The Toto guitarist has shared his mixed feelings about Weezer’s famous cover of their 1982 classic, stating that he doesn’t think Rivers Cuomo is much of a fan of the track.
A recovery that left its mark
In 2018, alternative rock band Weezer covered AfricaToto’s iconic hit, after a humorous campaign led by fans on social networks. This version helped Weezer regain some notoriety, reaching the top of the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and becoming their first hit on the Hot 100 since 2009.
The success of this cover even pushed Toto to respond with his own version of Hash Pipea Weezer song released in 2001. The two groups have also collaborated on stage, notably during a performance ofAfrica on the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Despite this apparent camaraderie, it seems that not all Toto members share the same enthusiasm for the revival.
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Steve Lukather’s point of view
In a recent interview with Matt Pinfield on the show New & Approved of 95.5 KLOS-FM, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather expressed his reservations about Weezer’s sincerity in this cover. He declared: “I don’t know if he really likes the song… I don’t think he does.”
Lukather believes the cover initially had a mocking tone: “I think he wanted to make fun of the song and it blew up in his face. Now he has to play it every night!”
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Attempts to contact… and frustration
Steve Lukather also mentioned trying to establish a friendly connection with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, but their exchanges didn’t go the way he hoped: “I tried to get closer to him and be friendly, but it was still pretty weird. I don’t want to go into details; peace and love. It was good for them, it was good for us. God bless them.”
