The Band Toto Asia
Toto was expanding its production facilities in the overseas market and doing business in France, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the People's Republic of China. Toto saw North America as a growth market for Washlet bidet seats and toilets, as opposed to its "base" markets of Japan and China.
Dhaniram Toto was documenting Toto words to ensure the next generation could comprehend them. However, many of the words were being replaced by foreign ones, like dui, which is Bengali for verandah.
Origins
Established in 1917, Toto's early years mirrored Japan's economic development. In the beginning, Toto made products to meet the demands for modern, new urban housing. To do this, it employed the first tunnel kiln in the country to produce ceramics in continuous flow. It also pioneered the use of automation for production control, which helps to increase efficiency and consistency.
The company began expanding overseas in the latter part of the 1980s to profit from new markets and sales opportunities. The company established the Cera Trading Company to import and sell other products of other manufacturers to expand its range of sanitary earthenwares and plumbing fittings. This strategy boosted sales and increased the company's global market share.
By the 1990s, Toto had shifted its focus to research and development of household appliances that use water. It also redesigned its system of distribution to better serve its customers and improve profit. The company also employed the just-in-time approach to its supply chain management and sales program. This resulted in a greater level of satisfaction with the customer.
Toto has continued to innovate with regard to toilet technology. Its latest toilet, for instance it has a powerful tornado flush that is more environmentally friendly than traditional toilets. The company also makes use of recycled water in its manufacturing process and has a green procurement policy. In addition to toilets, Toto produces bathtubs and faucets and hand dryers that are more efficient in energy use than typical models.
The first museum of the company opened in the year 2015, and it has exhibitions on Toto's most iconic products and their development as well as its group companies (all that deal with ceramics) and the history of plumbing and products such as bath units, and in a separate gallery, Toto products sold around the world. The museum even has a bathroom that includes a WASHLET toilet and other toilet-related innovations.
Before forming Toto members of the group did session work for 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 albums by Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, and Sonny and Cher.
Discography
With a name as evocative as Asia one would expect the group to be prog kings and queens however, it's actually a fairly straightforward rock band. The band began as 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 variety of musical backgrounds their biggest hit was in 1982 with Toto IV.
The album was a major blockbuster, but it was not without its share of problems. The record companies placed Toto under pressure to release the top single or they would drop the album. Luckily for Toto they delivered and they did it with the aid of the smash single "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 sonic signature has since become the standard for '80s pop, and has influenced many modern artists.
The album begins with a hefty dose of hard rock, with songs such as Running Out of Time and Unknown Soldier showcasing the bands ability to write fantastic AOR songs that slowly get their hooks into your mind. However, the album also includes some slower, more jazzy tracks like The Little Things and Chinatown. The album closes with Great Expectations. This song is a mix of folk and distortion AOR which could sound completely wrong but actually works very well.
After Toto IV The band's fortunes took a turn to the downside. David Hungate left the band to focus on his solo career, and the band was dominated by drummers. In 1984, Bobby Kimball left the band following drug-related charges. The band continued to play with Michael Porcaro, Steve Lukather and Michael Porcaro.
Despite the turbulence, Toto forged ahead and released Isolation, which was not as successful as IV. However, the band had a successful chart-topping album in 1992, Kingdom of Desire. This album marked the end of Toto's lineup and the debut of Simon Phillips, a new vocalist.
Tours
The band has performed across the world to a global crowd of millions, with sold-out shows in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. The band has a huge collection of songs, and their catalog has been listened to over a billion times via streaming services all over the world. The band's music has influenced multiple generations of fans.
스포츠토토 and Joe Williams have developed a deep and vibrant friendship that flourishes professionally on a global basis. In 2018 the duo celebrated 40 Tours Around the Sun with a hugely successful tour across the globe. The album that bears the same name reached #5 on Billboard 200. The new tour of the band includes their best hits and rarely live cuts, alongside 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 the likelihood that customers will recommend the brand. Promoters are those who praise the company and actively encourage others to make use of their products or services. Detractors are those that do not like the company and actively discourage people from making use of its products or services.
Join Toto for a unique cultural experience in Asia. This highlights tour of the region that the French used to call Indochine provides luxurious accommodation, a trip on a deluxe junk in Halong Bay, and an exploration of the mysterious temples of Angkor Wat. You'll also spend one night in the charming town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage city that is a feast for the senses. This is a once-in-a-lifetime excursion you should not be missing!
Line-up
The band's third album, Turn Back, marked an reversion to the classic sextet style of the previous albums. It was a stronger, more consistent effort with an edge that was stronger than Hydra. The more edgier sound of Turn Back was a reflection of the growth of the band. The drummer Bobby Kimball's increasing proficiency was evident in the vocal delivery of Joseph Williams, who had grown more confident and mature. David Paich's work was sharper, more intricate, and less derivative than earlier efforts.
After touring to promote the album, the band recorded a live performance in Amsterdam that was released as a two-CD set called Falling In Between Live on Eagle Records. The group released a new studio album a few months after and then embarked on a tour around the world to support the album. During this period keyboardist Greg Phillinganes replaced Paich and bassist David Hungate quit the group to spend time with his family.
In 1998, Paich & Lukather began looking through old tapes and demos to discover songs that had never been recorded prior to. It was completed in the form of a double-album called Then & Now in 2001. It was the band's first album that did not contain a single song titled "A". The album also included a previously unreleased track "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 suffered from a bad laryngitis infection that limited his singing abilities. Hungate also returned to Nashville and Leland Sklar's drumming duties were replaced by Shem Von Schroeck.
Downes and the other members of Asia--Wetton, Palmer, and Howe--convened an event in England in the early part of 2006 to discuss the possibility of officially reforming the band. This lineup, minus Howe who was working with Yes at the time, became 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 featured the appearance of singer Michael McDonald, and a backing singer named Mabvuto Carpenter.