Posted on 02/21/2017 2:35:13 PM PST by billorites
LOS ANGELES — One day last summer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, on break from “Hamilton,” stopped by neighbor Jimmy Fallon’s house in the Hamptons. They both love music and Fallon has a listening room in the basement, so it wasn’t long before they were downstairs sharing another passion: “Weird Al” Yankovic.
“I said, ‘Do you know “Polka Party!”?’ ” Fallon says. “He’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I know it word for word.’ ”
Fallon threw Yankovic’s 1986 record on the turntable, and the Broadway phenomenon and the late-night TV star sang along to an accordion-driven medley that covers 12 songs in three minutes, from Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” to Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach.”
“Picture Jimmy Fallon and I sitting in a basement laughing our asses off singing, ‘I’m gonna keep my baby, keep my baby, keep my baby,’ ” Miranda says.
“We were crying, laughing and singing,” Fallon says.
They’re not alone.
Yankovic has sold millions of albums, played 1,616 shows and outlasted so many of the stars he once spoofed. His most recent album, 2014’s “Mandatory Fun,” featured parodies of Iggy Azalea, Lorde and Pharrell Williams, a polka medley and his usual smattering of original songs. The album hit No. 1. At 57, he’s now readying a complete set of his 14 studio recordings, plus an album of bonus tracks. “Squeeze Box,” on sale through a PledgeMusic drive until the end of February, will naturally come in an accordion-shaped box. “Comedy recording and funny songs go back to the earliest days of the record industry,” says Barry Hansen, better known as Dr. Demento, the radio host who introduced Yankovic to the public 40 years ago. “But Al is unique. There’s nothing like him in the history of funny music.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Al is a humble guy and never ever took himself seriously and immensely creative
His spoof of Michael Jackson song “I’m fat” is a classic
Weird Al is younger than me? No way! I’ve been listening to him forever.
Amish Paradise is gold
I always thought that “I think I’m a Clone Now”was the perfect parody song.
I do love Weird Al, but Bill Rivers is even better.
We saw Al in concert a year ago or so. What fun! He doesn’t have a real strong voice but he sure puts on a show. If you ever have the opportunity, see him!
Met him at a resort in California (Clear Lake) in the 90’s before one of his concerts. Was nice enough to stop and take a picture with both my kids. Just seemed like a regular guy.
“Genius in France” from Poodle Hat It’s... well, it’s GENIUS!
Supplies!!! (non-PC reference to the movie VHS)
Partial to “White and Nerdy” here.
I have been a fan of Weird Al since his first album just before I became a teenager. He does parody without the mean spirit that seems to overwhelm others, he does it clean, and (most amazingly) he does it so well.
One of the things that surprises me the most is how talented his band is. Jon Schwartz teamed up with him in 1980, and in 1982 his core band was filled out with Jim West and Steve Jay. For 35 years (!!!!) they have played with him on albums and in concert, and they can play any style of music exceptionally well.
Listen to:
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, and then listen to “Smells Line Nirvana” by Weird Al.
“Complicated” by Avril Lavigne and then “The Complicated Song” by Weird Al.
“American Pie” by Don McLean and then listen to “The Saga Begins” by Weird Al.
“Riding Dirty” by Chamillionaire and then “White and Nerdy” by Weird Al.
If it was just his incredible writing ability, he would not have lasted 35 years. His band and their talent has supported his weird and fantastic mind, and I think that is the most incredible part of his act.
The problem for me with Weird Al is that, as popular music became so awful, it was too awful for me to even want to hear him parody it. His original stuff is still good, and he’s good when he writes new parodies of old material (it ain’t new now, but his Jurassic Park parody of MacArthur Park is an example of a great parody not of its own time).
Weird Al himself might have chuckled at my miscue.
Rick Derringer played lead guitar on that track.
As an aside, Rick Derringer was originally Rick Zehringer and lead singer/guitarist of a local band (Dayton, OH) called the “McCoys”. They had a couple of hits - “Hang On Sloopy” and a cover of Peggy Lee’s “Fever” among others.
Rick Z became Rick D, moved to LA and became quite the session player including for Steely Dan.
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