On a recent episode of the New & Approved podcast, Toto’s Steve Lukather shared his candid thoughts on Weezer’s cover of Toto’s hit song “Africa.” Lukather expressed some skepticism about Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo’s affection for the song, saying, “I don’t think that’s the case at all.” He also suggested that Weezer’s cover was more of a playful move than a serious tribute. Lukather added, “I think he did it to take the piss out of it and it blew up in his face. Now he’s gotta play it every night.”
Despite these sentiments, Lukather noted that he tried to reach out to Cuomo in a friendly way, but things got awkward. He referred to the situation as “weird.”
The cover of “Africa” came about after a Twitter campaign in 2018 encouraged Weezer to release their version of the song. Toto, in turn, had some fun by releasing their own cover of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe.” Reflecting on the unexpected collaboration, Lukather admitted, “The likelihood of Toto and Weezer in the same breath is strange at first glance. It was a true WTF moment for us; maybe for them, too.”
Lukather acknowledged the oddness of the situation but saw it as a win for both bands. “I guess they did it on a dare or as a gag,” he said, adding that despite the unusual circumstances, the fans were the ultimate winners, as they embraced the cover. He also made it clear that Toto was flattered by Weezer’s decision to cover their song.
In other news, Toto is preparing for their upcoming tour, which kicks off on February 1 in Glasgow, UK, and will conclude on March 2 in Tampere, Finland.