The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities abroad, and doing business in France and Germany, Indonesia, Korea and Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. North America was seen as an opportunity to grow for bidet and washlet toilet seats, in contrast to its "base" markets in Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto was recording Toto words to ensure that the next generation would be able to read them. However, many words were being replaced by foreign ones, like dui, which is Bengali for verandah.
Origins
Established in 1917, Toto's early years mirrored Japan's economic growth. In the first half of 1917, Toto made products to meet the growing demand for modern, new urban housing. To accomplish this, it used the first tunnel kiln in the country that produced ceramics in a continuous flow. It also pioneered automation for production control, allowing greater efficiency and consistency.
The company began expanding internationally in the latter part of the 1980s to benefit from new markets and sales opportunities. It established the Cera Trading Company, importing and marketing other manufacturers' products to complement its own range of sanitary earthenware and plumbing fittings. This strategy helped increase sales and expand the firm’s global market share.
By the 1990s, Toto had shifted its emphasis on research and development for water-related household appliances. It also upgraded its system of distribution to better serve customers and improve profit. The company also employed the just-in time approach in its supply chain management as well as sales program. This resulted in a higher level of customer satisfaction.
Toto continued to develop toilet technology. Its latest toilet has an environmentally friendly, powerful tornado flush. The company makes use of recycled water in its manufacturing process, and has a green buying policy. Toto also manufactures bathtubs, faucets, and hand dryers with higher energy efficiency than typical models.
The first museum of the company opened in 2015 It has exhibits about Toto's iconic products and their development as well as its group companies (all related to ceramics) as well as the history of plumbing and products like bath units and, in a separate gallery, Toto products sold around the world. The museum even has a bathroom that features a WASHLET toilet as well as other toilet-related innovations.
Before the formation of Toto members of the group did session work for various musicians. Keyboardist David Paich, drummer Jeff Porcaro, and guitarists Mike Porcaro and Steve Lukather all performed on the album Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs. They also appeared on records by Steely Don, Seals and Crofts and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
It is common for a group with a name such as Asia to be a prog rock group however it's actually a pretty straightforward rock group. The band started out as a quartet, and they recorded two albums: 1979's self titled debut, and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. However, even though the group have a diverse musical background, their biggest success was achieved in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a major blockbuster, however it did not come without its own set of issues. Record companies put the band on the place with the directive "give us a hit record or we'll drop you" and the pressure was on them to meet the deadline. Luckily for Toto, they did and they did it with the assistance of the smash single "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is a result of their previous experiences. Before forming the group, the members worked as session musicians for artists such as Boz Scaggs. Steely Dan and Seals and Crofts. Their distinctive sound has become the standard for the '80s, and has influenced many contemporary artists.
The album opens with a strong and pounding sound with tracks like Running Out of Time and Unknown Soldier showcasing the bands ability to write fantastic AOR songs that slowly get their hooks into you. But the album also contains some slower, more jazzy tracks, like The Little Things and Chinatown. The album concludes with Great Expectations. This song mixes folk and distorted AOR which could seem like a complete blunder, but works extremely well.
After Toto IV, the band's fortunes took a turn towards the negative. David Hungate left to concentrate on his solo career, and the band had to go through several drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball left the band after drug charges. The band continued to play with Michael Porcaro, Steve Lukather and Michael Porcaro.
Despite the chaos, Toto forged ahead and released Isolation, which was not as successful as IV. The band managed to release a chart-topping album, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. The album was the last of Toto's lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new singer.
Tours
The band has performed across the world to a global crowd of millions, with sold-out shows in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. The band has a huge repertoire, and its catalog has been listened to more than one billion times on streaming services around the globe. The band's iconic music has inspired generations of fans.
Steve Lukather and Joe Williams have formed a strong colorful friendship that is thriving professionally on a worldwide basis. In 2018 the duo celebrated 40 Tours Around the Sun with a massively successful tour across the globe. The album that bears the same name was ranked #5 on Billboard 200. The band's newest tour features their greatest hits and rarely-performed live deep cuts, and a selection of songs that come from Lukather's and Williams' individual catalogues.
TOTO has an NP Score of 20. This score is a measure of the likelihood that customers will recommend the brand. Promoters are people who give a high score to the company and encourage others to utilize its products or services. Detractors are those that rate the company negatively and actively discourage people from making use of its products or services.
Join Toto to have a unique experience in Asia. This highlights tour includes luxurious accommodation, a day on 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. Also, you'll spend a night in the charming town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city that is a feast for the senses. This is an unforgettable trip that you won't want to miss!
Line-up
Turn Back, the band's third studio album it was an ode to the traditional sextet style and an even more consistent and powerful effort that had a more grittier edge. Its more punk-rock sound reflected the maturation of the group, with drummer Bobby Kimball's increased virtuosity on drums, and a more mature, confident vocal delivery from singer Joseph Williams. David Paich's keyboard skills were also sharper, more complex, and less derivative on earlier efforts.
After touring to promote their album, the band recorded their Amsterdam live performance that was released by Eagle Records as a 2-CD set titled Falling In Between. The group released a brand new studio album just a few months after and embarked on a world tour support the album. During this period, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes replaced Paich and bassist David Hungate quit the group to spend time with his family.
In 1998, Paich and Lukather started searching through old demos and tapes in search of a new record featuring songs that were never recorded before. The album was released in the form of a double-album called Then And Now in 2001. It was the band's first album without one single track titled "A". The album also contained a previously unreleased track called "Kari-Anne".
By 2003, Toto had begun to decline in popularity. 먹튀검증 , 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 and drummer Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes, Wetton Palmer and Howe, the original members of Asia, met in England in the early part of 2006 to discuss the possibility that the band could be reformed. This lineup, with the exception of Howe (who was working with Yes at the time) was later 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 group also had the appearance of singer Michael McDonald, and a backing singer named Mabvuto Carpenter.