Joseph Williams was lead vocalist with Toto during the mid-to-late 1980s, and was featured on the albums "Fahrenheit" (1986) and "The Seventh One" (1988) before leaving due to personal problems. He can also be heard on the album "Toto XX" (1998) a compilation of rare and unreleased tracks, as well as co-writing and providing backing vocals on several more. He is featured on Toto's current CD, "Falling In Between"He has released four solo albums: "Joseph Williams" (1982, re-released 2002), "I Am Alive" (1996), "3" (1997) and "Early Years" (1998, after being a fanclub only release a few years earlier). Many of Toto's members have contributed to his solo work over the years as he and the band have remained on good terms.Joseph has also been a session vocalist and can be heard on numerous other projects including:The song "Save The Night" on the soundtrack to the children's adventure film "The Goonies" (1985) Lead vocals on three tracks - "Walk The Wire", "History" and "When You Look In My Eyes" from Jay Graydon's "Airplay for the Planet" album (1993) On the songs "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from Disney's animated feature film "The Lion King" (1994) Sharing vocal duties on two albums by the a cappella covers group The West Coast All Stars; "California Dreamin'" and "Naturally" (1997/1998 respectively). The other vocalists are Bobby Kimball (another well-known Toto alumnus), Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff (from the band Chicago). Providing lead vocals to the self titled first album by the band "Vertigo" in 2003. He was also the writer of the original English lyrics for the song Lapti Nek from the original 1983 release of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, which was scored and conducted by his father John.Ties to the band Chicago:When Toto's Jeff Porcaro offered Jason Scheff the job of lead vocalist (replacing Fergie Fredrickson), Jason declined having already just gotten the job as new lead vocalist for Chicago (replacing Peter Cetera). Jason however recommended Joseph to Toto instead, after Chicago had just been listening to demos with Joseph singing lead vocals earlier that day, looking for material for the Chicago 18 album. Although none of his songs ended up on the album, a song written by Joseph, What You're Missing, appeared on the earlier "16" album. Jason Scheff was also a close friend of Joseph's brother, Mark. Joseph and Jason have also appeared on each other's recordings. Joseph sings background vocals on Chicago's "King of Might Have Been" from the 2006 album, XXX. His brother, Mark Towner Williams, is a solo and session drummer who has played drums for Air Supply and a variety of other bands. The two brothers recorded a duo album in 1990/1991, but didn't succeed in landing a record deal for the album, which was subsequently cancelled. Mark has been working on remixing the album for a possible release since 1998, however the two brothers seemingly haven't found the time to rework it for an official release. Joseph recently commented that it was difficult to find the opportunity to do as Mark currently resides in Utah and Joseph in Los Angeles. Joseph and Mark are the sons of the internationally famous and multi- Academy Award winning composer/conductor John Williams, responsible for soundtracks to the Star Wars films and nearly all of Steven Spielberg's films including Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Schindler's List.Since leaving Toto in 1989, Williams has kept busy as a composer of film and drama scores, most notably for episodes of the science fiction series "Roswell", and "The Lyon's Den" starring Rob Lowe.In addition to his guest spot on the last Toto album "Falling in Between", a guest spot at several Toto concerts, the second Vertigo album "Vertigo 2" has been released in 2006. Williams also released an album of cover songs in 2006 featuring piano and voice only "2 of us" and returned with 2 other voice & piano albums in 2007 (Smiles and Tears). Currently he is recording a new album, to be released in 2008.Rumour has it that both Joseph Williams and Fergie Frederiksen (singer on Toto's "Isolation") will join Toto on their 30th anniversary tour in 2008/9.
DISCOGRAPHY:1982 Joseph Williams, 1986 Toto Fahrenheit, 1988 Toto The Seventh One, 1993 Jay Graydon Airplay For the Planet, 1994 The Lion King, 1996 Joseph Williams I Am Alive, 1997 Joseph Williams 3, 1997 West Coast All Stars California Dreamin', 1998 West Coast All Stars Naturally, 1998 Toto XX, 1999 Joseph Williams Early Years, 2003 Vertigo, 2006 Vertigo 2, 2006 Toto Falling in Between, 2006 Joseph Williams Two of Us, 2007 Joseph Williams Smiles, 2007 Joseph Williams Tears.
JOSEPH WILLIAMS INTERVIEWAPRIL 2005By Will MintingWill: Hey Joseph! Thanks a lot for getting in touch, it’s great to hear from you!Joseph: First of all, Will, I want to thank you again for your interest and all your hard work on the great interviews so far. I feel privileged to participate. As I mentioned in my last email, I have recently logged on and read quite a bit of the message boards and I truly appreciate all the interest and support from the fans. Especially since I have been kind of out of commission (as a singer) for so long and in light of the fact that my time with TOTO was so short. With that said, I will happily let you know what has been going on over these last 16 years or so.Will: I know that a lot of Toto fans would love to hear what you’ve been doing, you’re a substantial part of Toto history! I’d like to kick off by asking what you've been up to recently! Please could you tell us what you've been doing since you left Toto in 1988?I believe a lot is already known about what I’ve done since my time with the guys. Solo albums, guest appearances, film and television scoring etc. What isn’t generally known (but, I think speculated upon) is that it took almost a year for my vocal chords to heal after “The Seventh Oneâ€. I had blown my voice out so badly on that last tour that I really believed that I was finished as a singer. Needless to say, this realization sent me into a bit of a tailspin. It didn’t help that I felt I had squandered an opportunity to work with not only the greatest band of musicians on the planet but also my favorite people. I was a TOTO fan first, A big fan! It was a devastating time.Will: It must have been awful for you.Joseph: Well, I don’t mean to make it sound like a “SOB STORYâ€, but yea, it was awful! It took a long time to come out of it! But I did. And eventually my voice returned. I had a lot of help from folks like Jay Graydon, Ronnie Vance and Kathleen Carey (my publishers), Paul Gordon, Chris Montan and Joey Carbone. But it was Jay Graydon who saved my life! He picked me up by the scruff of the neck and brought me into his studio and got me writing and singing again. Jay’s a tough producer and those sessions were not easy but he pushed me because he believed in me until I could believe in myself again. The two “Airplay for the Planet†tours in the early and mid nineties were the most fun I ever had working “Liveâ€. It felt so good to get out there. Back out to my favorite places in the world, Germany and Scandinavia, England and Japan! Singing with Bill Champlin and Sherwood Ball being part of a band with out feeling like someone’s replacement. What a blast! Singing my songs from “My TOTO Timeâ€, “Pamelaâ€, and “A Thousand Years†was great fun. That period also yielded one my favorite songs that I was involved in creating. “When You Look In My Eyesâ€, co written with my friend, the brilliant (and underrated) Brett Raymond. My whole existence at that time I owe entirely to Jay Graydon though.Will: Sure. It sounds like Joey and Jay have been great friends and also recurring characters in your career over the last 10 years or so! I guess you must have been pretty relieved to get your voice back and be able to go on the road again! So when did you decide to make the transition from rock vocalist to your involvement with film?Joseph: Let me take a step back here and talk a bit about my involvement with Disney. In 1992 or 1993 while working with Jay, Chris Montan hired me to replace the singing voice for the character of Aladdin (for the movie “Aladdinâ€). I almost ended up in the final movie but as I would learn later the composer preferred his original choice as the voice of Aladdin. Six months or so later Andy Hill (another music producer at Disney and a Friend) called and hired me to work on some demos for a new Disney animated feature with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, “The Lion Kingâ€. No promises were made this time about the end result of my contribution but I was asked to come in anyway. It was an amazing session. I worked on different versions of “Can you feel the love tonight†among a few other things. A few months after that I was asked to come to Hans Zimmer’s Media Ventures Studios To Replace a few lines of the final version of “Can you feel the love tonightâ€. I thought, “Here we go again†but at that session the directors had me try a few wild lines on a different song called “Hakuna Matataâ€. They had no real plan on how to represent the adolescent Simba Character at that point in the story and the range of Simbas lines were clearly to high for the actor doing the speaking part so I improvised and they liked it! To make a long story even longer, I ended up on both songs in the movie and on the soundtrack album. It ended up being the biggest hit I have ever been a part of!Will: That’s some comeback! It sounds like you had completely turned your life around by then!Joseph: I don’t know about a “Comebackâ€, but things were starting to turn around! It was also in 1992 that I married my wife Amye. She is a wonderful singer songwriter whom I collaborated with several times on some songs before we started dating. Amye did a “one person†live show. Just her amazing voice, steel string guitar, brilliant songs and acerbic wit. She would stop in the middle of song and berate people in the crowd who were talking loudly, then without missing a beat, go right back into the gentle song she was singing. I fell for her instantly! Amye was the one who encouraged me to score films and television. It was a call to a producer friend of hers that led to my first feature as composer. I loved this work right off the bat! It seemed like a good fit as I was starting a family and settling down a bit. Together Amye and I have two daughters, currently ages 9 and 7 and my stepdaughter age 24.Will: It was also around this time that you worked on your great solo albums.Joseph: Other than the Graydon story, I began my association with Joey Carbone (also an old friend). It was Joey who facilitated the making of my solo records “I Am Alive, 3, Early years, and the re-release of the 1981 record. He was also the brain behind the West Coast All-stars records. Those albums were really a labor of love for me and also for Bill Champlin. It was also the project that allowed me to really become close friends with Bobby Kimball. Oh the tales we would tell each other and the laughs we had!Will: I’m sure a lot of the fans would love to have been a fly on the wall during those conversations! Are there any anecdotes of those chats with Bobby that you can share with us?Joseph: I would love to share the stories Bobby and I swapped but then I’d have to kill you! Just kidding! No, we would talked about the times when we had a show to do and no voice to do it with! Or doing a show with no sleep the night before, that kind of thing! Bobby told a few tales about the old days but you would have to ask him to tell you about that stuff!Will: Didn’t the band ask Bobby and you to do some shows with them to support the TOTO XX album in 1998?Joseph: Yea! That Small reunion with TOTO, Short lived, as it was, was a Dream for me. A great hang, as well as a time to heal some old wounds. I must say it was pretty cool to perform again with TOTO…..WITH BOBBY!Will: I can imagine that it must have been a pretty cathartic experience, performing with the guys again. Any other big things after your time as a band member that you want to talk about?Joseph: The most profound and life-changing memory from that period in the early 1990s was the death of Jeff Porcaro. I felt as if the ground was pulled out from under me. I think I knew Jeff the longest of all Porcaros (aside from Joe). By brother Mark idolized Jeff. As did I, long before I ever worked with him. It was Jeff who looked into acquiring me for the band, based on a recommendation from Jason Scheff. It was Jeff who really took me in at first. And it was Jeff I felt I had let down more than anyone else. He was the one who taught me what being a professional was really about. He was always so kind to me after I left the band as well. He would play on anything, anywhere, anytime for me for nothing! His passing left a huge empty space for me. I regret not having the chance to talk with him after I had grown up a little, become a father, and learned the meaning of responsibility.Will: Sure. By all accounts, Jeff had a profound effect on nearly everybody he met. What memories do you have of writing/recording Fahrenheit and The Seventh One?Joseph: I remember working on “Fahrenheit†Very clearly! It was a great time. Everyone collaborated with everyone. I remember feeling very welcome! I remember working with Jeff quite a bit on lyrics at his studio “The Villaâ€! The vocal recordings seemed to go pretty smoothly. I have a clear memory of working out the lead vocal on Steve Porcaro’s song “Leaâ€. He had sung a lead that was very cool. It was supposed to be the “It’s A Feeling†for this record, (I thought) but I think he heard me sort of mimic him and asked me to try a lead on it. It was unusual because it was 180 degrees from the high tenor stuff I was hired to sing. I remember Steve’s direction was very detailed. He wanted it a certain way. I love the fact that I got to sing that one. It’s one of my favorite sounding vocal performances of my career. Of course I spent a lot of time with Dave. He welcomed me into his very privet world. We actually co-wrote a lot of songs in a short period of time. I remember hanging out up at Luke’s house a lot too. The whole experience making that record was fantastic. One quirky memory from that project was the Video shoot for “I’ll Be Over Youâ€! The song was completed before I was in the group. Luke wrote and sung the tune with Michael McDonald (among others) singing backing vocals. It was the first single and video! AND the first glimpse of TOTO’s new singer, but there was really nothing for me to do except stand there with a tambourine! It was bizarre! The payback for me was the video for “Till The End†where I got to be the center of attention! Jeff directed and Paula Abdul was the “Babe†I got to croon to!Now making “the Seventh one “ was a different story. A few things, like writing and recording “Pamelaâ€, stick out as really great memories. I remember Luke playing some absolutely mind-blowing stuff during those sessions. Working with George Massenberg and Billy Payne was cool, but after the ease of what was the making of “Fahrenheitâ€, I didn’t quite understand the need for their presence! To be honest, a lot of that time is kind of a blur! I have some recollections about the insanely long time it took to complete a lead vocal on a few songs but I think those memories have become exaggerated over the years. For instance, I recall the vocals for “Pamela†“Stay Away†“Home of the Brave†etc, taking weeks (each) to complete but I don’t think that’s really accurate. It was tough! For me! That I do remember. I really had strong opinions about having some songs where the Lead vocals were shared. I wanted Dave to sing more! I wanted to do a “Rosanna†like trade off with Luke! I wanted a return to some of the things I was a fan of from earlier albums. I got a lot of what I wanted but there was always something missing for me. I think I was pushing to take the guys over territory they had been over before, and you should never look back! Speaking for myself, and my contribution, I know I could have done a much better job. All in all though I am very proud of that record. Especially “Pamelaâ€!Will: I’m sure you have some great anecdotes of touring with the guys on the Fahrenheit tour (1986), Seventh One tour (1988) and Reunion tour (1998)!Joseph: “Fahrenheit†tour…? Puerto Rico: Power failure during the show! No sound! No lights (except emergency lighting)! After floundering around trying to keep the crowd from getting pissed off. Luke grabbed my video camera and filmed me starting to strip! I don’t exactly remember the exact sequence of events but the power did come back, and I did NOT get naked! A lot of fun and well performed shows that year! At the tail end however, as we walked on stage in Hanover Germany, Mike Porcaro slipped, fell and basically shattered his elbow. I didn’t see it happen! He actually played 3 or 4 tunes before he couldn’t go on! I just remember turning away from the crowd after a song (I don’t remember which) and seeing Mike’s face. He was GREEN! And covered in a very unnatural looking sweat! Jeff addressed the audience and the show, and the tour was over!Will: “The Seventh one†tour?Joseph: The thing I will never forget till the day I die was this… It was winter! I was sick! I warmed up for the show a bit to long! Felt OK going on stage! First song… â€Carmanâ€! First sound out of my mouth, AIR! NOTHING! NO VOICE! NADDA! NEINTE’, GONE! Where did this occur? “Yes, Ladies and Gentlemenâ€, one year later in Hanover Germany. I have absolutely no recollection of anything after that! I don’t know what I did. I don’t remember what the guy’s did. I have no memory of how that show ended. Except that when it ended, so did I!Will: And the TOTO XX Promotion mini tour of 1998?Joseph: I just remember having a lot of fun! Singing with Bobby, bouncing off Luke like the old days, enjoying every second of the brilliant playing of the band, watching Dave seat his balls off, hearing the crowds reaction to how much older and fatter I had become, and feeling very comfortable in my own skin. At the same time, I also really missed Jeff! Not that Simon wasn’t fantastic, and very much in sync with Dave, Mike and Luke, but the last time I played with this group, Jeff was the “solid ground†we all stood upon, and he was missing! I remember feeling a bit like a fan that got to sit in with most of the original members. It was cool to see Dave and Luke (and Steve Porcaro,) realize that Bobby was back! It just made sense and I felt happy for them….and to be brutally honest…a bit jealous!Will: Toto fans often comment on your appearances in the videos! You were easily the best Toto "actor"! You briefly mentioned crooning to Paula Abdul in “Till the End†(hilarious!) and Stop Loving You…Joseph: Yea well… I just stood where they told me to and tried my best not to let it all go to my head!Will: You’re way too modest! You also recorded some great solo albums, both pre and post Toto! You released Goin' Home before Toto did…Joseph: I didn’t think TOTO was ever going to use that song. “Goin’ Home†was one of, if not, the last tune I ever co-wrote with Dave and I figured as long as it was OK with Dave, I would re-cut it and do it myself! It came out OK but after singing it live with Bobby in 1998 it was clear to me that the “answer parts†(after the group sings Goin’ Home) were tailor made for Bobby! As for my other solo outings, the majority of the songs were the result of a long and fruitful collaboration with Paul Gordon!Will: Both versions of Goin’ Home are smokin’, with great harmony vocals! Can you tell us about the Toto guys contribution to your solo albums?Joseph: The most obvious contribution was on “I Am Aliveâ€! During the “Seventh One†Tour I sometime would play Dave’s piano rig at sound checks. One time Jeff and Mike started playing this 12/8 Groove I was farting around with. As usual I was asked by Dave to stop, and never touch his keyboard again! (Just Kidding)! Anyway, that groove became “I Am Alive†and I could not imagine cutting it without Jeff & Mike so I asked, and they played for me. We recorded the track at Bill Champlin’s house. It was the last time I worked with Jeff! Other than that, I think Luke played on a few things for me (post TOTO) but he has never turned me down so I don’t remember on what! And of course Bobby was a member of the vocal group project “West Coast Allstars†along with Champlin, Jason Scheff, Tommy Funderburk and myself!Will: You’ve been very busy with your TV/Film scoring work!Joseph: To date, I have scored 26 films (mostly medium to low budget) usually made for American cable TV. I have been either the primary composer, co-composer, or ghostwriter on 14 TV series. A few shows people might know of, where I am credited, would be “Roswellâ€, “Felicityâ€, “Early Edition†and a few episodes of “Chicago Hope†Composing is work I truly love…. When I can get it!Will: Have you done any recent live performances or ambitions to get out on the road?Joseph: I have no plans in the works right now to work live but I miss it a lot! Believe me I am always looking for an opportunity to get out on the road! Maybe some shows in Italy and Northern Europe to support the next “Vertigo Project†CD but I gotta sell a few for that to make sense!Will: If you want to cover it, how you got involved with Toto?Joseph: Marty Paich and Joe Porcaro were friends of my Parents as far back as I can remember. I don’t know exactly how I got the job with Jeffery Osborne. I think some folks I had worked with on some “jingles†suggested me for that gig! As I mentioned before, Jason Scheff hooked me up with Jeff! That’s how I came to be a TOTO singer! Last but not least, I never had any connection to Grant High School! I am 2 or 3 years younger than the next youngest TOTO member so I never crossed paths with any of their early bands. I knew of them of course. I grew up in the Valley so everybody knew about these guys. I had met all the Porcaro’s when I was a kid through my Dad and My Older brother Mark I think played with some of the guys in their Grant days! I think that covers it!Will: Thanks very much for your time Joseph! Is there anything else you’d like to add?Joseph: Just gratitude for being allowed to be a part of one of the best bands in the land, and having the privilege of calling these guys my friends! Also, thanks to all who have been fans over the years and to you Will, for asking me to chime in! Smiles…JSW!(c) Will Minting, London, April 2005THANKS TO WILL MINTING! VISIT HIM AT www. myspace. com/willmintingALSO JOIN THE JOSEPH WILLIAMS YAHOO GROUP AT http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JosephWilliams/AND VISIT THE OFFICIAL JOSEPH WILLIAMS WEBSITE AT http://josephwilliams.totoweb.org/