Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Jeff Stevens. Thanks for checking out my eighties show podcast,
Music Box yacht Rock, A documentary is out now on
Max and I am talking to Steve Piccoro, keyboard and
vocalist and founding member of Toto, and Garrett Price, who's
the award winning director and editor of this great documentary.
Hey guys, Steve and Garrett, how you guys doing great
(00:23):
for having us? Absolutely well. First of all, I'm very
excited to talk to both of you. I'll start with
Steve for a second here, huge fan of Toto for
all these years, and I, you know, digging in here,
I didn't realize that I knew that you guys. You
guys were probably on more songs back in the seventies
and eighties and beyond than anybody really realizes. But I
(00:45):
didn't realize how specifically you were into and co wrote
Human Nature, and I heard your demo and all the
work he did with Michael Jackson in particular is just unreal.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, that's thanks David Foster started bringing me around to
whatever he was doing. You know, I got to be
on a lot of records because.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Of David Man, so many great songs, and I am
so Glad Garrett that you guys decided to do this
documentary that we're talking about music Box yacht Rock a
documentary because first of all, I'm a huge fan of
the music, and secondly, it's so cool to see all
the behind the scenes stuff. I mean, I can't imagine
you could get it into an hour and a half,
(01:24):
but you did.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Oh. I really appreciate it, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I really just wanted to create a hangout movie where
you feel like you're a part of these incredible musicians
and hearing their stories of making music during this really
special time in Los Angeles with the lay seventies.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I feel like a.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Lot of us romanticized about seventies LA. A lot of
us go straight towards like Leewood Mac and the Eagles
and Laurel Canyon. Yeah, there's a whole other scene that
was happening, you know, in these studios and this ecosystem
of recording studios across the city, to these incredible session studio.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Guys making music day and night. And that's the world
I wanted to explore and investigate and honored that these
guys sat with me and talked about it.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
That's really cool. It's it's on Max right now. And
the thing that I thought was great about, like Kenny
Logan said, it's you know, sort of took it as
a backhanded compliment to the yacht rock term, and then
it actually came from kind of a kind of a joke.
But it's definitely, I mean, it's taken on a life
of its own rights, But it started with a joke,
(02:23):
right Garrett.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I mean the name came from a low budget
mid two thousands and early internet comedy series. And you know,
the guys that created the series, they actually never intended
the word yacht rock that go towards thedonautical theme. Yacht
to them was more about how polished and extensive and machines.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And well produced this music was. So I think there's
a little of.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
A cross miscommunication and people started kind of going more
towards the captainsat thing. Yeah, as the years, as the
years went on, they kind of created a monster with it.
Wastet to have love and Reverend's adoration to this music,
and they connected the dots to all these incredible musicians
that were interconnected. That's kind of the story I wanted
to tell, at least get people in this world with
(03:08):
that story and then let the music do all the talking.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Well and the music. The music I think holds up
so good. I liked it at the time, but I
like it even more now. And I think you do
such a great job in this of showing the cross
if you will, between people like Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald,
Kenny Loggins, and meanwhile Toto is woven in through like
(03:32):
every one of them in some way, shape or form.
It was just an incredible time, Steve. How did it
feel for you guys to be constantly pulled into whether
it was songwriting like Human Nature and the Girl's Mind,
or just to you know, to be part of the
backup band with maybe like She's a Beauty in the
Tubes and all the other stuff that you guys were
a part of.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
It was great. We loved it. We loved being part
of all this stuff. You know, It's what we aspired
to do, you know. We never of course, we saw
the Bealls on the Ed Sullivan Show along with everyone else.
And sure there was that dream of being in a
rock band, a successful rock band, but you know, being
a STUDI musician was a lot more obtainable to us,
(04:15):
you know what I mean? We could see if we
were around it. Our fathers were in the business, and
so you know, we were happy just doing that. We
were you know, we loved getting calls for different stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, Steve, real quick sidebar on We're the World that
I've talked to so many artists who were a part
of that over the years, and what an incredible project.
That still just just gives me chills to just just
to listen to that song.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Sure, it was amazing. I wasn't there for the big
you know where all the celebs were there, you know,
doing the big you know, the big session niner. But
I came in and did some sent over dubs, you
know what I mean, after the fact. And Ray Charles
was there when I was when I did my thing,
Ray came and did his things.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Oh what a cool moment. What that had to be,
right because his his his ad libs are just incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Talk about the real deal.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Uh yeah. Yeah. And and to watch as a sidebar,
that documentary was really was really cool to seeing how
that all came together. Uh, I noticed you, I mean
some of the stuff some of the folks you've worked with,
Steve Don Henley, Chicago, Donna Summer obviously Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart,
What is What's some of the stuff you worked on
with Henley?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You know I did. My brother called me one time,
very late at night to come down, and the Eagles
drummer was doing a solo album. And I remember at
the time I loved the Eagles, but I didn't know
who's saying what, and I remember thinking, not even the
drummers got a solo album, right, he was the guy.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, came down and we did Dirty Laundry, you know
what I mean. We made that record nude one night,
and then later on I did Boys This Summer with
with don you.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Know, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Programming and stuff, but yeah, mostly Dirty Laundry. I put
a lot of time into a coach.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yes, griggle with Donnie and Don To this day, some
of my favorite songs from that from that from really
that time, Dirty Laundry, Boys This Summer and all she
wants to do is dance all. He had so many
great song He was so great with the Eagles and
has this monster solo career too. So that is so
cool to hear you. We're a part of that, Garrett.
For somebody who has not seen the documentary yet, You've
(06:25):
kind of captured it a little bit. But what would
you say for somebody who's like looking for something to
watch this weekend? Why should somebody take.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
A look at this the film?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It's a warm hug. I went and said, I want
to make a fun movie, but not fun.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Of these artists or this music.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
And I think, you know, trying to find that balance
of humor and respect and adoration and reverence for this
time was was the tricky thing. But I think we
pulled it off to the end. And I think, now, look,
this is music that has been a soundtrack to all
our lives, whether we ask for it or not, plays
in grocery stores or doctor's opoices or pharmacies or our
(07:03):
parents' cars. And I think we kind of took it
for granted because it was always in the background. And
I really wanted to pull the curtain back and show
the artistry and the musicianship and incredible songwriting and how
interconnected these these artists were.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And I think once you do that, you can't but
help it fall in love with the music and these
musicians and have a whole newfound respect for it this
time period. So I got to say, yeah, nailed it.
As far as keeping the humor in it, you know
what I mean, there's always a sense of humor there,
which you know what I mean. We don't like to
take ourselves too seriously, but he threads that needle, you know,
(07:39):
really really well, as far as you know how hard
we worked in those days and the great music we
got to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Well, it's called music Box yacht Rock a documentary, and
I love how you got the c K in there
on the documentary, by the way, that's that's clever. Yeah,
I love it.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Bit of fun there.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Well, and I'm telling you with when you go back
and listen to all those artists and Steve, you guys
played such a huge part of the seventies and eighties
in particular, there are so many great songs, timeless songs,
and of course this is all retroactively dubbed yacht rock.
At the time, we were just listening to great songs
on the radio and it's been you know, in the
last twenty years, it's been called yacht rock. But I
(08:26):
don't care what anybody says. It's some of the best
music ever recorded. And I'm glad that You've put this
together so people can really really drink it in and
just roll with it and appreciate it. And I hope
that most of the artists, and it seems like most
of them did, but most of the artists really appreciate
the fact that we are we are all just loving
this music still to this day. So thanks you. Absolutely
(08:48):
huge thrill to talk to both of you, and again, Steve,
thank you for all the Toto music. Man to this day.
It is still constantly on my playlist and always will be.
And you guys are awesome.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Thank you.
I'm Jeff Stevens. Thanks for checking out my eighties show podcast,
Music Box yacht Rock, A documentary is out now on
Max and I am talking to Steve Piccoro, keyboard and
vocalist and founding member of Toto, and Garrett Price, who's
the award winning director and editor of this great documentary.
Hey guys, Steve and Garrett, how you guys doing great
(00:23):
for having us? Absolutely well. First of all, I'm very
excited to talk to both of you. I'll start with
Steve for a second here, huge fan of Toto for
all these years, and I, you know, digging in here,
I didn't realize that I knew that you guys. You
guys were probably on more songs back in the seventies
and eighties and beyond than anybody really realizes. But I
(00:45):
didn't realize how specifically you were into and co wrote
Human Nature, and I heard your demo and all the
work he did with Michael Jackson in particular is just unreal.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, that's thanks David Foster started bringing me around to
whatever he was doing. You know, I got to be
on a lot of records because.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Of David Man, so many great songs, and I am
so Glad Garrett that you guys decided to do this
documentary that we're talking about music Box yacht Rock a
documentary because first of all, I'm a huge fan of
the music, and secondly, it's so cool to see all
the behind the scenes stuff. I mean, I can't imagine
you could get it into an hour and a half,
(01:24):
but you did.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Oh. I really appreciate it, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I really just wanted to create a hangout movie where
you feel like you're a part of these incredible musicians
and hearing their stories of making music during this really
special time in Los Angeles with the lay seventies.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I feel like a.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Lot of us romanticized about seventies LA. A lot of
us go straight towards like Leewood Mac and the Eagles
and Laurel Canyon. Yeah, there's a whole other scene that
was happening, you know, in these studios and this ecosystem
of recording studios across the city, to these incredible session studio.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Guys making music day and night. And that's the world
I wanted to explore and investigate and honored that these
guys sat with me and talked about it.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
That's really cool. It's it's on Max right now. And
the thing that I thought was great about, like Kenny
Logan said, it's you know, sort of took it as
a backhanded compliment to the yacht rock term, and then
it actually came from kind of a kind of a joke.
But it's definitely, I mean, it's taken on a life
of its own rights, But it started with a joke,
(02:23):
right Garrett.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I mean the name came from a low budget
mid two thousands and early internet comedy series. And you know,
the guys that created the series, they actually never intended
the word yacht rock that go towards thedonautical theme. Yacht
to them was more about how polished and extensive and machines.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And well produced this music was. So I think there's
a little of.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
A cross miscommunication and people started kind of going more
towards the captainsat thing. Yeah, as the years, as the
years went on, they kind of created a monster with it.
Wastet to have love and Reverend's adoration to this music,
and they connected the dots to all these incredible musicians
that were interconnected. That's kind of the story I wanted
to tell, at least get people in this world with
(03:08):
that story and then let the music do all the talking.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Well and the music. The music I think holds up
so good. I liked it at the time, but I
like it even more now. And I think you do
such a great job in this of showing the cross
if you will, between people like Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald,
Kenny Loggins, and meanwhile Toto is woven in through like
(03:32):
every one of them in some way, shape or form.
It was just an incredible time, Steve. How did it
feel for you guys to be constantly pulled into whether
it was songwriting like Human Nature and the Girl's Mind,
or just to you know, to be part of the
backup band with maybe like She's a Beauty in the
Tubes and all the other stuff that you guys were
a part of.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
It was great. We loved it. We loved being part
of all this stuff. You know, It's what we aspired
to do, you know. We never of course, we saw
the Bealls on the Ed Sullivan Show along with everyone else.
And sure there was that dream of being in a
rock band, a successful rock band, but you know, being
a STUDI musician was a lot more obtainable to us,
(04:15):
you know what I mean? We could see if we
were around it. Our fathers were in the business, and
so you know, we were happy just doing that. We
were you know, we loved getting calls for different stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, Steve, real quick sidebar on We're the World that
I've talked to so many artists who were a part
of that over the years, and what an incredible project.
That still just just gives me chills to just just
to listen to that song.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Sure, it was amazing. I wasn't there for the big
you know where all the celebs were there, you know,
doing the big you know, the big session niner. But
I came in and did some sent over dubs, you
know what I mean, after the fact. And Ray Charles
was there when I was when I did my thing,
Ray came and did his things.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Oh what a cool moment. What that had to be,
right because his his his ad libs are just incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Talk about the real deal.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Uh yeah. Yeah. And and to watch as a sidebar,
that documentary was really was really cool to seeing how
that all came together. Uh, I noticed you, I mean
some of the stuff some of the folks you've worked with,
Steve Don Henley, Chicago, Donna Summer obviously Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart,
What is What's some of the stuff you worked on
with Henley?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You know I did. My brother called me one time,
very late at night to come down, and the Eagles
drummer was doing a solo album. And I remember at
the time I loved the Eagles, but I didn't know
who's saying what, and I remember thinking, not even the
drummers got a solo album, right, he was the guy.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, came down and we did Dirty Laundry, you know
what I mean. We made that record nude one night,
and then later on I did Boys This Summer with
with don you.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Know, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Programming and stuff, but yeah, mostly Dirty Laundry. I put
a lot of time into a coach.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yes, griggle with Donnie and Don To this day, some
of my favorite songs from that from that from really
that time, Dirty Laundry, Boys This Summer and all she
wants to do is dance all. He had so many
great song He was so great with the Eagles and
has this monster solo career too. So that is so
cool to hear you. We're a part of that, Garrett.
For somebody who has not seen the documentary yet, You've
(06:25):
kind of captured it a little bit. But what would
you say for somebody who's like looking for something to
watch this weekend? Why should somebody take.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
A look at this the film?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It's a warm hug. I went and said, I want
to make a fun movie, but not fun.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Of these artists or this music.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
And I think, you know, trying to find that balance
of humor and respect and adoration and reverence for this
time was was the tricky thing. But I think we
pulled it off to the end. And I think, now, look,
this is music that has been a soundtrack to all
our lives, whether we ask for it or not, plays
in grocery stores or doctor's opoices or pharmacies or our
(07:03):
parents' cars. And I think we kind of took it
for granted because it was always in the background. And
I really wanted to pull the curtain back and show
the artistry and the musicianship and incredible songwriting and how
interconnected these these artists were.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And I think once you do that, you can't but
help it fall in love with the music and these
musicians and have a whole newfound respect for it this
time period. So I got to say, yeah, nailed it.
As far as keeping the humor in it, you know
what I mean, there's always a sense of humor there,
which you know what I mean. We don't like to
take ourselves too seriously, but he threads that needle, you know,
(07:39):
really really well, as far as you know how hard
we worked in those days and the great music we
got to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Well, it's called music Box yacht Rock a documentary, and
I love how you got the c K in there
on the documentary, by the way, that's that's clever. Yeah,
I love it.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Bit of fun there.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Well, and I'm telling you with when you go back
and listen to all those artists and Steve, you guys
played such a huge part of the seventies and eighties
in particular, there are so many great songs, timeless songs,
and of course this is all retroactively dubbed yacht rock.
At the time, we were just listening to great songs
on the radio and it's been you know, in the
last twenty years, it's been called yacht rock. But I
(08:26):
don't care what anybody says. It's some of the best
music ever recorded. And I'm glad that You've put this
together so people can really really drink it in and
just roll with it and appreciate it. And I hope
that most of the artists, and it seems like most
of them did, but most of the artists really appreciate
the fact that we are we are all just loving
this music still to this day. So thanks you. Absolutely
(08:48):
huge thrill to talk to both of you, and again, Steve,
thank you for all the Toto music. Man to this day.
It is still constantly on my playlist and always will be.
And you guys are awesome.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Thank you.
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