"Rosanna" | ||||
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Single by Toto | ||||
from the album Toto IV | ||||
B-side | "It's a Feeling" | |||
Released | April 1, 1982 | |||
Format | 7", CD single | |||
Recorded | 1982 | |||
Genre | Soft rock | |||
Length | 5:31 4:02 (7" version) |
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Label | Columbia | |||
Writer(s) | David Paich | |||
Producer(s) | Toto | |||
Toto singles chronology | ||||
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"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Record of the Year Grammy Award in the 1983 presentations. Rosanna was also nominated for the Song of the Year award.
The song Rosanna peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, behind two different songs, "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. It was also one of the band's most successful singles in the UK, peaking at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart and remaining on the chart for eight weeks.
The B-side of the vinyl single was the song "It's a Feeling", which is also on the album Toto IV.
The song was written by David Paich, who has said that the song is based on numerous girls he had known. As a joke, the band members initially played along with the common assumption that the song was based on Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro at the time and coincidentally had the same name. Arquette herself played along with the joke, commenting in an interview that the song was about "my showing up at 4 a.m., bringing them juice and beer at their sessions."
In the song's verses, the key is changed from G major to F major, accompanied on the original recording by the lead vocalist changing from Steve Lukather to Bobby Kimball.