Fahrenheit (Toto album)

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Toto
ReleasedAugust 20, 1986
Recorded1986
Studio
  • Record One (Los Angeles)
  • The Manor (Los Angeles)
  • The Complex (Los Angeles)
  • Bill Schnee (Hollywood)
  • The Villa (Hollywood)
Genre
Length43:57
Label Columbia
Producer Toto
Toto chronology
Isolation
(1984)		Fahrenheit
(1986)		 The Seventh One
(1988)
Singles from Fahrenheit
  1. "I'll Be Over You"
    Released: August 1986 [1]
  2. "Till the End"
    Released: November 1986 (Japan) [2] [a]
  3. "Without Your Love"
    Released: December 1986 [1]
  4. "Lea"
    Released: 1987 (NL) [3]

Fahrenheit is the sixth studio album by American rock band Toto, released on August 20, 1986, by Columbia Records. [4] [5] It was the first album to feature Joseph Williams on lead vocals, after Fergie Frederiksen, the band's previous vocalist, was fired following the culmination of the Isolation tour. [6] Additionally, it was the last album to include keyboardist Steve Porcaro as a permanent member (until Toto XIV ). [7]

Contents

It features the Billboard Hot 100 hit singles "I'll Be Over You" (No. 11) and "Without Your Love" (No. 38). [8]

Overview

During the initial Fahrenheit sessions, lead singer Fergie Frederiksen, who worked with Toto on Isolation , was fired due to difficulties with his performance in the studio. [9] [10] Joseph Williams was recommended as his replacement by Jason Scheff and passed the audition. [11] He had known the other members since they were teenagers, and his father, the famous composer John Williams, had worked with the fathers of four of them. [5] Frederiksen's backing vocals were kept for "Could This Be Love". [12]

Williams joined Toto half-way through the album's recording sessions, by which point the group had already recorded most of the music and had been working on it for around eight months. [11] Since most of the melodies were still incomplete, he was able to make his own contributions, [11] as evidenced by his five co-writing credits on the album.

The instrumental introduction for the album's title track was composed by British-Canadian musician Amin Bhatia, whom band member Steve Porcaro met in May 1985 after Toto's show in Calgary, Alberta. [13]

The lead single "I'll Be Over You", written by band member Steve Lukather with Randy Goodrum, peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chat, [8] and featured Michael McDonald on backing vocals. [6] Its music video, which also included McDonald, was filmed on a rooftop in Los Angeles, California, and directed by Nick Morris. [14] Meanwhile, the video for the David Paich and Joseph Williams penned single, "Till The End", saw the directorial debut of drummer Jeff Porcaro and included an appearance by singer and dancer Paula Abdul. [10] [15]

Fahrenheit was the last Toto album to include keyboardist Steve Porcaro as a permanent member until 2015's Toto XIV . [6] [7] He left at the end of the album's supporting tour, citing feelings of being sidelined and a desire to focus on his own music. [9] [16] Despite his eventual departure, the album featured "Lea", a song written by Porcaro that featured saxophonist David Sanborn and backing vocals by Don Henley. [17] It was his first songwriting contribution since "It's a Feeling" from Toto IV (1982).

Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis was featured on the album's closing instrumental track, "Don't Stop Me Now", alongside Sanborn. [16] [17] [18] David Paich and Steve Lukather played the track for Davis while at Jeff Porcaro's home studio. [19] Davis expressed interest and offered to perform on it for free. [19]

Fahrenheit failed to go gold until 3 October 1994. [20]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [22]
Windsor Star B [23]

AllMusic's William Ruhlmann described Toto's work on Fahrenheit as "lush, mid-tempo tunes of romantic despair," and explained that the band's career was in trouble at the time, as the radio audience was "failing to identify the songs with the group that made them." [24] Nick DeRiso from SomethingElse! expressed disappointment that an album of "varied musical goals and textures was reduced to its singles." [25] Both reviewers pointed out that Joseph Williams brought a grittier vocal style compared to Toto's previous vocalists. [24] [25]

Lang Sem Fatt of the New Straits Times said on 21 September 1986 that Fahrenheit was the kind of album that only Toto would make, offering "a bit of everything for everybody" with a "fashionable rock touch," but still remaining "purely commercial." [26] Earlier that same month, music director Gerry O'Shea wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald that the album was a departure from the band's usual "up-tempo high-sheen rock to a more refelective[ sic ] and down-beat mode." [27] Shortly after, Ted Shaw of Windsor Star gave the album a B rating, stating that "while nothing Toto records[ sic ] can be deemed thoughtful or original," it was still a "decent effort." [28] Jerry Spangler of Deseret News believed that Toto had forgotten that their "real strength was melody and vocal harmony," both of which he felt were lacking in Fahrenheit. [29]

At the end of August, Cashbox described the basis of William's introduction in Fahrenheit as "intricate and commercial arrangements of hooky songs." [30] The "tender and forlorn" first single, "I'll Be Over You", was predicted to make a strong showing as a "wistful and emotional song." [31] Billboard wrote a few days later that with the album, Toto returned with a "formidable set of pop/light-rock tunes," describing the musicianship as "faultless" and affirming that the group benefited from the addition of Williams. [32]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Till the End"
5:28
2."We Can Make It Tonight"
4:17
3."Without Your Love"Paich4:33
4."Can't Stand It Any Longer"
4:39
5."I'll Be Over You"
3:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fahrenheit"
  • Paich
  • J. Porcaro
  • Williams
4:40
2."Somewhere Tonight"
  • J. Porcaro
  • Paich
  • Lukather
3:45
3."Could This Be Love"
  • Paich
  • Williams
3:14
4."Lea" Steve Porcaro 4:31
5."Don't Stop Me Now" (instrumental)
  • Lukather
  • Paich
3:09
Total length:42:11

Personnel

Toto

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Lukather</span> American musician (born 1957)

Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a steady flow of session work beginning in the 1970s that has since established him as a prolific session musician, recording guitar tracks for more than 1,500 albums spanning a broad array of artists and genres. He has also contributed to albums and hit singles as a songwriter, arranger and producer. Notably, Lukather played guitar on Boz Scaggs' albums Down Two Then Left (1977) and Middle Man (1980), and was a prominent contributor to Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982). Lukather has released nine solo albums, the latest of which, Bridges, was released in June 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toto (band)</span> American rock band

Toto, stylized as TOTO, is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1977. Toto combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz. Having released 14 studio albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide, the group has received several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.

<i>Isolation</i> (Toto album) 1984 studio album by Toto

Isolation is the fifth studio album by American rock band Toto, released in November 1984. Isolation is the first album to feature longtime bassist Mike Porcaro, and the only album with Fergie Frederiksen as the primary vocalist. Isolation failed to achieve the popularity of its predecessor, Toto IV, although it achieved gold record status and gave the band their highest charting mainstream rock single "Stranger in Town". Relatively few songs from this album were featured in live performances after 1985's Isolation World Tour.

<i>Dune</i> (1984 soundtrack) 1984 soundtrack album by Toto

Dune is an original soundtrack album for the 1984 film Dune. Most of the album was composed by the rock band Toto, with one track contributed by Brian Eno, Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois. The soundtrack album was first released in November 1984. An extended version with an altered track listing was released in 1997. Both versions are currently out of print on traditional media, such as CD. However, with the growing popularity of digital downloads and streaming services, they have gained renewed exposure through platforms like iTunes and Spotify.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Porcaro</span> American keyboardist and composer

Steven Maxwell Porcaro is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and film composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother ; as the songwriter of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson and songs by Toto; and as the composer of the TV series Justified. He has won three Grammys, including Record of the Year for "Rosanna" and Album of the Year for Toto IV, and three nominations.

<i>Toto</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Toto

Toto is the debut studio album by American rock band Toto, released in October 1978 by Columbia Records. It includes the hit singles "Hold the Line", "I'll Supply the Love" and "Georgy Porgy", all three of which made it into the top 50 in the US. "Hold the Line" spent six weeks in the top 10, and reached number 14 in the UK as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Frederiksen</span> American rock singer (1951–2014)

Dennis Hardy "Fergie" Frederiksen was an American rock singer best known as the former lead singer of Trillion, Angel, LeRoux and Toto, as well as providing backing vocals for Survivor. He contributed to hit singles in three consecutive years, all with different bands: Survivor's "American Heartbeat" in 1982, LeRoux's "Carrie's Gone" in 1983 and Toto's "Stranger in Town" in 1984.

<i>The Seventh One</i> 1988 studio album by Toto

The Seventh One is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Toto. It was released on February 8, 1988, and became the best-received Toto album since Toto IV. The title track, "The Seventh One", is featured only on the Japanese version of the album and on the B-side of the single "Pamela". It was also released on some compilations on a later date. It would be their second and last studio album with lead vocalist Joseph Williams until Toto XIV (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosanna (song)</span> 1982 single by Toto

"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1983 ceremony. "Rosanna" was also nominated for the Song of the Year award. It is regarded for the half-time shuffle which drummer Jeff Porcaro developed for the song, and for its production, which is generally seen as being one of the best mastered songs of all time. The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

<i>Toto XX</i> 1998 compilation album / studio album by Toto

Toto XX: 1977–1997 is a compilation album by Toto to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The album features rare original demos, outtakes, previously unreleased recordings and live tracks from the band's 20-year career. Despite its being labeled as a compilation album, Steve Lukather in 2014 defined the album as the tenth studio album overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Over You</span> 1986 single by Toto

"I'll Be Over You" is a hit single by the American rock band Toto. Released as the lead single from their 1986 album, Fahrenheit, the song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1986. Lead vocals were sung by guitarist Steve Lukather, who co-wrote the song with hit songwriter Randy Goodrum. Guest musician Michael McDonald provided the vocal counterpoint on the recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Supply the Love</span> 1979 single by Toto

"I'll Supply the Love" is a song written by David Paich and recorded by Toto, with lead vocals by Bobby Kimball. It was issued on Toto's debut album, Toto, and released as a single in January 1979. It peaked at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it spent nine weeks on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela (song)</span> 1988 single by Toto

"Pamela" is a song written by David Paich and Joseph Williams and performed by Toto for the 1988 Toto album The Seventh One. It was the first US single from the album, peaking at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their final US hit to date. It also reached #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

<i>Past to Present 1977–1990</i> 1990 compilation album by Toto

Past to Present 1977–1990 is the first compilation album by Toto, released in 1990. It contains nine hit songs from the band's first seven albums, and four new songs recorded with new singer Jean-Michel Byron.

<i>Falling in Between Live</i> 2007 live album by Toto

Falling in Between Live is the fourth live album by American band Toto, released in 2007. It was recorded live at Le Zénith, Paris, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stranger in Town (Toto song)</span> 1984 single by Toto

"Stranger in Town" is a hit song by American rock band Toto from their 1984 album Isolation.

<i>Bridges</i> (Steve Lukather album) 2023 studio album by Steve Lukather

Bridges is the ninth studio album by Steve Lukather, released by The Players Club. It was released on June 16, 2023. The album heavily features Toto bandmates Joseph Williams, David Paich and Simon Phillips, as well as noted alumni Leland Sklar, and Shannon Forrest.

<i>Toto XIV</i> 2015 studio album by Toto

Toto XIV is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Toto. Toto released the album on March 20, 2015. It is the band's first studio album since Falling in Between in 2006.

<i>40 Trips Around the Sun</i> 2018 greatest hits album by Toto

40 Trips Around the Sun is a greatest hits album by American rock band Toto, released on February 9, 2018. The album was released in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Toto's self-titled debut album (1978).

References

  1. ↑ released in the US in March 1987
  1. 1 2 "Toto Songs ••• Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography ••• Music VF, US & UK hits charts".
  2. ↑ "Toto – till the End (1986, Vinyl)". Discogs . 21 November 1986.
  3. ↑ "Toto – Lea (1987, Vinyl)". Discogs . 1987.
  4. ↑ "On The Beat". Billboard. August 16, 1986. p. 24. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "The 'TOTO' Experience". The Windsor Star. August 11, 1986. pp. B5. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Toto". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Barber, Jim (February 19, 2015). "An Interview with Steve Porcaro of TOTO – February 16, 2015". V13. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Chart History - Toto". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Seely, Todd (February 7, 2005). "Todd Seely - Steve Lukather". Steve Lukather. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  10. 1 2 McNeice, Andrew (2019). All In (liner notes) (PDF). p. 6.
  11. 1 2 3 Gett, Steve (September 27, 1986). "Toto Album Features New Singer. 'Fahrenheit' Heats Up Chart". Billboard. pp. 20, 22. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ Perplexio (March 14, 2017). "Toto, "Could This Be Love" from 'Fahrenheit' (1986): Toto Tuesdays". Something Else!. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ Muretich, James (September 6, 1986). "Toto 'Stiff' on disc". Calgary Herald. pp. B8. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Video Track". Billboard. September 20, 1986. p. 57. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  15. ↑ (April 20, 2007). "Paula Abdul" Archived June 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , The Official Toto Website.
  16. 1 2 Elliott, Paul (October 15, 2016). "The Secret History Of Toto". louder. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Frazier, Preston (March 28, 2017). "Toto, "Lea" from 'Fahrenheit' (1986): Toto Tuesdays". Something Else!. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  18. ↑ DeRiso, Nick (August 17, 2015). "Toto's 'Fahrenheit' was more than the sum of its ballads". Something Else!. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  19. 1 2 "Fahrenheit". Steve Lukather Official Website. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  21. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Toto Fahrenheit review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  22. ↑ Oliver, Derek (30 October 1986). "Toto 'Fahrenheit'". Kerrang!. Vol. 132. London, UK: United Magazines ltd. p. 27.
  23. ↑ Shaw, Ted (1986-09-13). "Pop". Windsor Star. pp. C2. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  24. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "Fahrenheit". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  25. 1 2 DeRiso, Nick (August 17, 2015). "Toto's 'Fahrenheit' was more than the sum of its ballads". Something Else!. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  26. ↑ Fatt, Lam Seng (September 21, 1986). "Sounds Reviews". New Straits Times. p. 17. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  27. ↑ O'Shea, Gerry (September 7, 1986). "2Day. Recommended listening". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 112. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  28. ↑ Shaw, Ted (September 13, 1986). "Pop". Windsor Star. pp. C2. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  29. ↑ Spangler, Jerry (October 31, 1986). "Former musical kings attempt to climb back to the top". Deseret News. pp. 8W. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Album Releases" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. L, no. 11. August 30, 1986. p. 8 – via World History Radio.
  31. ↑ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. L, no. 11. August 30, 1986. p. 9. Retrieved September 25, 2024– via World History Radio.
  32. ↑ "Pop - Picks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 36. September 6, 1986. p. 80. Retrieved October 1, 2024– via World History Radio.
  33. ↑ "Toto - Fahrenheit". Miles Davis Official Site. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  34. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  35. ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Archived 2012-08-15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved August 3, 2012
  36. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Toto – Fahrenheit". Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Archived from the original (ASP) on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  37. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 285. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  38. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  39. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Toto – Fahrenheit". Hung Medien. VG-lista. Archived from the original (ASP) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  40. ↑ "swedishcharts.com Toto – Fahrenheit" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  41. ↑ "Toto - Fahrenheit - hitparade.ch" (in German). Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  42. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Toto – Fahrenheit" (PHP). Official Charts Company . Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  43. ↑ "allmusic ((( Fahrenheit > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Album Search: Toto – Fahrenheit" (in German). Media Control. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  45. ↑ "American album certifications – Toto – Fahrenheit". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 3, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.