Steve Lukather revealed in a recent interview with GuitarWorld that, due to complex legal issues, Toto will not produce any more records. However, his affection for the band is evident in his attempt to recapture Toto’s ’80s style in his new album, ‘Bridges.’ His approach to the album was informal, focusing on creating a record that embraced the era’s sound. He said:
“Due to complicated legal issues, Toto will never make another record. But I still love that music, so I called up Simon Phillips, David Paich and even my son Trev [Lukather]. I love how it came out, but I think the sound results from just doing it for fun. We said, ‘Fuck it, let’s go in and make a cool, ’80s-sounding record,’ and we did so shamelessly without denying ourselves what we wanted to do. I guess I needed to scratch that itch. It just came down to downshifting my approach.”
Lukather, who brought David Paichi out of retirement to create a more Toto-like sound, said:
“We still love working together; we just didn’t want to call it Toto. And it’s not that I’m remotely ashamed of that music; I’m on the road performing that stuff now. But it’s complicated in terms of ownership and all the craziness of it all.”
Toto’s Lawsuit
The lawsuit that’s keeping Toto from making new music right now, initiated in 2018 by Susan Porcaro-Goings, widow of Toto’s late drummer Jeff Porcaro, accused the band of failing to compensate for Jeff’s share in the Toto name since his passing in 1992.
According to Lukather, the legal battle, which the band lost, resulted in a significant financial loss of $1 million and caused a rift within the band, particularly between Lukather and keyboardist Steve Porcaro, Jeff’s brother. This dispute has led to a major change in the band’s lineup, leaving Lukather as the sole original member remaining. Lukathor spoke to Rolling Stone about the subject in 2020. He said:
“I was victimized by that bullshit, too. And then she went public, without any corroboration, to say that David and I were stealing from her family. Like I would do that! As if I suddenly turned into an arch-criminal when I was 60!”
He continued by talking about Porcaro, who was alive at the time. He said:
“He is pissed off because he was out of the band for 25 years and he didn’t put any money into trying to fight (the lawsuit). He wanted a part of the name for nothing. He didn’t emotionally support us. He didn’t financially support us. Why should he get it for free? And so now he hates my guts, and that makes this even more ugly.”
Although Toto is not releasing a new album, the remaining members continue to tour and perform live shows.
