"Africa" by Toto

bnt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY

Africa was #1 on the charts 35 years ago today, but that's not why it's been in the news recently. It's blown up as a meme on Reddit in particular, mostly in a positive way: my preferred explanation is simply that since it's so much better than the rubbish on the charts. The lyrics are super-cheesy and the subject of many spoofs and parodies, but it's stood the test of time.

According to David Paich in an interview here, it was the last thing they recorded for Toto IV, only required to fill out the album. The band all thought it was silly and told him "save it for your solo album". Steve Lukather said that he'd run down Hollywood Boulevard naked if it was a hit - but has since happily admitted he was wrong.

Me, I just fell in love with the sound. Toto always made excellent-sounding records, and this had that warm brassy synthesiser that sounds like nothing else (Yamaha CS80, the same synth Vangelis used for Blade Runner). Sure, it's not hip, not edgy, but the world would be a colder place without it, I believe.

Bob Harris

I always heard ..' a hundred men on Mars could ever do'.

Turns out it's:

"There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do"

Roger Hassenforder

OMG thats so racist.

White man culturally appropriating a black mans drum, while White man relaxing while his black indentured servantwoman forced to work in miserable, dark, draughty, conditions, with suggested imminent nitty gritty, no doubt completely against her will to gratify her master. The video "celebrating" shes unable to afford a door, while more white men lurk in the shadows.

Im absolutely outraged, i cant believe i used to love that song on MTV USA back in the day , with Vincent Hanley blasting other hits, before i was woke to my white male privilige.

emeldc

Jeez, #1 35 years ago, wha? I feel old. My son who's 21 thinks it's the best song ever!

Boom_Bap

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

OMG thats so racist.

White man culturally appropriating a black mans drum, while White man relaxing while his black indentured servantwoman forced to work in miserable, dark, draughty, conditions, with suggested imminent nitty gritty, no doubt completely against her will to gratify her master. The video "celebrating" shes unable to afford a door, while more white men lurk in the shadows.

Im absolutely outraged, i cant believe i used to love that song on MTV USA back in the day , with Vincent Hanley blasting other hits, before i was woke to my white male privilige.

You also forgot that there are more white keys on the piano in the video.

GLaDOS

Do do do dododo do

optogirl

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

OMG thats so racist.

White man culturally appropriating a black mans drum, while White man relaxing while his black indentured servantwoman forced to work in miserable, dark, draughty, conditions, with suggested imminent nitty gritty, no doubt completely against her will to gratify her master. The video "celebrating" shes unable to afford a door, while more white men lurk in the shadows.

Im absolutely outraged, i cant believe i used to love that song on MTV USA back in the day , with Vincent Hanley blasting other hits, before i was woke to my white male privilige.

are you inventing alter egos to pour scorn on?

Sky King

Much prefer this version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwNGR792Ifk

stunmer

Another version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c9-poC5HGw

Love this

andekwarhola

The Kilimanjaro/Serengeti line is an all time classic in terms of barely managing to crowbar a ludicrously portentous lyric into the melody of a pop song.

The_Valeyard

The Trump version of it did make me laugh






Although ive been to many parts of Africa and some of it is quite stunning and beautiful.
Great song though.

Cee-Jay-Cee

It is probably my most favourite song of all time. I could never get tired listening to it, I have about 100 copies of it on my ipod (approx. 5000 songs on it) which is in the car and set on random play to be sure it plays somewhat regularly but thinking about it I haven't heard it play in weeks.

topper75

There is definitely something unintentionally sibilant at the end of 'more' alright. That is the way I always heard it as a kid. :-)

Yes there is a little bit of cornball sure, but it's still a stunner 35 years later. Superb production and musicianship. I guess what stands in stark difference to the chaff on sale back then (not to mention today!) is the lack of template. It was different. It's not a composition by numbers. It remains different.

rednik

Toto live in Vicar Street 4th/5th of April.

andekwarhola

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It is probably my most favourite song of all time. I could never get tired listening to it, I have about 100 copies of it on my ipod (approx. 5000 songs on it) which is in the car and set on random play to be sure it plays somewhat regularly but thinking about it I haven't heard it play in weeks.

Along with Hold The Line and Rosanna, it's a great triptych of 80s rock. Sad really that you don't get that consistent level of quality in chart music these days.

emeldc

stunmer wrote: »

Another version.

Nice one, never saw that before. Class.

donegaLroad

Did anyone hear their latest release? In my opinion it has taken Toto 35 years to re-write Africa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rerilfJQvfk

Mr. CooL ICE

This is also good

ohnonotgmail

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

OMG thats so racist.

White man culturally appropriating a black mans drum, while White man relaxing while his black indentured servantwoman forced to work in miserable, dark, draughty, conditions, with suggested imminent nitty gritty, no doubt completely against her will to gratify her master. The video "celebrating" shes unable to afford a door, while more white men lurk in the shadows.

Im absolutely outraged, i cant believe i used to love that song on MTV USA back in the day , with Vincent Hanley blasting other hits, before i was woke to my white male privilige.

Vinnie Hanley presented MT USA not MTV USA

Roger Hassenforder

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Vinnie Hanley presented MT USA not MTV USA

My bad.
Its been a while!

razorblunt

It's one of those perfect songs that builds up to a Chorus and then pays off with its singalongability.


Do do do do do do do doooo

backspin.

Mike Masse does a great cover of it too.

bnt

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

... Im absolutely outraged, i cant believe i used to love that song on MTV USA back in the day , with Vincent Hanley blasting other hits, before i was woke to my white male privilige.

The way Paich tells the story now, it was written from the point of view of a guy about to follow a girl to Africa, but he'd never been there and had only read about it. Knowing his luck, he landed somewhere like Johannesburg, a very long way from Kilimanjaro ...

Oldtree

Love the tune. Still have the picture disc of the 45

pleas advice

GLaDOS wrote: »

Do do do dododo do

I can feel it, coming in the air tonight

crosstownk

stunmer wrote: »

Another version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c9-poC5HGw

Love this

Great arrangement. (one of the lead trio look like he's....er....sweating from his left nostril.......)

I do like this cover. It's incredibly accurate for a one man studio cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbRaOHbc7rM

Nelson Van Alden

Steve lukather is an amazing guitarist. He's done a lot of session work, the guitar riff on 'Beat It' was the man himself.

diomed

Its a cracker.

Pac1Man

Brought to my attention by Fernando Martinez 15 years ago. Thank you Fernando.

blastman

pleas advice wrote: »

I can feel it, coming in the air tonight

Oh, Lord!

JohnnyFlash

I'm going to see them in Vicar Street in April. Should be a great night.

topper75

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH9FyLsfDzw

Metal cover.

Loses some of the musicality in fairness, but chick on vocal is good.

rednik

Nelson Van Alden wrote: »

Steve lukather is an amazing guitarist. He's done a lot of session work, the guitar riff on 'Beat It' was the man himself.

Eddie Van Halen did the guitar solo and amazingly did not charge a fee. Jeff Porcaro (RIP) played drums. Steve & Eddie are close friends a long time.

WHIP IT!

emeldc wrote: »

Jeez, #1 35 years ago, wha? I feel old. My son who's 21 thinks it's the best song ever!

Reminds me of being in the car with my teenager and her mate a couple of years back. Rhythm Is A Dancer had been re-released earlier that year. Anyhoo, it came on the radio and, in true teenage fashion, my daughter's pal said "Uhh, this song is soooo old..." to which my daughter said "Yeah, like it's out since before the summer..."

Meanwhile I thought to myself: "Nope, it's out since 1992!"

Vladimir Poontang

Sang along to that and Hold the Line with Bobby Kimball in Limerick a few years ago. Only about 50 people in the place. It was amazing and then met him for drinks afterwards. Bloody legend

Oldtree

razorblunt wrote: »

It's one of those perfect songs that builds up to a Chorus and then pays off with its singalongability.


Do do do do do do do doooo

Don't you mean "De do do do, de da da da" by the police?

andekwarhola

andekwarhola wrote: »

Along with Hold The Line and Rosanna, it's a great triptych of 80s rock. Sad really that you don't get that consistent level of quality in chart music these days.

Dunno what came over me there..

igCorcaigh

Oldtree wrote: »

Don't you mean "De do do do, de da da da" by the police?

Stop infringing copyright its ob la dee, ob la da, life goes ooon on..

igCorcaigh

Great track in fairness. And the so many covers from metal to psytrance tell of that. Well played Toto.

exaisle

For your delectation....

igCorcaigh

OT: is anyone else waiting to watch Musk shoot a rocket with a tesla roadster on top to Mars, playing David Bowie, that will orbit the sun for hundreds of millions of years? Or gloriously explode?

No? Just me then.

Duck Soup

igCorcaigh

Duck Soup, you have a place in heaven.

Zaph

I must be the only person on Boards who can't stand this song.

bnt

Zaph wrote: »

I must be the only person on Boards who can't stand this song.

Looks like it. :pac:

A bit of trivia for those interested: the bassist in the video, Mike Porcaro, was the brother of drummer Jeff Porcaro and keyboardist Steve Porcaro. He didn't actually play bass on Toto IV, but only joined Toto after original bassist David Hungate left, shortly after completing the recording. Unfortunately, Mike was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and had to stop playing in 2007, and he died in 2015. Steve is now the only Porcaro left in Toto: Jeff had died in 1992, in a bizarre gardening accident (kind-of).

ohnonotgmail

bnt wrote: »

Looks like it. :pac:

A bit of trivia for those interested: the bassist in the video, Mike Porcaro, was the brother of drummer Jeff Porcaro and keyboardist Steve Porcaro. He didn't actually play bass on Toto IV, but only joined Toto after original bassist David Hungate left, shortly after completing the recording. Unfortunately, Mike was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and had to stop playing in 2007, and he died in 2015. Steve is now the only Porcaro left in Toto: Jeff had died in 1992, in a bizarre gardening accident (kind-of).

Wait, a drummer dying in a bizarre accident? are you sure this isnt spinal tap you are talking about?

MonkeyTennis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLrC7e3vSv8

Crazy good harmonies

Wibbs

Zaph wrote: »

I must be the only person on Boards who can't stand this song.

Nope Zed. I'm not exactly enamoured of it myself. I can see how it's a very well written and played and bloody catchy tune, but I generally dislike "full" and lush production values on songs. I prefer songs to leave space between the notes as it were(pseud alert! ). That dislike goes as far back(in pop) as Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Good example of that was the same Spector being brought in to produce the tapes of the Beatle's Get Back sessions that was to become the album Let it be. The un Spector'd versions are sooooo much better. Though I'd retain a soft spot for ABBA who tended towards the full sound, but their tunes were so damned catchy and melodic.

bnt

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Wait, a drummer dying in a bizarre accident? are you sure this isnt spinal tap you are talking about?

A slight exaggeration, OK, but it was bizarre and gardening-related: he had a bad reaction to some insecticide he was spraying on his lawn, then had a heart attack and died. He reportedly had atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) too, which made things worse. The similarity to This Is Spinal Tap was noted at the time. :eek:

Oldtree

igCorcaigh wrote: »

OT: is anyone else waiting to watch Musk shoot a rocket with a tesla roadster on top to Mars, playing David Bowie, that will orbit the sun for hundreds of millions of years? Or gloriously explode?

No? Just me then.

Would now be the time to discuss the pros and cons of hitchhiking and 47 with you?

Summer wind

One of my all time favourite songs. Radio always gets turned up anytime its on.