Was just minding my own business watching sports on the TV, Tweeting as I occasionally do. When along comes a story about Weird Al YankovicSaying "The following song was supposed to be on my upcoming album....Unfortunately it did NOT receive Lady Gaga's approval. Had this been released, all proceeds from the sale of the song and video would have gone to The Human Rights Campaign"
Even though he says he has the legal authority to put a song parody on a record, he has a long-standing policy of not doing so without consent from the artist he's spoofing.
Now we all know Weird Al's exploits. He has done some amazing parodies over his career. Some of Yankovic early recorded ones, "Another One Rides the Bus" a parody of Queen's hit "Another one bites the dust
But Michael did say NO to a parody of "Black and White", leaving Al to turn to Smells Like Nirvana - a parody of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1992.Before that he did a Madonna
In 1999 he tackled Don McLean's "American Pie with ""The Saga Begins"
So now he parodies Lady GaGa. And as I write this, she has had a change of heart, FAN AND MEDIA PRESSURE, and given Weird Al her blessings. She should be honored to join the exclusive list that can say, I GOT PARODIED BY WEIRD AL YANKOVIC!
Terrific post! I love Weird Al...and have loved him since the days of Eat It and Like a Surgeon. So glad to hear he got Gaga's 'approval' b/c when you get right down to it...his lyrics are just as involved as 'main stream' writers (if not so, as it's super difficult to write 'funny')
ReplyDeleteI'll for sure be following your blog! Again, terrific post.
Cordially,
L. Avery Brown
http://whenasouthernwomanrambles.blogspot.com/