Toto “Stranger in Town” charted

Stranger in Town Toto

Writer(s): David Paich, Jeff Porcaro (see lyrics here) First Charted: October 27, 1984 Peak: 30 US, 26 CB, 21 GR, 21 RR, 7 AR, 100 UK, 16 CN, 40 AU, 1DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 9.3 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Toto formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The original lineup consisted of the brothers Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Steve Porcaro (keyboards) along with Steve Lukather (guitar), David Hungate (bass), David Paich (keyboards, vocals), and Bobby Kimball (vocals). That lineup would reach its greatest acclaim and commercial success with 1982’s Toto IV, which produced three top-10 hits – “Rosanna” (#2), “Africa” (#1), and “I Won’t Hold You Back” (#10). It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Their next album would see the group’s first shakeup in members. Bobby Kimball was fired during the making of the 1984 album Isolation, although he was still credited as a guest musician. The album went gold and peaked at #42 – a far cry from the multi-platinum top-5 success of the group’s previous effort. The lead single, “Stranger in Town,” featured Paich on vocals and was written by him and Jeff Porcaro. While it reached the top 40, it was a disappointment compared to the success of the singles from Toto IV. Toto would go on to land three more top-40 hits in the 1980s before disappearing from the pop charts. The song’s lyrics are based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, a British children’s crime drama. The Lancashire children discover a fugitive hiding in their barn. They mistake him for Jesus Christ and the story spreads to other children who come to visit him. He plays along as a way to hide out from the law. However, with posters circulating in town about a wanted murderer, the Lancashire’s father catches on to what his children are doing and calls the police to apprehend him. WK This story was recreated for the music video, with Brad Dourif playing the convict. The video was directed by Steve Barron, who also did such iconic videos as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” aha’s “Take on Me,” and Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing.” He had also previously worked with Toto on their video for “Africa.” One of the most dramatic scenes in the video for “Stranger in Town” (which is also taken from the movie) is when Dourif is apprehended by the police. He stretches out his arms in a manner that echoes the crucifixion as he is padded down and then cuffed. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Toto WK Wikipedia page for Whistle Down the Wind First posted 12/10/2022; last updated 12/29/2022.