When the guys at Hard Rock House asked me to interview Steve Lukather my immediate answer was an emphatic “yes”. Steve Lukather is one of the most sensational guitar players in the world and with my guitar playing background to say I was a bit apprehensive about meeting one of my all time heroes is an understatement. Toto are a band that I got into in my teenage years and have followed religiously ever since. For me they epitomize everything great in music. Great songs, great individual talent but also a tight knit band ethos. What follows is a transcript of an amazing and surreal fifteen minutes spent with Steve Lukather before Toto's recent gig at Newcastle City Hall. He was candid and open with his answers and what shone through was the persona and spirit of a man who loves music, loves his fans sincerely and is fiercely loyal and caring to those who enter his life. 

Steve Lukather

It’s a dream come true for many melodic rock fans to finally have Toto here in our hometown.  

Steve: Hey man it’s really great to be here and great to see you. 

When you got to this venue did it stir up any memories as I can tell you that the last time you played on this stage for us was in 1994!!…Can you remember who with? 

Steve: Man let me think. I know, it must have been Paul Rodgers 

That’s exactly right! And it was an awesome night. 

Steve: Hey it was a great honour to work with Paul. He is one of the greatest voices of all time and he’s one of your own! 

I remember that night clearly as a lot of the audience were excepting Neal Schon on guitar as it was around the time that Rodgers had released the Hendrix sessions on which Neal played. When you walked out on stage it brought the house down! 

Steve: Well it’s kind of funny because they didn’t really announce it. Neal and I are all such close buds. I think the world of him. He is one of the finest guitar players out there and a really great guy. Our kids are friends, Miles and Trevor. 

Journey and Toto are two of the finest melodic rock bands in the world without doubt. 

Steve: Yeah but you know we have different flavours. We all came up around the same time and we played shows together. We love to hang out. I was going to do a record with Jeff (Jeff Scott Soto new Journey lead singer). We had a great time but I told him to see what happens as you’re going to get the call from Journey and hey that’s what happened. 

The new album “Falling In-between” is a killer. It’s classic Toto but with a really modern slant.  

Steve: Well we’re just trying to stay in the game you know what I mean? It’s had a great reception and it’s the first full album we’ve done with Greg (Greg Phillanges new Toto keyboards) as a new full time member writing and cutting sessions. It was great. We wrote the songs in the studio. We would just go in on the morning with nothing and at the end of the day we had whatever we had come up with 

That’s genius that is!! 

Steve: Nah! Man I’m telling you it’s a blessing. 

Some of the tracks like the opener “falling In-between” have an epic feel to them. 

Steve: Well people were saying you did the covers record which was a fun little thing to do and yet some people fucking hated it! I mean what’s the matter with those guys? 

I loved it! 

Steve: You know it was just meant to be fun .It was an interim period record to do something for the 25^th anniversary. We did it in a month. Bang it was done. On this one it was like okay you think Steve's lost it .No way. We spent nine to ten months on this motherfucker and brought out the kitchen sink on the production. We brought back some old friends for the memories like Joseph Williams and Steve Porcaro is all over it. Lenny Castro and Tom Scott are on it. I mean those guys have played on some of our biggest records. 

Would I be right in thinking Toto the band are really inspired at the moment? 

Steve: Hey you know what? We’re getting really great reviews and we usually get torn to bits. 

There are many exciting moments on the new album and for me the opening track has one of the finest. Its midway through” Falling In-between” where you come in with one of the most crunching riffs and continue to play the hell out of it.

Steve: Oh yeah (smiles)  

It’s big, bold and puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. There is a kind of impish naughty glee about but at the same time it’s a full on serious adult rock riff. You really nailed that one. 

Steve: Hey man thanks. 

There is a little burst of laughter before the riff comes in. Is that you and was it a reflection of knowing that the riff that followed was going to blow peoples minds? . 

Steve: No man I’m always laughing 

Was that cut live? 

Steve: Oh yeah. Completely live. Everyone in it together. 

The track  “Falling In-between” has awesome grooves and Simon Philips drums are stunning as he weaves the different sections together. 

Steve: Yes sir he’s awesome. 

Is it one of the songs that live you have to concentrate on as there feels like there is no room for error? 

Steve: Well once we learn it and play it becomes second nature 

Are you going to play it tonight? 

Steve: Oh hell yeah! 

The album has a great progressive feel to it. It’s still Toto but feels like the development that started with the albums “Kingdom Of Desire” and “Caught In the Balance” has reached fruition.  

Steve: Well we knew that top 40 radio isn’t going to play any of the new stuff and we wanted to make things a little more interesting and stretch out with longer pieces of music, be a bit more self indulgent as artists you know. It struck a chord with our fans. The people who love our music really thought it was great and the people who hate us hated it no matter what (laughs) but they don’t really fucking matter you know. 

It sounds like the sessions for the album may have led to a lot of new material. 

Steve: You know believe it or not we only left maybe one or two things off. Most of the material we used. 

The current tour is an ideal time to air the new material live. Are any of the new songs shaping up to become live favourites and are there any tracks off the new album which you personally get a kick out of playing live? 

Steve: Oh I love the title track man. 

I thought you might! 

Steve: You know we have 18 albums out there and we ‘ll look at out web site and see what people are asking for. 

The web sites excellent. Whoever is doing it for you is doing a fantastic job. 

Steve: Thanks man. We have some great friends who work very very hard for us. We are honoured. You should check out the Toto network man as well as the Toto 99 site and all our individual sites. 

On the liner notes of “Through The Looking Glass” you mention that all the tracks were recorded using a small Marshall combo with an SM57 microphone and that the sound was all in the hands and the heart. Your guitar on the new album sounds enormous. What was your procedure this time? 

Steve: Phew I used all kinds of stuff. My sons Marshall, he’s got a really good one. My Bradshaw stuff and some bits and pieces. I’m doing a solo record right now and I’m using old vintage amps. Voxes and Gibsons. It’s so much fun. I’m like the kid in the candy store with all that shit! 

Touching on your solo career there is something, which has always eluded me about the song “Bluebird” from your album simply entitled Luke. At the end of the track you shout something into your pick-ups and to this day I haven’t fathomed what it is. Would you be able to put me out of my misery and tell me what you are shouting? 

Steve: Ah the guy who engineered the record was Tom Fletcher and I was using my old 59’ sunburst les Paul and lets just say he was fuckin’ with me! Those pick ups are very microphonic so I said “Tom Fletcher get your dick outta my ass hole” (laughs all round) True story! I’m not gay or nothing (laughing). 

At this point Bobby Kimball who had been quietly sleeping across the room starts laughing so I was quick to say thanks for the interview he did for the site recently and to mention that it's been getting lots of hits 

Bobby: That’s great man. 

On your first solo album in 1989 entitled “Lukather” there is a track called “Twist the Knife” which I believe was co-written with Eddie Van Halen who also plays bass on the track. 

Steve: Yeah we wrote the song together. We ‘re dear friends very dear friends. 

He’s one of my favourite players. I just hope one day we will see him out there doing it. 

Steve: Oh we will man. He’s going down the right path. I love those guys very, very much and we’ve been friends for almost 30 years. We’ve helped each other through some very tough times.  

The Brian May project called “Starfleet” featured Eddie. I’ve always thought you and Eddie could make a great project together. 

Steve: Well it’s kind of funny. We’ve done things live together. I’ve played with Van Halen and he’s played with us. We did a project once. A one off benefit show with Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey of Mr. Big and then me and Ed’. I’ve sung on their records and Eddies played on my Xmas record. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ed.

Your album with Larry Carlton “No Substitutions” was an enormous success and was a joy to listen to. You both sound like your having a blast! Was that a one off project or will we maybe see another release featuring you both together? 

Steve: Well we’ve talked about it down the line. It’s crazy at the end of this year it will have been ten years since we did that record. 

It’s a great album 

Steve: I got a Grammy for that record. Yeah it was nice to get some love in the 2000’s! 

Your guitar solos always flow and help take songs to emotional highs. 

Steve: Well when I was applying with Carlton I was getting a lesson everyday. He’s my teacher and one of the best musicians I have ever known. 

Your solos on songs like “Won’t Hold You back” and “I’ll Be Over You” really tug at the heartstrings and they really hit the spot. 

Steve: Hey thanks man. (Smiles) 

Are there any solos that you listen back to and think “man it gets me every time”? 

Steve: You know I’m really tough on myself. I hear what’s wrong and I know what’s right. You know when something's going to stand up to the test of time. I’m not really the judge of my own thing but I’m a fan of other people. 

 Not only are you a phenomenal lead guitar player but you also play killer rhythm guitar also.  

Steve: Hey thanks! You know it’s not hard when you play with a rhythm section like this man. He just has to stand in the room and I’m grooving. 

At this point Simon Phillips wanders over  

The track “Gift With A Golden Gun” on the Live In Amsterdam album features a really funky sort of rhythm and lead solo all combined and it gets the crowd going crazy. Where do you think your inspirational rhythm playing comes from? 

Steve: Well I grew up playing with Jeff Porcaro man and when you have that kind of groove in your formative years…(leans forward). You know Jeff’s still with me in my heart everyday. He was one of the finest cats to ever sit behind a kit. But now we have Simon right here man who is one bad, bad motherfucker who has wicked grooves and ridiculous chops! (Lots of laughter) 

Well, considering you are all about to go out and take the roof off the City Hall you’re all very relaxed.  

With Simon Phillips in the room it seemed an ideal point to throw him a questions as well, Simon you played on Mike Oldfields “Crises” album and side one is all one continuous track. Was that all one take? 

Simon: Crises yeah! Which section.? 

The last third where your drums just build up. Was it lots of layers or just one long take? 

Simon: Oh that’s just one take. 

That’s amazing! 

Simon: I engineered on that album as well. (Smiles) 

Steve: Hey I’ve got to hear that record sometime. 

When I was younger I would listen to that track all the time. I’d sit on the floor and put my head between the speakers and listen for 20 minutes till that section came in. Meeting you now is rather scary! (Laughs all round). 

Steve: (laughing loudly) Hey relax dude it’s cool .You wanna beer or something. (Laughing) relax it’s okay! You got to remember we’re studio musicians and we’re used to first takes. When it happens you got to be on your game. A lot of rock bands don’t have the experience that we have. We get slagged off for it, which is really kind of interesting 

It’s criminal 

Steve: Yeah man .I mean why is it so bad to be good at what you do? 

A couple more questions as I know time is precious. 

Steve: Hey it’s cool man 

It’s the 30^th birthday of Toto next year. Any major plans or is it all under wraps at the moment? 

Steve: We’re throwing round some ideas. Maybe bringing back some of the old important guys back. 

Joseph Williams and Paich maybe? 

Steve: Yeah. Joe said yes and maybe we can get Paich out of retirement for a few months. At the moment this tour is it till September and when we’re off we have our own side projects. We have the DVD which we’ll film in Paris in May and not forgetting we need to finish my record. 

So there is a new Steve Lukather solo album in the pipeline? 

Steve: (enthusiastically) Yes!! 

Any clues as to what styles we’re going to hear. Will it be a real mixture? 

Steve: It’s going to be more mainstream rock n roll. Not a fusion style record. I’ve done all that. I’ve been writing some stuff with my son that I’m real proud of. 

'What's the name of your son’s band? 

Steve: Just Trev. He’s been writing some stuff all by himself and should have a record out by the end of the year. The new albums been a fun process. A lot of my favourite influences are shamelessly on there. It’s really musical with a lot of soul. I’m playing more solos and there are some big vocals. It’s a songwriter record. It’s sort of a modern version of my first record. I wrote a lot of songs with Randy Goodrum, which have come out really great and Steve Macmillan who worked on our record. 

There’s a track on that first record called “Drive A Crooked Road”. That solo gets me every time. 

Steve: Hey thanks. 

There is also one you do with Steve Stevens called “Fall Into Velvet”. 

Steve: Yeah that was one take. Just Steve and me live in the studio. 

Amazing! Well finally have you anything you’d like to say to the readers of Hard Rock House and all your fans in the U.K? 

Steve: You know it’s really great to just get out of London proper. It really seems the people in the slates are getting a little more interested in our music. It’s really great to see Journeys success here although it’s a different sort of situation as they haven’t been here much. But hell you know it’s just great to be getting out there and playing new cities and breaking back into the market. People who really like us seem to be really into it you know. Hopefully if they are coming to the shows they’ll enjoy it and we’ll give it all we got. 

I just know you will! 

Steve: Hey thanks man and thank you for all your support. 

Thanks again for speaking to us. 

Steve: Hey no problem man. 

After the interview Steve signed CD sleeves and posed for pictures. I had spent time with one of the worlds most talented and sincere guitarists and been made to feel welcome. As I said my goodbyes Steve said “Hey man we’re friends for life now “ and it may sound corny but when Steve talks that way you know he means it. Steve if you get to read this in some precious time between shows let me say once again “thanks” for speaking to me and that night at the show you took the roof off and blew down the walls. The show was incredible. Peace and good health to you and the entire band.

To find out more about Steve & Toto then you can check out the following websites:

www.toto99.com  
www.myspace.com/toto99 
www.stevelukather.net

Related HardRockHouse Links

Toto - Live Review

Toto - Bobby Kimball Interview

Toto - Falling In Between Album Review