"99" by Toto

Hey Dialophiles!

Sometimes in this fast paced, hectic world, filled with way too much NOISE and BOTHER, we here at the Radio Dial feel the need to mellow out. In doing so, we’ll often rummage through our expansive music library to locate a soft rock classic, perhaps one with a light jazz flavor, as we have done tonight. So wrap yourself in a comfy blanket, enjoy a warm cup of herbal tea, and feel the stress of the day evaporate as you listen to tonight’s featured audio entry, “99” by Toto.

Released on the 1979 LP “Hydra”, 99 peaked at #26 on the Hot 100 and was the highest charting single extracted from that album.

The simple, yet cryptic lyrics lent themselves to many wacky interpretations, among them that the song was a tribute to actress Barbara Feldon, known best as Agent 99 on TV’s Get Smart.

But in actuality, 99 was a reference to the early George Lucas science fiction film “THX 1138”, in which people are given license-plate-like numbers instead of names, and emotions and intimacy is forbidden by the state. The stark white setting of the music video is a reference to the “limbo prison” scenes in the film. 

Though the video’s set is basic (and dotted with oversized “99”s, perhaps on loan from the Children’s Television Workshop), it features several interesting and artistic shots, including many “hand level” views of the keyboard being played, and one brief, but memorable shot looking up at drummer Jeff Porcaro through a transparent drum.

After a few years, Toto exploded into the mainstream with the phenomenal Toto IV in ’82, a career defining record that contained the top 10 hits “Africa”, “I Won’t Hold You Back”, and the rumored Ms. Arquette inspired “Rosanna”. However, 99, unlike those three hits, has been largely forgotten by current radio programmers.

As a kid, I had no idea why Toto was singing about a digit one shy of a hundred, and I didn’t much care. I just knew that I appreciated its smooth groove, light funk keyboard break, and mellow vocals. Give 99 a listen, and rediscover this rarely played former minor hit. 

“I never thought it would happen, I feel quite the same,
I don't want to hurt you anymore.
I never knew it would work out, No one to blame,
You know I love you 99”