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At seven years old, Steve Lukather played the guitar. Fifty years later, he’s a music legend in his own right.
Fifty years ago, a psychic walked up to Steve Lukather’s pregnant mother and said, “You’re going to have a son and when he’s seven years old, he’s going to discover music and he’s going to become very important in that field.” At seven years old, Steve played the guitar. Fifty years later, he’s a music legend in his own right. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. With interviews by Connie M. Tungul and additional text courtesy of GMA Records. Steve Lukather is one of the most recorded guitarists in history, with sessions spanning over 30 years and one of the biggest selling artists of all time. He has been front man on guitar and vocals for multimillion selling, Grammy Award winning melodic rock super group, Toto. Toto has enjoyed something of a renaissance in the last couple of years with the Falling In Between album, and in between touring Steve has found time to record his fourth vocal solo release, Ever Changing Times. His new solo album has been released in Europe on February 22, 2008 by Frontiers Records, while it was locally released in the Philippines last March 15, 2008 by GMA Records under license from Ride Records International. “It’s been 10 years since my last ‘vocal’ record, explains Steve, introducing his new album. “And I thought it was time to rock again and sing.” The result of this new studio effort which lasted several months in between Toto tours in 2007 are 11 songs which incorporate all aspects Steve is well known for. “The record rocks harder than Toto, but there is enough melodic stuff in there to please any Toto fan.” iGMA had the privilege of listening to his album first-hand and talking to the man himself—an experience that’ll definitely remain on our hit list. Moving forward Does coming up with a solo album mean that Steve is leaving Toto for good? “Let’s just say that at this moment, I don’t see a future there. I think these would be our last shows and these are my great friends and great collaborators and as I’ve been the only one that’s been there from day one until day now, I really want to jump and immerse myself into, and completely commit the next two years of touring the world with Ever Changing Times.” He adds, “I kinda have to re-invent myself. I don’t want to go out there and play “Africa”—that’s Toto. Maybe some time we’d come back together. [I’m not leaving] because I have bad feelings; I just think we've been working really, really, hard." With a sigh, he remarks, “Look at me, I look tired. My eyes aren’t reddening up because I’m high. I’m just tired, you know what I mean? Even though I sleep 12 hours a night, eight hours a night, I feel like I’m [even] more tired than I was the day before because I never get used to where I am.” Steve reminded us that aside from being a musician, he, too, is a family man with responsibilities and loved ones. “My 23 year old daughter—she’s got some other really cool things happening. My son’s making music. I miss seeing my wife, I miss my little dog—you know what I mean? I’ve done 235 days on the road in two years, man. You try to get that some time. I’m not 20 years old [anymore]. I really, really miss my family and I got a couple more shows and we’ll give it all we’ve got.” Did he ever think of quitting? “Well, you know that’s a typical question because I’ve been a part of [this industry] since I was a little kid. [My band mates and I] have known each other for 35 years. That’s a long time. That is a part of who I am, you know? I can’t deny that, I don’t even try to deny that.” Is there any musician or band that he could liken himself to? “I think I’m just a product of all my favorite stuff that I grew up listening to,” he replies. “From the Beatles forward. Everything that came after that led up to this journey. From pop music on the radio, to sophisticated fusion jazz music, to world music performed all over and just life in general. It doesn’t have to be anything in particular. I’m a rock kind of a guy but I like a good melody like anything else, you know?” Steve was the only one from the group who came up with a solo album, and one of the challenges was making a distinct difference between Toto and himself. “I may do some songs that I wrote and sang, I might do some obscure album cuts and some things that you know are from Toto, but not the obvious ones. It wouldn’t be right to do. I’m not Mr. Toto, I’m just a part of it.” Personal sacrifices Steve opens up to us and says that being a musician isn’t as glamorous as the media portrays it to be. “My first daughter was born 1985. Two days later, I had to go on the road for six weeks. But my kids turned out good, you know. My father was on the road, too. When I was kid, he was in the movie business. He would disappear for five to six months at a time, and there weren’t cell phones [then]. He could only call once every two months and say ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ and I say ‘I love you, dad.’ So I grew up like that. [But] I still love my dad and my kids love me.” “But a certain part of me [is] afraid to look at [my] own reflection in the mirror when I’m on the road. I don’t look at myself, I don’t want to. Cause it’s painful. I love my work and I don’t get paid for the two hours on stage—I get paid for the 22 hours a day, when I’m alone or I’m traveling. [When I] get sick or whatever, I can’t stop. You just keep on pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. That’s why you read about people who are movie stars or musicians out there who get themselves into trouble like drinking too much or being crazy and stuff. And it isn’t because that’s who they really are.” “I’ve been down the road. I know where it’s at. I’ve tap danced on a lot of coke. It’s incredibly the highest of highs and lowest of lows and you find a way to get through it. It’s very lonely, man. And what everyone sees is, life is beautiful with all that traveling, but at the end of all, you get back and the road closes and you’re all by yourself.” “But that’s who I am. I don’t know another life. I mean yeah, sure, I’m going to go home now and I could have a couple months off and I could stay at home and do some silly TV show. Once I get home for a month, I’ll be like, ‘What a relief.’ I’ll be re-energized. And that’s how I make my living. That’s who I am. If you took that from me, I might just stay at home in the couch. It’s like when people get old and they retire. And the retirement is something you do when you have a job you hate. But if you have a job you love, what’s to retire from? You could slow down, maybe not work so much, work so hard. But, retire? I’ll never retire. But I have a new baby, I wanna see her grow up a little bit, you know?” Giving advice Steve has something to say about kids nowadays who want to trudge the path he has taken. “Don’t just think about the immediate goals and quick money. Take the long road, study, work. It’s okay to want to be a rock and roll star. It’s okay to want to be all that but learn your craft. Don’t just mimic people—find your soul, you know? You’re going to have a longer career and be much more satisfied.” Has he listened to any Pinoy band? “Ah, geez, I wish I could say I have, but I’m in and out so fast,” he answers. “But I know there are some great musicians here. A lot of people I know looked here and [said] there’s such a wonderful lifestyle in the Philippines. And you guys, you guys love your talents.” Is he interested in holding music workshops to impart what he knows? “[People] have been asking me and I say, ‘I did one in Mexico, and I did a couple in Italy,’ but I’m not sure if I want to be a teacher. I’m still a student [in many ways]. I’m not the kind of person to stand up there and go, ‘You should be doing it this way.’ But my experience could possibly be helpful and I’m also a pretty kind of funny guy. I have the funny stories about sessions of famous people and stuff like that, so I’m testing the waters. But I’d rather just be on the stage. Or be a daddy [to my kids].” At this point Why did he pick the title “Ever changing times” for his solo album? “Check out the world we’re in—first off, I turned 50 years old. have a new baby, a new life. I have wonderful children from my previous marriage, I’m friends with my ex-wife, and just kinda looking at politics, at the world where we’re in right now, I think it’s really relevant. It’s so right on—where I am right now. To stress his point, he asks, “Aren’t we all going through ever changing times? I hope for the best, you know what I mean?" The album cover is as relevant as the title’s concept. The image in front shows him sitting in a chair in the middle of a barren desert, but above the sand dunes is an azure sky, symbolic of hoping for the best and moving forward. Steve tells us more about the shoot. “I was actually out in the middle of the dessert in Los Angeles. It was about 200 degrees outside! I was melting. And the, the reason why I’m wearing sunglasses is the sun was so bright, it was hurting my eyes!” “I just thought, Ever Changing Times—here is a guy, sitting in the desert with a blue sky in the background but desolate everywhere else. [He’s] confused, like where the hell am I? And I think it’s like he could go the blue sky, or he could go to the desert. And I’m sitting in the middle of it.” Playing for Filipinos Since Toto recently played at the Araneta Coliseum to promote their Falling In Between album, we asked Steve about the experience of playing for a Filipino audience. “Oh gosh, they’re very passionate people. I didn’t realize, ‘coz we go around the world, we play different songs for different audiences and in the United States, and they’re like, ‘Don’t play it, pal, that’s cheesy s**t! Rock! Play more rock!’ But then we find that over here, everybody wants to start playing old ballads!” “So they want to hear hits, you know? We just have to tailor our sets depending on where we are. But I think on my record, there’s a little bit of all that. I feel very promising about the record right now. I love being in the Philippines, you guys are just the best. And thank you for your warm, warm welcome and I send all my deepest love and respect here.” Talking to a music legend was enlightening to say the least, because not only were Steve’s stories laden with life lessons, he also proved that it takes more than just talent to make it big in the business. He’s been through it all—the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but he’s still here, tired but ready to venture into bluer skies. That’s Steve Lukather for you—proof that some people are really made to rock. Ever Changing Times is available in record stores nationwide, exclusively distributed by GMA Records. Grab a copy now!