Completed years later from an old demo, “In a Little While” finally found a home on 2018’s Old Is New – but it could have appeared on any previous Toto album and still been a standout. Sung by Steve Lukather and credited to David Paich and Steve Porcaro, this song has all the melodic hooks commonly associated with Porcaro, so it feels like a continuation of the vibe established by Porcaro’s solo debut, Someday/Somehow.
In Toto’s hands, the production in spot on, with all the lyrical subtlety enhanced by deft arrangements. Jeff Porcaro’s drum track is seamlessly incorporated from the original tapes, and original bassist David Hungate provides a charming pocket.
Perhaps the standout element on “In a Little While” is the lead vocal by Steve Lukather, the best balladeer in Toto. He provides an earnestness and passion needed for the song. His vocal is simply amazing. Lukather’s acoustic guitar is equally as powerful, with thoughtful leads and evocative solos. Add in touches of Steve Porcaro’s synth work and David Paich’s piano and you can’t help but wonder why it to so long to resurrect this gem.
“In a Little While” wasn’t the only song that took a winding path to Old Is New, Steve Porcaro later told me. “We did four brand new songs and, at the same time, we took five tracks from the vaults which had my brother Jeff on drums. Three had my brother Mike on bass, and two had David Hungate on bass. We finished the tunes. We had the basic tracks but the melody, form and choruses weren’t finished. We finished them like they were brand new tunes. We did all nine at the same time.”
No matter how long it took to complete “In a Little While,” we are fortunate to have it on a Toto album. Does it get any better than this?
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