World of Weird Al Yankovic

Wizzerkat wrote:I have read where Al has said he doubts there will be anymore polka medleys because of the work(permission and stuff) that goes into them. I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case, though!

He might not need all the work and permission in the future. I read an article from The National Music Publishing Association that with the high volume of remixes and dubstep becoming so popular that the government might issue a law in copyright to allow anyone to pay a small fee like artists do for cover songs to clear a sample in remixes and even Medley adaptions. If this is the case then perhaps The Polkas can return without the paperwork. Originally from what I know from talking to Jay Al had been asking pretty much every singer and publisher if he could use their songs in a polka and then he had to ask the artist and publisher if he could follow their song with this song etc.

If this new sample license small fee thing gets passed this would take care of it.

It would be amazing if he could continue to do polka medleys, and with less permission-asking like that. He could basically be the new go-to person for end of the year pop song medleys.

If THAT approach doesn't work, he could just make more Hot Rocks style medlies of any one particular band/artist he would like because I'm sure there would be less permission asking THAT way.

Killingsworth wrote:If THAT approach doesn't work, he could just make more Hot Rocks style medlies of any one particular band/artist he would like because I'm sure there would be less permission asking THAT way.

It may require less work but it severely limits the possibilities of who could be featured (it needs to be an artist with a lot of iconic hits), and part of the fun of the polkas is the surprising and clever transitions from one song to the other (think "Best Song Ever" blending into "Gangnam Style"). I like the Rolling Stones as much as the next guy, but of course "Under My Thumb" can lead into "Ruby Tuesday"; they're by the same artist.