Toto "Pamela"

Whether it's Sherrie, Layla or Brandy, countless rock bands couldn't help but sing about their girlfriends. In the case of Toto, Joseph Williams and David Paich wrote "Pamela" while, coincidentally, Williams had a girlfriend with the same name. "Pamela" was Toto's final Hot 100 hit.

Michael Jackson "Human Nature"

STORY BEHIND THE SONG:

A member of the band Toto prepared a demo tape of songs intended for inclusion on Michael Jackson's Thriller album. The tape was delivered to record producer Quincy Jones, but wasn't fully erased before Jones listened to it. One side of the cassette were songs intended for Jones' ears. On the un-erased other side were rough cuts of songs that the group Toto ultimately hoped to record. When Jones heard one of Toto's rough demo songs called "Human Nature", he immediately wanted the song. After some re-writing of the lyrics, Jones bumped Michael's song "Carousel" from Thriller and added "Human Nature".

Toto "Rosanna"

SIGN OF THE TIMES

It was the early-2000s and I worked for an Adult Contemporary radio station in Chicago.  My Program Director at the time ordered me (and other DJs) to fade out the ending of the song "Rosanna" from Toto before the guitar solo.  Why?  He said because "soccer moms don't like guitars".

Toto "Pamela"

So many songs contain just one word and it's usually a woman's name: "Brandy", "Sara", and "Rosanna" immediately come to my mind.  Toto decided "Rosanna" shouldn't get all the attention, so they also released "Pamela".  The 1988 song was the group's last big hit.

Michael McDonald - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

Michael McDonald did a series of television commercial for MCI's "The Neighborhood" phone calling promotion that featured him singing the Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".  Within a matter of years, MCI was gone.  Michael McDonald continues touring and recently toured with acts such as Boz Scaggs and Toto.

Toto - "Hold The Line"

Lead singer Bobby Kimball tells the story of hearing "Hold the Line" on the radio for the very first time. "I was asleep, I had my alarm clock set for noon because we were gonna do something in the studio...and when the alarm came on there was the radio and 'Hold The Line' was playing. And my room was totally black and I was looking for the telephone and I called (keyboardist David) Paich and I heard him scream, he was living over there with his girlfriend and he was screaming and falling over trying to get to the radio." 

Boz Scaggs - "Look What You've Done to Me"

Talk about a song with a superstar cast: Boz Scaggs' "Look What You've Done to Me" features Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles on backup vocals, Eagles' guitarist Don Felder plays guitar, while super-producer David Foster and members of Toto are credited on the keyboards.  This song found its way onto the Urban Cowboy Soundtrack, yet all by itself is a Time-Life Music Collection.

Toto - "I'll Be Over You"

When it's 1980-something and you needed some backing vocals to your Adult Contemporary song, who ya gonna call?  MICHAEL McDONALD!  Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, and even James Ingram (Mr. Ya Mo Be There) picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Michael McDonald when their song needed some smooth vocals.  Thankfully, someone passed Michael's phone number to Toto and they speed dialed him in 1986 for some help on "I'll Be Over You".  Obviously, the song shot to #1 and became their second #1 Adult Contemporary hit.

Toto - "I Won't Hold You Back"

Toto's first trip to the top of the Adult Contemporary chart came courtesy of "I Won't Hold You Back".  This 1983 ballad features The Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit on backup vocals.

Toto - "Africa"

These days, there are few songs that anyone would sit through for five straight minutes.  However, "Africa" by Toto might be one of those songs.  With it's soothing, flowing beat and lyrics that are often misunderstood ("I bless the rains down in Africa"), "Africa" is a bar jukebox favorite.  Press play and the five minutes will fly by...