters who declared it couldn’t be accomplished. We simply persevered long enough. We are a fading breed of men from a time when musicians put in a lot of effort and actually played their instruments.
A session musician on hundreds of recordings, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Lukather claimed to have taken over Toto’s management in 2016 because he was dissatisfied with the way previous managers were managing the group.
He remarked, “I was able to clean things up after getting burned and lied to.”
He claimed, for example, that he and Sony have a licensing agreement that pays the band nicely for streaming. “We got a good deal paying really good bread because I got in relatively early,” he added, refusing to elaborate.
Source: www.robbsphotos.com/Robb D. Cohen
Source: www.robbsphotos.com/Robb D. Cohen
Hold the Line, Pamela, Rosanna, and Africa—their most popular song on Spotify—are among the few tracks that Toto will play nonstop on Tuesday. David Paich, the keyboardist and original member of Toto, wrote the evocatively catchy song, which references Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti despite never having visited Africa.
Over the years, the song has remained a staple of every radio station playing 80s music, never entirely fading from the mainstream culture zeitgeist. With the band Weezer stoking the flames with their 2018 cover of Africa, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard alternative rock chart, younger generations discovered the song on social media.
Lukather stated, “We are happy to play it, but I always thought it was our most oddball song.”
The song is a mainstay on Yacht Rock Revue’s set list, according to Niespodziani of the band, which is now playing at Synovus Bank Amphitheater in Chastain Park.
“I don’t think we’ve played in Africa at almost any of our concerts,” he remarked. It’s actually one of the songs you have to perform.
Seeing more than just gray-haired Gen Xers and Boomers in the audience makes Lukather very happy.
According to him, they are entering the catalog in addition to knowing the hits. Both streaming and physical albums demonstrate it.
He dyed his hair for over 30 years, but at age 67, he gave in to the passing of time and quit.
A few years ago, I asked my oldest son to warn me to stop if I started to look like that old man with jet black hair. He said that he would. “Stop,” he said. At least I still have my entire head of hair, even though it’s now white!
Thanks to AP
Thanks to AP
IF YOU GO
Men at Work and Toto with Christopher Cross
Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. $44.50 and beyond. Alpharetta’s Ameris Bank Amphitheatre is located at 2200 Encore Parkway.Ticketmaster.com
