1983 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
is the debut studio album by American parodist
Alfred "Weird Al" Yankovic
. The album was the first of many produced by former
The McCoys
guitarist
Rick Derringer
. Mostly recorded in March 1982, the album was released by
Rock 'n Roll Records
as an
LP
and on
Compact Cassette
in 1983.
Consisting of five direct parodies and seven original songs,
"Weird Al" Yankovic
parodies
pop
and
rock music
of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and satirizes American culture and experiences of the same time period. Nearly half of the album is made up of parodies based on the works of
Toni Basil
,
Joan Jett
,
Stevie Nicks
,
the Knack
and
Queen
. Yankovic's trademark instrument?the accordion?is used on all songs featured on the album.
Fueled by the underground success of the singles "
My Bologna
" and "
Another One Rides the Bus
", the album charted at No. 139 on the
Billboard
200
. Critically, the album received a lukewarm reception, with many reviewers feeling that Yankovic was a throw-away act who would not be able to overcome the stigma of a novelty record.
Production
[
edit
]
After hearing Yankovic's parody of his song "
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
", "I Love Rocky Road", songwriter
Jake Hooker
suggested to guitarist
Rick Derringer
that he would be the perfect producer for the burgeoning parodist. Agreeing, Derringer used his music industry prestige and convinced
Cherokee Studios
to record an album's worth of Yankovic's songs gratis, to be paid from sales revenue. Then, in March 1982, "Weird Al" Yankovic stepped into a professional recording studio for the first time and recorded nine of the songs for
"Weird Al" Yankovic
.
[6]
The huge irony of my life; [...] it was difficult for me to get signed to a record deal back in early 80s because all the executives were saying "Oh, you do that ...
novelty music
. You're gonna have maybe one hit if you're lucky and then [...] you'll go right to oblivion. You know, nobody'll ever hear from you again."
After encountering difficulty picking up a record label for the first-time album, Jay Levey (a Los Angeles artists' manager) provided
KIQQ-FM
with a copy of "I Love Rocky Road". Impressing the program director of the
Top 40
station, he played it immediately; "I Love Rocky Road" was one of the most-requested songs by the next day. At the same time,
Rock 'n Roll Records
president Tad Dowd had been trying to convince parent company
Scotti Brothers Records
to sign the 22-year-old Yankovic. The positive furor over the KIQQ playtest provided Dowd with the leverage needed to convince Scotti Bros. to offer a contract for Yankovic's first album.
[6]
Scotti Brothers Records' contract planned an April 1983 release date for a twelve-track album: "I Love Rocky Road" and eight other tracks were already recorded, "
Another One Rides the Bus
" would be the original 1980 live recording from
The Dr. Demento Show
, and the last two songs ("
Ricky
" and "Buckingham Blues") would be recorded at Scotti Brothers' own studios in
Santa Monica, California
in February 1983.
[6]
[8]
[2]
To promote the album, Levey coordinated a three-week tour in late Summer 1983 across the United States'
East Coast
and
Midwest
for both Yankovic and
Dr. Demento
. Promoted as ""An Evening of Dementia with Dr. Demento in Person Plus 'Weird Al' Yankovic", Demento opened with recorded hits and short comedy films from his show before introducing Yankovic and the band. During their three weeks, the tour played in several famous clubs, including
The Bottom Line
in
New York City
.
[6]
The
album cover
for
"Weird Al" Yankovic
was designed by
Brazilian
artist Rogerio. The band chose Rogerio because of his "
Mad
magazine
-like drawing style."
[9]
[10]
The cover art specifically features individual elements that correspond with each of the album's twelve songs.
[11]
Composition
[
edit
]
"Weird Al" Yankovic
is the only album in Yankovic's discography to use the
accordion
in every song; in subsequent albums it is only used where deemed appropriate or wholly inappropriate for comedic effect.
[12]
"
Ricky
" is a parody of "
Mickey
" by
Toni Basil
; an ode to
I Love Lucy
with Yankovic performing as
Ricky
and
Tress MacNeille
as
Lucy
.
[13]
[14]
"Gotta Boogie" is a play on words discussing a man with a "
boogie
" on his finger and his quandary therein. "
I Love Rocky Road
" is a parody of
Arrows'
"
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
" made famous by
Joan Jett
; in the song the narrator expresses feelings about the titular ice cream flavor.
[6]
"Buckingham Blues" is a
blues
song
satirizing
the socialite lifestyle of the
Prince
and
Princess of Wales
(Prince Charles and Diana). Originally, the song was going to be a parody of "
Jack & Diane
" by
John Mellencamp
; worried about spoiling a
Jack and Diane
movie deal, Mellencamp shot down the parody. Yankovic considered tweaking the "Jack & Diane" melody to avoid the song being a true parody, but decided against it and later rewrote it as an original song.
[15]
Answering a fan in 1998, Yankovic replied that he would not rewrite and rerecord the song in light of the
death of Diana
.
[16]
He would later perform a parody of "Jack & Diane" titled "Homer and Marge" for a 2003 episode of
The Simpsons
called "
Three Gays of the Condo
".
"Happy Birthday" is a style parody of
Tonio K
, one of Yankovic's favorite artists.
[15]
The song is a morbidly depressing
birthday song
detailing ails of the world, including
poverty
,
nuclear holocaust
, and
eventual solar cataclysm
. Only seeing two popular birthday songs at the time?"
Happy Birthday to You
" by
Patty
and
Mildred J. Hill
, and "
Birthday
" by
the Beatles
?Yankovic decided to write his own "severely twisted version of one."
[15]
"Stop Draggin' My Car Around" is a parody of "
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
" by
Stevie Nicks
; the lament of an otherwise "
cool
guy" forced to repeatedly save his 1964
Plymouth
car from impoundment due to
illegal parking
,
shame
, and non-payment.
[17]
"
My Bologna
" is a parody of "
My Sharona
" by
the Knack
; the narrator talks about his obsession with
bologna sausage
. This is a re-recording of the song; the original Capitol Records single version would not appear on a "Weird Al" album until the 1994 box set
Permanent Record: Al in the Box
.
[17]
"The Check's in the Mail" parodies business-related prevarications, exampling
avoidance
,
litigation
, and the titular payment delay.
[17]
"
Another One Rides the Bus
" is a parody of "
Another One Bites the Dust
" by
Queen
; the narrator laments about a crowded
public bus
. This is the original 1980 recording from
The
Dr. Demento
Show
.
[18]
"I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" is a rejection of the stereotypical attitudes and accoutrements of the
hippie
/
yuppie
lifestyles.
[17]
"Such a Groovy Guy" parodies
narcissism
specifically noting
fashion
,
demeanor
,
dominance and submission
, and
relationship breakup
. Yankovic wrote the song for a woman he was dating in homage of her previous boyfriend who, upon the
breakup
asked her, "I’m such a groovy guy! Why would you break up with me?" Out of concern the individual may not be aware of his status, Yankovic does not identify him.
[15]
"Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung" is an audience favorite from Yankovic's days playing in
coffeehouses
at
Cal Poly
;
[6]
the song describes the rather lopsided relationship between the narrator and the eponymous "Mr. Frump" in his
iron lung
, until the latter's death. The sound of the iron lung is an accordion's air release valve.
[18]
"It's Still Billy Joel to Me", Yankovic's 1980 parody of
Billy Joel
's "
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
", was originally planned for this album. Wary of the song being considered "dated" three years later, and doubtful that Joel would give his blessing, the band never bothered to ask.
[19]
"
Yoda
", Yankovic's parody of
the Kinks
' song "
Lola
", was written in 1980 (during the initial theatre run of
The Empire Strikes Back
) and was a "huge hit" on
The Dr. Demento Show
. However, the complexities of receiving permission from filmmaker
George Lucas
and the Kinks' publishers delayed its release until 1985.
[6]
Promotion and tour
[
edit
]
To promote the album, the songs "
Ricky
" and "
I Love Rocky Road
" were released as singles with accompanying
music videos
. Yankovic embarked on his first official concert tour, officially named "An Evening of Dementia with Dr. Demento in Person Plus "Weird Al" Yankovic", which began at
the Bottom Line
in
New York City
on May 21, 1983 and ended June 10, 1983 at Mickey's in
Milwaukee
.
"An Evening of Dementia with Dr. Demento in Person Plus "Weird Al" Yankovic"
(List of concerts, showing date, city, country and venue)
[20]
Date
|
City
|
Country
|
Venue
|
North America
[21]
[22]
|
May 21, 1983
|
New York City
|
United States
|
The Bottom Line
|
May 22, 1983
|
Roslyn
|
My Father's Place
|
May 24, 1983
|
New Haven
|
Toad's Place
|
May 26, 1983
|
Boston
|
Jonathan Swift's
|
May 28, 1983
|
Syracuse
|
Lost Horizon
|
May 31, 1983
|
Rochester
|
Red Creek
|
June 1, 1983
|
Buffalo
|
Tralfamadore
|
June 3, 1983
|
Toronto
|
Canada
|
El Mocambo
|
June 8, 1983
|
Cleveland
|
United States
|
Agora Ballroom
|
June 9, 1983
|
Chicago
|
Park West
|
June 10, 1983
|
Milwaukee
|
Mickey's
|
Critical reception
[
edit
]
Eugene Chadbourne
, reviewer for
AllMusic
, felt that while
"Weird Al" Yankovic
was a detailed harbinger of parody to come, the album does not hold up well on its own. Chadbourne extolled most of the parodies ("Another One Rides the Bus", "My Bologna", "I Love Rocky Road") for their comedic value in contrast with their originals. However, also according to Chadbourne, "Ricky" lacks the comedic connection Yankovic cultivates in later albums, and the original songs "may not seem like they were written in ten minutes, but the ideas behind them don't seem to involve that much contemplation. [They're] like little bits of puff [whose ...] impact on the flow of an album side is more like ballast."
[4]
Introducing Yankovic as the guest DJ for
All Songs Considered
on
National Public Radio
in 2006, host
Bob Boilen
opined that upon his debut, Yankovic "seemed the epitome of throw-away novelty act".
[7]
Reviewing Yankovic in 2008, Brian Raftery of
Wired
magazine
wrote that "Ricky" introduced the world to "an accordion-playing spaz with a coif like
Rick James
and a voice like an urgent
goose
." Raftery noted that in 1983, Yankovic was considered a
fad
of the time?"like
parachute pants
and
Contras
"?and "thoroughly disposable."
[13]
Musical databasing and review websites
AllMusic
and
Artistdirect
rated
"Weird Al" Yankovic
three and a half out of five stars.
[4]
[26]
Track listing
[
edit
]
Personnel
[
edit
]
Credits adapted from LP liner notes,
[28]
except where noted.
Musicians
Technical
- Rick Derringer ? producer
- Tony Papa ? engineer (tracks 1, 4)
- Peter Kelsey ? engineer (tracks 2?3, 5?12)
- Ted Jensen
? mastering
Charts and certifications
[
edit
]
Singles
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
While Yankovic wrote new lyrics for the song, on February 2, 1981, he transferred copyright of the parody to John Deacon.
[27]
This is reflected in the liner notes for the album itself, which lists only Deacon as the parody's writer.
[28]
- ^
The credits on
"Weird Al" Yankovic
give special thanks to
Jim West
. West was playing guitar with Yankovic and the band at live performances, but was not present for recording the album. Most of the guitar playing on the album was done by producer Rick Derringer, but Jon Schwartz's brother, Richard Bennett, contributes additional guitar as well as banjo and ukulele.
[29]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Studio Albums"
.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
. Retrieved
January 18,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Recording Dates"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
. Retrieved
January 29,
2018
.
- ^
"Weird Al Yankovic by Weird Al Yankovic on Yahoo! Music"
.
Yahoo! Music
.
Sunnyvale, California
,
USA
:
Yahoo!, Inc.
Archived from
the original
on July 4, 2007
. Retrieved
October 17,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Chadbourne, Eugene.
"Weird Al Yankovic - "Weird Al" Yankovic Album Reviews, Songs & More"
.
AllMusic
. Retrieved
January 18,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Schwartz, Jon
.
"
'Weird Al' Disc/Video/Bibliography (U.S. Only)"
(
text file
)
.
The Demented Music Database
. Jeff Morris.
Archived
from the original on October 18, 2008
. Retrieved
October 23,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Hansen, Barret
(1994).
Permanent Record: Al in the Box
(liner).
"Weird Al" Yankovic
.
California
,
United States
:
Scotti Brothers Records
.
- ^
a
b
Boilen, Bob
(November 2, 2006).
"Guest DJ "Weird Al" Yankovic"
.
All Songs Considered
.
Washington, D.C.
:
National Public Radio
.
Archived
from the original on November 22, 2008
. Retrieved
October 30,
2008
.
Singer, songwriter and satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic has been spoofing artists and making his own original comic tunes for nearly 30 years. His latest album,
Straight Out Of Lynwood
[
sic
], is his first to break the top-ten. On this edition of
All Songs Considered
, Yankovic talks about his music and shares some of the songs that have inspired him over the years. Hear an eclectic mix of music by the Bonzo Dog Band, Tom Lehrer,
The Trashmen
and more.
- ^
"Weird Al Yankovic ? Weird Al Yankovic ? CD ? Buy.com"
.
Aliso Viejo, California
,
USA
:
Buy.com
. Archived from
the original
on June 7, 2011
. Retrieved
October 21,
2008
.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(July 1999).
"
'Ask Al' Q&As for July, 1999"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2008
. Retrieved
October 22,
2008
.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(November?December 1996).
"Midnight Star 'Ask Al' Q&As for November/December, 1996"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
. Archived from
the original
on December 8, 2008
. Retrieved
October 22,
2008
.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(September 1999).
"
'Ask Al' Q&As for September, 1999"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2008
. Retrieved
October 22,
2008
.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(January 1999).
"
'Ask Al' Q&As for January, 1999"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
. Retrieved
October 22,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
Raftery, Brian (September 22, 2008).
"Weird Al: Forefather of the YouTube Spoof"
.
Wired
.
Archived
from the original on October 21, 2008
. Retrieved
October 21,
2008
.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(June 1999).
"
'Ask Al' Q&As for June, 1999"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2008
. Retrieved
October 21,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Rabin, Nathan
(June 29, 2011).
"Set List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic"
.
The A.V. Club
.
Chicago
,
Illinois
:
The Onion, Inc
.
Archived
from the original on July 1, 2011
. Retrieved
June 29,
2011
.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(March 1998).
"Midnight Star 'Ask Al' Q&As for March/April, 1998"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2008
. Retrieved
October 21,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Bianculli, David (March 22, 1984). "A Success At Last, and He's Eating It Up".
The Philadelphia Inquirer
.
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
,
USA
:
Brian Tierney
. p. D01.
- ^
a
b
"Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection
(DVD).
Los Angeles
,
United States
:
Volcano Entertainment
. November 4, 2003.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(April 2000).
"
'Ask Al' Q&As for April, 2000"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2008
. Retrieved
October 21,
2008
.
- ^
Yankovic, Weird Al.
"Live Performances | "Weird Al" Yankovic"
.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
. Retrieved
May 25,
2018
.
- ^
"Nightlife"
.
New York Magazine
.
16
(21). New York Media, LLC: 136. May 23, 1983.
ISSN
0028-7369
. Retrieved
December 14,
2021
.
5/21, Dr. Demento with special guests "Weird Al" Yankovic and Benny Bell.
- ^
Zebora, Jim (May 20, 1983).
"The Club Scene"
.
Meriden, Connecticut
:
Record-Journal
. p. 17
. Retrieved
December 14,
2021
.
Dr. Demento and "Weird Al" Yankovic will team up at Toad's on Wednesday
- ^
The Daily Vault Music Reviews
- ^
Thomas Erlewine, Stephen (December 7, 2017).
"
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic"
.
Pitchfork Media
. Retrieved
December 7,
2017
.
- ^
Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004).
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. pp.
893
.
ISBN
0-7432-0169-8
.
rolling stone weird al yankovic alapalooza review.
- ^
"Weird Al Yankovic : "Weird Al" Yankovic"
.
Artistdirect.com
.
Artistdirect
. Retrieved
November 14,
2008
.
- ^
"Another One Rides The Bus"
.
United States Copyright Office
. Retrieved
December 18,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
"Weird Al" Yankovic
(1983).
"Weird Al" Yankovic
(LP liner notes).
California
,
United States
:
Rock 'n Roll Records
. PZ 38679.
- ^
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(April 1999).
"
'Ask Al' Q&As for April, 1999"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
. Retrieved
October 21,
2008
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Players"
.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
. Retrieved
January 18,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Yankovic, Alfred M.
(2003).
"Awards"
.
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site
. Archived from
the original
on February 3, 2009
. Retrieved
April 3,
2013
.
- ^
"Gold & Platinum ? Search Results: 'Weird Al' Yankovic"
. Recording Industry Association of America
. Retrieved
December 21,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
Studio albums
| |
---|
Soundtrack albums
| |
---|
EPs
| |
---|
Compilations
| |
---|
Songs
| |
---|
Videography
| |
---|
Tours
| |
---|
Related articles
| |
---|
|