In a recent interview with Sundown Sound Recorders, Toto’s Steve Porcaro gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his experience working on Don Henley’s hit song, ‘Dirty Laundry.’ Porcaro, who worked alongside his brother Jeff during the recording session, shares some interesting details about the process.
Porcaro recalls how his bandmates had seen him delve deep into synthesizers in the past, even during a time when MIDI technology wasn’t as convenient and reliable. He reminisces, “Toto spent countless studio hours with me messing around with these things, and many times Jeff and the rest of the guys, being the talented musicians they were, would ask, ‘What are you doing? Can’t you just play and stop messing with that crap?'”
However, it was during the recording of ‘Dirty Laundry’ that everything fell into place for Porcaro. Working with producer Greg Ladanyi, Porcaro finally found his groove. He explains, “Jeff saw me come in, and especially because Ladanyi had recorded the sync track, everything just clicked.” Porcaro goes on to express his gratitude, saying, “It was great that my brother Jeff was there to see all the things I had learned put into practice and how useful they were in the studio. It was just a big bang boom, and it was so great for my brother Jeff to witness it all coming together.”
Despite any controversy surrounding the song, including an incident involving Henley and an underage girl, ‘Dirty Laundry’ became Don’s first No. 1 hit as a solo artist. The track reached the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
