YANKING THE CHAIN
Weird Al Yankovic launches his first madness tour outside the US in Australia
The West Australian TODAY, October 1, 2003
Article:
Weird Al Spoofs Rockers to Glory
Musician Weird Al Yankovic bestows added status on pop stars he spoofs in song and video. The comedy artist talks to Simon Collins on his first tour outside the United States.
These are two ways you know youre a bona fide pop star. The first is appearing in cartoon form on The Simpsons, the second is having Weird Al Yankovic parody your song.
Yankovic, the 43-year-old king of comedy songs, was recently immortalised on The Simpsons. He appeared on the Emmy-award winning episode, Three Gays of the Condo, wherein he sang Homer and Marge (a rip-off of John Mellencamps Jack and Diane).
The Simpsons has always been one of my absolute favourite shows, he says from the Novotel Hotel in Melbourne. It was a huge thrill for me to be part of that.
I think my appearance on The Simpsons is my best claim to immortality because that show is going to be in syndication for the rest of eternity.
The animators captured Yankovics long black curly hair, gangly frame and ever-present Hawaiian shirt (he lost the glasses and moustache some time ago).
Next week, Perth fans will get to see the goofy performer in person on his first ever concert tour outside North America.
The Californian comedian says the concert will be a multi-media event, utilising costume changes and his brilliant film clips to create a theatrical event.
Yankovics only other Down Under visit was to promote his film, The Vidiot from UHF, in 1989, which was a flop in cinemas but became a Top 10 best-selling DVD in the US last year.
The tour is to promote his 12th studio album, Poodle Hat, which includes parodies of Eminem, Avril Lavigne and Nelly. There are also several of Yankovics own songs, one of which is a tribute to his hero Frank Zappa (featuring his son Dweezil on guitar).
Previous albums have been accompanied with hilarious video clips, such as Fat (Michael Jacksons Bad), Like A Surgeon (Madonnas Like A Virgin) and Smells Like Nirvana (Nirvanas Smell Like Teen Spirit). In fact, it only dawned on Kurt Cobain how big Nirvana was when Yankovic ripped off their grunge-era classic.
Yankovic had intended to produce a video of Couch Potato his television obsesses take on Eminems Lose Yourself -- but the rapper asked him not to.
It really caught everybody by surprise. I certainly wasnt expecting it, Yankovic says. He did let us do the song for the album and Ive never had anybody say yes to the song and no to the video.
We were all set to shoot it and then we get a phone call from his management saying Eminem would prefer that we dont do the video.
Legally, we may have been able to do it anyway. But, historically, Ive always respected the wishes of the artists. If thats the way Eminem felt I would back away from it. We were obviously disappointed.
Eminem joined the humorless Prince as the only artists to knock back the Weird Al treatment, (though Coolio was none-pleased when his Gangstas Paradise became Amish Paradise in 1996).
Yankovic says hes flattered that the vast majority of musicians endorse his work, with many joining in on the joke. For example, Dire Straits Mark Knopfler played guitar on the Beverly Hillbillies version of Money for Nothing.
His first single (and first of many songs about food) My Bologna, a 1979 remake of The Knacks My Sharona, was recorded during his stint on college radio, where he adopted his Weird Al monicker. Yankovic who studied architecture at the Californian Polytechnic State University recorded the vocals to accompany the accordion rock cover in the mens room across the hall.
He sent that song into the Dr Demento Show, a popular radio program that specialized in spinning novelty songs.
The Knack played at the university soon after, and Yankovic snuck backstage. The band had heard (and liked) My Bologna and talked their record company, Capitol, into releasing and giving the 20-year-old student a contract.
From then on, Yankovic has refashioned songs by everyone from Queen (Another One Rides The Bus) to Puff Daddy (Its All About The Pentiums), combining his warped humor with almost exact recreations of the original music.
Most famous are his two big Michael Jackson parodies, Eat It and Fat. My Michael Jackson parody days are over, Asserts Yankovic. Ive done two and I think thats probably enough for one lifetime.
He says it wasnt so easy getting the blessing of the artists when he started out. But Ive been doing this for over 20 years now and Ive built up a track record. People realise that what I do is all in good fun and its not meant to be derogatory. Its really intended as a tribute.
Yankovic has outlasted many of the artists he parodies. And hes built a career outside parody songs, directing video clips for the likes of Hanson, Ben Folds, the Black Crowes and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
He hopes to restart his film and television career after the Australian tour.
Hes also a family man. He married his wife Suzanne in 2001 and the couple had their first child, daughter Nina seven months ago.
So, whats Weird Al like when hes not being Weird? I could give you a joke answer but the reality is that I spend a lot of time with my family and I waste a lot of time on the computer.
I like to watch TV and go to the movies. I dont crazy glue animals to each other.
Yankovic says he watches too much television but its so he can absorb popular culture to write into his songs.
Because Im Weird Al I can write that all off and say, Well, Im doing research, thats the reason why Im sitting around watching TV all day.
Tara Lyn
