The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities in the overseas market and was doing business in France, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the People's Republic of China. The company saw North America as a growth market for Washlet bidets and toilets, as opposed to its "base" markets of Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto recorded Toto words to ensure that the future generation could understand the words. However, many words were being replaced by foreign ones, such as dui from Bengali for verandah.
Origins
Incorporated in 1917, Toto's early years were a mirror of Japan's economic development. In the first half, Toto produced goods to meet the demand for modern, new urban housing. It used the first tunnel kiln in the nation to produce ceramics continuously. It also pioneered the use automation to control production, allowing for more efficiency and consistency.
The company began expanding its operations overseas in the late 1980s in order to profit from new markets and sales opportunities. It established the Cera Trading Company, importing and distributing other products of manufacturers to complement its own range of plumbing fittings and sanitary earthenware. This strategy helped increase sales and expand the firm’s global market share.
In the 90s, Toto began focusing on research and development for water-related appliances. It also improved its distribution system to better meet the needs of its customers and to increase profits. The company adopted a just-in-time approach to supply chain management, and it used the same method in its sales program. This resulted in a greater level of customer satisfaction.
Toto continued to innovate toilet technology. The latest toilet, for instance, has a powerful tornado flush that is more environmentally friendly than traditional toilets. Toto uses recycled water in its manufacturing process and has a green buying policy. Toto also manufactures faucets, bathtubs and hand dryers with greater energy efficiency than typical models.
The first Toto museum opened in the year 2015. It features exhibits on Toto’s seminal products as well as their evolution, group companies (all of which are made from ceramics), the history of plumbing and products such as bath units. In a separate gallery you can see Toto products that are sold across the world. The museum also has a bathroom with a WASHLET as well as other toilet innovations.
Before the formation of Toto, members of the band did session work for a variety of musicians. Keyboardist David Paich, drummer Jeff Porcaro, and guitarists Mike Porcaro and Steve Lukather all played on the album Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs. They also appeared on records by Steely Don, Seals and Crofts and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
You might expect a band with a name like Asia to be a prog band however it's actually a fairly straight forward rock band. The band started out as a group and recorded two albums - 1979's self-titled debut and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. The band has a varied musical background but their biggest success came in 1982 when they released Toto IV.
The album was a major blockbuster, but it was not without its own set of issues. The record companies placed the band under pressure to release a hit single or else they would pull the album. Luckily for 첫가입 꽁머니 did, with the assistance of the smash single "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is the result of their prior experience. Before forming the group, the members worked as session musicians for artists like Boz Scaggs. Steely Dan and Seals and Crofts. Their sonic trademark has become the standard of '80s music, influencing many contemporary artists.
The album opens up hard with songs like Running Out of Time or Unknown Soldier that show the band's ability to create great AOR songs that slowly sink into your head. The album also has some more mellow, jazzy tracks such as The Little Things and Chinatown. And the album ends with Great Expectations, a song which combines folk and distortion AOR and sounds completely wrong, but actually is incredibly effective.
After Toto IV The band's fortunes took a turn towards the negative. David Hungate left the band to focus on his solo career and the band had a variety of drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball left the group due to drug charges. The band remained with Michael Porcaro, Steve Lukather and Michael Porcaro.
Despite the turbulence, Toto forged ahead and released Isolation, which was not as successful as IV. The group managed to release an album that was chart-topping, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. This album marked the end of Toto's lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new vocalist.
Tours
The band has performed across the globe to an crowd of millions, with sold-out shows across Europe, North America, Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand. The repertoire of the band is extensive, and their collective catalog has accumulated over one billion streams on streaming services across the globe. The band's music has inspired generations of fans.
Steve Lukather and Joe Williams have forged a deep, colorful friendship that thrives professionally on a worldwide basis. In 2018, the duo celebrated their 40 Tours Around The Sun with a hugely profitable global tour. The album with the same name debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. The band's newest tour features their most popular songs and rarely-performed live deep cuts, and an assortment of songs that come from Lukather's and Williams individual catalogs.
TOTO has an NP Score of 20. This score measures how likely it is that customers will recommend the brand. Promoters are those who are highly satisfied with the company and actively encourage others to use their products or services. Detractors are those that rate the company negatively and actively discourage people from using its products or services.
Join Toto to have a unique experience in Asia. This highlights tour includes luxurious accommodations, a day aboard the most luxurious cruise ship on Halong Bay and an exploration of Angkor Wat, a mystical temple that was once the home of the French called Indochine. You'll also stay a night in the charming town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city that is a feast for the senses. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip you don't want to skip!
Line-up
Turn Back, the band's third studio album is an attempt to return to the traditional sextet style and a more consistent, stronger effort that had a more grittier edge. Its more punk-rock sound was indicative of the maturation of group, with drummer Bobby Kimball's improved ability on the drums and a more confident, mature vocal delivery by singer Joseph Williams. Keyboardist David Paich's work was sharper, more intricate, and less derivative than previously recorded efforts.
After touring to promote their album, the group recorded an Amsterdam live performance that was released on Eagle Records as a 2-CD set entitled Falling In Between. The group released a new studio album a few months later, and went on a tour around the world to support the album. During this time keyboardist Greg Phillinganes filled in for Paich and bassist David Hungate left the group to spend more time with his family.
In 1998, Paich and Lukather started searching through old tapes and demos for a new record featuring songs that had never been recorded before. It was completed in 2001 and released as a double album titled Then & Now. It was the first album by the band without a single song titled "A". The album also included a previously unreleased track titled "Kari-Anne".
By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. The group's fourth record, Old Is New was not a commercial success and vocalist Williams was suffering from laryngitis that limited his singing ability. Additionally, Hungate returned to Nashville as a drummer, and Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes, Wetton Palmer and Howe, the founding members of Asia, met in England in the beginning of 2006 to discuss the possibility that the group could be revived. This lineup, minus Howe (who was a member of Yes at the time) was eventually referred to as Toto XIV and toured extensively.
In 2010, the band reunited for another reunion tour with a slightly different line-up, including guitarists Mike Porcaro and Steve Lukather, drummer John Pierce, bassist Shannon Forrest, and multi-instrumentalists Warren Ham and Dominique Taplin. The band also featured an appearance by singer Michael McDonald, and a backing singer named Mabvuto Carpenter.