Isolation (Toto album)

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

While Toto IV was a massive, Grammy-winning success, Toto elected not to continue touring in 1983, a decision Steve Lukather has since regretted as a missed opportunity to become a "US-arena rock band."^[9]

As the band began sessions for Isolation, vocalist Bobby Kimball reportedly struggled with his vocals.^[9] Kimball said in 2005 that he sang lead on "more than half" of the album,^[10] although Lukather has stated that he only recorded a lead vocal on the track "Lion."^[9] He did record background vocals for three songs on the album, "Lion," "Stranger in Town," and "Holyanna." He also co-wrote and sang lead vocals on the song "Right Part of Me", which was released in 1998 on the album Toto XX. Kimball and the band parted ways in April 1984. Over the course of the year, Toto would focus on other projects, notably the soundtrack for the film Dune and the boxing theme of the 1984 Olympic Games.

When the band finally began auditioning potential lead vocalists, the band sifted through around 15 video auditions.^[11] The job was first offered to Richard Page, who ultimately declined the offer because he had a contract for his band, Mr. Mister.^[9] Lukather then wanted to offer the job to Eric Martin, later of Mr. Big, but Jeff was interested in Fergie Frederiksen, then lead singer of the band LeRoux.^[9] Frederiksen, who at the time was doing production work in Germany, joined the band in a rehearsal hall and secured the position after running four songs with the band.^[11] On Isolation, Frederiksen co-wrote "Angel Don't Cry", "Mr. Friendly", "Change of Heart", and the title track.

The first cover design for Isolation was created by David Lynch, with whom Toto had worked on Dune. Though the band reportedly spent $25,000 on the work,^[9] the members were ultimately disappointed in it and did not use it. This cover also included Kimball. Jeff Porcaro ultimately persuaded the band to use a surreal image by artist Robert Kopecky.

While the band was proud of the finished album, Lukather has noted that it was clear Isolation did not "sound like the work of the same band that had made Toto IV."^[9] Toto wanted to release the track "Endless," on which Frederiksen sang lead, as the first single. However, Columbia Records opted for "Stranger in Town," sung by David Paich and thought to be more similar to the hit "Africa."^[9] While "Stranger in Town" was a Top 30 hit, it was a disappointment compared to the chart topping success of the singles from Toto IV. The promo music video (featuring actor Brad Dourif) for the track was, however, nominated for MTV Video of the Year.

Lukather thought that the tour to support Isolation was disastrous; Toto had been booked into arenas based on the success of Toto IV, the 10,000-seat venues were sparsely attended and, according to Lukather, the band "lost their shirts" on the tour.^[9] A tour of Europe was ultimately cancelled and Toto fired their booking agents.

Isolation would eventually achieve gold status in the United States and triple platinum status in Japan. Although Frederiksen would begin work with Toto on their sixth album, Fahrenheit, he struggled with the vocals for the first track, "Could This Be Love," and the band moved on to Lukather's childhood friend (and son of Academy Award-Winning Composer John Williams) Joseph Williams.

AllMusic's retrospective review praised the performances of Jeff Porcaro, David Paich, and Steve Lukather in passing but dismissed Isolation as "a Journey clone album, minus the aching ballads that had made Journey such a success."^[12]

All lead vocals by Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen, except where noted.

Toto

• Fergie Frederiksen – lead vocals (1, 2, 4, 6–9), backing vocals
• Steve Lukather – guitars, lead vocals (5), backing vocals
• David Paich – piano, keyboards, synthesizers, lead vocals (1, 3, 10), backing vocals, orchestral arrangements (5, 9)
• Steve Porcaro – keyboards, synthesizers
• Mike Porcaro – bass
• Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Mike Cotten – additional synthesizers (3)
• Lenny Castro – congas, percussion
• Joe Porcaro – percussion
• Tom Scott – saxophones
• Chuck Findley – trumpet
• Jerry Hey – trumpet, horn arrangements (2)
• James Newton Howard – orchestral arrangements and conductor (5, 9)
• Marty Paich – conductor (5, 9)
• The London Symphony Orchestra – strings (5, 9)
• Bobby Kimball – backing vocals (2, 3, 10)
• Gene Morford – bass vocal (3)
• Tom Kelly – backing vocals (5)
• Richard Page – backing vocals (3, 5)

Technical

• Produced by Toto
• Mixed by Toto and Greg Ladanyi
• Engineered by Greg Ladanyi, Tom Knox, Shep Lonsdale, and Niko Bolas
• Assistant engineers – Richard Bosworth, Duane Seykora, Tom Fletcher, Bill Jackson, Terry Christian, Peggy McCreary, Stuart Furusho, David Schober, Brian Malouf, Ann Calnan, and Franz Pusch
• Strings engineer (at Abbey Road Studios) – John Kurlander
• Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, CA
• Art direction and design – Bill Murphy
• Illustration – Robert Kopecky
• Photography – Raul Vega

Catalogue: (LP) Columbia 9C9-39911, (CD) Columbia CK-38962