Toto and The Players Club / Mascot Label Group have announced the global release of “With A Little Help From My Friends” on June 25, 2021. The performance captures one special night on November 21, 2020 when Steve Lukather, Joseph Williams and David Paich appeared with the new line-up of Toto for a global event originating from Los Angeles, CA. Joining Lukather, Williams and Paich for this next chapter in their indelible history are new band members bassist John Pierce (Huey Lewis and The News), drummer Robert “Sput” Searight (Ghost-Note / Snarky Puppy), and keyboardist / background vocalist Steve Maggiora (Robert Jon & The Wreck). Keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (Prince, Ghost-Note) and multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Warren Ham (Ringo Starr) segued over continuing their tenure in the ensemble. This marks the fifteenth incarnation of the Toto line-up in consideration of band members or sidemen who joined or exited.
Alongside LP pressings of the audio only, both a CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray package are available. The track listing features “Till The End,” “Hold The Line,” “Pamela,” “Kingdom of Desire,” “White Sister,” “You Are The Flower,” “I Won’t Hold You Back,” “Stop Loving You,” “Home Of The Brave,” “Rosanna,” and “With A Little Help From My Friends.” In the DVD and Blu-ray releases, a documentary is featured alongside the performance, featuring thoughts from all members of the band that appeared that evening.
Steve Lukather a.k.a. Luke shares, “When the music is performed by great musicians it honors Toto. The documentary featured on the DVD offers great insights in to our thoughts looking forward. David, who stands with us, alongside Joe and myself, desire to keep this music alive. And Paich could pop in any time for a show as a special surprise. When it came to plan this specific set list, we picked an eclectic group of songs for this one night only show. Looking forward, we’ll be selecting a broader mix from the Toto catalogue that includes deep cuts, the hits, and tunes from Joe and my recently released solo albums. Both of us could not be more thrilled with the global response to these records. They charted all over the world, and integrating some of the music in to the new Toto set brings a fresh spice to the Toto The Dogz of Oz World Tour when we head back out to begin staging shows. Simply, both of us aim to bring the past Toto to the present and beyond, and this first look at the new line-up sets the stage for a chapter in our history we can’t wait to write.”
Joe Williams offers, “It’s always a complete joy to perform a Toto show, but this one was special. Joining me, Luke and David last November were three new top level, virtuoso musicians as well as a few returning geniuses. The show itself was born out of the need to play after being on Covid lockdown, but also served as the reason to build this new band. Right out of the gate this group gelled and dug deep into the new and old Toto material. Among some of the deeper cuts is one of my all-time favorite songs, ‘You Are The Flower’ by the original – Bobby Kimball. Being a massive fan (and a good friend), I dedicate the performance to him. Also back are a few of my favorite things, ‘Till The End’ and ‘Pamela.’ Played to perfection by the new cats. I have the best job in the band because when I’m not singing, I get to watch the most incredible players work! The Toto model holds strong and true. A band of the very best musicians and singers writing and performing all manner of cool songs. That’s how it began, and that’s how it continues.” He continues, “This documentary explores that concept by talking with David, Luke, Warren, Dominic X, John Pierce, Robert ‘Sput’ Searight, and Steve Maggiora about their experiences as players, and also about being a part of the Toto legacy. And, of course discussion about the show as well. I think I’m in there too, saying how much I love these guys! Soon we’ll to get back out to you, on stage, in the flesh expanding our set with some even deeper ‘legacy’ cuts as well as some new stuff from Luke’s and my new records. We can’t wait! In the meantime, enjoy a little Toto history and current events. Xo Joe.”
“With A Little Help From My Friends ” was produced by Joseph Williams, who also edited the accompanying long-form video. The band’s long-time front of house engineer Ken Freeman mixed and captured the sound that evening.
Toto has announced the band will push all 2021 EU shows to 2022. Specific dates for those shows follows below.
Track listing:
1. Till The End
2. Hold The Line
3. Pamela
4. Kingdom Of Desire
5. White Sister
6. You Are The Flower
7. I Won’t Hold You Back
8. Stop Loving You
9. Band Introductions
10. Home Of The Brave
11. Rosanna
12. With A Little Help From My Friends
Tour dates 2022:
14 July, 2022 Bonn, Germany KunstRasen
15 July, 2022 Amsterdam, Netherlands Ziggo Dome
16 July, 2022 Halle, Germany Peißnitzinsel
19 July, 2022 Pratteln, Switzerland Z-7 Summer Nights
20 July, 2022 Tussling, Germany Schlossplatz
21 July, 2022 Middelkerke, Belgium Proximus Pop-Up Arena
23 July, 2022 Vitrolles, France Festival Jardin Sonore
28 July, 2022 Schwetzingen, Germany Schlossgarten
29 July, 2022 Graz, Austria Messe Open Air
31 July, 2022 Warsaw, Poland Torwar
10 August, 2022 Helsingborg, Sweden Sofiero Castle
11 August, 2022 Viborg, Denmark Paradepladsen
13 August, 2022 Copenhagen, Denmark Royal Arena
14 August, 2022 Gothenburg, Sweden Partille Arena
