The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities abroad and was doing business in France, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. North America was seen as an area of growth for bidet and washlet toilet seats, as opposed its "base" markets in Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto documented Toto words so that the next generation could understand the words. Many words were replaced by foreign words. For example, dui, which is Bengali for verandah, was being used.
Origins
Incorporated in 1917, Toto's beginnings mirrored Japan's growth. In the first half of 1917, Toto manufactured products to meet the growing demand for modern, contemporary urban housing. It was the first tunnel kilns in the country that could produce ceramics continuously. It also pioneered automation for production control, which helps to increase efficiency and consistency.
In the latter half of the 1980s, the company began to expand overseas in order to take advantage of sales and new markets. It launched the Cera Trading Company, importing and distributing other manufacturers' products to complement its own line of plumbing fittings and sanitary earthenware. This strategy boosted sales and expanded the firm's market share.
In the 1990s, Toto began to concentrate on research and development for water-related appliances. It also upgraded its distribution system to better meet the needs of its customers and boost profits. The company used the same just-in-time approach to its supply chain management as well as sales program. This resulted in a greater level of customer satisfaction.
Toto has continued to innovate in the toilet technology. The most recent toilet features a strong, eco-friendly tornado flush. The company uses recycled water in its manufacturing process, and also has a green purchasing policy. In addition to toilets, Toto manufactures bathtubs and faucets, as well as hand dryers that are more energy efficient than typical models.
The first museum of the company opened in the year 2015, and it has exhibitions on Toto's seminal products and their development and its group companies (all having to do with ceramics) and the history of plumbing and products like bath units and, in a different gallery, Toto products sold around the world. The museum even has a bathroom that features a WASHLET toilet and other toilet-related innovations.
Before forming Toto members of the group performed session work for various 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 performed on albums by Steely Don, 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 pretty straightforward rock band. The group was formed as a four-piece and released two albums that were self-titled in 1979 and 1980's Armed to the Teeth. But even though the band have a diverse musical background, their biggest success was in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a massive blockbuster but not without its problems. Record companies placed the band on the spot with the ultimatum "give us an album that's a smash or we'll sack you" and the pressure was on them to deliver. Luckily for Toto, they did, with the assistance of the smash single "Africa."
Toto's musical mastery is the result of their previous experiences. Before joining the group, the members were session musicians for artists such as Boz Scaggs. Steely Dan and Seals and Crofts. Their distinctive sound has become the standard of the '80s, and has influenced many contemporary artists.
The album opens with a strong and pounding sound, with songs such as Running Out of Time and Unknown Soldier showcasing the bands ability to write amazing AOR songs that slowly work their hooks into your mind. The album also has some slower, more jazzy tracks like The Little Things and Chinatown. The album closes with Great Expectations, a song that combines folk with distortion AOR and could sound totally wrong, but is incredibly effective.
After Toto IV, the band's fortunes began to decline. David Hungate left to concentrate on his solo career, and the band had to go through numerous 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 that was not as successful as IV. The band was able to release an album that was chart-topping, Kingdom of Desire, in 1992. check out here marked Toto's final lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new singer.
Tours
The band has performed to millions of fans across the world, performing sold-out shows across Europe, North America and Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand. The band's repertoire is vast, and their collective catalog has accumulated more than billion streams on streaming services worldwide. The band's music has inspired generations of fans.
Steve Lukather has forged a colorful, deep friendship with Joe Williams that is flourishing professionally around the globe. In 2018, the duo celebrated 40 Tours Around the Sun with a massively successful global tour. The album with the same title ranked #5 on the Billboard 200. The new tour of the band includes their best hits and rarely live cuts, as well as some of the songs from Lukather and Williams their individual catalogs.
TOTO has a Net Promoter Score of 20. This score is a measure of how likely it is that customers will recommend the brand. Promoters are people who give a good rating to the company and encourage others to utilize its products or services. Detractors rate the company negatively and actively discourage others from making use of its products or services.
Join Toto to enjoy a unique cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour of a region the French once called Indochine offers luxurious accommodations, a day on a luxury cruise ship in Halong Bay, and an exploration of the mysterious temples of Angkor Wat. Also, you will spend an evening in the charming city of Luang Prabang. This UNESCO World Heritage City is a feast for the senses. This is a once in a lifetime excursion you should not miss!
Line-up
The album's third, Turn Back, marked a return to the classic sextet format of the previous albums. It was a more powerful, consistent effort with an edge that was stronger than Hydra. Its more punk-rock sound was a reflection of the maturation of the group and included drummer Bobby Kimball's greater virtuosity on drums, and a more mature, confident vocal delivery from singer Joseph Williams. David Paich's work was more precise, sharper and less cloying than on previous efforts.
After touring to promote their album, the group recorded the band's Amsterdam live performance which was released on Eagle Records as a 2-CD set entitled Falling In Between. The group released their new studio album a few months after and then embarked on a tour around the world to help promote it. 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 exploring old tapes and demos to discover songs that had never been 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 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 album, Old Is New was a commercial failure and vocalist Williams was suffering from laryngitis, which affected his singing abilities. Hungate also returned to Nashville and Leland Sklar's drumming duties were replaced by Shem Von Schroeck.
Downes, Wetton Palmer and Howe, the founding members of Asia The original Asia members met in England early in 2006 to discuss the possibility that the group could be reformed. This lineup, with the exception of Howe (who was working with 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 had a special appearance by singer Michael McDonald and a backing vocalist named Mabvuto Carver.