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==Yankovic's work==
===Music===
{{main|List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic}}
While Yankovic's song parodies (such as "]") have resulted in success on the Billboard charts (''see ]''), he has actually recorded an equally large number of original humorous songs ("]" and "]").<ref name="faq"/> His work depends largely on the satirizing of ], including television (''see ]''), movies ("]"), food (''see ]''), popular music (the polkas), and sometimes issues in contemporary news ("]"). Yankovic claims he has no intention of writing "serious" music. In his reasoning, "There's enough people that do unfunny music. I'll leave the serious stuff to ] and ]."<ref name="hub">{{cite web|url=http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070702/NOISE02/707040313/1104/HUB |title='Weird Al' Yankovic - Parodist promises a high-energy show -- with costume changes|accessdate=2007-07-08}}</ref>
Although many of Yankovic's songs are parodies of contemporary radio hits, it is rare that the song's primary topic lampoons the original artist as a person, or the song itself. Most Yankovic songs consist of the original song's music, with a separate, unrelated set of amusing lyrics. Exceptions include "]", which references unintelligible lyrics in "]", "]", which refers to the song "]", "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long", which refers to the repetitious lyrics in "]" and "]", which references "]" and "]" in the first few lines.


Yankovic's humor normally lies more in creating unexpected incongruity between an artist's image and the topic of the song, contrasting the style of the song with its content (such as the ] songs "]" and "]"), or in pointing out trends or works which have become pop culture clichés (such as "]" and "]").

Yankovic is the sole writer for all his songs, and for "legal and personal reasons" does not accept parody submissions or ideas from fans.<ref name="faq"/> There exists, however, one exception to this rule in the case of "]." ] was reportedly talking with a friend and happened to wonder aloud when Yankovic was going to turn her "]" into "Like a Surgeon." Madonna's friend was a mutual friend of Yankovic's manager, Jay Levey, and eventually Yankovic himself heard the story from Levey.<ref name="booklet"/>

Unlike other parody artists such as ] and ], Yankovic strives to keep the backing music in his parodies the same as the original. While Lehrer reproduced the songs on piano and Sherman reproduced them orchestrally, Yankovic and his band essentially play the original song with new lyrics. Instead of using instrumental versions of the original songs, Yankovic and his band transcribe the original song by ear and re-record the song for Yankovic's parody version.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdalforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4730&view=findpost&p=306317 |title=World of Weird Al Yankovic Forums - Ask Jim|accessdate=2006-10-30}}</ref>

In addition to his parodies, Yankovic also includes a medley of various songs on most albums, each one reinterpreted as a ], with the choruses or memorable lines of various songs juxtaposed for humorous effect. Yankovic has been known to say that converting these songs to polka was "...the way God intended." Because the polkas have become a staple of Yankovic's albums, he has said he tries to include one on each album because "fans would be rioting in the streets, I think, if I didn't do a polka medley."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/Weird_Al_talks_new_album_2007_tour-10776.html?t=1 |title='Weird Al' talks new album, 2007 tour|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref>

<!-- Please stop adding style parody artists/songs to the following paragraph, as there are too many now. -->
Some of Yankovic's original songs are ]s or "style parodies", for which he chooses a band's entire body of work to honor/parody, rather than any single hit by that band. Such bands include ] with "]", ] with "Dog Eat Dog", ] with "Genius in France", ] with "Germs", or most recently, ]s with "]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0100 |title="Ask Al" Q&As for January, 2000|accessdate=2006-10-30}}</ref> Others are style parodies in the style of a ] of music, rather than a specific band (for example, ] with "Good Enough For Now").

Yankovic has contributed original songs to several ]s ("]" from '']''; "]" from the movie '']'', and a parody of the ] title sequence in '']''), in addition to his own film, '']''. Other songs of his have appeared in films or television series as well, such as "]" in '']''.

Yankovic's recurring jokes include the number ] (as seen on the covers for '']'', '']'', and '']'') and the names Bob (the '']'' interviews often mention the name),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVGiUu2ciYY |title=Weird Al Interviews Avril Lavigne|accessdate=2006-10-29}}</ref> Frank ( e.g. "Frank's 2000" TV"), and the surname "Finkelstein" (e.g. the music video for "]"). Also, a ] called ] is a recurring character in '']'' and the ''Al TV'' specials, as well as the subject of an original song on '']''. Yankovic has also put two ] messages into his songs. The first, in "Nature Trail to Hell", said "Satan Eats ]"; the second, in "I Remember Larry", said "Wow, you must have an awful lot of free time on your hands."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-oholicsanonymous.com/faq/#secret |title=Al-oholics Anonymous' Frequently Asked Questions|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref>

His latest three album releases feature the longest songs Yankovic has ever released. The "]" track from ''Running with Scissors'' is 11 minutes and 23 seconds; "Genius in France" from ''Poodle Hat'' runs for 8 minutes and 56 seconds; "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" from ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' is 10 minutes and 53 seconds long. Prior to 2007, (apart from a one-off performance of "Albuquerque" in ]),<ref name="setlists">{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/setlists.htm |title="Weird Al" Yankovic: Concert Set Lists|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref> these "epic" songs were not performed live in their entirety due to their length and complexity. ''(See ] for details)''



====Reactions from original artists====
Under the "]" provision of U.S. ] law, affirmed by the ], one does not need permission to record a ].<ref>'']'', {{Findlaw_us|510|569}} (1994)</ref> However, as a personal rule, and as a means of maintaining good relationships within the music community, Yankovic has always requested permission from the original artist before recording his parodies.<ref name="faq"/> Most artists have had positive reactions to Yankovic's parodies. Several have considered it to be something of a badge of honor to have Yankovic ask permission to parody their song or style, since they felt that Yankovic would not choose to do so unless they were a success or had made an impact on the music scene at the time. There are, however, a few notable exceptions, where people have not allowed parodies or otherwise withdrawn permission.

=====Positive=====
] of ] said that the band felt they had "made it" after Yankovic recorded "]", a parody of the ] band's smash hit, "]".<ref name="faq"/> On his ''Behind the Music'' special, Yankovic stated that when he called Cobain to ask if he could parody the song, Cobain gave him permission, then paused and asked, "Um...it's not gonna be about food, is it?" Yankovic responded with "No, it'll be about how no one can understand your lyrics".<ref name="btm"/> According to members of Nirvana interviewed for ''Behind the Music'', when they saw the video of the song, they laughed hysterically. Additionally, Cobain described Yankovic as "a musical genius."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/gig-previews--reviews/weird-al-yankovic/2007/03/19/1174152930142.html |title=Weird Al Yankovic - Gig previews & reviews - Music - Entertainment|accessdate= 2007-04-16}}</ref>

] in ], ] on March 10, 2007.]]] is also a big fan of Yankovic. Jackson has twice allowed him to parody his songs ("]" and "]" became "]" and "]", respectively). When he granted Yankovic permission to do "Fat", Jackson allowed him to use the same set built for his own "Bad" video from the '']'' video.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.aol.com/artist/weird-al-yankovic/140212/biography |title=Weird Al Yankovic - Biography - AOL Music|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref> Though Jackson was a good sport about "Eat It" and "Fat", he requested that Yankovic not record a parody of "]", because he felt the message was too important. However, Yankovic has performed a concert-only parody "Snack All Night" in some of his live shows.<ref name="setlists"/> Yankovic also has a cameo appearance, along with many other celebrities, in Jackson's music video for "]".

] approved Yankovic's parody of the ] song "]" for use in the film '']'' on the provision that Knopfler himself be allowed to play lead guitar on the parody which was later titled "]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0946148/bio |title=Biography for 'Weird Al' Yankovic|accessdate=2007-09-15}}</ref> Yankovic commented on the legal complications of the parody in the DVD audio commentary for ''UHF'', explaining "We had to name that song 'Money for Nothing 'slash' Beverly Hillbillies 'asterisk' because the lawyers told us that had to be the name. Those wacky lawyers! What ya gonna do?"<ref>Al Yankovic, "UHF" DVD Audio Commentary (0:35:15)</ref> The "Al in The Box" booklet referred to the song's "compound fracture of a title."<ref name="booklet"/> When a fan asked about the song's title, Yankovic shared his feelings on the title, replying "That incredibly stupid name is what the lawyers insisted that the parody be listed as. I'm not sure why, and I've obviously never been very happy about it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#1098|title="Ask Al" Q&As for October, 1998|accessdate=2007-09-15}}</ref>

The song "]" (a parody of ]'s "]") accurately states the entire plot of '']'', despite being written before the film's release. Yankovic got the plot details from ] websites. He was slightly unsure about ] proposing to ], so he attended a $500 screening to confirm, and ended up making only very minor alterations to the lyrics. McLean was pleased with the parody, and even told Yankovic that the parody's lyrics sometimes enter his mind during live performances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0999|title="Ask Al" Q&As for September, 1999| accessdate=2006-10-29}}</ref> Yankovic's parody not only replicates the music from the original Don McLean song, but it also replicates the multi-layered rhyming structure in the verses and chorus. Additionally, ] loved the song and a ] representative told Yankovic, "You should have seen the smile on his face."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/weirdal.asp |title=TheForce.Net - Jedi Council - Interviews - Weird Al Yankovic |publisher=TheForce.Net|author=Chris Knight|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref>

] was also very pleased, even putting Yankovic's parody "]" on his official ] page before it was on Yankovic's own page. Chamillionaire stated in an interview, "He's actually ] pretty good on it, it's crazy I didn't know he could rap like that. It's really an honor when he does that. Weird Al is not gonna do a parody of your song if you're not doing it big."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape_monday/091106/ |title=MTVNews.com - Mixtape Monday: Lil Wayne, Juelz To Drop Real Album; Ness Drops Da Band|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref> In September of 2007, Chamillionaire credited "White & Nerdy" for his recent Grammy win, stating "That parody was the reason I won the Grammy, because it made the record so big it was undeniable. It was so big overseas that people were telling me they had heard my version of Weird Al's song."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2007-09-16-chamillionaire_N.htm |title=Chamillionaire triumphs over cursing on 'Ultimate Victory' |author=Steve Jones |publisher=USA Today |accessdate = 2007-09-20}}</ref>

=====Negative=====
One of Yankovic's most controversial parodies was 1996's "]", based on "]" by hip-hop artist ], which, in turn, was based on "]" by ]. Reportedly, Coolio's label gave Yankovic the impression that Coolio had granted permission to record the parody, but Coolio maintains that he never did. While Coolio claimed he was upset, legal action never materialized, and Coolio accepted ] payments for the song. After this controversy, Yankovic has always made sure to speak directly with the artist of every song he parodied. At the ] booth at the 2006 ] Yankovic and Coolio made peace. On his website, Yankovic wrote of this event, "I don’t remember what we said to each other exactly, but it was all very friendly. I doubt I’ll be invited to Coolio’s next birthday party, but at least I can stop wearing that bulletproof vest to the mall."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#042706 |title="Ask Al" Q&As for April 27, 2006|accessdate=2006-09-02}}</ref>

In 2003, Yankovic was denied permission to make a video for "Couch Potato", his parody of ]'s "]":
{{cquote|Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my 'Lose Yourself' parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20041014/ai_n12565818 |title=Is the King of Pop losing it? |author=Mike Thomas |publisher=Chicago Sun-Times |accessdate = 2006-10-29}}</ref>}}
For the ''Poodle Hat'' ''Al TV'' special, Yankovic raised the question of artistic expression in a false interview with Eminem. As Yankovic has always done for his ''Al TV'' specials, he edited the footage of a previous Eminem interview and inserted himself asking questions such that it unmasked Eminem as a hypocrite on the matter of an artist's right to ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPwBdnknGIs |title=Weird Al Interviews Eminem|accessdate=2008-01-15}}</ref>

=====Refused parodies=====
On numerous occasions, ] has refused Yankovic permission to record parodies of his songs. Yankovic has stated in interviews that he has "approached him every few years see if he's lightened up."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-oholicsanonymous.com/interviews/hotwired.txt |title="Weird Al" Yankovic Interview by Michael Small of Hotwired.com|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref>

] guitarist ] is a self-proclaimed Yankovic fan, but when Yankovic wished to create a polka medley of Led Zeppelin songs, Page refused.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0699 |title="Ask Al" Q&As for June, 1999|accessdate=2006-10-27}}</ref> Yankovic was, however, allowed the very rare opportunity to re-record a sample of "]" for a segment of "Trapped in the Drive Thru".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2006/09/19/weird-al-yankovic-dishes-on-james-blunt-discusses-his-role-as-the-whitest-nerdiest-rock-star-ever/ |title=Weird Al Yankovic Dishes On James Blunt, Discusses His Role As the Whitest, Nerdiest Rock Star Ever|accessdate=2006-10-27}}</ref>

], also a Yankovic fan, refused Yankovic permission to record a parody of ]' "]", entitled "Chicken Pot Pie", because McCartney is a vegetarian and did not wish to condone the eating of meat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-oholicsanonymous.com/interviews/alicon.html |title="Weird Al" Yankovic: The Icon Profile|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref> Yankovic, who is a vegetarian as well, has stated that he respects McCartney's decision to refuse the parody, and is hesitant to "put Paul on the list" of artists who have refused permission for a parody.<ref name="catchup"/> However, like "Snack All Night", "Chicken Pot Pie" has been performed numerous times in concert.<ref name="setlists"/> His concerts often feature parodies for which the artist did not give permission or could not be released for various reasons.

] on ], as shown in the music video of "]".]]

In 2006, Yankovic gained ]'s permission to record a parody of "]". However, after Yankovic had recorded "]", Blunt's label, ], rescinded this permission. The parody was pulled from Yankovic's ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' due to his label's unwillingness to "go to war" with Atlantic. Yankovic released the song as a free download on his ] profile, as well as his official website, and playing it in concert, since it was not Blunt himself objecting to the parody.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5482774 |title=Free 'Weird Al' Yankovic!|accessdate=2006-08-24}}</ref>

====Live performances====
] Sucks" shirt during a performance of "]", on August 8, 2007, at the ].]]

Yankovic often describes his live concert performances as "a rock and comedy multimedia extravaganza"<ref name="yahoocache">{{cite web|url=http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:09MwL6eaJ3sJ:launch.yahoo.com/read/interview/12027570 |title=Weird Al Yankovic Interviews on Yahoo! Music (Google Cache)|accessdate=2006-11-10}}</ref> with an audience that "ranges from toddlers to geriatrics."<ref name="hub"/> Apart from Yankovic and his band performing his classic and contemporary hits, staples of Yankovic's live performances include a medley of parodies, many costume changes between songs, and a video screen on which various clips are played during the costume changes.<ref name="yahoocache"/> A concert from Yankovic's 1999 tour for the ''Running With Scissors'' album (''Touring With Scissors'') was released on VHS in 1999 and on DVD in 2000.<ref name="catalog"/> Titled '']'', the concert was recorded at the ] in ], on ] ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/100299.htm |title=Weird Al Photo Gallery - Backstage "Pep Talk"|accessdate=2006-11-10}}</ref> For legal reasons, video clips (apart from those for Yankovic's own music videos) could not be shown for the home release, and unreleased parodies were removed from the parody medley for the performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0300 |title="Ask Al" Q&As for March, 2000|accessdate=2006-11-10}}</ref>

2003 saw Yankovic on tour overseas for the first time. Prior to 2003, Yankovic and his band had toured only the United States and parts of Canada.<ref name="livepage"/> Following the success of ''Poodle Hat'' in ], Yankovic performed eleven shows in Australia's major capital cities and regional areas in October of that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/phtour.htm |title="Weird Al" Yankovic: Poodle Hat '03 & '04 Tourdates|accessdate=2006-11-10}}</ref>

], ] on March 23, 2007.]]

On ], ], Yankovic performed his 1,000th live show at ].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.weirdal.com/livepage.htm|title = Live Performances|publisher = "Weird Al" Yankovic}}</ref>

===''UHF''===
{{main|UHF (film)}}
In 1989, Yankovic starred in a full-length feature film, co-written by himself and manager Jay Levey, and filmed in ] called '']''. A satire of the television and film industries, also starring ], ], and ], it brought floundering studio ] their highest ] since the movie '']''.<ref name="robo">{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0599 |title="Ask Al" Q&As for May, 1999|accessdate=2006-10-28}}</ref> However, it was unsuccessful in theaters, likely due to a release in mid 1989, going up against '']'', '']'', '']'', and others.

The film has since become a ], with out-of-print copies of the VHS version selling for up to $100 on ] until the release of the ] in 2002. Yankovic occasionally shows clips from the film at his concerts (to which ], the film's current owner, initially objected in the form of a ] letter).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#0500 |title="Ask Al" Q&As for May, 2000|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref> To apparently make it more accessible to overseas audiences where ] TV stations were less prominent, the film was titled ''The Vidiot From UHF'' in Australia and parts of Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098546/ |title=UHF (1989)|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref>

UHF shows the creation of Yankovic's signature food—the Twinkie Wiener Sandwich. The snack consists of an overturned ] split open as a makeshift bun, a ], and ]. Yankovic has stated that he has switched to using ] hot dogs since becoming a vegetarian, but still enjoys the occasional Twinkie-Wiener Sandwich.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#1095 |title=Midnight Star "Ask Al" Q&As for October/November, 1995|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref>

===Notable television appearances===
Yankovic had a TV series called '']'', which aired from September 1997 to December 1997 on ]. Though the show appeared to be geared at children, the humor was really more for his adult fans (as such, it is often compared to '']''). The entire series was released on DVD by ] on ], ].

Yankovic has hosted '']'' on ] and ''Al Music'' on ] many times, generally coinciding with the release of each new album. For ''Poodle Hat'', ''Al TV'' appeared on ] for the first time. A recurring segment of ''Al TV'' involves Yankovic manipulating interviews for comic effect. He inserts himself into a previously conducted interview with a musician, and then manipulates his questions, resulting in bizarre and comic responses from the celebrity.

VH1 produced a '']'' episode on Yankovic; however, he was so clean-cut that the producers could not find any of the typical angst-laced problems that make many rock stars' stories compelling (as Yankovic noted in the episode), so they stretched many smaller disappointments and skirmishes during his career into major downfalls to fit the program's classic formula. His two commercial failures (his film '']'' and his 1986 album '']'') were presented as having a larger impact on the direction of his career than they really had. Also, Coolio's later disapproval of "Amish Paradise" was played up as a large feud. Much was also made over his apparent lack of a love life, though he got married shortly after the program aired.<ref name="btm"/>

Yankovic has done voice-overs for a number of animated series. He appeared in a 2003 episode of '']'', singing "The Ballad of Homer & Marge" (a parody of ]'s "]") with his band. The episode, "]", in which ] hires Yankovic to sing the aforementioned song to ] in an attempt to reconcile their marriage, later won an ] for "Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)". He also recently reappeared again in the 2008 episode, entitled "]", where he records a parody of Homer's grunge hit "]" entitled "Brain Freeze". Yankovic is the voice for ] on the ] show, '']''. He is also the announcer of the cartoon's eponymous ] adaptation. During a ] 2007 panel session, ] ] confirmed Yankovic will have a guest appearance voicing a ] Transformer in the upcoming '']'' cartoon series known as ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=10976 |title=Botcon David Kaye Panel--Info on New Animated Series!|accessdate=2007-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2eT66j7fOA |title=Unicron.com Botcon 07, David Kaye talks TF: Animated 2|accessdate=2007-07-02}}</ref> Previously, Yankovic's "Dare to be Stupid" song was featured in the animated 1986 film '']''.

An exhaustive list of television shows on which Yankovic has appeared is available on his official website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/filmtv.htm |title=Film & TV list|accessdate=2007-07-02}}</ref>

===Directing career===
"Weird Al" Yankovic has directed many of his own ]s; he has directed all of his music videos from 1993’s "]" to his latest, 2006’s "]". He also directed the end sequence of 1986’s "Christmas at Ground Zero" (an original piece juxtaposing ] with ]) from his ''Polka Party!'' album and the title sequence to '']'', for which he sang the title song.<ref name="vidfacts">{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdal.com/videtc.htm |title="Weird Al" Yankovic: Video Facts|accessdate=2006-10-26}}</ref>

In addition to his own, he has directed several videos for ] (The '']'' sequences in "River"), ] ("]"), ] ("]"), ] ("Redneck Stomp" and "Party All Night"), and ] ("Wail").<ref name="vidfacts"/> He has cameo appearances in his videos for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Hanson (as the interviewer), and Ben Folds (as the producer fixing Folds' "shitty tracks").


==Misattribution and imitators== ==Misattribution and imitators==

Revision as of 08:51, 3 February 2008

This article is about the musician. For his self-titled debut album, see "Weird Al" Yankovic (album).
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Musical artist

Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (Template:PronEng; born October 23 1959) is an American singer, musician, actor, satirist, parodist, songwriter, accordionist, and television producer. Yankovic is known in particular for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts. Since receiving his first accordion lesson a day before his seventh birthday, he has sold more than 12 million albums (more than any comedy act in history), recorded more than 150 parody and original songs, and has performed more than 1,000 live shows. His works have earned him three Grammy Awards among nine nominations, four gold records, and six platinum records in the United States. Yankovic's first top ten Billboard album and single were both released in 2006, nearly three decades into his career.

In addition to recording his albums, Yankovic has written and starred in his own film and television show, directed music videos for himself and other artists including Ben Folds and Hanson. He has also made guest appearances on television shows such as Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, The Simpsons, Behind the Music, Johnny Bravo, Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Robot Chicken, in addition to starring in his own Al TV specials.


==

Headline text

==

suck YOU SUCK

The band and fame

1981 brought Yankovic on tour for the first time as part of Dr. Demento's stage show. His stage act in a Phoenix, Arizona, nightclub caught the eye of manager Jay Levey, who was "blown away". Levey asked Yankovic if he had considered creating a full band and doing his music as a career. Yankovic admitted that he had, so Levey held auditions. Steve Jay became Yankovic's bass player, and Jay's friend Jim West played guitar. Schwartz continued on drums. Yankovic's first show with his new band was on March 31, 1982. Several days later, Yankovic and his band were the opening act for Missing Persons. The unimpressed audience threw items at the group, and they were booed off the stage.

Yankovic recorded "I Love Rocky Road" (a parody of "I Love Rock 'N Roll" as recorded by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts) in 1982. Due to the influence of his new producer, Rick Derringer, it managed to become a hit on Top 40 radio, leading to Yankovic's signing with Scotti Bros. Records. In 1983, Yankovic's first self-titled album was released on Scotti Bros. He released his second album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D in 1984. The first single "Eat It" a parody of the Michael Jackson song "Beat It" became quite popular, thanks in part to the music video, a shot-for-shot parody of Jackson's "Beat It" music video, and to Yankovic's self-styled "uncanny resemblance" to Jackson. Peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Eat It" remained Yankovic's highest-charting single until "White & Nerdy" placed at number 9 in October 2006.

In 1985, Yankovic co-wrote and starred in a mockumentary of his own life entitled The Compleat Al, which intertwined the facts of his life up to that point with fiction. The movie also featured some clips from Yankovic's trip to Japan and some clips from the Al TV specials. The Compleat Al was co-directed by Jay Levey, who would direct UHF four years later. Also released around the same time as The Compleat Al was The Authorized Al, a biographical book based on the film. The book, resembling a scrapbook, included real and fictional humorous photographs and documents.

Yankovic and his band toured as the opening act for The Monkees in mid 1987 for their second reunion tour of North America. Yankovic claims to have enjoyed touring with The Monkees, despite the fact "the promoter gypped us out of a bunch of money." He also noticed "they didn't seem to get along all that great when they weren't on stage. There was even a separate tour bus for each Monkee!"

Yankovic also appeared on the Wendy Carlos recording of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" as the narrator in 1988. The album also included a sequel of Camille Saint-Saëns's composition The Carnival of the Animals entitled the "Carnival of the Animals Part II", with Yankovic providing humorous poems for each of the featured creatures in the style of Ogden Nash, who had written humorous poems for the original. Rubén Valtierra joined the band on keyboards in 1991, allowing Yankovic to concentrate more on singing and increasing his use of the stage space during concerts.

A factual biographical booklet of Yankovic's life, written by Dr. Demento, was released with the 1994 box set compilation Permanent Record: Al In The Box. The Dr. Demento Society, which issues yearly Christmas re-releases of material from Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes, often includes unreleased tracks from Yankovic's vaults, such as "Pacman", "It's Still Billy Joel To Me" or the live version of "School Cafeteria".



Misattribution and imitators

A screenshot of LimeWire PRO, showing a large number of parodies misattributed to Yankovic, as well as numerous misspellings of his surname

Songs posted to file sharing networks are often misattributed to him due to their humorous subject matter. Often, his surname is misspelled (and thus mispronounced) as "Yankovich", among other variations. Much to the disdain of Yankovic, these misattributed files include songs that are racist, sexually explicit, or otherwise offensive. A young listener who had heard several of these offensive tracks by way of a file sharing service confronted Yankovic online, threatening a boycott due to his supposedly explicit lyrics. Quite a few of the songs, such as "Star Wars Cantina" by Mark Jonathan Davis (later of Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine), "Star Wars Gangsta Rap", "Yoda Smokes Weed", "Chewbacca" and several more have a Star Wars motif. Some songs misattributed to him are not songs, but spoken skits, such as "Sesame Street on crack", which is also widely misattributed to Adam Sandler.

Yankovic cites these misattributions as "his only real beef with peer-to-peer file sharing sites":

If you do a search for my name on any one of those sites, I guarantee you that about half of the songs that come up will be songs I had absolutely nothing to do with. That particularly bothers me, because I really try to do quality work, and I also try to maintain a more-or-less family-friendly image—and some of these songs that are supposedly by me are just, well, vulgar and awful. I truly think my reputation has suffered in a lot of people's minds because of all those fake Weird Al songs floating around the Internet."

A list of songs frequently misattributed to Yankovic can be found at The Not Al Page and a list of all commercially released songs recorded by Yankovic can be found on his website.

Weird Al Star Fund

The Weird Al Star Fund is a campaign started by Yankovic's fans to get him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their mission is to "solicit, collect, and raise the necessary money, and to compile the information needed for the application to nominate 'Weird Al' Yankovic for a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame." Fans worldwide have sent donations to raise the US$15,000 needed for a nomination. In addition to the preferred method of cash donations, many methods were used to raise money for the cause, such as a live benefit show held April 11 2006, and selling merchandise on the official website and eBay, including T-shirts, calendars, and cookbooks. On May 26 2006, the campaign hit the then-$15,000 target, just five days before the May 31 deadline to submit the necessary paperwork. However, Yankovic was not included on the list of inductees for 2007. On February 9 2007, the Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce raised the price to sponsor a new star to $25,000 and as such the Fund is accepting donations again. Yankovic's application was resubmitted for consideration in 2007, but he was not included among 2008's inductees.

Discography

Main articles: "Weird Al" Yankovic discography and List of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Album title Release year
"Weird Al" Yankovic 1983
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D 1984
Dare to Be Stupid 1985
Polka Party! 1986
Even Worse 1988
"Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits 1988
UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff 1989
Off the Deep End 1992
The Food Album 1993
Alapalooza 1993
Permanent Record: Al in the Box 1994
Greatest Hits Volume II 1994
The TV Album 1995
Bad Hair Day 1996
Running With Scissors 1999
Poodle Hat 2003
Straight Outta Lynwood 2006

Awards and nominations

Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award nominees
Australian gold records
  • Running with Scissors
Canadian gold records
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
  • Even Worse
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits
  • Greatest Hits Volume II
  • Running With Scissors
Canadian platinum records
  • Off the Deep End
  • Bad Hair Day
Canadian double platinum records
  • Alapalooza
Gold singles
  • "Eat It" (U.S., Canada, & Australia)
  • "White & Nerdy" (U.S.)
The "Eat It" single reached the #1 position on the Australian singles chart in 1984.
United States gold records
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic
  • The Food Album
  • Alapalooza
  • Straight Outta Lynwood
United States platinum records
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic In 3-D
  • Dare to be Stupid
  • Even Worse
  • Off the Deep End
  • Bad Hair Day
  • Running With Scissors

Videography

The following is a comprehensive list of his long form videos to date, with the United States release date.

Awards and nominations

Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award nominees
Australian gold long form videos
U.S. gold long form videos
U.S. platinum long form videos
  • The Ultimate Video Collection

Cameos and special appearances in film

References

  1. Harrington, Richard. "Weird Al's Imitation: A Funky Form of Flattery". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  2. "Weird Al Yankovic's latest send-ups on The Catch-up". Retrieved 2007-03-14.
  3. ""Weird Al" Yankovic: Catalog". Retrieved 2006-10-28.
  4. ""Weird Al" Yankovic: Biographies". Retrieved 2006-10-28.
  5. http://www.weirdal.com/livepage.htm
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference booklet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ""Weird Al" Yankovic: Live Performances". Retrieved 2006-11-10.
  8. Cite error: The named reference btm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ""Ask Al" Q&As for November, 1998". Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  10. ""Ask Al" Q&As for December, 1999". Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  11. ""Ask Al" Q&As for October 2, 2005". Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  12. ^ "The Not Al Page: The most popular songs he didn't even write (or perform)!". Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  13. ""Don't not download this song"". Retrieved 2006-09-23.
  14. "Recording Dates Page". Retrieved 2006-12-01.
  15. ^ "The Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Campaign for "Weird Al" Yankovic". Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  16. "The Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Campaign for "Weird Al" Yankovic". Retrieved 2006-10-29.
  17. Gina Serpe. "Damon, Diddy, Ponch Got Star Power". E! Online News. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
  18. "New Stars to Grace Hollywood Walk of Fame". Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  19. Grammy Award Winners. Retrieved 1 December 2006.
  20. ^ ""Weird Al" Yankovic: Awards". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
  21. ^ "RIAA Searchable Database". Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  22. Grammy Award Winners. Retrieved 1 December 2006.

External links


"Weird Al" Yankovic
Studio albums
Soundtrack albums
EPs
Compilations
Songs
Videography
Tours
Related articles
The Naked Gun
Police Squad!
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