Most bands coming off the biggest success of their careers would want things to remain status quo for as long as possible. Unfortunately, in the chaotic circumstances of music in the 80s, stasis wasn’t always an option.
Toto found that out. Just a few years after the band ascended to the top of the pop-rock world, they replaced their lead singer. That was part of a string of lineup changes that slowed the band’s momentum.
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Singer as Afterthought
In terms of arena rock lead singers, Bobby Kimball didn’t quite receive as much notoriety as others in his position within the genre. Think of bands like Foreigner or Journey, where singers like Lou Gramm and Steve Perry stood out in front and acted as not just the voice of the band, but also the face.
Toto was different, in part because they were born out of instrumental dexterity. They got together in the first place because the instrumentalists played together on sessions for other top musicians in the 70s. Eventually, they decided that they could probably make things happen on their own. The lead singer role, which went to Kimball, was the last one filled.
On top of that, other members of the band could sing a little. When the band scored big with Toto IV in 1982, hit songs “Rosanna” and “Africa” featured vocal parts by guitarist Steve Lukather and keyboardist David Paich, respectively. Still, Kimball came in on both of those songs and delivered the glory notes that raised the tracks to another level.
All ‘IV’ One
It’s hard to measure the impact Toto made on the music world in the years 1982 and 1983. Obviously, the release of Toto IV, a massive seller and eventual Grammy winner, played a big part in that. But don’t forget that several band members formed the musical backbone for Thriller, the Michael Jackson album that dominated pop music to an unprecedented degree for a few years after its release in late 1982.
In other words, Toto should have had the world eating from its hand for its next album release. But behind the scenes, problems were developing for their lead singer. Kimball, like many of the band members, was enjoying the lifestyle of rock stardom. Unlike the others, however, it took its toll on his ability to perform.
It didn’t help that he faced arrest on drug charges leveled at him in 1983. (Those charges were eventually dropped.) What ultimately sealed his fate were the sessions for the 1984 album Isolation. According to other band members, Kimball simply couldn’t sing the parts necessary for the songs as written.
A New Voice
Toto made the difficult decision to fire Kimball in 1984 during those sessions. They auditioned singers in a hurry and had a hard time finding the right guy. Eventually, they went with Fergie Frederiksen, who sings lead on seven of the ten songs on the album, although not on lead single “Stranger In Town”, which is handled by David Paich.
Who knows if Toto would have been able to make a better album without the distraction caused by the lead singer situation? It’s possible that any follow-up to Toto IV would have been a letdown. Fredriksen acquits himself well enough, but the material doesn’t have the same zing to it.
By the time the band made their next album, Fredriksen was out, and Joseph Williams came aboard. Bobby Kimball made a return to Toto in 1998, serving with the band for about a decade. The most recent incarnation of Toto featured Joseph Williams once again out in front, the latest twist in a saga begun by Kimball’s first departure.
The whole rock/hip-hop collaboration trend that was kicked off by Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith on “Walk This Way” eventually included several different high-profile songs. Perhaps the most unexpected came when R.E.M. connected with KRS-One of Boogie Down Productions.
(Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns)