The voice of Toto is back

There are three stories that made the rounds in the ’80s as to how the band Toto got its name. One is that the members thought it would be cute to name themselves after Dorothy’s Yorkie in the story The Wizard Of Oz. Another is that it is the English version of Bobby Kimball’s real name, Robert Kimball Toteaux. 

And the third is that drummer and founder Jeff Porcaro, maybe also influenced by Kimball, labeled their demo recordings Toto. When the time came for the band to pick out a name before the release of its first album, bassist David Hungate mentioned that toto actually means all-encompassing in Latin. The boys liked that and made Toto the group’s name.

Toto is no more. The band disbanded, got new members, reunited and then disbanded again over a number of years. They are now officially off. But the situation has not in any way changed the attitude of fans regarding their songs. Toto’s hits remain big sellers that still get a lot of airplay to this day. Among these are the rock classics I’ll Be Over You, Rosanna, Africa, Hold The Line, Anna, Georgy Porgy, 99, Lea, I Won’t Hold Back, Stairway To Heaven and Make Believe.  

Kimball left Toto in 1984 to go solo. He returned in 1998, recorded some albums and toured with the band until 2002. That reunion is now officially over but because the songs remain the same, Kimball continues to do solo shows featuring the hits of Toto and his own solo material. That is what he is bringing to the Philippines when he arrives for a series of shows later this month.

Dubbed Toto’s Greatest Hits Tour, Kimball starts the series on June 25 at the Celebration Hall of PAGCOR in Angeles. It will be followed by the Parklane Ballroom in Cebu on June 26; the Tacloban Coliseum, June 28; the Arena of Stars in Genting, Malaysia, July 2; and the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, July 4. Kimball’s front act will be Mucho Macho featuring Sonny Parsons.

This is not a Toto show but the voice that fans will hear is the very same one they have always associated with the band. This is not because they will be getting a sound-a-like. It is because it was Kimball who was actually singing solo in Toto’s biggest hits, including the Grammy Album of the Year winner Toto IV  with the Record of the Year winner Rosanna in 1982. 

 Tickets to the show are now available at TicketWorld and SM Tickets.

 For nostalgia buffs, who must have only recordings of excellent quality and want to collect the hits without breaking their budget, here are new, superbly remastered and digitized compilations from the Audiophile Gold Series of Polyeast Records and EMI Music.

An interesting touch to these albums is that the CD is presented looking like the old 45 RPM record and in shining 24K gold. Great, although I really thought that having liner notes too about the artists and the songs would have been nice. But then, you cannot really have everything.

Prime pick is The Lettermen with almost all the hits from the late ’50s to the early ’70s. Seventh Dawn, I Only Have Eyes For You, The Wonder Of You, A Summer Place, The Way You Look Tonight, Moments To Remember, When I Fall In Love, Graduation Day, Smile, Traces, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Morning Girl, Warm, Symphony For Susan, Secret Love, Can’t Help Falling In Love, If Ever I Would Leave You, Try To Remember, Put Your Head On My Shoulder, Eres Tu and others.

Next is Don McLean, which missed out on Crying but has American Pie, If We Try, Vincent, Birthday Song, And I Love You So, Fool’s Paradise, La La I Love You, Wonderful Baby, Everyday, Since I Don’t Have You, Crossroads and others.

Also available are collections from Stephen Bishop: It Might Be You, On And On, Save It For A Rainy Day and One More Night; David Pomeranz: Trying To Get The Feeling, The Old Songs, If You Walk Away, Born For You, King And Queen Of Hearts and Got To Believe In Magic; and Matt Monroe: Born Free, Yesterday, My Way and The Impossible Dream.