Inside Tracks #21: Toto "Africa"🐘David Paich & Jeff Porcaro, 1982, w/2 Dozen Covers, Including 3 by Original Vocalist, Bobby Kimball

If you've ever attempted a karaoke "Africa," we feel your pain, as sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti. Here are some pros who put their more-than-game attempts onto tape.

“I’ll get you, my little pretty….and, your little dog, too!” With Margaret Hamilton mercifully out of the picture, here’s a portrait of Toto as a young pup, with Bobby Kimball (who sang the choruses on the original, with keyboardist, David Paich, second from right, taking the verses) standing front and center. He may have bogarted the mic across two centuries of “Africa” covers, but all kidding aside, any vocal attempts by anybody on this song are merely modeling their mic work on Kimball’s astoundingly unmatched vocals on the choruses of the original…puppy paws down. Anybody who’s held a mic stands in…..”awwwwwww.”

This just in: The news out of “Africa,” at least in Toto-land (no, not Kansas or Oz): Toto’s lead singer (on the chorus) on the original 1982 recording, Bobby Kimball, has brought his vocal talents to three cover versions of the hit over the decades!

That means that, mathematically (and counting the original Toto recording), Kimball has “hogged the mic” on four “Africa” renditions out of the 139 recognized recordings! Fractionally speaking, that’s nearly 3% (2.87%) of the recorded versions! I say, Mr. Kimball, give someone else a chance!🎤

We’ve collected, for this edition of “Inside Tracks,” some of the more intriguing covers of the singularly distinctive 1982 composition of Toto members, David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, that was featured on their Toto IV album. A recent live take:

Safari, So Good

The song reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, the band’s only Billboard number one, and also hit the top spot on the Canadian charts. It also peaked in the Top Ten in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

The initial idea and lyrics for the song came from keyboardist, David Paich, who was playing around with a new keyboard, the CS-80 (Yamaha’s analog synth that debuted in 1977, the same year the band, all first-call session cats, was born in L.A.).

Paich found the brassy sound that became the opening riff. He completed the melody and lyrics for the chorus in about ten minutes, much to his own surprise: “I sang the chorus out as you hear it. It was like God channeling it. I thought, ‘I’m talented, but I’m not that talented. Something just happened here!’”

Paich remembered that he refined the lyrics for about six months before showing the song to the rest of the band, according to MixOnline in 2005.

Mapping “Africa”

In 2015, Paich explained that the song is about a man’s love of a continent, Africa, rather than just a personal romance. He based the lyrics on a late night documentary with depictions of African plight and suffering.

The viewing experience made a lasting impact on Paich: “It both moved and appalled me, and the pictures just wouldn’t leave my head. I tried to imagine how I’d feel about it if I was there and what I’d do.,” according to toto99.com.

Co-writer/drummer, Jeff Porcaro, elaborates further, explaining: “A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he’s never been there, he can only tell what he’s seen on TV or remembers in the past.”

Some additional lyrics relate to a person flying in to meet a lonely missionary, as Paich described to The Guardian in 2018. As a child, Paich attended a Catholic school; several of his teachers had done missionary work in Africa. Their missionary work became the inspiration behind the line, “I bless the rains down in Africa.”

Paich, who at the time had never set foot in Africa, based the song’s landscape descriptions from an article in National Geographic.

During a 2018 appearance with Stryker and Kevin Klein on the L.A.-area radio station, KROQ-FM (in Pasadena), keyboardist, Steve Porcaro, and guitarist, Steve Lukather, described the song as “dumb,” “an experiment,” and some of the lyrics as “goofy” that were, ultimately, just placeholders, particularly the line about the Serengeti.

Engineer Al Schmitt has stated that “Africa” was the second song written for Toto IV, and had been worked on extensively in the studio. Eventually, the band grew tired of the song, and even considered cutting it from the album’s track list entirely. David Paich at one point considered saving “Africa” for a solo record but decided against it.

“Africa” by the Numbers

After the Toto original, Playlist track #2 features Kimball with the Frankfurt Rock Orchestra from 1990:

Track #3 comes from the 2011 Brotherly Love album, and features Kimball (who just turned 76) with Mike and Jeff Porcaro (in a recording made prior to Jeff’s 1992 death), Alex Ligertwood, Paich, Joseph Williams, Steve Gadd, Gregg Bissonette, and Robin Dimaggio:

Track #4 is from 2012, and features Kimball with key ‘70s prog figures Nektar (from West Germany) and Swiss keyboardist, Patrick Moraz (formerly with Yes and the Moody Blues) from an album called Mysterious Sessions:

5. Emmerson Nogueira: From one continent to another, “Africa” via South America, and Brazilian singer/guitarist, Emmerson Nogueira, 49:

Nogueira is known for releasing only cover albums (on Sony Music), containing acoustic versions of several internationally famous English-speaking songs. In fact, he’s recorded an album of acoustic Beatles covers. He performs here with his supporting band called Versão Acústica (“Acoustic Version” in Portuguese).

6. Lowry: Lowry is a Brooklyn-based indie rock 5-piece with members originally hailing from Kansas, New Zealand, Australia, North Carolina and Canada (everywhere but Africa!).

   Originally emerging from New York City’s “anti-folk” scene (who knew they had one?), the band had gone through several incarnations before settling into its current line-up in early 2008, the year their “Africa” sheepishly showed up on their Guilt by Association Vol. 2 album. One listen and all is forgiven.

7. The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra From the supremely sublime Lowry to the threatening-to-be-ridiculous WIUO, and what a surprise from the Orchestra who understandably had to come up with their unwieldy name to differentiate themselves from the spate of Uke Orks extant (although, they do have a double bass)! Brilliant vocals and harmonies to accompany the tiny guitar-like instruments, this is the best Ukulele Orchestra I know I’ve ever heard…and, they’re from Wellington, New Zealand!

The Ork gathers to respond, once again, to the groundswell of “Why isn’t the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame?” outcry. I know, WIUO…you and Jethro Tull!

8. Quietdrive is an alt-rock band based in Hopkins, Minnesota. Formed in 2002, Quietdrive released their debut album, When All That’s Left Is You, in May 2006, on Epic Records. Two years later, they left Epic and released an album titled Deliverance in October 2008, with the Militia Group. Kevin Truckenmiller is their lead singer. Their “Africa” is from their 2011 cover album, Your Record Our Spin.

9. Christina Ashley, 2011, San Diego-based pop singer

10. Chaos Divine, 2012: Poor crystal-voiced Christina, sandwiched as she is between two very guitar-forward bands! Chaos Divine is described by the mighty Wiki as a “progressive metal band” from Perth, Western Australia, and they released their “Africa” as a single on the continent (theirs). They consist of vocalist David Anderton, guitarists Simon Mitchell and Ryan Felton, bassist Michael Kruit and drummer, Tim Stelter. Despite their machine-grinding guitar attack, their vocal approach is thankfully sans the guttural growling and snarling you might expect.

11. Craecker, 2015: Acoustic trio from Germany

12. The Moon Loungers, 2015: Bristol/UK Wedding band and acoustic duo

13. The Lounge Kittens, 2016, from their Sequins & C-Bombs album

The ladies are a Southampton/UK trio, who perform covers from many genres, especially hard rock, in a three-part harmony cabaret/lounge style.

14. Solala feat. Trip C’s, 2017: A cappella trio from Gothenburg, Sweden: Olle Bergel, Anders Gabrielson, Jens Lindvall

15. Brad Davis, 2017: Pickin’ on the Biggest Hits of the ‘80s, Vol. 2 album

Country and folk singer/songwriter and guitarist gives us a Southern, banjo’n’bluegrass take on “Africa.”

16. The Holophonics, 2017, Maskarades, Vol. 11, Awesome ‘80s album: Punk and ska quintet from Denton TX:

17. Weezer, 2019, from The Teal Album

Following a persistent Twitter campaign by a fan (it’s been reported), Weezer released their very guitar-leaning cover of “Africa” on May 29, 2018. It reached the top spot on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018, becoming the band’s first number-one single since “Pork and Beans” in 2008.

Two days later, on August 10, 2018, Toto, remarkably, responded by releasing a cover of Weezer’s single “Hash Pipe.” Weezer’s “Africa” eventually peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

18. Bonfire, 2018, from Legends album

Bonfire are a self-described heavy metal band from Ingolstadt, Germany. Formed in 1972 as Cacumen, they changed their name to Bonfire in 1986. I think I’m hearing “Serengeti” pronounced here with a soft “g.” A function of Alexx Stahl’s German-ness?

19. Dan Vasc, 2019: Brazilian “metal singer” releasing cover music videos on YouTube. Vasc does all vocals on this, including overdubbed 4-part harmonies:

20. Travis Atreo (electric piano, vocals) and Joseph Vincent (guitar, vocals), 2019

21. Tyler Ward and Lisa Cimorelli, 2019

22. The Animal in Me, 2019, Indie trio from the San Francisco Bay Area. TAIM is Laura Vierra, Shane Gould and Daniel Flores. Warning: There is growling on this very metal “Africa,” but only during the verses. The choruses are beautifully rendered respites amid the thunderous sonic tornado:

23. Hayseed Dixie, 2020, aka The Kerosene Brothers, Hayseed Dixie’s fame started with a hillbilly tribute album to AC/DC, and over the years expanded their style to a fusion of country, bluegrass and rock, or as they call it, “Rockgrass”:

24. Luke Murgatroyd feat. Nick Martland, 2020

Luke Murgatroyd is from Halifax, West Yorkshire, and is a professional singer/actor and Director of Entertainment. He has worked for some of the best composers in London’s West End, as well as being lead singer on some of the world’s most prestigious cruise ships. Nick Martland recently played the role of Nick Massi in the international touring company of the stage musical, Jersey Boys.

(l-r) Luke Murgatroyd and Nick Martland

So, “Africa” en toto!

Which cover was your favorite? Does it surprise you that it was that one? I know my new faves are ones I wasn’t guessing could be! Which of the four Kimball performances stood out for you? Ever sung “Africa” in karaoke? In a choir? Ever been to Africa? Ever seen Toto in concert?