Uploaded May 2019 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Andy Rawll spoke to Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro (and subsequently lead vocalist Joseph Williams) about the band's forthcoming European tour, in particular the latest touring line-up of the band and the inclusion of a number of songs that hadn't been previously performed on their most recent visits to the UK (2018 and 2015).
You can also hear about Steve's reflections on maintaining the Porcaro legacy in the band originally co-founded by elder brother Jeff (RIP) in 1977 and joined by other brother Mike (RIP) in 1982. He also talks about his songwriting contributions over the years, including revelations about his multiple connections to the band 'Yes' over the years, via his session work on their 'Union' album, Chris Squire's 'Experiment' and his longstanding songwriting partnership with Michael Sherwood, whose brother Billy is now a full-time member of the Steve Howe-led line-up of Yes.
The link to the subsequent conversation with Joseph appears below (and also listed on this same YouTube channel).
Following the sold-out success of a limited edition and career-spanning box-set (Vinyl and CD) 'All In', AOR maestros Toto are preparing to release a mainstream 13 CD version on 24th May 2019 (via Sony Music's Legacy Recordings). This is followed by a long-awaited series of European tour dates, starting with a special 'Live at Chelsea' outdoor show in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in West London on Thursday 13th June.
In addition to the eleven studio albums released between 1978 and 1999, the box includes two new discs. Firstly, the five-track 'Live in Tokyo 1980' EP, which includes 'Runaway' a popular live song that never made it to the studio. Secondly, 'Old is New', a ten-track collection of previously unreleased songs. This includes incomplete song ideas resurrected from Toto's archives and finally brought to fruition, in addition to a number of newly recorded tracks.
Although three of the songs (Alone, Spanish Sea and Struck by Lightning) already appeared on last year's latest greatest hits compilation '40 trips around the sun' and the other songs derive from multiple eras, 'Old is New' has a surprising cohesion as an album, with the great mix of complementary styles that has always epitomised the best Toto releases.
Dynamic opening tracks 'Alone' and 'The Devil's Tower' and perfectly matched with wistful melodic slow groovers like the Porcaro/Paich co-write 'In a little while', which is a worthy addition to Steve's small-in-number, but large-in-impact songs, that include 'Little things' from XIV; 'Lea' from Fahrenheit and of course 'Human Nature'
To listen to this interview again: youtube.com/watch?v=bYb4xrdbbGs
To listen to the following interview with Joseph Williams: youtube.com/watch?v=Y1J7GpCI258
SOURCES:
totoofficial.com/2019/04/toto-to-release-cd-box-set-all-in
totoofficial.com/2018/11/toto-limited-edition-box-set-all-in-out-today
INTERVIEW TIMELINE
00:45 - What to expect
01:08 - 'Devil's Tower' new song from the box set
02:38 - 'Human nature'
02:57 - Storyteller segment in latest shows
03:22 - Steve Pocaro songwriting contributions, including 'Little things' on 2015's 'XIV' album
04:04 - Live line-up, including Xavier, standing in for David Paich, who's doing fine, but sitting out this current tour
04:50 - Shem and Warren Ham have added more vocal firepower
05:25 - London show should attract a large crowd including many who might not have seen the band before or with Joseph Williams as lead vocalist
06:05 - Steve out of the band for 27 years and welcome return for a Porcaro
06:36 - View of Albert Hall show in 2018
07:04 - Yes connections. In Chris Squire Experiment. Started with working with a Las Vegas band called Logik, including Billy Sherwood and his brother Michael become Steve's main songwriting partner and developed into the CSE
08:05 - Contributed to Yes's Union and Rick's reaction
08:48 - The Darkness as the support band
09:31 - Toto as a festival band
10:00 - Five brand new songs, in addition to the older archive material including Steve's brothers makes up the CD 'Old is new'
10:43 - Will be available as a standalone CD
11:03 - Shannon Forrest as drummer
11:31 - What's next ? Tour States in October
11:58 - How about a book to rival Luke's ?
#toto #40toursaroundthesun #40yearsaroundthesun #oldisnew
Footnote: The following Toto albums are not referenced in the Sony-issued box set, as these were released via other record labels: Through the looking glass (CMC); Falling In Between (Frontiers); XIV (Frontiers)
Andy Rawll spoke to Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro (and subsequently lead vocalist Joseph Williams) about the band's forthcoming European tour, in particular the latest touring line-up of the band and the inclusion of a number of songs that hadn't been previously performed on their most recent visits to the UK (2018 and 2015).
You can also hear about Steve's reflections on maintaining the Porcaro legacy in the band originally co-founded by elder brother Jeff (RIP) in 1977 and joined by other brother Mike (RIP) in 1982. He also talks about his songwriting contributions over the years, including revelations about his multiple connections to the band 'Yes' over the years, via his session work on their 'Union' album, Chris Squire's 'Experiment' and his longstanding songwriting partnership with Michael Sherwood, whose brother Billy is now a full-time member of the Steve Howe-led line-up of Yes.
The link to the subsequent conversation with Joseph appears below (and also listed on this same YouTube channel).
Following the sold-out success of a limited edition and career-spanning box-set (Vinyl and CD) 'All In', AOR maestros Toto are preparing to release a mainstream 13 CD version on 24th May 2019 (via Sony Music's Legacy Recordings). This is followed by a long-awaited series of European tour dates, starting with a special 'Live at Chelsea' outdoor show in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in West London on Thursday 13th June.
In addition to the eleven studio albums released between 1978 and 1999, the box includes two new discs. Firstly, the five-track 'Live in Tokyo 1980' EP, which includes 'Runaway' a popular live song that never made it to the studio. Secondly, 'Old is New', a ten-track collection of previously unreleased songs. This includes incomplete song ideas resurrected from Toto's archives and finally brought to fruition, in addition to a number of newly recorded tracks.
Although three of the songs (Alone, Spanish Sea and Struck by Lightning) already appeared on last year's latest greatest hits compilation '40 trips around the sun' and the other songs derive from multiple eras, 'Old is New' has a surprising cohesion as an album, with the great mix of complementary styles that has always epitomised the best Toto releases.
Dynamic opening tracks 'Alone' and 'The Devil's Tower' and perfectly matched with wistful melodic slow groovers like the Porcaro/Paich co-write 'In a little while', which is a worthy addition to Steve's small-in-number, but large-in-impact songs, that include 'Little things' from XIV; 'Lea' from Fahrenheit and of course 'Human Nature'
To listen to this interview again: youtube.com/watch?v=bYb4xrdbbGs
To listen to the following interview with Joseph Williams: youtube.com/watch?v=Y1J7GpCI258
SOURCES:
totoofficial.com/2019/04/toto-to-release-cd-box-set-all-in
totoofficial.com/2018/11/toto-limited-edition-box-set-all-in-out-today
INTERVIEW TIMELINE
00:45 - What to expect
01:08 - 'Devil's Tower' new song from the box set
02:38 - 'Human nature'
02:57 - Storyteller segment in latest shows
03:22 - Steve Pocaro songwriting contributions, including 'Little things' on 2015's 'XIV' album
04:04 - Live line-up, including Xavier, standing in for David Paich, who's doing fine, but sitting out this current tour
04:50 - Shem and Warren Ham have added more vocal firepower
05:25 - London show should attract a large crowd including many who might not have seen the band before or with Joseph Williams as lead vocalist
06:05 - Steve out of the band for 27 years and welcome return for a Porcaro
06:36 - View of Albert Hall show in 2018
07:04 - Yes connections. In Chris Squire Experiment. Started with working with a Las Vegas band called Logik, including Billy Sherwood and his brother Michael become Steve's main songwriting partner and developed into the CSE
08:05 - Contributed to Yes's Union and Rick's reaction
08:48 - The Darkness as the support band
09:31 - Toto as a festival band
10:00 - Five brand new songs, in addition to the older archive material including Steve's brothers makes up the CD 'Old is new'
10:43 - Will be available as a standalone CD
11:03 - Shannon Forrest as drummer
11:31 - What's next ? Tour States in October
11:58 - How about a book to rival Luke's ?
#toto #40toursaroundthesun #40yearsaroundthesun #oldisnew
Footnote: The following Toto albums are not referenced in the Sony-issued box set, as these were released via other record labels: Through the looking glass (CMC); Falling In Between (Frontiers); XIV (Frontiers)
