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 ...
I can’t remember which artist it was, but someone fairly recent commented that they felt they had finally “arrived” because Weird Al had asked to parody one of their songs.
And yet, Prince would never consider allowing Al to parody any of his work, despite the rich potential in some of his songs.
I saw Weird Al as the opening act at a Monkees concert in Wichita. Can’t remember the year, maybe early 90’s.
Oh my gosh! I never heard of that one and had to check it out! Hilarious!
I’ve had the pleasure of running into a few famous people in my life, but one of the best was realizing that the guy in front of me wearing the Hawaiian shirt at the security line at LAX back in the ‘90s was Weird Al. Nice guy - great to know he’s still at it.
Saw him two yrs ago, loved every minute of it. He interacts with the audience and everyone is clearly having a wonderful time.
Yes, isn’t it good? Best part is the gangstas locking their car doors when they see him coming...
My husband took me to his concerts twice. He is so awesome in concert.. He even had his blow up fat suit on stage for Fat.
Dr. Demento gave Al a break on KMET in Los Angeles around 1980. I like how Donny Osmond dances on White and Nerdy as if Donny Osmond is the most white and most nerdy guy on the planet.
His video of Pharrel’s Happy song is one camera take. Amazing.
youtube his “tacky” song.
Love the Bedrock Anthem! “Don’t know what it means but I say it anyhow!”
Anthem of the GOPe
Weird Al Yankovic’s “Dare to be Stupid”
(musical accompaniment by the John McCain Silver Plated Plastic Kazoo Orchestra.)
Some of my favorites:
And this happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_JI18l_Nco
Yup, the shared mass experience of listening to the radio or even MTV is pretty much gone. You need to know the song to get the gag when Al does it. It’s like when they brought Beavis and Butthead back and all they could make fun of was the garbage reality shows because that’s all MTV played anymore, no videos. No cool people watched those reality shows and the ones who did couldn’t stand to be shown that they were such dog squeeze.
Freegards
how about weird al’s CNR song (where Charles nelson reily is a tough guy)
I am, too! THIS is the best video I've seen of this song! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWc6QQ9JlMc I can't remember how to hyperlink it!
Weird Al is great on Comedy Bang Bang.
My favorite is his parody of the George Harrison hit “This Song Only Has Six Words.” [Got My Mind Set On You]
And I’m a huge Beatles/Harrison fan, but you have to laugh at how perfect he does those parodies.
I read somewhere he really works at his craft. Working on different lines and phrases until he is 100% satisfied that it fits the rhythm and cadence of the original, but still tells it’s own complete story.
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