The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding 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, as opposed its "base" markets in Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto documented Toto words to ensure that the future generation could read the words. Many words were substituted with foreign words. For example, dui, which is Bengali for verandah was being used.
Origins
Incorporated in 1917, Toto's early years were a mirror of Japan's economic growth. In the early years of its existence, the company manufactured goods to meet demand for modern, contemporary urban housing. It had the first tunnel kiln in the nation to produce ceramics continuously. It also pioneered the use of automation for production control, which allows for greater efficiency and a more consistent production.
The company began expanding overseas in the late 1980s in order to take advantage of new markets and sales opportunities. It launched the Cera Trading Company, importing and selling other products from other manufacturers to complement its own range of plumbing fittings and sanitary earthenware. This strategy helped increase sales and increased the company's global market share.
In the late 1990s, Toto had shifted its focus to research and development of household appliances that are water-related. It also upgraded its distribution system to better serve the needs of its customers and boost profits. The company used the same just-in time approach in its supply chain management and sales program. This resulted in a higher level of satisfaction of customers.
Toto continued to develop toilet technology. Its latest toilet, for instance it has an extremely powerful tornado flush that is more ecologically friendly than conventional toilets. Toto uses recycled water in its manufacturing process, and also has a green purchasing policy. Apart from toilets, Toto manufactures bathtubs and faucets, as well as hand dryers that are more energy efficient than standard models.
The first Toto museum opened in 2015. It features exhibits on the most iconic products of Toto and their evolution, the group companies (all of which are made from ceramics) as well as the history of plumbing and even bath units. In another gallery, visitors will find Toto products sold all over. The museum also includes a bathroom with a WASHLET toilet as well as other toilet-related innovations.
Before the formation of Toto members of the group performed sessions with 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 performed on records by Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
You might expect a band with a name such as Asia to be a prog band however, it's actually a fairly straight forward rock band. The group was formed as four-piece, and released two albums: 1979's self-titled debut and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. The group has a wide musical background, but their biggest success came in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a major blockbuster, but not without its share of issues. Record companies put the band on the spot with the ultimatum "give us an album that's a smash or we'll drop you" and the pressure was on to give it. Toto was able to achieve this through the aid of the hit song "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is a result of their previous experience in the music industry, as the band members had been session musicians for artists like Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, and Seals and Crofts prior to forming the group. Their distinctive sound has become the standard for '80s music, influencing many contemporary artists.
The album starts out hard with songs such as 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 includes some more jazzy, slower tracks such as The Little Things and Chinatown. And the album ends with Great Expectations, a song which combines folk and distorted AOR and could sound like a complete flop, but works wonderfully well.
After Toto IV The band's fortunes turned to the downside. 스포츠토토 left to concentrate on his solo career, and the band had to go through numerous 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 chaos, Toto forged ahead and released Isolation, which was not as successful as IV. The band managed to release an album that was chart-topping, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. This album marked Toto's final lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new singer.
Tours
The band has performed across the world, performing to an audience of millions, with sold-out shows in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. The band has a wide collection of songs, and their catalog has been listened to over one billion times on streaming services across the globe. The band's music has influenced many generations of fans.
Steve Lukather has forged a rich, deep friendship with Joe Williams that is flourishing professionally all over the world. In 2018, the duo celebrated their 40th anniversary of Tours Around The Sun with a hugely profitable global tour. The album with the same title ranked 5 on the Billboard 200. The band's new tour includes their best hits and rarely performed live deep cuts, as well as some of the songs from Lukather and Williams' individual catalogs.
TOTO has a customer satisfaction rating of 20 based on its Net Promoter Score which measures how likely its customers are to recommend the brand. Promoters are those who praise the company and actively encourage others to use their products or services. Detractors are those who rate the company poorly, and may even actively dissuade people from using their products or services.
Join Toto to have a unique experience in Asia. This highlight tour of a region the French once called Indochine offers luxurious accommodations, a day on a luxurious cruise ship in Halong Bay, and an exploration of the mysterious temples of Angkor Wat. You will also spend an evening in the charming city of Luang Prabang. This UNESCO World Heritage City is a feast for the senses. This is an unforgettable trip which you'll never wish to miss!
Line-up
The band's third album, Turn Back, marked the return to the traditional sextet format of the previous albums. It was a more powerful, consistent effort that had a harder edge than Hydra. Its edgier sound was indicative of the maturation of group and included drummer Bobby Kimball's improved ability on the drums and a more mature, confident vocal delivery by singer Joseph Williams. David Paich's keyboard playing was also sharper, more complex and less akin to previous efforts.
After touring to promote the album, the group recorded a live performance in Amsterdam that was released as a two-CD set titled Falling In Between Live on Eagle Records. The studio album came out a few months later, and the group went on a long-distance tour to promote the album. During this time, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes replaced Paich and bassist David Hungate quit the group to spend time with his family.
In 1998, Paich & Lukather began searching through old tapes & demos to discover songs that hadn't been recorded before. It was released as a double album titled Then And Now in 2001. It was the band's first album 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, which limited his singing ability. Additionally, Hungate returned to Nashville and drummer Leland Sklar was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Downes and the other members of Asia--Wetton, Palmer, and Howe--convened a meeting in England in the beginning of 2006 to discuss the possibility of reforming the group. The group, which was missing Howe who was busy with Yes during that period, was later renamed Toto XIV. They 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 had an appearance by singer Michael McDonald and a backing vocalist named Mabvuto Carver.