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Toto Interviews - Will MintingToto interviews, Steve Lukather, David Paich, Mike Porcaro, Simon Phillips, Bobby Kimball, Greg Phillinganes, Joseph Williams, Steve Porcaro, David Hungate, El Grupo, Steve Weingart, Joey Heredia, Eric Valentine, Carlitos Puerto, Tom Kelly, William Minting Peter Friestedt interview, LA Project 2Peter Friestedt - L.A. Project 2 interview, November - 2008
JAY GRAYDON & RANDY GOODRUM INTERVIEW, OCT 2008JAY GRAYDON & RANDY GOODRUM INTERVIEW
JaR, Scene 29 - OCTOBER 2008
by Will Minting
Will: JaR – a new supergroup is born! With your combined careers, you've accomplished a phenomenal quantity and diversity of credits on seminal albums over the last four decades. It was an honour to be asked to do this interview for the release of your "Scene 29" CD, thanks guys. Readers will think I'm bound to say this but I really do love this album. I still get sent a lot of CD's and only have time to play a few, and yours exceeded my highest expectations! How did you hook up and when did you decide to write and record together? I realise that you have a lot of mutual friends. Jay: Thanks for the kind words, Will. We met at a songwriters seminar in Arizona somewhere back in the 80's. A few years later, Randy moved to LA and we ended up writing a hit song entitled, "Who's Holding Donna Now". Over the years we kept writing from time to time and to get up to date.
Randy: Greetings from across the Pond, Will. As Jay mentioned, we met at a songwriting seminar in Phoenix, Arizona in 1980. I was living in Nashville at the time, however I was preparing to move to Connecticut, as my early hits were all pop hits: You Needed Me, Bluer Than Blue, It's Sad To Belong, etc. and Nashville wasn't where I needed to be to go to the next level of acceptance. Jay, David Foster, Bill Champlin, and others were on the panel and Jay and David reached out to me, musically, and we struck up instant friendships. Over the years, Jay and I worked on various projects, mainly as co-writers for projects he was producing.
Will: Great! So, with Jay being in Los Angeles and Randy being in Nashville, how did you set about songwriting? Did you sit down together or did you each work at your own studios and send data to each other?
Jay: Randy was making a trip to LA so we got together as to compose. I had an idea for a chorus melody and chord changes for what turned out to be "Your Heartbreak". As in typical Randy fashion, Randy sat down at the keyboard (Yamaha Motif using a Fender type Rhodes sound) and came up with a very cool verse quickly! I think it was the next night of writing when Randy said we should make a record together. That was the beginning of JaR. Randy came back to LA a few more times during the project. Some stuff was written via data sends such as, Call Donovan and maybe Scene 29 as well.
Randy: Jay and I followed the same pattern we've always followed. Ideally gather at his piano in his studio to hammer out the basic shape of the song(s). I almost always do the lyrics for songs we write, although Jay has great concepts, premises, hook phrases, etc. so I'm always tuned into what's flying around the room when we write. We prefer the organic, hands on the keyboard approach as opposed to playing a loop and building a song that way. When we start the programming of the track, scratch vocals, etc. quite often the music demands that we make alterations and major course changes, however Jay and I have very deep musical vocabularies and well as an appreciation for the simple essence, so what we end up with is a true musical middle ground that neither of us can get to without the other.
Will: Right. Your record company's Press Release mentioned that your collaboration might remind listeners of Steely Dan. Of course, Jay infamously performed the Peg solo on Steely Dan's Aja album which other legendary session guitarists hadn't quite managed to nail to Fagen & Becker's exacting standards. Did you set out to achieve this type of sound, or is this the vibe that your collaboration naturally brought about?
Jay: Randy is so flexible as to any style meaning the record could have gone in other musical directions. I was responsible for the Steely type of influence but note it is a very loose reference as we have a different sound. The comparison is based on quality pop with some jazz influence and lyrics that are brilliant. Randy wrote the lyrics! I would like to note something about Steely. The first time I heard a record of theirs, my first thought was these cats write like I do! The bottom line is I was never trying to sound like them, more like we think along the same musical lines.
Randy: People may think that we're paying homage to Steely Dan, however nothing could be further from the truth. This music, JaR, is who we are. I am baffled that there haven't been more groups that, as Mitchell Cohen dubbed it, create an "intelligent pop" end result.
Will: Perhaps many try! You have both amassed an array of Billboard hits as writers, musicians and producers. Which moments of each others careers do you most admire?
Randy: I was floored when I heard some of Jay's work with the Manhattan Transfer. He single handedly changed the discipline with that work. Of course, the constant, pristine quality of his productions with Al Jarreau, George Benson, and others was the bar from whence all music of that genre is judged. When I met him in Phoenix in 1980 I was already completely knowledgeable of his work and a big fan.
Jay: When I first heard Randy sing Bluer than Blue, I told Randy I love that song!!! It holds up like a standard!!! So much great stuff from Randy. The Steve Perry album he produced is fantastic!!!
Will: Absolutely! What are your favourite memories of the recording sessions? Were there any rituals or humorous anecdotes that you'd be prepared to share?
Randy: My favorite moment of the record, the most amusing, that is, was while Jay and I were working on the track, Glen's Hair. Normally I go off somewhere and write the lyrics and email, or bring them to Jay in person. In some cases, as in this particular track, I may need to write additional lyrics on the spot. That was the case with Glen's Hair. We needed a few lines and I wanted something really special. I came up with the line, "are your follicles dead?" Jay nearly feel out of his chair laughing. I'll never forget that.
Jay: There was only one little thing that was recorded when we were together in my studio. All of Randy's stuff was recorded in Nashville and I was never there. The same for me as I recorded my stuff in my studio and Randy was not there except for the following. When we wrote Scene 29 (a song based upon film noir of the 40's and some other stuff), we came up with an idea to hire an impressionist that could do Bogart, James Cagney, Edward G Robinson, and Hitchcock. After legal investigation, we found out using a likeness for someone famous needs licensing. Not practical so since Randy can do many cool voices, Randy did the two voices in the song at the point where the band stops after the guitar solo. We were laughing big time as this came together and this was the only moment we were in the studio at the same time recording!
Will: Many accomplished musicians seize up when the red recording light is switched on. As you are both highly respected for your mastery of recording studios, what is the secret to nailing a take?
Jay: Not seizing up. When the red light comes on, it is time to simply do what we do.
Randy: I always record everything, never do a practice run. Quite often the first take is the best, even after many additional ones. I remember playing keyboards on a Steve Perry record, Street Talk, and nearly every track that was kept was the first take. The thing about early takes is that there is a magic that is transferred to tape when the musician is discovering and communicating with the other instruments for the first time.
Will: What tips would you give to those of us who haven't managed to capture our better musical moments?
Jay: If asking how to capture your best musical moments, record many takes and bounce the best stuff to a master track.
Randy: I agree with Jay. You never know what may happen or where you are on the continuum unless you make many takes. Just don't "walk past the money", as Quincy Jones said once. In other words, don't discount earlier takes, just because they were early ones. Will: Great advice! I gather that between the two of you, you recorded most of the tracks yourselves. What instruments and recording facilities did you use for "Scene 29"?
Jay: The instruments as the same for many of the songs. Note that Randy and I have identical setups for the main sounds as we do things using midi files. Keyboards: Akoustic Piano Bardstown Audio's Bosendorfer . The Rhodes sound is Yamaha Mofif. Drums: Superior drums (Toontrack) was used for 99% of the drum stuff. Bass: Trilogy (Spectrasonics). Guitars. Bossa (Jay Graydon signature) for the solo stuff and some clean sounds. Valley Arts strat for most of the clean stuff. Ibenez George Benson for "Esquire" (Freddy Green style and maybe for a few licks). The guitar amp is not typical. I used the original Vox Tonelab desktop model for all guitar parts.
Will: The guitar sounds are wonderful but the fluid playing helps! More on your solos later. Did you have any difficulty synchronising your recording facilities?
Jay: Randy uses LOGIC as his sequencer and recorder. I use Pro Tools HD3 for my sequencer and recorder and the audio goes through my NEVE. As final audio comes from Randy, I add it in the Pro Tools session as the CD is mixed in my studio.
Randy: Even though we used 2 different programs to sequence and record audio: Jay-Pro Tools, and me; Logic Pro, we still were able to use the same instrument programs, e.g.: Akoustic Piano, and Bardstown Audio's Bosendorfer for Piano, Yamaha Motif for Rhodes, Superior Drums for virtually all drums and percussion, Trilogy for Bass, and a few extra patches and/or additions from my or Jay's personal setup. Jay would record his guitars, vocals, etc. in his studio and I would record my vocals, etc. in mine. I have an ftp site which is what we used to send large audio files back and forth. Also I made numerous trips to LA to program, record, etc. Since midi is the language of programming, it was very simple to work in 2 locations. It helps to have a good, long-standing work relationship in place before you do something like this for obvious reasons.
Will: The production is striking. Not just the arrangements and the tones but also the dynamics you achieved, even without acoustic drums or conventional electric bass. You explained in the CD sleeve liner notes that whilst other albums are over-compressed, you sought to achieve the dynamic range of everyday life.
Jay: As to dynamics, we played real time parts and sequenced parts as to have natural dynamics and did not destroy the dynamics by compressing/limiting the master mix. Note compressors were used in the recording process but individually as to individual instruments so as to add "punch" to the sound and/or slightly "even-out" some of the levels WITHOUT hurting the natural dynamics of the complete sonic picture.
Will: "Jeff Baxter's 'stache down past his chin, he talks the trash and knows the spin, call Donovan". What did Skunk do now? Who's Donovan?
Randy: Jeff Baxter has a particular, unique moustache that many people are familiar with. Artistic license was the reason for using that descriptive phrase. Now, about Donovan: That's the name of the Cyrano de Bergerac-type advisor to the main character of the song. Donovan has the uncanny ability to recommend just the right solutions for the klutzy manoeuvres the singer is going through.
Will: In Esquire, you sang "A hand shake that feels like you're holding a fish…talks for a living with his forked tongued 1-800-SLEEZE". You had a bad experience with a lawyer, Randy?
Randy: This is not about my personal experience, rather someone else's that I work very closely with. I did a little method-acting when writing that lyric.
Jay: Let's say once upon a time I was involved in a hideous drawn out civil suit that was a nightmare. The opposing lawyer acted more like a thug than a lawyer. I baited Randy with details and Randy nailed the lyric!!!
Will: Other than the striking production and the evocative lyrics, the playing is magnificent! The tasteful piano playing, and the fluid and exceptional guitar solos in particular made me smile throughout listening! How do you continue to conceive such brilliant ideas after so many years of making hit records? Randy: Jay and I came up listening to the same kinds of music and both steeped in the philosophy of jazz, in that the greatest fun is in the original spontaneity, especially when it's a conversation amongst a group of players when performing. Jay and I use that same spontaneous philosophy when we work together, in all aspects; writing, playing, singing, recording, etc. The end result is very infectious to the listener.
Jay: Randy stated it perfectly!!! The following may be of interest. During the end of "The Cabo Cad", Randy and I traded solos while in two different states! We decided to play one 8-bar section at a time meaning I played the first 8 bars and then sent the audio file to Randy as to play the next 8 bars. Randy did so and then sent me his audio file and I played the next 8 bars and so on. When listening to the solo trade offs, it is quite obvious we are feeding off each others previous solo phrase often.
Will: Come on, musicians will be listening to your solos, scratching their heads thinking "huh, how did he do THAT?" The solos in "Cure Kit" are classic – to my ears, right up there with Kid Charlemagne, Josie and the classics! But how DID you do it? Hahaha.
Jay: Man, that is a nice compliment as one of my favorite solos is Larry Carlton's Kid Charlemagne solo. Btw, on the Cure Kit guitar solo, there is one line that is impossible to play. A note bends down and then bends down again to another note without an attack. I did this trick like 25 years ago on a Mark Jordan album I produced on the song, Blue Desert (I think). I heard the line in my head and then played the first bent up note then bent down to normal pitch (sustaining way longer than needed). I then punched in the same note but "Bent Up" to the same pitch and punched in. I then bent down that note. I performed this until the punch was seamless. Hey, such are the benefits of recording.
Randy: I purposefully tried to mess with the sound of the Hammond B3 in order to match the attitude of the subject in the lyrics. It begged to be scraped around, like the entrance lick. That was a fun one; as a matter of fact they all were "fun ones".
Will: Do you have any plans to tour in support of "Scene 29"?
Jay: Not at this point but maybe in the future.
Will: Amongst other mutual friends, you've both substantially influenced Toto and in particular Steve Lukather. Jay helped Luke get a foot in the session recording scene back in the mid 1970's, and Randy produced Luke's recent "Ever Changing Times" album. It was great to see Jay at Luke's recent gig in LA, amongst other guests including Steve Vai, Alex Van Halen, and other members of Toto.
Jay: Always great to see the guys! Note Luke played his ass off and the band sounded great!!!
Randy: Bill Schnee introduced me to Luke. Actually he gave me one of Luke's melodies on a tape, I wrote lyrics for it, Luke loved it and we started co-writing on the spot. That was great for me because Luke is one of my all-time favorite writers to work with. He plays and lyrics start pouring out. Bear in mind, I've said a lot about lyrics, but I also write music. As a matter of fact, my early hits were solo written by me. Back to Luke, once, after I wrote I'll Be Over You with Luke I asked him to play the demo in David Paich's studio control room to see if it sounded like it did in my studio. I was living in Studio City, CA at the time and David Paich and I just happened to have the same kind of hybrid NS10 speakers. I never meant to pitch the song to Toto because I assumed they didn't use outside writers. The way I understand it, Toto was rehearsing in the next room and Luke went in, played it, and some of the other Toto guys heard it, loved it, anddecided to cut it. Nice accident, eh?
Will: Luke told me that he loved Scene 29, and that he'd been waiting for it a long time!
Jay: Luke called me again tonight raving about the CD. Man, that makes all the work worth the effort!!!
Will: You chose to release "Scene 29" on Zink Music. One of your label buddies is Peter Friestedt who recently released LA Project 2, for which Randy wrote and performed along with other luminary vocalists and musicians including Bill Champlin, Joseph Williams, Abe Laboriel and John "JR" Robinson. To my ears, this is amongst the finest AOR releases of recent years. Randy, please could you tell us about your involvement with this project?
Randy: I regularly go to Stockholm to write; usually once a year. On one of my trips my publisher introduced me to Peter and he gave me a song to put lyrics to. I loved the music and have been a huge fan of Peter since. I really love the new Peter Friestedt record. The painstaking effort is quite evident. The performances are excellent and the songs are great. I feel fortunate to have a couple of my best tunes ever on that record!
Will: It's been a pleasure, and there's so much in your CD that I know it'll be in my CD player for a long time to come. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
Jay: Randy and I are very proud of our work and we hope the listeners will love it. We did a video for the song "Your Heartbreak" a few days ago. We finished a night early and since Randy was in LA, we decided to write a new JaR song for the next album. We wrote a ballad and I must say this song gives me goose bumps every time I listen to the demo Randy played and sung!!! Man, I love working with Randy writing such quality music!!!! Randy and I will get together in January as to work on new JaR songs - that will be fun!!!
Randy: If all you listeners out there buy a few copies, we would be even more inspired! Thanks for the interview and the kind words, Will.
Thanks to Kerstin Olofsson for the CD, and to Stefan Polzer at Zink Music for releasing all the great albums in recent times. For further information, visit www.jarzone.com, www.jaygraydon.com and www.randygoodrum.com
TOTO - the Falling In Between sessionsTOTO - the Falling In Between sessions
by Will Minting, October 2005.
A few of you have asked about my trip to LA a couple of weeks ago, so here's the story! I had the privilege of being invited to hear the finishing touches of the new Toto album being recorded at Simon Phillips new studio. I ended up spending 3 days at the studio, and had a fantastic time and a lot of hard laughs!!! By good fortune, on the first day that I was at the studio, Luke, Bobby, Dave, Mike, Simon, Greg and Steve Porcaro were all there and listening to recently recorded overdubs and the first few mixes by Steve Macmillan. The banter in the studio is relentless, ranging from mild piss-taking to the obscene! "That's just WRONG!" hahahaha. At his request, I'd brought Custard Cremes and Milk Chocolate Digestive biscuits for Simon but whilst his back was turned Greg ended up scoffing one large packet by himself! hahaha. Needless to say, Simon made sure that the biscuit stash was hidden from Dave! hahaha. With Simon at the helm on the recording console, and Dave directing proceedings, Greg and Luke recorded an amazing solo section to one song but I won't spoil the surprise by saying any more about the tracks. We also watched Bobby recording vocals on a couple of tracks, and Greg recorded some backing vocals. The following day, Bobby was travelling to Germany to perform a show and Greg was travelling to Las Vegas. Steve Porcaro came in to play a couple of tracks he had been working on at his studio. The sessions that day were being filmed for the Toto Network, more information on that will be forthcoming soon. On the second day, I watched Luke record a couple of guitar solos, and Luke also recorded vocals and Dave recorded backing vocals. I had lunch with the guys and then went outside in the sun with Mike, where he told us all about his hopes for the Toto Network. On our final day at Simon's studio, we were played more tracks and listened to move vocals and overdubs being recorded, and over lunch, the guys discussed their hopes for the new record contract with Frontiers. Mike shot some film for the Toto Network archives. Dave and I progressed the interview which we started in May. It'll be an epic by the time it's done! During our 10 day stay in LA, we were also invited to Joseph Williams studio, and went out to lunch with him. It was surreal driving to the restaurant, with Joseph in the passenger seat singing along to Only the Children on my hire car CD player! Joseph was on great form and it was really cool to meet him. Joseph told us how thrilled he was to have had the opportunity of recording some vocals on the album. By all accounts, I get the impression that Toto fans may not yet have seen the last of Joseph! Earlier in the week I'd been invited to Bob Bradshaw's studio where Luke, Oskar and Bob were mixing the EL GRUPO LIVE CD. Another great experience - and a privilege to be asked to write an exclusive preview of the new EL GRUPO LIVE CD. We also went out to dinner with Steve Weingart, his wife Renee and Joey Heredia, to Steve's favourite Mexican restaurant. Both Joey and Steve gave me copies of their CD's (Live in LA and Life Times vol.1) and invited us back to their houses. As they'd both been out of town on tours in recent weeks, I played them the first mastered copy of the EL GRUPO LIVE CD which Oskar Cartaya had given me earlier that day. Joey showed us his fab new studio where he's recently been recording with Michael Ruff. Oskar invited me to his gig at the Baked Potato, and Luke and I went to see Will Lee's show with Oz Noy and Anton Fig at the Baked Potato on another night. By prior arrangement, I did an interview with Will Lee about his Los Lobotomys recollections and other Toto memories. Will Lee revealed that he had been invited to join Toto in 1977! I had a drink with Jeff Babko at the Baked Potato and arranged to do an interview with him in the near future. Luke took us out to dinner on my birthday, with Oskar and Bob Bradshaw, to a fantastic Italian restaurant, where Luke has his own Arrabiata dish on the menu! Luke had arranged for a birthday cake to be brought to the table and after they sang Happy Birthday I asked the guys if they could arrange for some decent singers next time! hahaha. Other than some relaxation by the hotel pool and a visit to friends in San Luis Obispo, it was an action packed 10 days, and the memories of my time in the studio watching Toto recording their album will remain with me for a long time! I did take some photographs of the guys recording, which I may post in the future. As I sit writing this, I'm listening to some "Early Roughs" mixes of Falling in Between. I really LOVE it...it's exceeded all my expectations and may well become my favourite Toto album. But as I've been asked to draft the CD Liner Notes for Falling in Between, I'll save my comments for then. Whether the Liner Notes materialise on the new album sleeve remains to be seen but it's an honour to have been asked anyway.
STEVE LUKATHER - EVER CHANGING TIMES TOUR- REVIEW
Having seen more than 100 Toto and Lukather shows in 11 countries since 1988, tonight's Honberg-Sommer festival show at Tuttlingen in southern Germany will rank as one of my favourites. Why? This was the freshest live performance I've seen in a very long time, and Luke's whole approach and demeanour seemed totally revitalised by his new band. It's as if Luke calling-time on Toto has unburdened him from the shackles of "those" songs and re-awakened his enthusiasm to hit the road and start over. The new material from Ever Changing Times (Tell me what you want from me) is fresh sounding to begin with but the harder edge and rawness of this new band seem to have re-lit Luke's fire. As Luke told me tonight, "these guys are great musicians". I already knew Steve Weingart, who I've been in almost daily contact with for the last 3 years, and Eric Valentine and Carlitos del Puerto from their regular Baked Potato and La Ve Lee jazz club shows. I didn't know Ricky Z but the fact that it WAS Ricky and not Tony Spinner somehow rung the changes completely from the Toto scene. Ricky is indeed a very talented chap - fantastic imitation slide-guitar playing on Hate Everything About You, and his ad-lib vocals on Fall Into Velvet rightly drew much appreciation. Steve-Eric-Carlitos...what a monster groove. Laughably awesome... and I laughed a lot tonight. Luke introduced Steve Weingart tonight as "one of the finest musicians I've ever played with", and that's kudos indeed from the undisputed king of session guitar. Steve Weingart's perfect pitch is a sublime talent, and on the rare occasion where the improvisation unintentionally strays from the straight and narrow, there is Weingart with a "maj9+13 diminished" inversion to make it all sound intentional. True genius. Its so refreshing to hear some of the older material (Wings of Time, Live for Today, Drive a Crooked Road) with different keyboard and guitar voicings and tones, a different lilt to the groove and fills, here and there. There was no slavish repetition of the records here, nor any sequence loops or musicians off-stage. Just 5 of LA's most talented providing top quality entertainment. As you'd expect, this tour isn't about these guys normal jazz club grooves but I haven't seen them have so much FUN. They told me that they're loving this tour. Everyone sings, and with that, the virtuoso solos that we've come to expect from Luke's solo tours are this time interspersed with fine harmony vocals. It's a gruelling tour schedule but the band are having a great time, and that fun clearly comes across in their perfomance. Make the time for a show on this tour if you can. My girlfriend and I drove from London to spend some time relaxing here in the Black Forest and catch up with the guys on tour, and tonight added the proverbial cherry to the Schwarzwald Kirschentorte (Black Forest Gateau). Thanks Luke, Steve "Jeff Burton 31 & NASCAR rules" Weingart, Eric Valentine, Carlitos del Puerto, Ricky and Sonny. It was really great to see you all, and having so much fun. This tour deserves to reach parts that Toto couldn't reach. America, I'm talking about you. Its high time for you guys to create the street-team vibe which has kept Lukather rocking for all these years in Europe. The demand doesn't create itself, you know. Will Minting
JEFF BABKO INTERVIEW by Will MintingJeff Babko interview, November 2007 by Will Minting
JAY GRAYDON INTERVIEW by Will MintingWill Minting - Jay Graydon interview
Jay Graydon may not be known to each and everyone, but to all lovers of quality music he is known as one of the A-1 guitar players and songwriters of all time in music history. Together with producer/songwriter and long time pal David Foster he is also known to die-hard fans in Europe and Asia as the co-founder of "Westcoast Music". This music genre has its roots in the late 70s, and is also labeled Adult Contemporary Pop Music or AOR for short. As Ray Jackson helped out Jay to enter the session world in Los Angeles very successfully, Jay did the same with Steve Lukather. Read Jay's memories in this very open interview.
Jay Graydon is a legendary Los Angeles based studio musician, session guitarist, writer and producer. When other studio legends had tried and failed to meet Donald Fagan & Walter Becker's seemingly impossible expectations, Jay famously nailed the Peg solo on Steely Dan's Aja album. Jay won a Grammy for his co-writing of Turn your love around with Luke and Bill Champlin, which became one of George Benson's biggest hits. Jay was instrumental in getting Luke started on the session scene in the mid 1970's when he recommended his own clients to the teenage Lukather, who as we know rapidly emerged as an equal to the likes of Jay, Larry Carlton, Dean Parks, Ray Parker Jnr, Lee Ritenour and other legendary studio guitarists. Joseph Williams and Steve Porcaro have also worked extensively with Jay in recent years. Jay remains one of the busiest studio musicians and producers on the West Coast and over recent months, we've emailed to put together this fascinating insight into Jay's collaborations with the Toto guys and his own recent projects. Will: Hey Jay. It's well known that you helped Luke get a foot in the LA session scene. When did you first meet Luke and what do you remember about him as a teenager? Jay: Yo Will. I seem to remember we met during a rehearsal for some project Foster and I were working on. Luke was polite and had his nose so far up my ass he could hardly breathe (just kidding). We had fun talking about what guitar players, and talking about music and gear. I can’t remember the first time we worked together on a session but I do remember he played very well! He had all of the elements needed to be a great studio guitarist - quick creativity, coming up with great parts, solid "time", a good sound, and played "in-tune"!!! Regarding helping Luke get work in the studios, it is important to realize how stuff like this goes. In some cases the last thing a studio guitarist would to do is to recommend a great guitarist that may end up with the account. Such thinking is silly, as great guitarists will surface without the help. There was no doubt Luke was going to be a great studio guitarist. Further, we had become best of friends quickly. It was time for Luke to get known quickly so I began recommending him for any session I could not make. Shortly thereafter, I decided to make a career move to record production and songwriting. At that point, I told all my accounts to call Luke. Ironically, Luke may have had the shortest career of a first call studio guitarist to date. Yeah, TOTO started pulling hits and going the road so no time for Luke to do sessions ending his short run in the studios. Will: Luke has often credited you as one of his mentors and guitar "Sensei", and mentioned you on his Starlicks instructional video in 1984! Jay: Man, Luke stole all of my licks and I want them back. Hahaha. Will: Hahaha! You must have had some hard laughs with Luke over the years! Are there any particularly notable moments which you'd like to share with us? Jay: Yeah, Luke and I have had major laughs over the years! You want a story? The following was at my expense but it was so funny I did not care. The session was at Larrabee. I think Al Capps was the arranger. Not sure of the artist but it may have been Juice Newton. Other than me and Luke on guitars, Jeff on drums, Hungate on bass (probably), and Foster on piano (probably). We had one more song to record at it was getting near 6 o’clock. I had a 7 o’clock session (wanting dinner in-between the session) and made the mistake asking if the other guys had a 7 o’clock. Now one had a 7 call and that was all it took for the guys to start messing with me to stall the session. I had the first twelve or sixteen bars on my own playing a 12/8 finger picking thing. The guys started throwing matchbooks at my guitar while I was playing leading to strange sounding notes and rhythms. We all laughed and I asked the cats to let me get through the intro. The same crap happened on the next pass and I was getting slightly bugged. By the next pass, I had memorized the intro and would not look up at the music. Unbeknown to me, Luke had put down his guitar and was inching his way into my area walking backwards. Luke new when I would need to look at the chart and at that exact second, he pulled his pants down and shoved his hairy ass about 6 inches from my nose! Well, I started laughing so hard my stomach started to hurt!!! Will: Hahahaha! Great story! Airplay is considered by many to be a milestone in adulted-orientated rock, and maybe one of the first true "AOR" albums. Your collaboration with David Foster featured, amongst others, Jeff & Steve Porcaro, David Hungate, Tom Kelly and Luke. What do you remember about those sessions?
Jay: I enjoyed writing the songs with David [Foster] and the many lyricists. The tracks with such great players "feel" good. Jeff used to say he did not play shuffles well. In fact, I consider NOTHIN YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT a certain kind of shuffle and Jeff owns that groove!!! David and I worked on the album between and while working on other record production projects causing the album to take around a year to complete (maybe sooner). I never considered myself a singer leading to much time spent on the vocals. That was difficult work but it turned out OK I guess. As always, David had a wealth of great musical ideas! We were young and overloaded the album with a huge amount of overdubs. Simply put, we ˜over-produced”. When we talk about this, David says something like, "There is no "air" in the album until the song Bix. I agree. At some point, I would love to re-mix the album for many reasons. Will: Was Airplay ever intended to be more than a one-off studio project? Jay: At that point in time, both David [Foster] and I were producing full time so it would have been difficult to really be artists meaning putting together a band and go on the road. If the album would have been successful without going on the road (major radio airplay) priorities would have changed. We were dropped by RCA after the first album. I can’t remember why but usually caused by a regime change. We were offered a record deal with Warner Bros. but it did not happen for a few reasons. Will: You've worked extensively with Joseph Williams in recent years. Jay: I had wanted to work with Joe over the years and finally had the opportunity when working on the AIRPLAY FOR THE PLANET album. I simply called him up and we started writing a few days later. Total fun and all the songs turned out great in recording land. Will: In his recent Toto messageboard interview, Joseph relayed what a great and supportive friend you had been to him in the early 1990's, when he was having a tough time following his departure from Toto. By all accounts, you helped Joe get back on his feet! Jay: There was no doubt Joe would land on his feet. I must have offered encouragement along the way. Joe is so much fun to work with and what a talent! Luke and Joe are like brothers. Will: Airplay for the Planet is a really cool CD! You teamed up with a cast of fantastic musicians and vocalists including the late Warren Wiebe, Joseph Williams, Sherwood Ball, David Foster, Bill Champlin, Bruce Gaitsch and others! What inspired you to do a project under your own name as opposed to the Planet 3 and Airplay records? Jay: It was time to do a solo album. Regarding the cats you mention, surely the best of the best! Will: Following the release of Airplay for the Planet, you did two great tours of Japan and Scandinavia. I'm told that there were rumours of a planned live album, but it obviously didn’t materialise. Jay: There were no plans of a live album. Will a live album happen? At this point no plans but maybe someday. Will: How was it touring with the incredible band you put together: Joseph, Steve Porcaro, Bill Champlin, Bill Cantos, Ned Doheny, Tris Imboden and Pat Mastelotto? Jay: It was absolutely great!!! All of the guys are pros and never any major problems!!! The tours were as perfect as could be!!! Will: You put a "call for charts" up on your website a year or so ago. Does that mean further tour plans are up your sleeve? Jay: A tour was in the works last year but did not work out. I still wish to tour in the near future but right now I am into looking for Artist production gigs. Just got PRO TOOLS HD 3. Time to put to major use in production land. I may record another solo album at some point in the near future. Will: A few members of your 1994/1996 touring band released great solo records following those tours (Joseph, Bill C., Sherwood spring to mind). What was your involvement in those albums? Jay: I played a solo on Joe’s record but I think that was it regarding the other guys. Will: Over the years, you’ve played scores of sessions with the Toto guys! Have you had the opportunity to jam with them recently? Are you a regular performer at LA jazz clubs or is your work mainly studio based these days? Jay: I occasionally play fundraisers with Luke (Casey Lee Ball Foundation). Regarding live gigs in LA, very rare. I do play on some sessions these days. In such cases, the PRO TOOLS files are sent to me as to play solos. I like working in this fashion and welcome such projects. Will: Looking back at your musical roots, you've released two albums paying homage to surf music and be-bop. What made you release these albums as opposed to a "westcoast pop" follow-up to Airplay for the Planet? Rake & the Surftones, again featured Luke (on handclaps and backing vocals), Joseph and David Hungate! Judging by the alias names you gave everyone on the album credits, you had a lot of fun making that 18 track party record!  Jay: Yeah, why record a Surf album and a Jazz album since both hardly have a market. They came about by accident on account of studio gear tests. The 1994 earthquake toasted my house and studio leading to a major rebuild. I needed to test the gear and the rooms so I decided to record a surf album for fun since no big deal if technical problems occurred. The humor alone would have been worth the effort. Thankfully, no technical problems regarding the recording but there was a major smoke-out in the control room caused by a capacitor that burnt up in one of the 2-track recorders (not in use that the time). I wanted to play live with the guys as to get a feel of how the rebuilt room responded acoustically. Normally, I would engineer and overdub my parts later. I asked Ian Eales (he designed the studio electronically and is also a great recording engineer) and Mike Reid to engineer the tracking sessions. Note that this CD is meant to be serious in the 60’s surf style. I asked the cats to play like they were fourteen years old in their first surf band. On the other hand, the CD is meant to be extremely humorous. Not just the lyrics, but the playing as well. The liner notes are total inside humor. Surf names for all of the guys and a fantasy story regarding the recording. Serious or not? That depends upon the point of view when listening. OK, 18 tracks recorded during two tracking sessions. Mostly first takes since not looking for a polished performance. Most of the vocals were recorded on the 2nd night. Luke was one of the background singers on the Rake Mystery (or whatever it was called). Near the end of the song, we wanted an under water effect on the Ahh’s. A must listen in humor land regarding the technique used!!! All the vocals were recorded on Malibu Pier (written by Jim Cox in the Beach Boys style). The best melodic song on the CD with a very funny lyric. The singers are Joe Williams, Jason Scheff, and Craig Copland. All three singers sang lead alternating lines (as well as the BG stacks). Ask Joe to post his story on this song. Hahaha. Also on the 2nd night, it was time to add solos on the Surfers Toe Jam track. The track was designed to allow for 29 solos (I think). A bunch of guitar players were hanging out ready to play their surf solos. Luke, Biff Ball, Bobby Cochran, and others. So much fun!!! About a week later, I put together a night of guitar players to play more solos. The list is long and all are surely noted in the album credits. I had come up with humorous rules to tell the guys. I stated, "You guys get two passes at the solo. If you play too good and out of the surf style, a warning is giving. Do it again and I wipe the track. Tuning-up is optional and not recommended." Yeah, we all laughed and the solos were perfect!!! Joe had another song to sing (Hungate’s October In Oxnard) as well as a rap (Rake Mystery) he needed to write. We were laughing so hard, it was difficult to work!!! Great funny stuff!!! Yeah, off on a tangent but fondly reflecting on such a fun project. The Bebop album came about when needing to test the ALESIS M20 Pro ADAT format. I was hired as a consultant and beat tester by my good friend, Marcus Ryle. Since a pro digital recorder format of the era, I decided best to record a real band that included a wide range of frequencies (upper frequency information such as cymbals) and dynamics as to note how the "analog to digital/digital to analog converters" sounded. That led to recording a jazz album. Once again, if technical problems, it was not like loosing data from major time spent on a pop album. All tracks were recorded in one night (except for the Star Spangled Banner). This time I needed to engineer the tracking session as to test the M20’s keeping an eye out for software bugs, etc. Thankfully, no problems leading to the completion of the album. Yeah, there are always stories. Dave Weckl had the flu BUT still played his ass off!!! More stories for another time. Will: Great! I’m sure you've been asked this dozens of times, but your guitar solo on the Steely Dan track Peg is legendary! Walter & Donald explained on the Classic Album documentary that you were the only guitarist who managed to play what they had in mind. Have you ever found out who else tried that solo before you on that session? Jay: First, they did not know what they had in mind. They were just waiting for someone to play a solo that they liked. When watching the AJA video, I seem to remember that Walter had recorded a few tracks. There were other players but not coming to mind now. I bet Roger Nichols would know. If interested, you may want to ask him on his web site. I should mention that when I was driving to the session, my thoughts were to nail this solo! Gladly, that transpired!
Will: What projects are you currently involved with? You mentioned that you had plans to record another solo album. Jay: I was the last holdout to get PRO TOOLS. So about eight months ago, I bought a PT HD3 system and use in conjunction with my NEVE V console. I decided the best way to learn the PT system was to transfer old analog recordings to PT. Since I was going to spend major time fixing the sonics, I thought I might as well make sound as good as possible and release the stuff. I did not replace any music or vocals except for one bass note that had a serious sonic problem causing my a tape recorder malfunction around 30 years ago. Ironically, I still have the same bass and DI used for the recording. The original sonics are not good but with the help of PT using many automated EQ’s, compressors, etc., the stuff sounds pretty good. The CD is Jay Graydon PAST TO PRESENT “THE 70’S” available through jaygraydon.com and CD BABY. Some of the songs are from AIRPLAY as demos or tracks not completed. Me on some vocals, guitars, bass, and synths. Jeff Porcaro, Mike Baird, and Willy Ornelas on drums, David Hungate, Mike Porcaro, etc. on bass. David Foster and Greg Mathieson on keyboards, and Bill Champlin, Tata Vega, Marc Jordan and others on vocals. I humbly state this CD will be of interest to those that appreciate the pop music if the 70's! Note this stuff was never released until now. Regarding another solo album or band project, that may happen. The next thing I want to do is get back into producing full time for a while. Will: You've got a lot on your plate right now Jay but what do you like doing when you can get away from the studio? Jay: I like to play straight ahead jazz. I need to do more of that since so much fun!!! Will: That's great. Thanks a lot for your time Jay. It's been cool chatting with you! Is there anything else you'd like to add? Jay: These days, pop music is starving for better melodic input. We need something like another Beatles to change the frame work. For more information, visit jaygraydon.com and check out the discography and soundclips of Luke's sessions with Jay at stevelukather.net. Thanks to Morten Nordhagen Ottosen for his suggestions and help with this interview. (c) Will Minting
--First published at www.stevelukather.net
STEVE WEINGART INTERVIEW - JUNE 2008STEVE WEINGART INTERVIEW Will: Hey Weino! I'm fahn, how'r yew? Steve: Everathing is fahn! How'r yew? Steve: Yeah, it's really a good thing too, thanks for your help! This has been a very good year for me so far. I've been working with a lot of great musicians, and have been really enjoying all of the different styles each artist brings.
Will: So right now, you're on the road with Simon Phillips Band.
Will: And of course, you've been touring extensively in the USA and Canada with Warren Hill. Steve: I've worked quite a bit with Warren in '98-'99. I think Warren is one of the better instrumentalists out there. I always really enjoyed doing his shows because he has a great bond with his audience. He is quite a showman without 'trying'... he is just a natural. In late '99, I made the decision to work with some other artists to expand my career a bit. For about the next 6-7 years, I didn't really have a chance to work with him. We got back in touch roughly a couple of years ago and started playing together again. He is a cool guy to work with and for. I recorded a couple of tunes for him on his upcoming CD, and I'm sure I'll work with him again.
Steve: Thanks again for the kind words. I enjoyed putting that CD together. As it went, I again learned a lot of new things about recording CDs. The 2 solo CDs I've done were self written and produced, and that is quite an undertaking. I'm looking forward to putting that knowledge to use in my next CD. Steve: Its really coming along very nicely. She is contributing some of her compositions which is very exciting for me. The only 'problem' I'm experiencing is that I'm not at home enough to actually finish what we're working on! I'm really looking forward to seeing this one come about because we're both exploring some new things musically and also singing. Will: I guess the sessions with Marco helped get your rock chops ready for this outing with Luke!
Steve: You could say that! Actually, It seems almost that I'm 'typecast' as in the way some TV and film actors are considered. I grew up listening to a lot of rock, prog rock, jazz, fusion, funk, classical, etc... I like a lot of different styles of music, and enjoy playing almost everything. It just happened that the first things publicly I did that were recorded were jazz and fusion oriented recordings. I'm really happy to be involved with other artists to have the opportunity to expand a little bit.
Will: I hear that the Lukather tour rehearsals are going well.
Steve: The rehearsals are really going well so far. We're learning a lot of music in a short amount of time! Seems pretty intense right now, but is going well. The band vibe is definitely happening...buddies all around. It's going to be a great hang on the road! This band kicks ass!
Steve: It was a lot of fun recording in the studio with Luke. It was an unforgettable experience hearing those tunes for the first time. I remember thinking how cool it was to just 'be myself' in the sessions. It isn't often that I get to work with someone who says "do your thing". In a lot of cases, the artist or composer has a specific idea of what they'd like to hear and it is up to the person playing (recording) to meet that vision. It was a great experience hanging with Luke in the studio... not to mention what a wealth of information to pick up on from so many years of his legendary sessions. Steve: That is so cool. I'm proud to be a part of that project. We had a lot of fun on tour, and I feel very fortunate that it was recorded.
For more information, visit www.steveweingart.com and www.myspace.com/steveweingartfriends ERIC VALENTINE INTERVIEW - JUNE 2008ERIC VALENTINE INTERVIEW
Will: Hey Eric! We've been emailing for a few months for publicity of your jazz club gigs with my buddy Steve Weingart in Los Angeles. You have a very busy schedule! Eric: Hey Will! Yeah man, since moving to L.A. 3 years ago. I've been blessed to be working a lot. It's a busy time for me and about to get crazier! Will: Yes, I know that Steve Weingart values your friendship, he's always really upbeat when gigging with you. You, Weino and Carlitos often perform together in LA at the Baked Potato and La Ve Lee. You guys are one of the most solid rhythm sections in LA! Some might think that Luke's rock tour is a bit of a departure from your normal grooves. Eric: Not really, I do a lot of gigs with a variety of artists, it's just for some reason if you play a particular style of music well, that it's assumed that's all you do. Will: Exactly. Who are your other influences? Eric: All of the greats! From Dennis Chambers, Vinnie, Neil Peart, Greg Bissonette, Jeff Porcaro, Simon Phillips, Steve Gadd, Michael White, Gerry Brown, Chad Smith, John Bonham...The list goes on...I found myself listen to anyone who was out there working...I never discriminate! Everyone has something unique to say musically. Mars Volta, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5 and a little bit of everyone. Being a professional musician, you have to keep your ears open. Will: How long have you known Steve Lukather, and where did you meet him? Were you familiar with Toto or Luke's solo albums before now? Eric: Not long, maybe six months or so. I was recommended to Luke through Steve Weingart. Yes, I am very familiar with Luke's material and Toto, how could you not be? So many classics. Will: You'll have a riot on the road with Luke. It's a laugh a minute! Just one word of warning, if you take a camera with you on tour, don't leave it laying around or you might find that Luke has taken some photographs that you wouldn't want to put in the family photo album! Eric: LOL. Yeah, we are having a ball in rehearsals, and I can tell that we are going to have a great time on the road. Will: So you're learning a lot of Luke's old material? One of the cool things about this tour, apart from the new material from "Ever Changing Times", is that Luke hasn't played songs from his first solo album before. There'll be a lot of people really looking forward to hearing some of those songs. Eric: I think that all of the fans will be very satisfied with our play list, a little bit of old and new. All of the music is definitely fun to play.
Will: Which songs have you had most fun learning from Ever Changing Times? Eric: That's top secret information, LOL. But you'll definitely be able to tell which songs I've been enjoying! Will: Right. You have played with an array of artists in many musical styles! I know you've worked with Joe Satriani. Please could you tell us about some of the more memorable gigs/tours, and recording sessions. Eric: I guess I would say the most memorable would be working with the South African artist Jonathan Butler, I toured with him off and on for the past 7 years as his music director and played on numerous records. Of course the legendary singer Patti LaBelle, that was my first big tour. Steve Weingart, I can remember watching Dave Weckl videos and seeing Steve on them and saying wow this guy is amazing and now we're friends and we're playing together. Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Erikah Badu, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lobber and many others. Will: That's some resume! And now Luke! Eric: Yeah, I 'm so excited to play with such a legendary musician, i've learned so much already just in rehearsal working with him, it's going to be great! Will: What else is happening in Eric's world? What other sessions have you performed recently? Eric: Well, I have just finished working on a rock project with R&B/pop producer Tim Bailey (Tyros, Leela James and Rahsaan Patterson) and pop tav session singer Antonio Sol who is also the voice of "Dancing with the Stars," and it's definitely not your typical rock project. Me and Steve Weingart are working on project, but our schedules are so busy that we haven't found the time to finish it. And also my current record "Eric Valentine's Jazz Impressions". I'm playing drums, bass guitar and keyboards as well as producing There are many other things going on as well, but too many to say right now. Will: Which drums are you using on Luke's tour? Eric: I endorse Yamaha drums and I'll be using the Oak Customs. I am enjoying how the drums speak on rock music, but depending on the situation I'll switch from maple, birch or even beech. Yamaha makes really great drums and I proudly endorse them.
Will: And finally - how do you spend your time on the rare occasions you're not gigging, touring or recording? Eric: Hmmm...I try to keep my schedule busy. There is always something that needs to be done. Honestly, most of my time is spent either preparing for shows, writing, producing. I'm even trying to find ways to get projects done while I am on the tour bus. Will: Thanks for the interview, Eric. I'm looking forward to it. Eric: Yeah man, I look forward to the hang, it's going to be a great run. I look forward to seeing all the great fans. Thanks so much. For more information, visit: www.ericvalentine.net and www.myspace.com/ericvalentine01 and www.itunes.com © Will Minting, June 2008
CARLITOS DEL PUERTO INTERVIEW - JUNE 2008CARLITOS DEL PUERTO INTERVIEW
Carlitos: Hey Will, how are you my friend. Before anything let me thank you for all your help with our Nu Alliance project, we really appreciate your time and your work.Yes indeed, I am very fortunate to work all the time, with great musicians from whom I learn and share the beauty of the music language. One of those musicians is the great pianist Steve Weingart, apart of playing together with Nu Alliance, we have been good friends for a very long time. Will: You, Steve Weingart and Eric often perform together in LA at the Baked Potato and La Ve Lee. You guys are one of the most solid rhythm sections in LA! Luke's "No Jazz Tour" is going to rock! Will: With so many latin and jazz influences to your playing, as with many bass players, what rock music do you listen to? Will: How long have you known Steve Lukather, and where did you meet him? Were you familiar with Toto or Luke's solo albums before now? Carlitos: Well I just recorded a solo on a album tribute to the great CACHAO, and I got called to record on Jose Feliciano's new project, just finished Orestes Vilato's album, orestes was SANTANA'S Percussionist for a few years, and 1000 other little sessions in town. Eric: My gear is D'ADDARIO strings for all my electric basses, PIRASTRO for my acoustic basses/uprights. My amps are GALLIEN KRUEGER, the electric basses are LAKLAND.
For more information, www.myspace.com/carlitosdelpuertobass and www.carlitosdelpuerto.com
TOTO FALLING IN BETWEEN - LINER NOTESHaving had the honour of being invited to spend 3 days in a Los Angeles studio witnessing Toto putting the finishing touches to their new album in September 2005, Toto's management asked me to write the Liner Notes for the Falling In Between CD sleeve. In the end, only the "Band track notes" which I compiled were included in the final CD sleeve layout, due to space restrictions. It was then hoped that the Liner Notes article would be used in the Falling In Between tour programme but again, due to space restrictions, only my Greg Phillinganes interview and one article previewing the new Falling In Between album were included in the Tour Programme. Here's what you would have read in the CD sleeve had full page pictures of the band members not been included...
TOTO – FALLING IN BETWEEN – LINER NOTES
All great musicians enjoy a range and diversity that allows them to continually evolve. As such, they rarely satisfy just one musical genre. They never quite fit. This latest Toto album, as all those preceding it, has a breadth of styles which gives it a different flavour all the way through. It is perhaps this inability to “fit” with one audience that has hampered the recognition Toto deserve. Toto has experienced 28 years of falling in between.
Toto’s standing in popular culture has been a dichotomy for nearly 30 years. Despite relentless panning by the popular music press, the members of Toto have on numerous occasions been acknowledged by the more specialist musicians magazines as the most accomplished musicians of our time. It seems that musicians recognised greatness but perhaps the general popular music press was under-qualified? Toto’s peers have been quoted as saying that the band are ‘collectively the best musicians on the planet’, and to this day, they remain one of the most popular touring classic rock acts, even without a major hit single for over two decades.
The 1980’s saw the advent of music television and the increasing importance of image in popular culture. Live performance was replaced by clever video technique; new fashion gimmicks saw the introduction of single white gloves and bandanas to our streets. It wasn’t just about the music anymore; fans wanted to be their pop idol. At a time when Toto were enjoying huge success following the release of Toto IV, they gained recognition of their peers and the prestige of 7 Grammys and countless accolades in the guitar, keyboards and drums magazines, yet none of their posters adorned the walls of teenage idol seekers. Perhaps their lack of continuity of a front man throughout the second half of the decade was to blame. But did this make them any less successful? As a group, they have sold approaching 30 million albums worldwide but as session musicians their sound has been captured on records which have sold many hundreds of millions.
With virtually no press coverage or internet during the 1980’s and first half of the 1990’s, I was forced to scour album covers for any information about a band who were rapidly becoming my childhood heros. In my early teens, I’d noticed a similar sound to Toto on albums which I heard elsewhere; Intrigued, I was amazed to establish that my heros appeared on the album credits of Randy Newman’s Trouble in Paradise and Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down. When I saw friends’ copies of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, I found that once again their names littered the album credits. Toto were everywhere. They seemed to own the session scene in LA. Armed with the proof I needed that my heros were cool, I set about converting school friends to my Toto creed. As hard as I tried, it rarely worked without pop radio or rock magazines on my side. Toto were never cool, at least not beyond the select group who recognized them for their musical ingenuity and studio prowess.
Both invidually and often collectively, the members of Toto have added their various talents to literally thousands of recording sessions including hundreds of top-40 records.They’ve performed on stage with many of the iconic musical artists of our time. Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Satriani are amongst those luminary artists whose albums have been graced by the members of Toto’s substantial contributions. Not only did the members of Toto perform as a rhythm section and vocalists on classic albums, but there are many industry tales of how their genius saved tracks from being deleted when the artist was unable to find the inspiration to transform their ideas to a workable song. They are collectively the most prolific “first call” session musicians and yet their names remain largely unknown. As the Funk Brothers were to Motown, so Toto are the unsung heros of Rock/Pop.
Ironically, Toto are perhaps one of the most sampled band over the last ten years. DJ’s, hip-hop and R&B artists have lifted their lasting melodies and grooves, reinventing them for every new music fan reaching teenage years today. As new artists seek their own success, they continue to build on a rock anthology that is seemingly infinite. Virtually everyone’s CD rack contains album credits to the members of Toto, yet they still remain the uncoolest rock band in the world. Again, Toto’s music traverses more genres than any other band. They managed to “not fit” yet “fit all” at the same time.
During an era when people used designer labels to pigeon-hole their place in a material world, Toto were traversing so many genres of music that they appeared to be on a mission to not fit anywhere. Toto’s quest to achieve musical excellence has compelled them to write and perform a breadth of styles, not only because they can but also because their fanbase has come to expect the very finest musicianship and flawless production. For Toto and their fans, a live performance is just another “take”. It is Toto’s musical excellence that has afforded them the career which they have maintained, not despite but because they are individually some of the most accomplished musicians of the last four decades. Consequently, Toto have been denied the breadth of audience that they deserve by virtue of the fact that their music doesn’t match the media’s narrow criteria.
What of the new album? Toto’s first new material since 1998 reveals that the passion to deliver is as strong as ever; once again they demonstrate their ability to avoid being type-cast; hard rock, progressive, jazz, soul and funk influences are included in equal measure; and watching them adding the finishing touches to this album, there was an obvious abundance of energy and determination to attain the finest recording of their exceptionally distinguished careers.
The desire to achieve distinction through musical performance is in their blood. It is for this reason that Toto remain one of the finest rock and roll bands, irrespective of the general public’s perception or the wider acceptance of the popular music press. One day their contributions to popular music will be acknowledged but regardless of crticial acclaim, Toto created the soundtrack to our everyday lives.
Will Minting, London, November 2005
TOTO FALLING IN BETWEEN CD BAND TRACK NOTES
The second part of my Liner Notes work for the Falling In Between CD sleeve was included on the lyrics page for each song. I compiled the following "Band track notes" from the band's own memories of the writing, recording and producing process...
TOTO - FALLING IN BETWEEN - CD BAND TRACK NOTES
Falling in Between [title track]
Bobby: It started out as a Luke-jam on guitar and the band fell into the groove and we had a great beginning to a Led Zepp-esque song. It’s Toto unleashed and free-falling in between. Dave, Luke, or myself would then take the tracks home and start with some kind of melody idea, then work out the lyrics on the songs. Because of some of the odd time signatures, it was difficult to place the melodies, but that made it all the more interesting to write.
Greg: I remember Luke and Paich wanting to go in the direction of a prog rock piece ala Led Zeppelin or YES. Bobby throws down HARD on lead. We all played on this one…at the same time!
David: I remembered a small idea I had just after the tsunami tragedy. Shenkar had called me and asked if I would right something for his country, India. I had that part and it became the intro.
Hooked
Mike: Luke seems to channel great ideas effortlessly. Ideas that the other maestro's picked up on and enhanced through their talents and inspiration. One inspired thought begets another, with begets another, and that's when you know you’re in the company of some blessed and talented individuals.
David: Simon had most of it, so we jammed and had fun. I wrote the basic lyric about 'prime time addiction. Ian Anderson was nice enough to honor us with a flute solo.
Bobby: This is a straight-ahead rock song that’s in-your-face with a message about things beyond control in your life. Once something takes control of you, it’s hard not to say your Hooked on it. I thought one of the major players on this track was Steve Porcaro, because he added so many interesting synth parts that brought the song to life.
Bottom of my Soul
Simon: Dave and I had the same idea of the groove and so we went out and jammed for a bit. Luke came up with the chorus chords and Dave pretty much had the lyrics. It was fun making up the percussion loop.
David: Simon and I had chatted about a 6/8 african groove. The band was looking for something we didn't have on the record, yet. It quickly came together. I had been talking to Steve Porcaro about the victims of Sudan. I felt compelled to research it more than I had already seen in the news and in the paper. The chorus lyric I came up with was a result of Luke's melody in the chorus.
Mike: What a beautiful, heart felt vocal performance by Luke. . Wonderful, mystical, timeless feel to this track. And that gorgeous voice of Joseph Williams. And the interplay between Luke's guitar and Greg's piano...makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Gorgeous! It felt like I was home, in a spiritual way.
Joseph: I would just like to express my gratitude to the guys for asking me to contribute to this record. It was as if no time had past since we last worked together. The difference this time was that the pressure and stress was missing, allowing creativity and musicality to rule the day. The guys were welcoming of all my ideas, and I could not have asked for a better song on which to sing. I think "Bottom of your Soul" revives some of that old TOTO magic I fell in love with back before my tenure, back when I was a fan.
Dying on your feet
Luke: It started out with an idea that Dave and I had and built from there, and the song kind of recorded itself - everything went down easily from the percussion to the final vocal. Bobby on lead, Greg and I on BG's. This is a cool track as it has several sections. Lenny and Steve P. are on this, and the coolest thing about it is that Jimmy Pankow from the band Chicago did a horn chart for us.
Simon: Another band written song put together section by section and in fact this was the demo track - it just had such a good groove. I particularly love Bobby's vocal performance on this one - exploiting a slightly lower range of his voice. A very cool solo from Luke - probably my favourite on the album.
Taint our World
Simon: We cut this very live and I think everyone had a hand in this. Steve Porcaro added a very interesting slant to the bridge section! This is more how the band sounds at a concert and I wanted to capture a rawness not normally associated with us. My old British rock n'roll roots I guess!!!
Luke: This is a our tribute to our friends Ed and Al Van Halen. They are very close friends and I had this lick and we just had to cut it. Its sounds like something they might do but it still very Toto as well. We gotta rock sometimes. Haha. Bobby on Lead and Greg and I on backgrounds again.
Simple Life
Mike: One of the things I always look forward to on a Toto album - a gorgeous ballad from Steve Lukather. These kind of songs flow out of him like a pure spring. Awesome!
Greg: Probably my favourite song of the whole album. I fell in love with it the first time Luke played it for me. As a songwriter, it’s one of those gems that makes you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Simon: This is all Luke. He came in with the whole song written and with a couple of tweeks here and there that was it - it was done!
Paich: That's pure, unadulterated Lukather. Mikey's great Brian Wilson bass line at the end.
Let it go
Bobby: What a track the band came up with for this one. Greg kills on the vocal in this song. I started the lyrics, but as usual, we all had a hand in finishing them off. It’s one of my fave’s on the CD.
Luke: This is a funk-fusion track that could be "son of Jake to the Bone" but has vocals. One of my fave tracks and it took 2 days to write-rehearse and cut as it has some wierd and somewhat difficult passages to play. A true Toto extravaganzo.
Mike: This tunes got it all. Killer groove, incredible background stacks and Greg's outstanding lead vocal. We're so happy to have Greg in this band. Can't deny this man's musical integrity and skills. And he can sing like that?
Greg: My lead vocal debut. The chorus melody and words, “Let it go” came quite quickly, as I remember. Si-Phi challenged me to come up with and interesting lick in the instrumental section after Luke’s solo and when I finally did, Mike and Luke were so pissed when learning it because it’s the kind of line that’s easier to play on a keyboard as opposed to a guitar.
No End in Sight
Simon: This was one of the last songs we wrote - I think it took about an hour to compose and then we cut it live - a couple of takes - and that's it. Bobby delivers another killer vocal on this one.
Bobby: After the track was recorded, Luke and I were discussing the war in Iraq one day. I was in the middle of a few ideas on the lyrics, and all of a sudden, in the middle of that discussion, Luke mentioned that we had “No End In Sight” with this war. I brought that idea home and worked it until I had the story line. It turned out great and it has a very daunting message.
Mike: Deals with the days of stress we're living in these times. Go Bubba! Tell it like it is brother!
Spiritual Man
Luke: This is a song about finding your way in your heart in these difficult times. One of Dave’s best.
Greg: I remember Dave being particularly excited about this one. He went through several drafts of lyrics…really took his time but I love the end result. Love the vocals as well – definitely one of my faves!
Paich: This was written in the style of a narrative ballad with 4 chords. It was written as a hymn. I wrote the the first draft of the lyrics as if I was a journalist following Christ around. I wanted to write it in the style of the late Hunter Thompson, the Rolling Stone writer /poet. Then I decided to expand the range of the story to include Buddha, Muhammad, Coltrane. Greg and Bobby gave compelling performances. Also Tom Scott and Monet.
Reefer Mann
Simon: A jam based on a riff of Dave's - a surprise actually and I am so glad we managed to get it recorded as there was a slight technical problem going on that nobody knew about. Roy Hargrove adds his magic to this one.
Luke: This is a live jam written by Dave and I. Dave had the riff and Si started playin the be bop groove and I wrote a melody on the spot. After we heard it back we dug it and got jazz legend Roy Hargrove to play trumpet on it. Its a Miles "Bitches Brew" kind of a thing. Very short piece but cool. You wouldn’t hear this on an other "70's-80's bands record that for sure! Mike: Speaks for itself, Hahahaha!
Greg: It sounds just as cool if you don’t smoke it while listening!!
Compiled by Will Minting, November 2005
TOTO - FALLING IN BETWEEN - EXCLUSIVE PREVIEWThis exclusive preview of Toto's most recent release was first published on www.toto99.com/board in December 2005.TOTO
FALLING IN BETWEEN
Will Minting, December 2005
One word keeps coming to mind every time I listen to each track on Falling In Between: Magnificent. No question, this is my favourite Toto album. Yet this has been the most challenging review I’ve ever tried to write - there‘s just so much to enthuse about! Falling In Between is everything I ever hoped the band would achieve beyond their commercial successes two decades ago. Toto have absolutely excelled themselves this time.
I've been listening to so-called rough mixes (which weren't very rough at all) since May 2005 and even had the privilege of witnessing many of the tracks being overdubbed at the studio in early October 2005. Over recent months, I'd grown familiar with the tunes and grooves but nothing prepared me for the arrival of the final mastered CD a few weeks ago. Friends and other fans had been pressing me for reviews and reactions to the album but I've wanted to really "live" with the album, so that I could try to do it the justice it completely deserves.
Falling In Between is oustanding in every aspect; from probably Toto’s s richest production ever through to the impeccable vocal performances, and the abundance of musical brilliance which exceeds any expectations that I might have had. It’s compelling listening and there’s so much to enjoy. Stylistically, Falling In Between is completely incomparable to anything that Toto have recorded before. Toto have never lacked experience or intelligence in their albums but Falling In Between seems to take on a new level of musical maturity. This album is vintage Toto.
The genius is also in the breadth of material; I would venture to suggest that this is probably Toto's most diverse album to date. I've never been one to indulge in lyrical content but it's clear that these outpourings are deeply considered and intelligent musings. The real test of a truly great album is it's longevity; whether the melodies and production stand the test of time, long beyond the initial "awe" when the great pleasure of familiarising oneself with the CD subsides. There are probably more concealed nuances in this new Toto album than even their most polished work of the last 28 years. One of the greatest facets of Toto for me has always been that I discover a nugget of brilliance every time I listen closely; there are truck-fulls of those moments on Falling In Between, just waiting to be found and enjoyed.
This album rocks HARD. It's very soulful. It's catchy. It's progressive, in places, yet it sounds timeless. It's a musical feast to challenge even the most schooled ears. And that's why Falling In Between will become a classic album; it's absolutely deserving of the best promotional campaign. Am I saying that this album is "better" than even Toto IV or The Seventh One? Yes. It's the ultimate display of their collective genius.
In the following review of each track, I've included some "out takes" from the band's CD track notes, which were written in November 2005.
Falling In Between
The title track is a Led Zep-esque masterpiece with Indian/Arabian type influences, the verse riff being reminiscent of "Kashmir". Bobby and Greg handle the lead vocals, with very heavy guitar riffing throughout, interspersed with massive keyboard flourishes. The latter half of the song is pure, unashamed instrumental indulgence. Truly awesome.
Simon: This is essentially a band written song but Luke sparked it off with his killer riffs. Bobby came up with the first melody and Greg the second melody. We all added parts to it and it evolved into what you hear now.
Dying on My Feet
Bobby's lead vocals and the Chicago Horns powerful injections are particularly notable. A song of many sections and featuring an oustanding Luke "Kid Charlemagne-esque" solo.
Simon: Another band written song put together section by section and in fact this was the demo track - it just had such a good groove. I particularly love Bobby's vocal performance on this one - exploiting a slightly lower range of his voice. Jim Pankow from Chicago wrote a killer brass arrangement on the outro and a very cool solo from Luke - probably my favourite on the album.
Bottom of Your Soul
The first single. A haunting track, reminscent of “Africa”, and with a huge production. A hypnotic percussion loop coupled with melancholic lyrics about the humanitarian aftermath of world tragedies. Stunning vocal performances by both Luke and Joseph Williams and hypnotic chants.
Luke: This one could be a single. I sang the verses and we had Joseph Williams come back and did a duet with me. Its classic Toto and very "Seventh One" sounding style wise with a 2006 twist to it. Lenny [Castro] is on this as well. Greg and I did the acoustic solo section live together which was cool. You were there!
King of the World
A fab mid tempo rocker which reminds me a little of Isolation-era Toto, especially with Paich’s vocals in the verses. Luke and Bobby also sing. Sure to be a live favourite of the future.
Paich: It is about the fall of Enron, as told from three perspectives.
One, being the "man on the street”(narrating);
two, being a low level worker and the third being the “Big Dog” exec.
In addition to the band, Steve Porcaro played a major role with creative editing,
intros and dazzling effects. Jason Scheff from "Chicago" also lent a hand on vocal harmonies.
Hooked
A prog masterpiece and loaded with cool hooks! Mike Porcaro’s incredible touch and tone and his interplay with Luke and Simon really make this track [i]groove.[i/] Steve Porcaro’s genius comes to the fore once again, before the track smoulders over Luke’s rasping guitar riff. A great Bobby lead vocal performance too - check out his (subliminal or otherwise) nod to Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” on the line “we love our MP3’s”. James Torme and Trevor Lukather augmented the backing vocals on this track, and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull added his inimitable rock flute timbres to the mix. Hooked is already one of my all-time Toto favourites
Simon: I had written the chorus a while back and played it to Luke and Mike. They came up with the verse which really work well. Dave made some harmonic changes to the overall piece and then I came up with the bridge section. Dave wrote some great lyrics. This was inspired by Led Zeppelin.
Simple Life
Mike: One of the things I always look forward to on a Toto album - a gorgeous ballad from Steve Lukather. These kind of songs flow out of him like a pure spring. Awesome! This one is short and sweet with a lovely chorus with that "wall" of background "oohs and aahs" as the backd
Taint Your World
No doubt that this track will be an instant Live favourite. I LOVE this track. The first time I heard this, Luke at me down in the studio mixing desk chair, whacked up the volume and as the opening riff blasted out, I beamed from ear to ear. THIS is what I used to hope Toto would have recorded 20 years ago. The riff and groove are blantantly Van Halen-esque, in the “Hot for Teacher” mould.
Greg: I always felt this is the kind of song that Luke just had to get “out of his system.” It’s definitely NOT for the faint of heart, and I’m gonna enjoy hitting it live. This is one of the reasons why I love being in this band
Let It Go
Greg’s debut lead vocal performance. A funky and soulful “Jake to the Bone with vocals”. Greg’s vocals fit seamlessly into the Toto sound but his keyboard touch certainly adds a funkier dimension when required.
Simon: We cut this with Greg Phillinganes - and he also had a hand in the writing. He sings the lead and there are some really intricate backing vocals.
Spiritual Man
Magnificent, a true Paich classic. A gospel song, featuring Dave, Bobby, Luke & Greg on vocals.
Mike: Dave's tune. I love the way the guys pass the vocal around on this one. Simple and few chord changes played to great effect.
No End In Sight
My favourite on the album. THIS track is what I really love about Toto. The time changes, the syncopation, the subtle riffs, the progressions, the dynamics. I really love the instrumental version I have of this track but Luke & Bobby’s vocal performances are exceptional. To me, this track is genius.
Simon: This was one of the last songs we wrote - I think it took about an hour to compose and then we cut it live - a couple of takes - and that's it. Bobby delivers another killer vocal on this one.
The Reeferman [Bonus Cut for Japan Release]
A whacky be-bop groove featuring a trumpet solo by Roy Hargrove!
Luke: This is a live jam written by basically me and Dave but as it’s a jam I guess its a band tune. Dave had this riff and Si started playin the be bop groove and I wrote a melody on the spot. After we heard it back we dug it ang got jazz legend Roy Hargrove to play trumpet on it. Its a Miles "Bitches Brew" kind of a thing. Very short piece but cool. You wouldn’t hear this on an other "70's-80's bands record that for sure! Its a "bonus cut" kinda thing but we dig it. It’s a bookend to "Don’t Stop me Now" from Fahrenheit with us and Miles back in 1986.
GREG PHILLINGANES INTERVIEWThis interview with Greg Phillinganes was published in the Toto "Falling In Between" Tour Programme, February 2006. The interview was progressed via email and over a series of meetings with Greg in New York, Los Angeles and various European cities throughout 2005...
GREG PHILLINGANES INTERVIEW
By Will Minting
Will: Congratulations on being invited to become a member of Toto last year!
Greg: Thank you so much, I LOVE being a REAL rock star!
Will: Although you've played live with Toto for nearly 3 years now, and you've toured with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie and racked up one of the most impressive discography's over the last 30 years (including contributions to albums by legends such as Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles), is this the first time that you’ve been pinned down to becoming a full member?
Will: Have you closely been following Toto’s career over the years or have you been playing “catch up” recently with some of the albums?
Greg: Certain albums yeah, but it’s not like I’m a stranger. I’ve known the guys for 25 years. I was a fan of theirs first, before I was a friend, and I remember when they first hit with ‘Hold the Line’. I was very happy and impressed to see a bunch of session boys become a band and produce the kind of quality songs that they continually turned out over all these years. I was a huge fan of Dave and Luke, and the whole band, before I ever dreamed I’d end up…I mean, you know, you don’t think of this. This is obviously a God thing. I mean, you don’t think ‘One day I’m gonna join Toto.’ It’s a thrill.
Will: What did your “new Toto member” induction ceremony involve? As you know, you're entering the ‘lions den’ as far as twisted humour! [Laughs]
Will: Although you’ve played on a stack of sessions with the Toto guys over the last 30 years, can you tell us about how you became involved with the band as David’s touring replacement in 2003? You’ve known the guys for a long time from sessions in LA!
Greg: Very easy. He called me up and asked me. And I said “Yeah!”. I was totally flattered. I remember the guys thinking I’d never do it…it was like ’you’ll never get him’…and I said yes, and showed up for a rehearsal [mimmicks whisper] ‘I can’t believe you got him!’ I was just as flattered if not more.
Will: Jeff Porcaro left a lasting impression on nearly everyone he met. What memories do you have of him?
Greg: Just that laugh. I was going somewhere, I made a stop at a store, I was preparing for Michael Jackson’s Dangerous tour in 1992, maybe 1991, and I heard this deep voice, it was him [imitates Jeff’s voice] “Phillinganes!”. Just his michieveous laugh. He was just a lovely, fun loving guy and an amazing musician.
Will: I read that you were "discovered" by Stevie Wonder. That's some "mentor"! How did that come about? Will: I know you’ve worked with both David Paich & Steve Porcaro for a long time on numerous other projects but how do you decide between you who plays what? Greg: It’s very simple, I just do what I want. Steve doesn’t tour with us. It’s quite economical. Right now, I’m doing everything. When Dave joins us, then we split up certain things, but it’s not a difficult process. It’s pretty evenly divided.
Will: What's your favourite memory of recording the Falling in Between album?
Greg: I would say the first time I worked on melodic ideas with the guys. That’s when I started feeling like I was really a part of the band. That and the constant challenges between us all to see who could come up with the most complex licks to master. The lunches we would order at the beginning of each workday and the very civilized tea from Stefan and biscuits from Si!
Will: Right. Could you tell us about how the tracks came together?
Falling In Between Greg: I remember Luke and Paich wanting to go in the direction of a prog rock piece ala Led Zepplin or YES. Bobby throws down HARD on lead and I pitched in on the chorus sections. We all played on this one…at the same time!
Dying On My Feet Greg: I believe this one started out as a riff that Luke had for a while. I enjoyed the way it evolved, section by section. It’s great to have Lenny back!
Bottom Of Your Soul Greg: This is one of the songs created later on in the project. I don’t know what inspired it, but it’s quite obvious that Dave was highly inspired!
King of the World: [comment required here]
Hooked Greg: One of my faves. It was on this song that Luke and I realized we blend well vocally. Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull guest stars and Stevie P did one of his best performances.
Simple Life Greg: Probably my favourite song of the whole album. I fell in love with it the first time Luke played it for me. As a songwriter, it’s one of those gems that makes you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Taint Your World Greg: I always felt this is the kind of song that Luke just had to get “out of his system.” It’s definitely NOT for the faint of heart, and I’m gonna enjoy hitting it live. This is one of the reasons why I love being in this band!
Let It Go Greg: Ahh, my lead vocal debut. The chorus melody and words, “Let it go” came quite quickly, as I remember. Si-Phi challenged me to come up with and interesting lick in the instrumental section after Luke’s solo and when I finally did, Mike and Luke were so pissed when learning it because it’s the kind of line that’s easier to play on a keyboard as opposed to a guitar. Now, we all hope to remember it when we do it live!
Spiritual Man Greg: I remember Dave being particularly excited about this one. He went through several drafts of lyrics…really took his time but I love the end result. Love the vocals as well-definitely one of my faves!
No End In Sight Greg: Another one of the later ones. I wasn’t involved in the writing here, but by the time it all came together, I was greatly inspired when it was my turn to overdub.
Reefer Man Greg: It sounds just as cool if you don’t smoke it whilst listening!!
Will: What does the title "Falling in Between" mean to you?
Greg: It represents the ambiguous identity of the band; not really attached or committed to one particular genre. Something I’ve admired about the band long before I joined.
Will: What keyboard equipment are you currently using with Toto? I know that you've been using David's Yamaha Motif and Korg Triton rig live on recent tours to recreate the sounds he has used for consistency but presumably you're bring your own sounds to the mix on the new album?
Will: What keyboards do you like to use live?
Greg: Well, you know, I’ve been a Korg guy for 15-20 years. Pretty much anything Korg.
Will: What’s your favourite touring memory?
Greg: There are WAAAY too many tour moments but I remember during the last Europe run, it took ALL of us together about half an hour to get the DVD player on the bus to work. It was pathetically funny!
Will: Woops!
Greg: I mean, Luke just thought he was saying ‘my black person’. ‘Schwartz’ was a derogatory term for the Germans to call us niggers. Only Steve Lukather can think of doing something as remotely as insane as that! He gets away with stuff that none of us would even dream of doing. He would say things that we would never think of saying to our mothers but other mothers laugh, because he’s just charming! Right after the hush fell over the crowd. I just laughed. Much later on, I said “Mein Schwartz” means ‘my nigga’ and as vile, and as crude, and as nasty as Luke can be, the one thing he will never say is “nigga”. I think it’s laughable he has said things that I didn’t even know existed but he would never say that.
Will: I remember when he introduced you on stage a couple of years ago ‘Greg Phillinganes, he plays pretty good for a white guy!’
Greg: [Laughs] It speaks for itself doesn’t it? What are you gonna do?
Will: [Laughs] Your rendering of the vocals on Africa, Home of the Brave has gone down a storm. That’s an uncanny impression of Paich’s vocal timbre you’ve got going on there!
Greg: Well, I just think of a big white guy, and there it is! [laughs] All you have to do is do your homework! It’s been discovered that Luke and I blend really well. We are the new dynamic duo! It was Maurice White and Philip Bailey, now it’s Luke and me! We have a great blend.
Will: To date, you’ve recorded 2 solo albums, Significant Gains (1981) and Pulse (1984). Are these albums still available? I should think that as far as Toto fans, these albums will become collectables now!
Greg: No, but they’re collectors items in Borneo! [Laughs] They bombed quicker than Pearl Harbour! It was in the early eighties. Seriously, I think you can get the first one at least in Japan.
Will: Do you have any plans to record another solo album in the future?
Greg: I actually would like to. I don’t have everything lined up the way I’d like it, it would be cool and it’s been a long time since I felt that way. Hopefully I will.
Will: What's the most memorable thing someone well-known has said about you?
Greg: There was the time when I performed in the Montreux Jazz Festival with Ray Charles and he said something to the effect that he enjoyed my playing. Not to mention being validated by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, two of my all-time heroes.
Will: You recently co-produced Herbie Hancock’s new album. Which of all the hundreds of sessions you’ve performed on stands out?
Greg: There are too many, it’s been a blessing. Working with Barbara Streisand did not suck! One of the many I’m most proud of is playing piano on the “We Are The World” track because I knew it would cause great change and save lives.
Will: You’ve worked very extensively with Michael Jackson over the years. Do you keep in touch with him?
Greg: No, not really. It’s not like he calls me every other day, or something like that. The last time we were together was when I was the MD for his band for his Anniversary Special, right before 9/11, at Madison Square Gardens. It was really a joy for me, it was reuniting with his brothers as well. Just before the first show, I went into the dressing room, it was emotional for me, I started remembering when I was in Junior High [school] and when they first broke out, they were massive, they were huge. Just remember being so excited as a fan, and then to be working with them. I was on their albums. It wasn’t the first time I worked with them. It just seemed like the coming of a full-circle, you know? And they were so wonderful, put their arms around me and thanked me. Then I went to Michael’s room, and he kinda said the same thing. It was a wonderful time. Then we were attacked [9/11], and everything went out the window.
Will: That’s all for now Greg! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Greg: Thanks to the band for allowing me to be a part of their lives, and thanks to all the fans for embracing me, I really, really appreciate it.
© Will Minting, February 2006. MIKE PORCARO & STEVE LUKATHER INTERVIEW - September 2005MIKE PORCARO & STEVE LUKATHER FALLING IN BETWEEN INTERVIEW SEPTEMBER 2005 Will: We hear that Falling In Between is very much a "band-written album". Mike, which songs were you most heavily involved with? Mike: I was involved in most of the songs written for this album. Dave brought in an essentially finished song as did Luke. The rest all started with an initial idea, which was then embellished on by the band. The end result being a representation of where the "band" is at in 2005. Will: What bass guitars, EFX and amps have you been using on the new album? Do you write on the bass, or do you play guitar or keyboards when you're writing? Mike: I've been playing a G&L L2500 bass and a 4 string bass by Sugi on most of the record. I also used a Hofner and Peavey on the record. And of course my favorite "F" bass saw some action also. Most of my contributions to the writing of this record were conceived on the bass guitar. Will: Luke, did you exclusively use your Music Man guitars or did you dig out some of your vintage Les Pauls and Fenders? Which acoustic guitars have you used? Luke: Music Man all the way. I just love the way they feel and sound. I still have all the vintage stuff but I get everything I need out of MY guitars. MM is the best! Ovation/Adams acoustics. they are the best and I love working with the company. I have LOTS of guitars . haha Will: Is your recording set-up the same as your live rig, or have you used different amps and effects? Luke: Well, I use my live rig most of the time. I used Simons little Marshall on a few things, and my son Trevor’s Marshall 4/12 JCM on a few things. He has a really good one. Will: Did you record your parts "dry" and add EFX at the desk? Luke: Always dry and various EFX separately to have control. Will: Did you use any new gear recording this album? Luke: Yeah, got a few new pedals here and there. The ISP sub woofer system on a few things, Radial tonebone distortion pedal, Xotic pedals.. cool stuff plus all the Bradshaw stuff and some stuff from the console. I am looking forward to hearing what our mixer Steve Macmillan brings to the guitar sounds! Will: Mike, how do you approach writing a bass line to gel the complex instrumentation? Is it all feel or more structured than that? Mike: It's a combination of both, but I essentially just try to feel the bass line. I let the tune tell me what the bass line should be. Will: Are there any particular influences, guitarists or bands, which influenced you this year whilst writing and recording "Falling in Between"? Luke: I am influenced by EVERYTHING I hear. The new stuff is a bit more "prog-rock" in places but with OUR groove to it . We are a product of out collective influences. Mike: I've been listening to mostly older CD's lately. Donny Hathaway's "Extensions Of A Man" and Marvin Gaye tunes in general have been on my playlist recently. Will: Luke, you played keyboards on a couple of tracks on the album. Do you have your own keyboard set up at home or do you just use what Paich, Greg and Stevie P have in the studio? How often do you practice the piano? Luke: I did indeed. I have a Yamaha 9 foot grand piano in my living room in LA and that’s all I need. I don’t practice as much as used to. I spend more time practicing guitar. I will never get that down. hahaha Will: Do you have a demo facility at home to put down ideas? Luke: Yeah, a shi tty cassette player. If it doesn’t sound good with just piano or acoustic guitar than it sucks anyway. WHY do demos? Most of the time they feel better than the final for me. Lets just make the record once! haha Will: Do any of the other guys in the band play guitar at all - not on the album, but for fun? Luke: Not really. If they did I would love it if they did a part on the record. Will: Can you give us an insight into routines/anecdotes about the new album sessions? Luke: We have it down after almost 30 years. We speak our own language and have our own humour that very, very few people get and we are ALWAYS roasting each other. If you didn’t know you would think we hated each other. Hahahaha. Simon is the king of tea and biscuits. We eat at the same 2 lunch places everyday. Hahaha. As you get older routine is cool. Ya don’t have to think about bullshi t ...just the new music of the day. Mike: I must say, that I've had an absolute blast making this record. It's been intimate, fun and challenging. With the addition of Greg Phillinganes, new musical energy has been breathed into the mix of things and this has been a blessing and shot in the arm for Toto. Will: Mike, you used to sing backing vocals, live at least. Aren't you tempted to help fill out those rich vocal harmonies? Mike; I'm more than happy to concentrate on playing bass and leaving the vocals to Tony and others. Will: A lot of fans ask about your side projects, such as "The Porcaro Brothers" and your occasional live appearances as "Mike Porcaro & Friends". Whilst you'll clearly be busy with Toto with the new album release and world tour from February 2006, do you have any plans to progress "solo" projects in the future? Mike: Let's see what happens this next year! © Will Minting, September 2005 TOM KELLY INTERVIEW - February 2005Some of you may have been following the Touring Personnel and Session Musician Forums where I've been researching and writing short biographies for the Toto99 messageboard. Many of Toto's musician friends and peers have become legendary artists in their own right; James Newton Howard, Timothy B. Schmit and Tom Kelly immediately spring to mind, amongst many other highly successful musicians. Many of you will have seen the Q&A I did a few months back with Warren Ham and I'm hoping that we'll be able to contact more of the guys who have contributed to Toto over the last 28 years in due course. It has been my pleasure and privilege over the last couple of weeks to email with Tom Kelly - a truly legendary singer/songwriter, who with his songwriting partner Billy Steinberg has had phenomenal international success with such pop-rock classics as Like a Virgin by Madonna, Alone by Heart, True Colors by Cindy Lauper, Eternal Flame by The Bangles and I drove all night by Roy Orbison, just to name a select few! Tom has also fronted his own bands, Fools Gold and i-TEN. Check out a short biography, link to a discography and a fascinating insight into the writing of Like a Virgin, Eternal Flame and Alone here! Tom toured with Toto in the late 1970's (as a background vocalist/additional guitarist) and has of course also sung background vocals on Toto IV and The Seventh One, and also co-wrote It Looks Like Rain for Lukather's 1989 debut, on which he also sang. Whilst researching Tom's career, I haven't discovered any other interviews with him on the internet, so we're especially pleased to present this exclusive for you all at the Toto99 messageboard! Tom's a really funny and ridiculously modest guy (something all of Toto's peers have in common other than their exceptional musical talents) and I hope you all enjoy reading Tom's Toto recollections as much as I have putting it together! Thanks for your time, Tom! TOM KELLY INTERVIEW - FEBRUARY 2005 Will: You're one of the most successful rock songwriters of all time, a highly respected vocalist, musician and producer. How did you come into contact with Toto in the first place? TK: I originally met Jeff, Mike, and David when they performed on an album I was making with my band, Fools Gold, in 1977. Jeff was quite the cool character and, as always, he blew everyone away with his abilities, energy, and feel. I had never seen or heard anybody play drums like that before. I remember Mike showing us how to pop the bass strings with his thumb, a style that’s been around ever since, but it was the first time I’d really seen it, and I was a bass player (duh….I was more from the McCartney school) Later that year Fool’s Gold toured with Boz Skaggs as his opening act, and we hung a bit then, as most of Boz’s band was soon to be Toto. It wasn’t until Fool’s Gold folded and I was doing vocal session work a year later that the Toto relationship came to be. I was singing background sessions all over town, usually with Bill Champlin, and we hooked up with Bobby Kimball as a third. We were a powerful trio with Bill’s thick voice on the bottom, Bobby’s trumpet voice blasting in the middle, and I’d cut through with the high parts. Bobby was probably the loudest singer I’d ever worked with, so he pushed us all to keep up the force and blend. We became good friends and saw each other on a weekly basis, so we would all share what we were working on. Bobby would play us early Toto recordings as the first album was taking shape. The musicianship was impeccable, and the vocals were strong and distinctive. A lot of the power harmonies were Bobby’s voice stacked in a high range. That’s where I happened in to it. They didn’t really have a high belter to cover the parts live that Bobby overdubbed on the records. One day Bobby came to a routine BG session and asked if I would be interested in stopping by Joe Porcaro’s garage (Toto rehearsal central) and sing some harmonies with the boys. I guess it was an audition. We all hit it off. I think it was my Ed Sullivan impression that sold them. The vocals really gelled….I’d been harmonizing with Bobby for months now, so I knew his voice, and I blended well with Luke and David on the softer stuff. When they found out I could play guitar, I was then assigned Luke’s secondary parts from the album. Next thing I knew, I was shaking my *** on stage with Toto, right in the front row. Luke and Steve Porcaro were kids, still teenagers, and I was 28 and married with two kids. As talented as these guys were, they hadn’t toured as artists before, and they were very green and very excited. I’d been around for a while and was comfortable on stage, so I felt a little like an older brother. As a player though, I was humbled and in awe of their abilities. David’s aggressive, groove-oriented approach to the piano was a big influence on my songwriting later. The opening stabs of “Like A Virgin” on the 6th chord were probably something I copped from David….Thanks, by the way, David. Also the feel on “I Touch Myself” was very Paich. I was a well paid hired hand for them that whole year, and at one point, after the famous Kauai Resort stint to prepare for the road, there was talk from the record company of including me as a member. It didn’t make a lot of sense, though, and I knew it. They didn’t need another writer, and there were already six of them. I think I just helped to gel the live thing. So after that year, I dropped out and pursued my writing and recording. Timothy Schmidt, who I’d sung with a bunch and is a great guy, took my place for the next go round, when he was in between Poco and the Eagles. It was the last time I ever toured as a performer, something I’d done since I was 14 years old. It was a great way to end that chapter of my career, with the best band I’d ever played in by far. I was 30 now and felt it was time to focus on writing. We all remained friends, and Luke even co-produced an album I did with Billy Steinberg in 1981 called I-Ten. The song, “Alone,” which Heart later had a #1 with 4 years later, was on that record. Luke’s solo on that cut was unbelievable. All of Toto performed on that album at one time or another. It was great fun. Will: Hahaha! Great stuff! You toured with Toto in 1979, singing and having the rare distinction of playing live guitar with Toto! They were heady days, Toto were at the top of the charts all over the world and they went on to pick up a stack of Grammys. What memories do you have of touring with the guys? Any amusing tales to tell?! TK: Mmmm, amusing tales…not hard to remember. We were all having the time of our lives on the road. I remember snorkeling at Poipu Beach in Kauai with David Paich and Luke, and I can’t remember who else. I do recall David mistaking some harmless sting rays’ fins protruding out of the water, pointing and yelling “Shark! Shark!” and somewhat clearing the beach. Luke got sunburned badly that day, but felt well enough later to teach me how to shoot a beer….important stuff. On the east coast I recall escaping over the New Jersey state line in the early a.m. on the Toto tour bus. It seems there was a question about some under-aged girls being involved in something-or-other. Imagine that. I can’t seem to recall whom the guilty band members were  Another great one was contributed by David Hungate, such a dry, funny guy, and his boom box. This was so gross! He would make these cassette recordings in his hotel bathroom, making these horrendous farting sounds with his mouth, and then accompanying it by dumping wastebaskets of splashing water into the toilet, simulating the most disgusting, realistic sounding diarrhea attack you’ve ever heard. It would go on and on and on for several minutes, absolutely relentless. Then when we would get someplace perfectly inappropriate, like an elevator in a classy New York hotel, or even in the lobby amongst dozens of people, he would set down the boombox, hit PLAY at full stereophonic volume, and the show would begin. We would all die laughing! The elevator was tense because you couldn’t escape, and you could feel the disgust and indignation of some stuffy old couple on board. It was pretty sophomoric, but it was cripplingly funny. David H. would just quietly smile in his twisted way.Will: Hahahahaha! Fantastic! You've sung on both Toto IV and The Seventh One, and of course co-wrote and performed on "It looks like rain" on Lukather's debut solo album. What recollections do you have of these sessions? TK: Those sessions are kind of a blur…it was a while ago, but I do recall that all of those sessions were just cool, creative times. As I’m sure you know, all these guys are bright with cutting senses of humor…lots of joking, teasing, laughing. There was always mutual respect and admiration, and there were awesome musical moments. Working collectively with talented friends is a strong drug…feels good. In becoming a fulltime songwriter, I pretty much gave up performing and gigging, except for singing and playing on my own song demos, but that was pretty much holed up in my home studio with one or two people. I do miss that buzz of a live band and singing in a group. Will: Sure. Your i-TEN album "Taking a cold look" is a legendary and cult AOR album, cited as one of the greatest AOR albums ever. You again worked with the Toto guys. Can you tell us what you remember about those sessions? TK: I-Ten was probably doomed, simply because there was no real band, concept, or clear artist. It was my songwriting partner, Billy Steinberg and I that got the record deal, based on a bunch of songs we had written. The songs were all different styles, from pop to heavy rock. We tried to shape it in to the current Foreigner or Journey sound…influenced, I’m sure, by our producer, Keith Olsen, who had made records with those guys. Billy, whose voice is low, ended up singing on only one song, and I sang the rest of the lead vocals and played guitar and some keyboards. The fun part was working with many of LA’s finest players and singers. We hired all the very best. Halfway through the project, Luke came in to play guitar on a session and basically never left. He and Keith hit it off, and we all unanimously agreed on his co-producing the rest of the record. He was on break from Toto duties, and was looking to hone his young production skills. I think Keith was a little burnt and welcomed the help. We knew having Luke there would assure the quality and vibe we wanted, so it worked for everyone. It was mostly a late night, all night kind of schedule, which was the one difficulty. Keith was a sleep-all-day, stay up-all-night guy, and that made it tough on us, especially Billy, who, when I met him, was working on his father’s grape ranch near Palm Springs. He then, and still is a super early bird…I’m talking up at four or five in the morning…and these sessions were going until six or seven in the AM! My schedule was somewhere in the middle, but the all nighters were tough. Luke was in his early 20’s, so he didn’t need sleep. The album was well recorded, but the songs and image were pretty scrambled. It’s great as a songwriter to be able to write different styles for different people, but it can be the kiss of death for an artist who needs one clear style with which to identify. Great experience, though. Will: And with your songwriting partner Billy Steinberg, you've written some of the very biggest rock hits of the last 30 years including True Colors, Alone, I drove all night, Like a Virgin, I'll stand by you and loads more! Which song are you most proud of, and do you still work with Billy, and who have you been writing for in recent years? TK: Yes, Billy and I had a great run through those years. I feel so lucky and blessed. It was an exciting, amazing time. Things moved so fast, and it seemed like every song we wrote was a hit. I guess we were in “the zone.” We are really opposites in many ways, but that was the compliment, the yin and yang. I always had found it easy to write chords and melodies, but struggled with lyrics. Billy wrote lyrics constantly, and did put many to music himself, and successfully so, but he knew his limitations and wanted to expand beyond his simple punk-pop style. He is very ambitious and driven, much more than I…again opposites. I think he was looking for someone to help take him to the next level. I was just looking for a good co-write. We met at a party at Keith Olsen’s house in 1981. I’d been writing with Bill Champlin and co-wrote with Pat Benatar and others, but I always kept floating on to the next one. Billy came to the party with a guitar in his hand….kinda weird to me. We were introduced, and he asked if I wanted to hear a song he had written. I said, “Here? Now??” Usually writers passed around cassettes of their demos...not Billy. I said, “Sure,” and we found an empty corner of the house where Billy launched into some jerky, out of rhythm, Buddy Hollyish, catchy kind of thing. His singing was crude and pitchy, the song was hooky and energetic…but the lyrics were what really struck me. They were clever, yet meaningful, intelligent, a little twisted, and really poetic. We agreed to meet the next day and give it a try. It was all too easy. We wrote tons of songs and had fun demoing them at my pad. The first song we wrote, “Just One Kiss,” was placed with Rick Springfield. The verse and chorus were just three chords, and I hadn’t written something that primal in years. I feel I did take Billy up to the next level, and he took me back down a level. Thanks, I needed that. I had been working with such sophisticated musicians in sessions (David Foster, Larry Carlton, Jay Graydon, and, of course, Toto) that I had kind of overshot my roots musically, and it had messed with the integrity of my songwriting. Billy and I both loved The Everly Brothers, Smokey Robinson, Roy Orbison, the Beatles, and seemed to have nearly identical tastes and opinions regarding songs. We shared the most obscure old favorite records, which was always a laugh. All of these common influences helped to shape the directions of our songs. We were off and running and didn’t really stop for almost 20 years. I’m probably most proud of “True Colors,” as it’s been such a positive force. It’s been used by countless charities and foundations to promote good will and healing, and it’s been recorded several times by various artists starting with Cyndi Lauper. “Eternal Flame,” recorded by the Bangles, is a favorite. “Like A Virgin,” while it was a bit of a lark when we wrote it, seems to have stricken a deep niche in pop archives…ask Madonna….it’s the song that won’t go away. A very personal favorite of mine is “I Drove All Night.” We wrote it as a “Roy” song, as Roy Orbison was a big influence on us, and we are huge fans. We actually nosed around, found him, and convinced him to come to my home studio and replace the vocal that I had done imitating him. What a thrill! Roy Orbison…at MY house singing three feet away from me while I punched him in and out on the demo. One thing that really surprised me about his voice was that it wasn’t that loud, it was mostly a well-controlled head voice, but he can sound like Pavarotti on his records. The song ended up with Cyndi first, as Roy wasn’t really starting a project at the time. We had intended to save it for Roy, but Cyndi heard it and went nuts. She HAD to have it and right NOW!! She can be very persuasive and was just coming off of “True Colors” at #1, so we gave it to her. It did well, but we were still hoping Roy would release it one day. Sadly, he died soon after, and we thought that was that. Then, out of the blue, we got a call from his record company looking for any material from Roy to release posthumously. Jeff Lynn was compiling and producing it, so we met with him and turned over our little 16 track demo with Roy singing. Jeff was very close to Roy, and had done the “Traveling Wilburys” album with him recently. He replaced everything on the demo except, of course, Roy’s holy voice. The record didn’t do that well here in the states, but was a smash in Britain and elsewhere abroad. Our co-writing with Chrissie Hynde probably came about because she was impressed with that song. Celine Dion did a powerful version recently, but my favorite cover will always be Roy with his haunting, distinctive rendition. Uh-huh, yeah. Will: Hahahahah! Do you still perform live or do you work exclusively in the studio these days? Rumour has it that you sang live with Toto in Las Vegas in 1999! TK: As I said earlier, my last real live performing was with Toto, other than ASCAP type functions or charity shows. As for my work these days....here’s what happened: in the mid 90’s something snapped in me. The music scene had changed drastically. Rap and hip-hop were dominating the charts. I was getting bored and tired of the same old grind. I had made good money and didn’t need to work much, so all of these factors combined led me to the decision to quit working full time and spend more time raising my young boys, traveling, and getting in to the home life (and golf, my passion.) Most of my musical energy now is spent on my now teenage sons, who play guitar and keyboards and are writing songs. In late 1999, I met and later married my dream girl, Mei Liu, a gorgeous, younger woman who grew up in Mainland China. Yeah, baby! It works for me! We are so very happy together, and…we’re expecting a baby boy in May. So, you see, I’m still being creative, but in a different way. I do get together with Billy every few months to write something when the itch comes, or if an attractive opportunity comes up. He is still working hard, writing full time and has been quite prolific. He loves it. Yin and yang. We speak often and are friends, always bound by our songs. And, last but not least, yes, I was dragged up on stage at the Las Vegas Hilton with the boys in 1999. I was there at a golf event with a large group, and I really didn’t know they were performing there until I pulled in and saw the marquee outside. I grinned from ear to ear, and after checking in got Luke on the phone. He was surprised and happy and insisted I come to the show, which, of course, I wouldn’t have missed. Before their first encore, “Hold the Line,” they all started yelling my name…”Tom Kel-ly! Tom Kel-ly!” (in the same silly, low-to-high falsetto voice we used in the 70s) and waved me up. I was a little red in the face, but jumped up there and sang the high part on the same mike as Luke, just like I used to. Luke, grinning and looking amazed, leaned over to me between vocal lines and said in my ear, “It’s exactly the same!!” It was an intense déjà vu 20 years later! It was like yesterday! Such is life. I learned so much during those years of working with David, Luke, Steve, Jeff, Mike, and Bobby, and loved every minute. Peace, love, and thanks to all of them! Thanks for the kudos, Will. xox, Tom © Will Minting, February 2005 DAVID HUNGATE INTERVIEW - April 2005Nashville session giant and highly respected producer David Hungate was Toto's original bass player from 1977 to 1982, when he quit prior to the Toto IV world tour. In the following email interview, David has kindly shared his memories of performing on the first four Toto albums, his respect for Jeff and all the guys, winning Grammy Awards, practical jokes on the road, provides insight into his session experiences in LA and Nashville, bass equipment past and present and technique tips!
DAVID HUNGATE INTERVIEW APRIL 2005 Will: Hi David! Thanks very much for agreeing to talk about your memories of the early Toto days! You already knew Jeff Porcaro & David Paich well through your session work by the time you toured with them on Boz Scaggs 'Silk Degrees' tour in 1976/77, and when Toto was subsequently formed. Do you remember at which sessions the nucleus of Toto first met and at what point the idea for Toto first evolved? David: We played together on many of the first sessions I did in LA in '72-'74---Cher, Rita Jean Bodine, Seals and Crofts etc. I met Jeff in January of '72 at a latenight freebee session for Sal Marquez unreleased solo album at Leon Russell's house. Dean Parks got me on it promising Jim Keltner would be playing drums. Jim bailed and sent Jeff. Jeff was 16 and playing like only Jeff played. I'd been doing the Sonny and Cher gig and they were looking for a new drummer so I lobbied to get Jeff on the gig. A few months later he got them to hire David Paich who he'd know since they were 13. I guess that was the nucleus of Toto...we started talking about starting a band. Will: The original Toto sound was very full and the grooves and sounds that can be heard on Silk Degrees (for example, Lido Shuffle) are obviously very similar to some tracks on the early Toto albums. The rhythm section of yourself and Jeff was obviously fundamental to that fantastic groove, and your musical connection and understanding together was exceptional! Please could you tell us more about how you approached "finding your groove" with Jeff for new Toto songs? David: With those guys...Jeff and Paich....the groove was already there. We never used clicks or loops except on "Africa" by the way. Young guys who ask about Toto can't believe that. It was just a matter of coming up with a part that was hopefully interesting. Will: Obviously the wide variety of musical genres that Toto have performed required different techniques and a lot of versatility as a musician. You contributed some very funky parts to classic Toto tracks such as "Mama" and "Georgy Porgy" to name just two, which undoubtedly helped define these grooves to be what they are – soulful and funky! Weren’t you one of the first bass players to develop a “slap bass” type style? David: The first “slapper” I ever saw was a guy named Ira Wilkes in Fort Smith AK in the early 70’s. He showed me a few things. I’d heard Larry Graham [Sly & The Family Stone] on records but wasn’t sure what he was doing. When I was trying to be a hot studio guy in LA I felt compelled to stay on top of all the latest bass techniques. It was better to be a jack of all trades than a master on one. Everybody jumped on the slap thing for a few years and it became a cliché and now there’s not much call for it. The same thing happened to fretless when it was used on the CNN theme for a couple years…yuck. When I started playing bass in ’68 I’d played trombone and guitar. I used the Arban trombone method to get my chops together on bass. I already knew how to use a pick but pick doesn’t work on a lot of things so I developed a 3-finger right hand technique….most people were using one or 2 fingers. Since moving to Nashville I’ve learned to play enough upright to do country sessions. You have to be versatile. Will: Did you come up with the ideas for your parts in the studio, or were these developed beforehand, perhaps when you heard David Paich's demo tapes? David: We usually rehearsed before going in to record. Typically Paich or Luke would play a tune live and we'd come up with our own parts. In most situations there are obvious things the bass has to do. I tried to do that then add something to make it more interesting...the thumb fills on "Rosanna", the fills on "Africa" and "Miss Sun", the bass part on "99" and the solo at the end, etc. Will: That’s a wonderful ending on “99”, with the jazzy guitar solo followed by your inspired bass solo! David: That just happened on the take…unrehearsed. I remember that Jeff flipped out, called my wife and said “listen to what your old man just did.” Will: Great! Toto are infamous for their "one take" studio performances! What memories do you have of the writing and recording sessions for the debut album and Hydra, Turn Back and IV? David: With maybe one exception all the tunes were brought in complete (except for lyrics sometimes) by the writers. We rehearsed so that when we went into the studio we didn't labor over getting takes. I was so critical of my playing back then that the overall recollection is one of being under a lot of self-induced pressure to play well. I don't remember being satisfied with anything I played with Toto at the time...25 years later I can appreciate it, though I seldom listen to it. It's hard too....makes me miss Jeff, and wish I'd been a nicer, less neurotic guy back then. Will: What bass guitar equipment did you use on Toto sessions? David: I used a ’64 Jazz bass and a ’62 Precision…both with Rotosound strings. I still have and use both of them. We recorded a direct signal...probably through an LA2A limiter and Pultec EQ, and my Acoustic 136 amp. Will: In one or two of the videos, you played a twin-neck bass and six string guitar! An unusual hybrid and a pretty heavy instrument, I should think? Did you play much six-string guitar during live performances? David: The double neck was Paich’s idea. He thought he could play keyboard bass live and we’d have 2 guitars. I had it built and the only time I ever used it was in that video, and yes, it weighed a ton. Will: Hahaha! Which bass guitars and amps do you use these days? Are you a fan of fretless bass guitars? David: Most of the time I use a Lakland or Sadowsky 5 string through my rack which contains a telefunken preamp, LA2a, and 2 Tubetek EQ units. I seldom use an amp in the studio but when I do it’s an Ampeg B15. I have a Pedulla 5 string fretless I use occasionally and Peavey is building me a 6 string fretless. I haven’t used fretless as much since I started playing upright. I have a Carruthers electric upright which I like better in most traditional fretless applications. Will: As a founder member of the band, you toured with Toto between 1977 and 1982, when you quit, prior to the TotoIV world tour. I gather that by that time, you'd already purchased a property in the Nashville area, and were committed to your family life with two young children. Whilst everyone can of course understand your decision to quit, it must have been difficult to leave behind such a hugely successful band who were reaping the rewards and acclaim of the IV album. Were you at the Grammy Awards ceremony or did you not collect an award? David: Life is full of existential dilemmas...situations where either choice you make has a big downside. Looking back would I rather have been on the road with Toto at the height of their popularity instead of getting to experience the first year of my son's life? Who knows. At this point I don't at all regret my decision to leave Toto when I did. Back then I had my doubts. Toto was gracious to invite me to the Grammys in '83 and I went and got to experience that night and collect my awards. Will: That must have been some night! How did it feel, collecting one of the top category awards after another? David: It was bizarre…they just kept giving us things! I remember thinking at the time “I’d better enjoy this now cause it’s sure as shi t never going to happen again.” I did, and it hasn’t. Will: Toto have toured the world very extensively since 1977 and collectively the humour on the road is outrageous and often completely warped! It’d be great if you could share your touring memories! Tom Kelly recently revealed in his Toto interview that he fondly remembers your 'fart tapes'! David: You have to get a little crazy to stay sane on the road. Most days consist of 22 hours of boredom surrounding 2 hours of relative excitement. If you can't find humor in things it can get pretty dark. We were never into wholesale destruction...trashing rooms etc. Practical jokes were an art form though. As for the "fart tapes," I carried a ghetto blaster with me. I'd made a cassette of some rather sensational simulated bathroom noises and would play it when things got too serious. We checked into an old, stuffy hotel in Canada once. As we entered the lobby several old, distinguished looking lobby-sitters gave glances of clear disdain at the group of heathens that had invaded their sanctuary. I took offense at this and later surrepticiously placed my blaster behind the chair of one of our critics. The first minute or so of the tape was silent to allow for a graceful escape, then it started gradually and quietly, building to a grand crescendo of flatulence over several minutes. The effect was very gratifying. It came in handy many times. Another favorite thing (Luke was often my accomplice in this) was to alter the letters on those little signs they have outside restaurants, in hotel lobby, etc, changing "Have a cheeseburger!" to "Have a bastard!" or something. It was puerile, juvenile, and incredibly funny at the time. We once put some dead bluegill between the mattress and box spring of Paich's bed while he was going to pick up a friend at the airport. You get the idea. Will: Yes indeed! Fantastic! Hahahaha. As a producer as well as a bass player and electric/acoustic guitarist, you are hugely respected on the Nashville session scene, and I gather that you have worked with such legends as Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Rickie Lee Jones, Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell and Conway Twitty, amongst many, many others! That's a seriously impressive resume! Whilst as a session musician you have obviously covered a breadth of musical genres, is Country music your real passion? David: I enjoy good, authentic country music but there's precious little of that being recorded these days. There are some great musicians in Nashville though and nearly all the sessions here are pleasant, if not musically challenging, experiences. I do some songwriting and playing in the 1940's style which I love. I did that on the side when I was in LA too. I co-wrote and produced 2 albums with April Barrows which show that side of my musical taste. We're hoping to record again early next year. Will: During your Toto years, you also played a number of sessions for artists including Bryan Adams, Gladys Knight, the Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins, Neil Sedaka, Barbra Streisand and Olivia Newton-John! Please could you tell us about the most memorable sessions you have performed in LA over the years, and what made them special to you? David: It's hard for non session players to understand, but when you do recording sessions day in and day out it becomes routine. You’re there as a professional, not as a fan for one thing. You remember how they were as people...were they nice people or were the full of crap and ego. You remember funny things that happened. You remember the occasional times when musical magic happens, and the occasional times when extraordinary musical crap is rendered. Most of us could write books of our session experiences. For a short answer I can say that I'm extraordinarily grateful to have gotten to hang out with some of my personal heroes and legends over the years...Chet Atkins, Stephane Grappelly, Roy Rogers, Dean Martin, Carl Perkins, Sarah Vaughn, George Burns, Jack Benny, Edgar Bergin, Henny Youngman, Steve Martin, Jaco Pastorius, Ray Brown, Marty Paich, Lawrence Brown, and many others. When in the presence of people like these it was very difficult to maintain my session-man cool...you couldn't help reverting to a starstruck 6 year old when in the presence of the "King of the Cowboys" for example. Will: And you also performed on the Tribute to Jeff album with the jazz pianist David Benoit and Vinnie Colaiuta? Can you tell us more about that session? David: David came to my studio in Nashville to have me overdub my part. We spent a few hours talking about Jeff, listening to some old things we’d played together. The overdub took about 20 minutes. Will: With all your considerable studio and touring experience, what advice would you give to less experienced musicians? David: I have 2 sons in their early 20’s who are talented musicians. I didn’t steer them in that direction at all…if anything I tried to point out the pitfalls of the business. The main thing is, If you’ve going to try to make a living at music you’d better really love it and be willing to make sacrifices for it. I spent a few years on the road, and a few years in clubs before that. The studio thing is great if you have the temperment for it. Unfortunately the music business is totally different than it was when I was starting out in the 60’s. There was a lot more club work then…a lot more live music generally…more gigs. The studio thing has suffered too….fewer record companies means fewer artists means fewer sessions. A lot of movie and TV music is being done by synthesizer players. I think today you’d better be able to not just play well, but also write, produce, engineer, teach or have a day gig to enjoy any kind of security. Will: Sure. Do you still play gigs or is most of your work confined to the studio these days? David: I haven't toured with anyone since Toto. I'm still doing sessions...worked with Toby Keith and Joe Nichols recently. I'll probably continue working so long as I have some fun, and they keep calling me. Will: Your really great solo album "Souvenir" stretched out in a different direction again, with more mellow and jazzy orientated tracks, written by yourself and Randy Goodrum, to which Jeff and Luke (amongst others) contributed. What was it like working with them again following your departure from the band? David: Most of that record was done in '87 I believe. I had a good relationship with the Toto guys at that time and it was great fun. Later there were a few rocky years due to misunderstanding regarding a royalty dispute...a problem which was not their fault, nor mine, and was subsequently resolved. Will: Do you still keep in touch with the guys? You joined Toto onstage at the Ryman Auditorium a couple of years ago for an impromptu performance of Hold the Line. Luke told me recently that you are "a true bro, I have nothing but love and respect for him"! David: That's how I feel about Luke and the rest of the guys. We shared a great adventure, had some hilarious times and made some great records. It was great playing with them again in Nashville...kind of like coming full-circle somehow--putting any bad vibes from the past away for good and moving on. © Will Minting, April 2005 JOSEPH WILLIAMS INTERVIEW - April 2005It's truly been a great pleasure over the last few weeks to email with Joseph Williams - as you'll read in the following interview, he's every bit as charming and cool as he came across during his time as Toto's lead vocalist from 1986-1988! Wouldn't it be fantastic, as Luke mentioned in last night's Live Chat, if Joseph contributed a background vocal or so to the forthcoming Toto album! So, 17 years - almost to the week - since I saw Joseph perform with Toto at Hammersmith Odeon on The Seventh One tour, here's an in-depth chat with Joe about his Toto days! JOSEPH WILLIAMS INTERVIEW APRIL 2005 Will: Hey Joseph! Thanks a lot for getting in touch, it’s great to hear from you! Joseph: First of all, Will, I want to thank you again for your interest and all your hard work on the great interviews so far. I feel privileged to participate. As I mentioned in my last email, I have recently logged on and read quite a bit of the message boards and I truly appreciate all the interest and support from the fans. Especially since I have been kind of out of commission (as a singer) for so long and in light of the fact that my time with TOTO was so short. With that said, I will happily let you know what has been going on over these last 16 years or so. Will: Great! I know that a lot of Toto fans would love to hear what you’ve been doing, you’re a substantial part of Toto history! I’d like to kick off by asking what you've been up to recently! Joseph: I believe a lot is already known about what I’ve done since my time with the guys. Solo albums, guest appearances, film and television scoring etc. What isn’t generally known (but, I think speculated upon) is that it took almost a year for my vocal chords to heal after “The Seventh One”. I had blown my voice out so badly on that last tour that I really believed that I was finished as a singer. Needless to say, this realization sent me into a bit of a tailspin. It didn’t help that I felt I had squandered an opportunity to work with not only the greatest band of musicians on the planet but also my favorite people. I was a TOTO fan first, A big fan! It was a devastating time. Will: It must have been awful for you. Joseph: Well, I don’t mean to make it sound like a “SOB STORY”, but yea, it was awful! It took a long time to come out of it! But I did. And eventually my voice returned. I had a lot of help from folks like Jay Graydon, Ronnie Vance and Kathleen Carey (my publishers), Paul Gordon, Chris Montan and Joey Carbone. But it was Jay Graydon who saved my life! He picked me up by the scruff of the neck and brought me into his studio and got me writing and singing again. Jay’s a tough producer and those sessions were not easy but he pushed me because he believed in me until I could believe in myself again. The two “Airplay for the Planet” tours in the early and mid nineties were the most fun I ever had working “Live”. It felt so good to get out there. Back out to my favorite places in the world, Germany and Scandinavia, England and Japan! Singing with Bill Champlin and Sherwood Ball being part of a band with out feeling like someone’s replacement. What a blast! Singing my songs from “My TOTO time”, “Pamela”, and “A Thousand Years” was great fun. That period also yielded one my favorite songs that I was involved in creating. “When You Look In My Eyes”, co written with my friend, the brilliant (and underrated) Brett Raymond. My whole existence at that time I owe entirely to Jay Graydon though. Will: Sure. It sounds like Joey and Jay have been great friends and also recurring characters in your career over the last 10 years or so! I guess you must have been pretty relieved to get your voice back and be able to go on the road again! So when did you decide to make the transition from rock vocalist to your involvement with film? Joseph: Let me take a step back here and talk a bit about my involvement with Disney. In 1992 or 1993 while working with Jay, Chris Montan hired me to replace the singing voice for the character of Aladdin (for the movie “Aladdin”). I almost ended up in the final movie but as I would learn later the composer preferred his original choice as the voice of Aladdin. Six months or so later Andy Hill (another music producer at Disney and a Friend) called and hired me to work on some demos for a new Disney animated feature with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, “The Lion King”. No promises were made this time about the end result of my contribution but I was asked to come in anyway. It was an amazing session. I worked on different versions of “Can you feel the love tonight” among a few other things. A few months after that I was asked to come to Hans Zimmer’s Media Ventures Studios To Replace a few lines of the final version of “Can you feel the love tonight”. I thought, “Here we go again” but at that session the directors had me try a few wild lines on a different song called “Hakuna Matata”. They had no real plan on how to represent the adolescent Simba Character at that point in the story and the range of Simbas lines were clearly to high for the actor doing the speaking part so I improvised and they liked it! To make a long story even longer, I ended up on both songs in the movie and on the soundtrack album. It ended up being the biggest hit I have ever been a part of! Will: That’s some comeback! It sounds like you had completely turned your life around by then! Joseph: I don’t know about a “comeback”, but things were starting to turn around! It was also in 1992 that I married my wife Amye. She is a wonderful singer songwriter whom I collaborated with several times on some songs before we started dating. Amye did a “one person” live show. Just her amazing voice, steel string guitar, brilliant songs and acerbic wit. She would stop in the middle of song and berate people in the crowd who were talking loudly, then without missing a beat, go right back into the gentle song she was singing. I fell for her instantly! Amye was the one who encouraged me to score films and television. It was a call to a producer friend of hers that led to my first feature as composer. I loved this work right off the bat! It seemed like a good fit as I was starting a family and settling down a bit. Together Amye and I have two daughters, currently ages 9 and 7 and my stepdaughter age 24. Will: It was also around this time that you worked on your great solo albums. Joseph: Other than the Graydon story, I began my association with Joey Carbone (also an old friend). It was Joey who facilitated the making of my solo records “I Am Alive, 3, Early years, and the re-release of the 1981 record. He was also the brain behind the West Coast All-stars records. Those albums were really a labor of love for me and also for Bill Champlin. It was also the project that allowed me to really become close friends with Bobby Kimball. Oh the tales we would tell each other and the laughs we had! Will: The mind boggles! hahaha Joseph: I would love to share the stories Bobby and I swapped but then I’d have to kill you! Just kidding! No, we would talked about the times when we had a show to do and no voice to do it with! Or doing a show with no sleep the night before, that kind of thing! Bobby told a few tales about the old days but you would have to ask him to tell you about that stuff! Will: And then the band asked Bobby and you to do some shows with them to support the TOTO XX album in 1998? Joseph: Yea! That Small reunion with TOTO, Short lived, as it was, was a Dream for me. A great hang, as well as a time to heal some old wounds. I must say it was pretty cool to perform again with TOTO…..WITH BOBBY! Will: I can imagine that it must have been a pretty cathartic experience, performing with the guys again. Are there any other significant events following your time as a band member that you want to mention? Joseph: The most profound and life-changing memory from that period in the early 1990s was the death of Jeff Porcaro. I felt as if the ground was pulled out from under me. I think I knew Jeff the longest of all Porcaros (aside from Joe). By brother Mark idolized Jeff. As did I, long before I ever worked with him. It was Jeff who looked into acquiring me for the band, based on a recommendation from Jason Scheff. It was Jeff who really took me in at first. And it was Jeff I felt I had let down more than anyone else. He was the one who taught me what being a professional was really about. He was always so kind to me after I left the band as well. He would play on anything, anywhere, anytime for me for nothing! His passing left a huge empty space for me. I regret not having the chance to talk with him after I had grown up a little, become a father, and learned the meaning of responsibility. Will: Sure. By all accounts, Jeff had a profound effect on nearly everybody he met. What memories do you have of writing/recording Fahrenheit and The Seventh One? Joseph: I remember working on “Fahrenheit” very clearly! It was a great time. Everyone collaborated with everyone. I remember feeling very welcome! I remember working with Jeff quite a bit on lyrics at his studio “The Villa”! The vocal recordings seemed to go pretty smoothly. I have a clear memory of working out the lead vocal on Steve Porcaro’s song “Lea”. He had sung a lead that was very cool. It was supposed to be the “It’s A Feeling” for this record, (I thought) but I think he heard me sort of mimic him and asked me to try a lead on it. It was unusual because it was 180 degrees from the high tenor stuff I was hired to sing. I remember Steve’s direction was very detailed. He wanted it a certain way. I love the fact that I got to sing that one. It’s one of my favorite sounding vocal performances of my career. Of course I spent a lot of time with Dave. He welcomed me into his very private world. We actually co-wrote a lot of songs in a short period of time. I remember hanging out up at Luke’s house a lot too. The whole experience making that record was fantastic. One quirky memory from that project was the Video shoot for “I’ll Be Over You”! The song was completed before I was in the group. Luke wrote and sung the tune with Michael McDonald (among others) singing backing vocals. It was the first single and video! AND the first glimpse of TOTO’s new singer, but there was really nothing for me to do except stand there with a tambourine! It was bizarre! The payback for me was the video for “Till The End” where I got to be the center of attention! Jeff directed and Paula Abdul was the “Babe” I got to croon to! Now making “The Seventh One “ was a different story. A few things, like writing and recording “Pamela”, stick out as really great memories. I remember Luke playing some absolutely mind-blowing stuff during those sessions. Working with George Massenberg and Billy Payne was cool, but after the ease of what was the making of “Fahrenheit”, I didn’t quite understand the need for their presence! To be honest, a lot of that time is kind of a blur! I have some recollections about the insanely long time it took to complete a lead vocal on a few songs but I think those memories have become exaggerated over the years. For instance, I recall the vocals for “Pamela” “Stay Away” “Home of the Brave” etc, taking weeks (each) to complete but I don’t think that’s really accurate. It was tough! For me! That I do remember. I really had strong opinions about having some songs where the Lead vocals were shared. I wanted Dave to sing more! I wanted to do a “Rosanna” like trade off with Luke! I wanted a return to some of the things I was a fan of from earlier albums. I got a lot of what I wanted but there was always something missing for me. I think I was pushing to take the guys over territory they had been over before, and you should never look back! Speaking for myself, and my contribution, I know I could have done a much better job. All in all though I am very proud of that record. Especially “Pamela”! Will: I’m sure you have some great anecdotes of touring with the guys on the Fahrenheit tour (1986), Seventh One tour (1988) and Reunion tour (1998)! Joseph: “Fahrenheit” tour…? Puerto Rico: Power failure during the show! No sound! No lights (except emergency lighting)! After floundering around trying to keep the crowd from getting pissed off. Luke grabbed my video camera and filmed me starting to strip! I don’t exactly remember the exact sequence of events but the power did come back, and I did NOT get naked! A lot of fun and well performed shows that year! At the tail end however, as we walked on stage in Hanover Germany, Mike Porcaro slipped, fell and basically shattered his elbow. I didn’t see it happen! He actually played 3 or 4 tunes before he couldn’t go on! I just remember turning away from the crowd after a song (I don’t remember which) and seeing Mike’s face. He was GREEN! And covered in a very unnatural looking sweat! Jeff addressed the audience and the show, and the tour was over! Will: and a year later, “The Seventh one” tour? Joseph: The thing I will never forget till the day I die was this… It was winter! I was sick! I warmed up for the show a bit to long! Felt OK going on stage! First song… ”Carmen”! First sound out of my mouth, AIR! NOTHING! NO VOICE! NADDA! NEINTE’, GONE! Where did this occur? “Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen”, one year later in Hanover Germany. I have absolutely no recollection of anything after that! I don’t know what I did. I don’t remember what the guy’s did. I have no memory of how that show ended. Except that when it ended, so did I! Will: And the TOTO XX Promotion mini tour of 1998? Joseph: I just remember having a lot of fun! Singing with Bobby, bouncing off Luke like the old days, enjoying every second of the brilliant playing of the band, watching Dave sweat his balls off, hearing the crowds reaction to how much older and fatter I had become, and feeling very comfortable in my own skin. At the same time, I also really missed Jeff! Not that Simon wasn’t fantastic, and very much in sync with Dave, Mike and Luke, but the last time I played with this group, Jeff was the “solid ground” we all stood upon, and he was missing! I remember feeling a bit like a fan that got to sit in with most of the original members. It was cool to see Dave and Luke (and Steve Porcaro,) realize that Bobby was back! It just made sense and I felt happy for them….and to be brutally honest…a bit jealous! Will: Toto fans often comment on your appearances in the videos! You were easily the best Toto "actor"! You briefly mentioned crooning to Paula Abdul in “Till the End” (hilarious!) and Stop Loving You… Joseph: Yea well… I just stood where they told me to and tried my best not to let it all go to my head! Will: You’re way too modest! You also recorded some great solo albums, both pre and post Toto! You released Goin' Home before Toto did… Joseph: I didn’t think TOTO was ever going to use that song. “Goin’ Home” was one of, if not, the last tune I ever co-wrote with Dave and I figured as long as it was OK with Dave, I would re-cut it and do it myself! It came out OK but after singing it live with Bobby in 1998 it was clear to me that the “answer parts” (after the group sings Goin’ Home) were tailor made for Bobby! As for my other solo outings, the majority of the songs were the result of a long and fruitful collaboration with Paul Gordon! Will: Both versions of Goin’ Home are smokin’, with great harmony vocals! Can you tell us about the Toto guys contribution to your solo albums? Joseph: The most obvious contribution was on “I Am Alive”! During the “Seventh One” Tour I sometime would play Dave’s piano rig at sound checks. One time Jeff and Mike started playing this 12/8 Groove I was farting around with. As usual I was asked by Dave to stop, and never touch his keyboard again! (Just Kidding)! Anyway, that groove became “I Am Alive” and I could not imagine cutting it without Jeff & Mike so I asked, and they played for me. We recorded the track at Bill Champlin’s house. It was the last time I worked with Jeff! Other than that, I think Luke played on a few things for me (post TOTO) but he has never turned me down so I don’t remember on what! And of course Bobby was a member of the vocal group project “West Coast Allstars” along with Champlin, Jason Scheff, Tommy Funderburk and myself! Will: You’ve been very busy with your TV/Film scoring work! Joseph: To date, I have scored 26 films (mostly medium to low budget) usually made for American cable TV. I have been either the primary composer, co-composer, or ghostwriter on 14 TV series. A few shows people might know of, where I am credited, would be “Roswell”, “Felicity”, “Early Edition” and a few episodes of “Chicago Hope” Composing is work I truly love…. When I can get it! Will: Have you done any recent live performances or ambitions to get out on the road? Joseph: I have no plans in the works right now to work live but I miss it a lot! Believe me I am always looking for an opportunity to get out on the road! Maybe some shows in Italy and Northern Europe to support the next “Vertigo Project” CD but I gotta sell a few for that to make sense! Will: And to finish off for now, how did it all begin?! Joseph: Marty Paich and Joe Porcaro were friends of my Parents as far back as I can remember. I don’t know exactly how I got the job with Jeffery Osborne. I think some folks I had worked with on some “jingles” suggested me for that gig! As I mentioned before, Jason Scheff hooked me up with Jeff! That’s how I came to be a TOTO singer! Last but not least, I never had any connection to Grant High School! I am 2 or 3 years younger than the next youngest TOTO member so I never crossed paths with any of their early bands. I knew of them of course. I grew up in the Valley so everybody knew about these guys. I had met all the Porcaro’s when I was a kid through my Dad and My Older brother Mark I think played with some of the guys in their Grant days! I think that covers it! Will: That’s great! Thanks very much for your time Joseph! Is there anything else you’d like to add? Joseph: Just gratitude for being allowed to be a part of one of the best bands in the land, and having the privilege of calling these guys my friends! Also, thanks to all who have been fans over the years and to you Will, for asking me to chime in! Smiles…JSW! © Will Minting, April 2005 BOBBY KIMBALL INTERVIEW - March 2005BOBBY KIMBALL INTERVIEW - MARCH 2005 Will: Bobby, you have a lot on your plate right now; Toto are currently writing and recording a new album, you are finalizing a contract for another solo album, Toto are booking tour dates for this year and are already planning a world tour in 2006! At this time last year, Toto had played to over 1,000,000 people within the previous 12 months. Bobby: We have. I feel very fortunate to be involved with a band that can "not only weather the storm" of the different musical eras, but we're doing it with class and renewed energy. It's hard to explain how great it feels to be a strong entity in the arena of today's weakened music market. We seem to be touring more than ever and having more fun doing it. We've experienced some phenomenal crowds over this past year and it only seems to be getting better as new markets are opening up for us. Will: A lot of fans wonder whether Toto have plans to perform more with a symphony orchestra, as you also did in Hawaii and Atlanta last summer, and have already booked for San Diego this year? Bobby: It is our fervent wish to make this possible. We've had offers from a few different promoters here in the United States, so I'm sure you will see some of these markets opening up for us in the near future. We now have orchestral charts for an extended set, so this makes it all possible. Will: Did David prepare the orchestral scores or were these produced by the Hawaii/Atlanta Symphony Orchestras? Bobby: David worked closely with the guy that arranged the charts. Some of the charts are from, or closely related to, the actual charts from the original recordings. Because of the kind of band we are, this is no time to compromise quality. The charts are amongst the best possible. Will: For many, Toto were the main attraction at The Night of The Proms tour in Belgium, Holland and Germany. According to Billboard, Toto at Night of the Proms in 2003 was one of the highest grossing concerts in the world! Do you think that Toto will be involved in future NOTP events, having already participated in 1994 and 2003? Bobby: We have a very good rapport with "Jan and Jan", the two promoters of NOTP. They've given us the nod that they would like to see us again soon. They have their rules though. By living by these rules, they've become one of the leading Rock/Orchestral Tours in the world. They have certain rules about not hiring the same band year after year. They try to keep it interesting and this is something I understand. There are so many possibilities and so many bands. I do hope we can get back on it as soon as possible. It was great fun and we made some very good friends. Will: Earlier this year, you traveled back and forth to Europe a couple of times, and performed live with Man Doki’s Soulmates on a couple of televised concerts in Germany for the Tsunami charity appeal. It must be awesome performing with the likes of Jack Bruce, Ian Anderson and other living legends! Bobby: I recorded and performed with Jack Bruce (Cream), David Clayton Thomas(Blood, Sweat, & Tears), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann), Chaka Khan, John Lord (Deep Purple), Peter Frampton, and many others on Mandoki projects. I’ve done 3 CDs with him now, but the Tsunami relief project was amongst the most rewarding. It’s always been fun to meet new people and Leslie has a knack of getting some great talent together. I even had dinner with Gorbachov before one of the TV shows. I found him to be enlightening and very entertaining. He’s so down-to-earth, and had a lot to say about today’s eco-problems. That’s what he was doing on the show, as he’s started a foundation to clean up the water on this planet after the disaster in Chernoble. I fully support his cause. Will: With Toto, you have covered a lot of territories in recent months (Far East, Chile, Puerto Rico) and you're one of the first US bands to go on an extended tour of Mexico... Bobby: The previous trips to Mexico yielded an acute interest in the band. The Mexican economy is opening up and there is more interest for entertainment now. I think this is one of the reasons our fans in Mexico want to enjoy some great music in their country. We're more than willing to accommodate them. We're honored to meet that demand and we all look forward to visiting our friends and fans there. Will: Yes, it was an intense tour over a two week period! That's incredible for one country! Bobby: We played two 5-night runs with two days off. That really doesn't qualify as a vacation, but it was a lot of fun. As expected that the band was very tight by the time we finished the tour. The hardest part, as usual, was the traveling. Will: Your Vina del Mar festival show in Chile was broadcast live on the internet, and another of your recent Chile concerts is to be broadcast online. That's fantastic international exposure! Bobby: It's fantastic that we're finally getting some openings in the public eye. MTV nor VH-1 were doing much for us, but the internet, our new DVD, and the Chilean TV/Internet has helped move us out of the shadows a bit. We were also filmed in the Far East, but it will take time for that to reach this side of the Pacific. Will: Your European summer tour last year includes a date at the Royal Albert Hall - is this an indication of how your fortunes are changing, even in England which has always been one of the more difficult markets for Toto? Bobby: One would think that is the case. In the past, we were under the misconception that England would be a market that would shun our kind of music. The last trip to England quelled that argument. We had just done the "Toto Live in Amsterdam" DVD and were ready for a bit of fun in Simon's native country (by the way, Simon has just become a U.S. citizen). It turned out that we were accepted with open arms and people there were asking if we could do a return visit as soon as possible. Playing The Royal Albert Hall was one of my dreams (as well as the other members of the band). I very much enjoyed gracing the stage where so many of my heroes have stood. Will: During your previous trip to England, Toto sold out both Shepherds Bush Empire and Manchester Apollo without much promotion at all! The fan base is very loyal and always seems to include a high percentage of musicians. That respect in itself must be very gratifying, even if the English media haven't given you the respect you deserve. Bobby: We're not (and we realize this) a "flavor-of-the-day" kind of band. We're just a group of very good musicians that love what we do. I guess you could say we're "less frame and more beautiful picture". We're very thankful for the great fan base in England, as it was totally unexpected. We usually expect our greater percentage of fans to be musicians though. I would love to know the number of keyboardist, guitarist, drummers, bassists, and vocalists that have begun to play because of something they liked about Toto. We hear comments like that at almost every concert. These are the gratifying moments you live for as a musician....to know you made a difference in someone's life musically. Will: You guys surely have! Toto has always been known as a “Musicians musicians” band and it’s no coincidence that you guys have been hired by many the most successful artists of all time! Eddie Van Halen once described Toto as "collectively the best musicians on the planet"! Bobby: Sounds like our friend Eddie knows what he's talking about! Aside from his band, he might just be right. It's great to be known, much less, admired by the likes of Eddie Van Halen. I've admired and respected his talent for many years, even before I met him. Will: You're a great piano player in your own right and I’ve seen you play a mean boogie-woogie! You also used to play keyboards live in the early tours. Aren't you ever tempted to play a song or two at a Toto concert? Luke played his great party trick in the end-vamp Rosanna solo and I'm sure the fans would love to see you play some keyboards too! Bobby: I play piano for fun. I've rehearsed my voice very seriously for so many years and ignored the piano during most of that time. It's my writing instrument, but the keyboard players we have are vastly over my head when it comes to skill on the keys. The last thing I would want to do is bring that level of skill to a lower plateau. We've talked of my "possibly" doing a piece on keyboard with vocals, but at this time, I'm not sure of when that will be. I'm working on my skills and hopefully it won't be too long before we can pull something out of the hat. Will: That would be great! Talking about rehearsing your voice, when you were giving me some vocal tips a while ago, you explained that when you started out, singing at clubs at Bourbon Street in New Orleans, you performed without the benefit of monitors or good quality PA systems! Do you think that this has contributed to the renowned power and range of your voice, “screaming” over bands in these bars when you were younger? Bobby: I can definitely give that a resounding “yes”. I played in a 5000-seater club with no monitors for vocals. It was absolutely necessary to sing with as much volume possible, just to hear myself. I think this is why I can sing without the microphone occasionally to a great number of people. Not that “Just being loud” is the main factor in singing, but it did help in those cases. Will: So where and when did the call come to join Toto? You mentioned before that your buddy Jon Smith, the great saxophone player who performed on Toto IV and the world tour, introduced you to Jeff & David following your involvement with S.S. Fools. Bobby: Actually, I met David and Jeff at the rehearsals in the beginning of S.S. Fools, but Jon played a major part in getting me out to LA in the first place. I played with that band for about a year and a half, then I was unemployed for maybe 6 months (actually doing some club gigs, but that’s defined as unemployed compared to what I really wanted to do). I got a call from David in 1977 and we talked about the possibility of doing some tracks on a couple of songs he had. Of course it was an honor to even be considered to play with these guys. I’ll always respect that position. Will: Well, it's been seven years since you rejoined Toto. You seem to be fitter and performing better than ever before! Bobby: And I'm having more fun with it than ever. The band has come full-circle now, as we are in our most "original state" in many years. Also, with the maturity level as it is, we understand and accept that we are a force to be reckoned with musically, and therefore have an obligation to keep our music fresh and alive for all musicians by setting a positive example. You don't have to just grow older, you have to grow wiser and age like fine wine. Will: OK, so what's the secret? How do you keep turning out these performances - you'll be 58 this month! Bobby: Sorry, I had to go and check the date on the bottle, "58", errr righty-o. (Just kidding) I think it's important to watch your health, keep a sharp edge on your voice by not doing things to harm it, make sure you get a lot of rest, exercise, and keep a very strong positive mental attitude. Will: And you’ve been writing for the forthcoming Toto album? Bobby: We are all writing for a new Toto CD. I cannot divulge the possible outcome, because there will be so many things to pick from. The band has many varied talents in the writing field, so, as we collect the material, the closer we will come to making a decision on which songs will best suit the new CD. I will say, the music will not be a disappointment, as we plan to "not release another CD before it's the best it can be". Will: How are the writing and recording sessions for the new album progressing? Bobby: We have only one very strict rule for the new CD. It will be one of our best efforts, or you won't see/hear it. We're in no rush to run out and cut a new CD just to please a record company. At the moment, we are the record company, so we'll be making the best choices and writing the best songs possible. No pressure. Beyond that, we now have about 9 or 10 tracks that I’m feverishly writing lyrics for. They’re turning out tracks so fast it’s very hard to keep up with them. We do plan to have some lyric-writing sessions together, as I think it’s a great idea that this CD says what everyone wants to say (musically and lyrically). There is a very deep pool of talent waiting to be tapped in this band. Not that the previous songs/CDs, music/lyrics have been a disappointment any manner, I’m just saying there is so much more we can all offer in the way of making this a real band effort in every aspect. Will: With Toto being so busy, it must leave very little time for you to progress your latest solo album on which you started work a couple of years ago. You mentioned to me earlier this year that you were hoping to finalise a deal for the release of a solo album? Bobby: I have several songs recorded for my solo CD, however, these songs will be played to Toto first, as I would offer them to my "greater cause" before I release them on a solo CD. It's true that we're touring and have little time for our personal projects. I don't really find that to be a problem though. It’s a gift to us all to make Toto "all it can be". I will always choose to do things with Toto over my personal projects. The solo projects are a bit self-indulgent, whereas Toto is all I've ever wanted or needed from music. It's a dream band, and our fans seem to realize this as well. Will: Self indulgence can be a good thing though, once in a while! It gives you a chance to stretch out in a different direction. Bobby: Luke and Simon have their side projects too for that purpose. We've all done side projects and I'm sure that will continue. However, our mission at the moment is to "put Toto back on the map". I believe it to be a healthy thing that everyone is allowed to do their personal projects. It’s like a steam-vent and we can each get it out of our systems when time allows. Most of us have recording devices in our computers and we can easily record from the road, or at home in our free time. Besides touring, writing the new Toto CD and recording it are our most important issues. It's not easy to make a better CD than Toto IV, but this is our mission at the moment. Will: Sadly, the late and truly great Ray Charles passed away last year. You recorded a wonderful Tribute album to him some time ago, with some stunning re-workings of classics such as “What I’d Say” and “Georgia”. Would it be fair to say that Ray Charles was one of your main influences to become a vocalist? Bobby: No. It would be absolutely correct to say Ray Charles “is” the reason I sing. From the moment I first heard Ray sing and play, I knew I would be deeply involved in the music thing. It moved me beyond words and it was a very dark day when he passed. We were in rehearsals when Greg Phillinganes got a call from Quincy Jones (a long-time friend of all of Toto) letting us know that Ray had passed. There was a sudden emptiness in the room, but as soon as we started playing again, we understood that Ray was still with us in another way. He was in our music with us. Will: A lot of Toto fans often ask about your original vocal recordings of some tracks on the Isolation album. You and David have previously mentioned the possibility of re-releasing or re-recording Isolation with your vocals. Do you think it is likely that that idea will ever come to fruition? Bobby: I'm not sure if we'll ever actually release any of that material. I did a lot of the vocals with on the songs and had done almost the whole CD before I was ejected from the band. You may or may not see them in the future. I think it's an interesting concept though. We're talking about the new songs for the future set list now, and I may want to throw some of these into the hat for consideration. Will: Fantastic! Just to finish off for now, what’s your funniest touring memory?! Bobby: There are so many to pick from, but one of the strangest was in Chicago before a concert. I was wandering around the theater we were play in, and I walked downstairs and through a door that went under the stage. It had a really strong spring-hinge and it immediately snapped shut behind me. I couldn’t find the light switch and the door somehow locked when it shut. It was like a dungeon...very dark and I felt around for a light-switch or another door. I finally found a door (all this about 15 minutes before we were to be onstage), but it lead to the outside of the building. It was my only option, so I went out. (Now comes the part where I sympathize with the people who want to get backstage) I found the backstage entrance, but security wouldn’t let me in. I asked for a pad and pen and they gave it to me. They asked why I wanted to write their names down, and I told them I needed to give them to the promoter so he would know who caused the concert to be cancelled. Short answer, I got in. Will: That's all for now Bobby! Do you have anything else you’d like to add? Bobby: That's fine with me Will. I kind of enjoy interesting questions, for a change! Much more fun! Will: It’s always a pleasure chatting with you! Thanks for your time! Bobby: Thank you so much for your efforts. We salute you. Love to you all and I'll talk to you soon.............Bobby © Will Minting, March 2005 STEVE PORCARO INTERVIEW - December 2005It's a great honour to present Steve Porcaro's first interview in over 10 years. We started to talk a year or so ago about doing this but due to Steve's hectic tv and film scoring career, and more recently his very substantial involvement with Toto's new album "Falling In Between", we put the following interview together by email over the last few weeks. I'd like to thank Steve for all the time and soul-searching he put into his open and heartfelt answers. It's been a privilege to delve deeply into some fascinating and previously unpublished Toto history! STEVE PORCARO INTERVIEW DECEMBER 2005 Will: Hey Steve! It was good to see you again at Simon Phillips’ studio in September. Steve: Likewise Will! Will: I think it’s been 10 years or so since you last gave an interview, so we’ve got a lot of territory to cover! It would be a great start if you could tell us about your involvement with Toto’s new album, Falling In Between. I have to say, without wishing to sound gushing, your contributions are really fantastic. Your sounds add a dimension and touch that seems to have been missing for a while. Steve: Thanks Will. The guys this time around were very specific about what they wanted. They would drop off files of the tunes with strict instructions to do whatever I wanted to!  Will: That’s a great position to be in! So, they sent the files to you, you’d work on them and then return to Simon’s studio “bearing data” as Simon would say! Steve: Yep. If that would have been the situation on the last two albums when I was a band member, and they would have thrown in an occasional deli tray, I would have never left the band! Seriously. It was really fun for me, because I got to try the stuff that used to cause a great deal of concern amongst the band. It doesn't take three days to realize an idea anymore because of the technology that's in place now, that wasn't then. It also helps that my work habits aren't as, shall we say, chemically induced. Will: Right. You've never really "left" Toto as you've worked to a greater or lesser extent on all albums since Fahrenheit. So that this one can be cleared up as it’s often asked, what was the main reason behind you deciding to "contractually and legally leave" Toto in 1987? Steve: Deep breath. The truth is, in the old days, I often felt that I had to hide what I was doing from the other guys (the exception being David Paich), because they wouldn't approve of how I was spending my time, the band's money or "get" what it was I trying to do. Also, a lot of the time it was a simple matter of me being out of my mind and just plain self-indulgent. But I was always certain of what my job in the band was, even if they weren't. It was my job to go for it. The fact I wasn't a "player" in the sense that everyone else in Toto was, created a situation, where I don't think they always knew best how to exploit me and celebrate that difference instead of bumming out about it. They use to beg me to just do what I did on a Quincy Jones or David Foster session when I would do the synth overdubs on three tunes in an afternoon. 'Why couldn't I just do the ****ing string pad and move on to the next tune?' was the vibe I often felt. Will: “It’s a feeling, I don’t belong here”? Steve: I really felt bad for them sometimes. They thought I’d forgotten that the reason I was in the band in the first place was to program synths for David, and to cover those synth overdubs live. I’ve got to say right now that while that may have been David’s initial reason for me being in the band, he soon got what I was about and was my biggest supporter. I felt that the rest of the guys, just didn't get what was possible, and when I would make the mistake of explaining to them what it was I was trying to do, I would get a look like ‘why in the world would you want to do that’ and/or ‘save it for your solo album’. Mind you, this is merely MY perception at the time. Anyway, the fact of the matter was, if my lot in life was to be the synth player, and rarely record my songs, I was going to make it as interesting as possible whether they liked it or not and... I was just having so much fun, I couldn't help myself. I think they get it now. Are you sorry you asked? Will: Not at all! A lot of fans frequently ask whether you’ll be touring with Toto at some point in the future. Steve: I LOVED touring. I loved pulling off what I did on the records live. I loved trying as hard as I could to make it look as easy as I could. I never was going for the mad scientist effect and 'ooo he must be such a genius with the modular synthesizers' and all that crap. I wanted to make it seem like “all this stuff’s a cinch” (when it wasn’t at all). I wanted to be Pete Townsend live and this guy I saw when we were on the road with Boz. I remember Paich and Boz were with me at this club. Maybe Luke and Jeff. There was this English band called Doctor Feelgood and their guitar player would look in one direction, and walk really fast in the other direction while he was wailing on guitar effortlessly and he did this through the whole set and he just cracked us up. I'm not sure what that ever had to do with me, being stuck behind keyboards, but I loved stumbling and dancing around on stage, and have all these cool synth sounds just happen to appear under my fingers right where and when I needed them. Keith Emerson was a major influence. Of course it took a ton of preparation. I loved it. It would drive the guys absolutely nuts when I wouldn't know the chords to one of the tunes during rehearsal, and then they'd walk in the next day and I'd be working on a tape intro or keyboard spot. We had different priorities. I never was on stage with Toto not knowing the chord changes to any of the tunes, but I wish there were more tape interludes/intros that made the live experience unique. Again, that's what I felt my true job was in the band even if the band didn't agree. I saw Toto having tons of that kind of stuff in their live show. I lived for that crap. That's why fate put me in this band of incredible musicians and songwriters. It was going to be this chemistry of the off the chart musicianship that we all know was there to begin with, along with this loose cannon (me) who saw Jethro Tull thirty times and used to fall asleep to "Close to the Edge". We'd be selling out stadiums in no time. Living in the lap of ****ing luxury. What was the question? Will: Plans to tour with Toto in the future. Steve: While I never say never when it comes to anything to do with the band, I don't think my Emperor Ming outfit would fit anymore. But who knows? I'm very vain and I hear they're doing amazing things with girdles these days. Just to finish up MY version of band history, before you start talking tech, Jeff and I really bumped heads. I don't think he could forgive me for having lousy time (I rush like a mother****er by the way... always have, probably always will) And I could never get through to him the fact that it was ok because EVERYONE else in the band had amazing time and that was the least of our worries. My job was to produce Rosanna type solos and be the guy who made intro tapes for the live show. Seriously, there was no horrible blow-up or ugly fight. We were on our way home from the Fahrenheit tour and I remember us feeling pretty good about everything for the most part, (Joseph Williams had just sung his *** off the entire tour) when I told the guys that while I wouldn't be leaving them high and dry, that I no longer was going to be a band member. Of course David figured I just ate a bad shrimp or something and figured I'd be over it soon, but it was something I'd thought a lot about and it was a very calm decision for me. Nirvana was huge at the time and keyboard players in bands were becoming very unpopular, let alone a band with 2 keyboard players. The guys kept talking about how sparse and raw and scaled down things were going to start being, and I felt like saying "look at me when your talking to me!" An issue I've managed to avoid is the fact that I was nurturing a serious cocaine addiction that I'm sure never helped my cause, and even though things didn't change for quite a while, I knew it then that they had to if I was going to live. I want everyone to know that while I'm telling you what was going through my head at the time, and the negatives, I'll never be able to express how much I loved being in Toto and the opportunities they gave me, how much I still love everyone of the guys, how much I miss my brothers, how much the fans mean, how forever grateful I'll be to my brother Jeff and David for letting me in their band. I had an absolute blast. And I still have an absolute blast when we're together. I feel like I've won the lottery ten times in my life, and 5 of those were being in Toto, being with my brothers, being with my heroes and being with my best friends.  Will: Sure. So you're not ruling out the possibility of performing with Toto on their 30th Anniversary Tour in 2007? Luke's mentioned to me that he's hoping you and Joseph will hook up with the band to perform songs from Toto IV and The Seventh One and other material! Joseph told me over lunch in September last year that he was very keen on the idea of performing 5 or 6 songs from the Fahrenheit/Seventh One era! Wouldn't it be great! Steve: It sounds like fun and is something I’d consider. I’m not being cute when I tell you I’m still trying to establish myself in the music business. Film in particular. That’s a priority with me. Will: What’s your favourite touring memory? These interviews are becoming notorious for sordid details! Steve: At some point, we should talk about your obsession with sordid details! Anyway, one of my favorite road memories is that after staying in some hotel chain and seeing the same art work one time too many, Jeff would take a picture down from the wall and in the style of the artist, do some kind of "enhancement". I can guarantee you that there are a couple Sheraton Hotels somewhere in middle America that to this day have a beautiful painting of some idyllic rural countryside that if you look closely, you'll find a dog lifting it's leg, pissing on something or someone. That, and/or a guy with no legs on a cart, pushing himself along with two tin cans. Don't ask. Mind you, great pains were taken for it to be in the style of the rest of the painting. Kind of a demented "Where's Waldo" if you will. Will: Classic! What synths and new gear are you using, and do you still use the modular polyfusion synths? Steve: I run Logic 7 and Pro Tools . About 95% of my synths are soft and include Arturia's Moog Modular V, MiniMoog, CS80V, ARP2600 as far as analog models go. I also use most of Native Instruments' stuff especially Reaktor, Absynth, B-4 and Kontact. I use a lot of Logic's Softsynths especially EXS-24, Sculpture and Tascam's GigaStudio holds a lot of my stock samples. I also run Ableton Live and Propellorhead's Reason. Spectrasonic's Atmosphere, Trilogy, and Stylus RMX are also staples these days. I'm trying to put my synths in one of two categories. Either I poke through the presets like a novice and don't delve any deeper, (which is hard for me) or I try to totally master the synth/software so I know it inside and out. (which is hard for me).. The Polyfusion stuff lives and quite well at that. I know everyone's worried, but rest easy... The cases were recently refoamed and it's all in great shape. It's not currently in mine or David's setup, but it's always close to our hearts.  Will: Did you use the modular Polyfusion synths on Falling In Between? Steve: No, but what we learned using the Polyfusion came into play several times during my use of Arturia’s Moog Modular V. It’s a software version of the modular synthesizer bearing Moog’s name. I used it all over “Falling in Between”. Will: Paich told me recently that your contributions pretty much saved “King of the World” from being scrapped. Steve: There was one section that really bothered me, (and I think almost everyone else but I didn’t know it at the time) so I just edited it out of the tune as an alternate version. I think it’s some of the best lyrics Toto’s ever had. I love that tune. Working on it was a joy. Will: Which are your favourite tracks on Falling In Between? Steve: Definitely King of the World, Luke’s ballad [Simple Life], Let it go and several others I don’t remember the titles to. Will: As a hack keyboard player myself, I love the sounds all over the new Toto album. I just can’t find those sounds on my Korg Triton and I don’t have the patience to spend hours programming it! Whilst I appreciate that you would have used an array of equipment from your keyboard arsenal, which synth would you currently recommend to best emulate Toto sounds in 2006? Steve: Just talking about my stuff, it would be Arturia’s Moog Modular V. It helped me do what I was trying to do in 1982. These things take time. Will: With keyboard-orientated rock at the fore these days with the likes of Coldplay and Keane, do you think Toto may experience a change in fortunes in America? Steve: Wouldn’t that be great ? I hate to say it, but I think ageism is the band’s biggest problem from without at this point. What I love about both of those bands, especially Coldplay, is that with so much out there that I can’t relate to, it’s great to hear music that people who buy records are responding to that I CAN relate to. Simple pop songs. I often wish the band would do more of that. I get the feeling often from the guys that since radio isn’t going to play their records, they’re going to make the music they really want to make. As if that wasn’t what we were doing all along. A big part of Toto was always the musicianship. Much more so than the lyrics often to the critics chagrin. But it was just naturally who we were as a band. Now, I sometimes feel like they’re ramming their amazing chops down everyone’s throat, trying to prove how much better they are (god damn it) than everybody else. I wish we could all be the elder statesmen at this point, and show off with our finesse and choice of notes, and write some simple, magical, heartfelt power pop songs especially with the great lyrics the guys are writing these days. Our pompous classical tendencies (Lovers in the Night) always sounded like we having fun to me as oppose to the “Mahavishnu” tendencies that are permeating the band’s sound now. But it’s really just who they are now, but I wish they’d save that stuff for MY solo album. Will: What other projects have you been working on recently? Steve: "John and Abigail Adams" a 2 hour PBS "American Experience" - I composed the music for will be airing January 23rd I think at 9 P.M. I've also been working on my solo album and a Porcaro Bros. album for the last thirty years. Song selection has been a *****. Will: Right! Not surprising, with 30 years material! Which takes us back to where it all started. Your high school band was an unbelievable line-up! Luke, Carlos Vega, Mike Landau and John Peirce. What memories do you have of your early gigging days and the jam sessions at your parents garage? Steve: My band in high school was awesome! And believe me it was my band. I was quite the tyrant. I just surrounded myself with best guys there were. I was definitely the weak link. Believe me though, what I lacked in chops or talent, I made up for in vision or at least equipment. Are we noticing a pattern yet? The band (Still Life) was a continuation of the band (Still Life) that Jeff, Paich and Mike had in high-school along with a great sax player Steve Leeds and the legendary Scott Shelly on guitar, not to mention Kelly Shanahan on double drums. It was a huge band with horns, modeled after the Joe Cocker band "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", with Leon Russell, Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Bobby Torres, Jim Horn and many others. They did almost their entire set verbatim, along with alot of R&B classics and some Stones tunes thrown in for good measure. When they graduated high-school (and Jeff and David Paich went on to join Sonny an Cher on tour (recommended by their bass player, David Hungate)) I took over the band along with my best friend (and Steve Leeds’ younger brother) Andy Leeds. We did the same tunes, same arrangements, horns and everything. Same name ! Not too long afterwards, Andy wanted to try his hand at engineering, and we thought we'd scale down the band, lose the horns, and check out some of these new guys we were meeting at school. Andy had met Carlos Vega while they were both ushers at the Hollywood Bowl the previous summer. Up to that point, my guitar players were Danny Costello, and then Bruce Gowdy both great guys, great musicians, and friends to us all to this day. I'd heard about these two guys who were really close friends. I don't think I ever saw one without the other. I asked the more outgoing of the two Steve Lukather, to audition for the band. He came over, played amazing, and I was sure that would be that, I just wanted to check out his friend Mike Landau who seemed really shy, so I asked Luke if he would come along with him to the audition. Luke graciously agreed, and I reminded everybody there was no way in hell I wanted two guitar players. Anyway it's way too late to make this long story short but suffice to say they took one of the audition tunes, Edgar Winter's Free Ride and burned the double lead solo from the record perfectly. We were doing tons of Steely Dan (two guitars) and it wound up working out great. When the prom committees and Homecoming Dance committees would show up at my parents house auditioning bands for their upcoming dance, they wouldn't know what hit 'em. We had a lot of laughs. Will: That’s a great story! You’ve contributed to all Toto albums to a greater or lesser extent, but would you say you’ve made your biggest contributions this time since Fahrenheit? Steve: Yes, but with Fahrenheit I had more control over the finished product. On this album they had some new guy who doesn’t have much studio experience by the sound of things. Craig Fillinless or somebody. Will: Craig Fillinless indeed!!! I believe that you met James Newton Howard during his involvement with Toto IV. I gather that he was "instrumental" in helping you start your film scoring/composing career? Steve: I met James earlier than that. We knew about each other for quite awhile then started doing sessions together. First a Pablo Cruise record produced by Bill Schnee, and then the Pointer Sisters and others with Richard Perry. I think the Valerie Carter album James produced was before Toto 4 but I could be wrong. James is the only reason I have film career, meager as it is. He's always been there for me and given me a leg up, and continues to be a tight, tight, part of the band's inner circle. If you speak to him, could you ask him to return our phone calls? Thanks.  Will: I noticed that you've been out recently with Randy Newman, Shankar, Jay Graydon, the Michael McDonald tribute NAMM gig and I guess there are a few others too? Steve: Those were all one offs. I love an excuse to play live. Will: You also performed at the reunion concerts with Bobby and Joseph in 1998 and the Jeff tribute shows in Koblenz. These must have been pretty special occasions for you. Steve: I love performing for the reasons previously mentioned, especially when it’s with two of my favorite singers in the world at the same time. Will: I read in a Keyboard magazine interview shortly after Toto IV was recorded that the Rosanna solo was a compilation of many solos and that some parts were "accidentally" erased during the mix? Could you tell us more about your work on this legendary solo! Steve: You’re gonna be sorry you asked but... here's exactly what happened. I remember early on, I had announced that I was going to do a solo on Rosanna. David, at some point I think soon after the tracking date, had tried a solo that I remember as being quite forgetable except for this really cool backwards Hammond run at the end. I actually spent about two weeks "conceptualizing" it which consisted of a lot of experiments, a lot of chemicals, and a lot of long hours. Did I mention a lot of chemicals? Anyway, after they put the horns on, I remember sitting down one day to take another stab and the opening figure came to me, along with where that sound would reappear answering the horns. Flash to 3 AM in the morning, the day Greg Ladanyi is suppose to mix Rosanna. David and I are in the studio, everything's setup and working great. ‘We’re gonna finish this ****er, it's the eleventh hour once again’. We decide to use everything in the room and just go around and fill the holes with different “events”. We had the opening line. Then David came up with the descending sequencer line using our Roland Microcomposer playing a Jupiter 8. Then David overlapped that with the gliding Minimoog sound asking me to cop that Rick Wakeman thing with the filter being tracked by the keyboard ala "Catherine of Aragon" - are you still with me? Will: It’s all good! Steve: Lead sound answered by horns answered by lead sound, then David on that sliding ribbon controlled CS-80 riff, then we're stuck. Engineering all of this myself (for which I was nominated for a Grammy award, thank you very much), led us to a happy mistake. Needing tracks, I had erased David's old solo. These were the days when you had to make decisions. Or so I thought. When David and I were trying to figure out what we were going to do for an ending and we just listened through, the final riff appeared out of nowhere, and at the perfect time. I hadn't erased his track all the way through. Thank god. We had all the pieces recorded and sounding great at which point David said "Let's leave it and wait for Tom Knox to come over and bounce it properly". I said "let's not", bounced exactly what we were hearing with all my effects that I was always made to hold off on until we mixed, (then never heard again), and then just hours later beamed, as I watched Ladanyi crank up only two faders, that was our solo. I've always taken credit for the Rosanna solo where in reality, Paich had as much to do with it as I did. Especially the synthy stuff ! All I played was the opening line on the modular horn sound and it’s answers later. What I will take credit for is conceptualizing the whole thing. Thinking like that. Really orchestrating a solo and using all these synths I spent so much time with and showing what could happen when I was given some space that could never ever happen with everyone breathing down your neck. Of course it always helps to have a mother****er like Paich in your corner, willing to do your bidding. The bands response was that they liked it so much, next time I'd do it in a real studio with a real engineer. They just didn't get it. All I wanted was a deli platter every now and then. Not that I would have eaten it. If I remember correctly, I was having trouble chewing that year. That's more than anyone should ever need to know about the Rosanna solo. Will: As far as rock/pop records, Rosanna is surely the synth solo to end all solos! Your soundscape in "Living for the City" on 'Through the Looking Glass' is incredibly atmospheric, it puts the listener right there in Lower Manhattan on 9/11. How did you go about creating this sampled sequence? Steve: I remember JJ (John Jessell) had done a lot of ground work, the guys came and I did my thing. A lot of sound design, you know…keyboards and electronics. Will: The synth parts on Child’s Anthem are very similar to the end riff of "Lido Shuffle". The groove, the sounds… Toto picking up where the Silk Degrees tour left off? Steve: You'd have to ask David, but I think you may be on to something. Will: That's you on the cover of Hydra with the infamous Toto sword...how did that come about?!  Steve: Jeff's concept. My ribs. Photography by Jim Hagopian. Will: Your contributions to Don Henley’s ‘Boys of Summer’ really make that song as "haunting" as it is. What do you remember about the recording of the 'Building the perfect beast' album? Steve: Jeff had recommended me for “Dirty Laundry” on Don’s previous album and things just clicked. Don co-produced with Danny Kortchmar and Greg Ladanyi and we had a great time working together. I didn’t have to tip toe around with those guys and we got a lot of cool stuff. Boys of Summer had already been recorded. The "haunting" aspect was already there. Don just wanted it up a half step (demonstrating the importance of key for all you would be producers out there). They thought I might have some magic box that would transpose the whole song. (we do now). I just wound up completely remaking the track from scratch with Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers the co-writer of the tune and Danny Kortchmar. It's not exactly what they had in mind, but it worked out. I always had a blast working with those guys. Don in those days and on his first album was one of the coolest, accessible and most generous guys I ever worked for. Not to mention having a true gift. He really gave me a lot of rope, and took some chances that I thought paid off. Will: Thriller...The biggest selling album of all time, and you're all over it! Steve: ’82, ’83, a great couple of years, huh? Will: It must have been very flattering when Miles Davis recorded "Human Nature", as well as it being a big hit for Michael Jackson. I believe Miles recorded that around the time "Don't stop me now" was recorded with Miles? Steve: Miles recorded it for his "Your Under Arrest" Album. I think the album he was working on during the "Don't Stop Me Now" recording was TuTu. Flattering does not come close to describing how I felt and still feel. Miles recorded one of my tunes. No one can take that away from me. Will: Your Starlicks Masterclass video (1987, I think) was a cool "behind the scenes" demonstration of your technique and secrets, as to how you create a lot of the famous Toto keyboard sounds and sequences. On the video, you explained that you like to share your knowledge and you seem to have spent a lot of time collaborating over the years, obviously with David, Amin Bhatia, James Newton Howard... Steve: You’re giving away my secrets! Always work with better musicians than you are. People hear about you hanging out with them and they figure "He must be good"! Will: I gather that you married Pam in 1998? How is your daughter Heather getting on with her songwriting career? Steve: My daughter Heather, a true renaissance woman of the new millennium is doing great with her music and other artistic endeavors. I was flattered recently to play on some new tracks of hers and I can honestly say it's absolutely her best stuff. My son Dominic is in the middle of first grade and can't wait to go to school every day. My youngest, Michaela, is the sweetest little girl you ever saw. Pam should be given a medal for what she’s had to deal with. Between my recent illness and being married to an egomaniac with an inferiority complex, I’m truly a lucky, blessed man. © Will Minting, December 2005 DAVID PAICH INTERVIEW - November 2005So here it is...the eagerly awaited new interview with the one and only, the superlative...David Paich! As some of you know, it has been in the works since May 2005, when we started the interview by telephone. We finally had an opportunity to conclude it when I caught up with the guys at the Falling in Between sessions at Simon Phillips studio, and more recently a few emails about the latest Falling In Between mixes. This interview was a LOT of fun in the making and there's more to come from David about the new album with the release itself, in January/February 2006. Thanks to Sarlic for transcribing the telephone conversation and the hard laughs we had calling David and Joseph on Skype that day! DAVID PAICH INTERVIEW NOVEMBER 2005 Will: How's things, David? David: I'm fine, thank you. The reports of my demise have been greatly over-exaggerated! [Laughs] Will: Hahaha! Yes indeed! It's been an honour listening to the early mixes of the new album here at Simon's studio and great to hear you recording some vocals this afternoon! David: Thanks, William. Early mixes are always fun and most people usually bring tomatoes to hurl at me when they come to my vocals sessions. Will: Hahaha! I brought biscuits but they were too good to throw, and Greg ate most of them anyway! We know that it's largely been a band-written record but which songs have you been most involved with? David: I'm not one to speak up on my own behalf and everyone did give a lot of input. I am most proud of the lyrical work I did on "Bottom of your Soul" that I worked months on, and "Hooked", that came very quickly but required a lot of drafts. Den of Thieves (Smoke and Mirrors) is also the result of many months work.  Will: It's very apparent from the mixes I've heard that you've all dug very deep on this album. I caught up with Joseph Williams at his studio yesterday. He was thrilled to be asked to record some vocals on "Bottom of your Soul." It's great to hear Joseph back in the vocal mix, with Bobby, Luke, Greg and yourself! David: Joseph is a musical treasure. He started by editing the words written, then added harmonies that gave it a deep rooted past. That's the REAL Toto sound with multiple singers. Will: When we spoke recently, you gave me some fascinating insights as to how the album tracks evolved but I'm saving those gems for the CD liner notes. Greg Phillinganes has of course now been made up to a full member of the band. How is it working out with Greg in the studio? David: Incredible. He fits like a magical glove. Definitely the most fun and educational time I've had in years. Will: Do you both work on the same tracks, or do you each perform on separate songs? David: There's no set rule book. Sometimes we track all together, and other times it'll be Greg or myself with the band. Both Greg AND myself act as a more of a conduit for Steve Porcaro. Will: A couple of years ago, you made the decision to cut back your touring commitments and you chose Greg Phillinganes to replace you on tours. David: It was an easy choice. Greg is like the Michael Jordan of keys! He's the greatest all round player I've ever seen or heard. He's done it all from Quincy to Clapton and Stevie [Wonder]. Will: Where did you first meet Greg? David: I met him on a session about 25 years ago. I believe it was a Kenny Loggins session. I was on piano, and he was on organ. Will: So is that the way you approached the new record? For instance, is one of you playing more synths and the other piano? How did you decide who played what? David: That's a great question. Honestly, we don't really have a system to it. Sometimes I'll start to play on a certain track and he'll say "Oh I know what you mean" or "GET UP!" and then he'll sit down and play it, and I might like his playing better than mine, so we'll record him. Or the opposite might happen. I'll understand where Greg is going with a particular piece, and then I'll sit down and play it. We trade off back and forth. There's no egos involved. We've been working together so much, we just switch randomly. Will: In the old days, you played a lot more piano than Steve Porcaro, who played mostly synths. David: I was more piano and organ oriented, and Steve was a lot more synth oriented. But now, because there's a lot of piano stuff on digital keyboards, I brought my 9 foot Baldwin SD-10 out which was used on the original albums. I also have my Hammond organ there's a lot of the original gear on this record. It's really a lot of fun. Will: Is the new Toto record taking up most of your time right now, or are you doing other projects? David: Well, I am doing a few other things. In the summer I was musical director for the grand opening of George Lucas Industrial Light and Magic at the Presidio in San Francisco. There was a VIP concert for about 3000 people, and Boz Scaggs and I were in charge of the music. I put together a "supergroup" of players like Steve Lukather, Boz, Chris Isaac, Bonny Raitt, Michael Tilson Thomas and quite a few others. I'm also working on some commercials. Will: Sounds great. Going back to your writing over the years do you write more on piano or synths? David: You know, it's a combination of both. It really happens to be what's there. I wrote a lot more on piano before digital synths were around. Now, however, I tend to write more on the Motif8's and the Tritons. Will: Sure, I heard your original demo of Angel Don't Cry a while back, just you on synth, drum machine and vocals. Jeff played your programmed drum machine part almost exactly! David: He probably programmed the beat you heard. Will: Cool! I don't think it's very well known that Jeff programmed drum machines, albeit that it was only a demo. It would seem that Greg has "stolen" your rig and left you at home without your keyboards! That isn't very nice of him! David: [laughs] It's not very nice at all! They're very insensitive about that. They just don't take this music thing seriously. I can't play with them anymore because they don't take it seriously. Hahaha! Will: Tell him to put his hand in his pocket and buy his own kit! David: [laughs] Yeah, you know. What about that Simon Phillips! He has 3 kits. Why doesn't he just pick one and play it?  Will: [laughs] He's an octopus! What new gear are you using these days? Have you moved on from the Triton Studio 76 or the Motif8? David: Not really. I'm using them, my Hammond organ, and Fender Rhodes, and my Baldwin SD-10. Will: Yes, I enjoyed playing your Baldwin before you arrived at the studio yesterday! It sounded great to me! David: Hahaha! I'm actually borrowing Jeff Babko's Fender Rhodes. I'm also using a Yamaha S-80 and a Roland JP-8000. I'm also using some virtual synths that use the Pro-Tools system. We're using more and more of them, like a Hammond B4. I have a Hammond A100 in the studio as well. The S-80 and the Tritons are being used in conjunction with the Hammond, so we have a digital Hammond and the real thing. Will: Have you ever owned a B3? David: Nope. Just the A-100. It's really the same thing as a B3, but it has a built-in speaker. It's like a living room model of the B3. Will: What makes one Fender Rhodes sound better than another? You mentioned that you're using Babko's. What makes that one better? David: Well really it's the newer it is. The less it's banged around, the less it's played, and one that's really in good condition. They tend to wear out if they get a lot of use. Will: Whilst we're on the subject of equipment that's been banged around, how's your personal equipment since the sex change? David: [laughs] Actually, I had 2 sex changes. I came back to being a man. Will: [laughs] Which one was more painful? David: Well, I was unconscious for the most part. Right now I'm just waiting for the stitches to heal. Actually, I'm a little sensitive about this conversation. [laughs] Will: [laughs] Greg has recently had tech support from Steve Lu. Is John "JJ" Jessel still working with you at your studio? What's he doing these days? David: He's essentially my studio manager. He does a lot of Pro Tools programming for me. He's helping me get acclimated to that, because I just got it a little bit ago. We're logging a lot of the older songs that I've done. Will: Some of the fans have noticed that JJ isn't on the road anymore. David: No. Not with me anymore. Right now, it's pretty much just the studio. Will: A lot of people are curious about the fact that you're not currently touring as much. We appreciate it's a sensitive subject, but could you share with us why you're not touring these days? David: Sure. My sister is very sick. She's getting ready to go in for a major operation a lung transplant. I'm part of her support team here, so it's a family thing I'm helping with. It's going to be a major life-style change. I don't really want to go into depth on it at this point, but that's the major reason. Will: I'm sure that the fans would wish for me to pass on their best wishes to you and your family. In time, do you anticipate going back on the road overseas? David: Absolutely, but you know, when I can so long as time permits. I love playing live with the band. I just did four concerts with them out on the West Coast, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Long Beach and LA. Whenever it's possible, my dream come true is playing live with this band. I will from time to time be out there, so long as the situation permits. Will: Speaking of your favourite bands, in Marseille a couple of years ago, you asked me to get a Rolling Stones CD played before the show to get the crowd rocking! David: Out of all the people I haven't played with, I'd love to play with the Stones. I always tell Chuck Levall that he owes me a phone call! [laughs] I was raised on The Beatles and The Stones. It would be a dream come true. Will: So what about new music these days? Who's been pressing your buttons during say the last 5-10 years? David: Well I'm listening to a lot of soundtrack music these days. James Newton Howard and a few others. I also really like Elton John. I was listening to a group called Tool right before we started talking here. I share records with my daughter here, so I hear a lot of Slip Knot and Marilyn Manson! Will: There's a rumour going around that you like rap! David: That's true! I've had one of the guys from the Black Eyed Peas in my studio. I think there should be rappers in Rock bands. I loved when Aerosmith had Run DMC on Walk This Way, I thought that was the perfect combination band. Will: Right. Have there been any other projects going on at your studio recently? David: Yes, I'm working on an independent film for two students about a young native American Indian. Will: What other new artists could have a 30 year plus career like you've enjoyed? David: I think Norah Jones is on her way to becoming a great artist. Sheryl Crow I like a lot, and also Alicia Keys. Joss Stone is mind boggling. She came to my studio. Will: Talented singer-songwriters. David: Absolutely. Will: Before signing off, I have to ask you to reveal your funniest touring memory. I am sure there are a lot to choose from! David: We tied our road manager Martin to a chair and set him out on stage for the encore. He hates being on stage! Will: Hahahahaha Fantastic! Well, thanks a lot David, it's been great catching up with you, and the fans will be very appreciative to hear from you as well. Do you have anything else you'd like to add? David: My pleasure Will, thanks for your unending patience. Your name on anything connected with Toto should be GOOD WILL MINTING. It's been great seeing you again, you tart. [Laughs] © Will Minting, November 2005 |
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