"Weird Al" Yankovic (album)

1983 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic March 2014 the self-titled debut album by "Weird Al" Yankovic other albums by Yankovic "Weird Al" Yankovic discography "Weird Al" Yankovic studio "Weird Al" Yankovic Weird Al Yankovic - Weird Al Yankovic.jpg May 3, 1983https://www.weirdal.com/catalog/weird-al-yankovic/ "Weird Al" Yankovic Studio Albums January 18, 2023 September 14, 1980 – February 11, 1983 Cherokee (Hollywood) Santa Monica Sound Recorders (Santa Monica) KMET (Los Angeles) Comedyhttp://music.yahoo.com/release/102248 https://web.archive.org/web/20070704042942/http://music.yahoo.com/release/102248 July 4, 2007 Weird Al Yankovic by Weird Al Yankovic on Yahoo! Music October 17, 2010 Yahoo! Music Yahoo!, Inc. Sunnyvale, California, USA 32:59https://www.allmusic.com/album/weird-al-yankovic-mw0000262791 Chadbourne Eugene Weird Al Yankovic - "Weird Al" Yankovic Album Reviews, Songs & More January 18, 2023 AllMusic Rock 'n Roll Scotti Brothers Rick Derringer Another One Rides the Bus 1981 "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D 1984 "Weird Al" Yankovic studio Another One Rides the Bus February 1981http://dmdb.org/discographies/al.disco.txt 'Weird Al' Disc/Video/Bibliography (U.S. Only) October 23, 2008 Schwartz Jon Jon Schwartz (drummer) text file The Demented Music Database Jeff Morris https://web.archive.org/web/20081018220508/http://dmdb.org/discographies/al.disco.txt October 18, 2008 live Ricky May 3, 1983 I Love Rocky Road July 5, 1983 "Weird Al" Yankovic is the debut studio album by the American parody musician "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 May 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, the Arrows, 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. Retrospective assessments have been slightly more favorable, though have still unfavorably compared it to Yankovic's subsequent work. Production thumb|upright|left|"Ace rock guitarist" Rick Derringer (pictured in 1974) produced "Weird Al" Yankovic. After hearing Yankovic's parody of his song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" entitled "I Love Rocky Road", songwriter Jake Hooker suggested to guitarist Rick Derringer that he would be the perfect producer for the burgeoning parodist. Despite being a rock musician, Derringer had been raised in a family that enjoyed novelty music, and so he agreed to work with Yankovic. Using his music industry prestige, Derringer convinced Cherokee Studios to record an album's worth of Yankovic's songs gratis, to be paid from future sales revenue.Danhauer Whitney July 20, 2025 ‘70s Rock Star Says Comedy Icon ‘Single-Handedly Ruined’ His Career in Resurfaced Interview https://parade.com/news/70s-rock-star-says-comedy-icon-single-handedly-ruined-his-career-in-resurfaced-interview July 23, 2025 Parade en 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. Permanent Record: Al in the Box "Weird Al" Yankovic 1994 http://dmdb.org/al/booklet.html Barret Hansen Dr. Demento liner Scotti Brothers Records California, United States 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." "Weird Al" Yankovic speaking with Bob Boilen on All Songs Considered in 2006 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. When Derringer learned that the label had made Yankovic an offer, he told the parodist that while the label's contract was not the must lucrative, Scotti Bros. had a strong reputation for record promotion and a release on the label would likely be a hit. 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. http://www.buy.com/prod/weird-al-yankovic/q/loc/109/60343834.html Weird Al Yankovic – Weird Al Yankovic – CD – Buy.com October 21, 2008 Buy.com Aliso Viejo, California, USA June 7, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110607104819/http://www.buy.com/prod/weird-al-yankovic/q/loc/109/60343834.html deadhttp://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/recording-dates/ Recording Dates The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site 2018-01-29 thumb|Dr. Demento helped promote "Weird Al" Yankovic. (2004 08 15, David Rossi) 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. 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." http://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#0799 'Ask Al' Q&As for July, 1999 October 22, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic July 1999 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20081208110042/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm December 8, 2008 live http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#1196 Midnight Star 'Ask Al' Q&As for November/December, 1996 October 22, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic November–December 1996 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20081208110042/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm#1196 December 8, 2008 dead mdy-all The cover art specifically features individual elements that correspond with each of the album's twelve songs. http://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#0999 'Ask Al' Q&As for September, 1999 October 22, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic September 1999 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20081208110042/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm December 8, 2008 live Composition thumb|left|Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is parodied on the album. "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.http://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#0199 'Ask Al' Q&As for January, 1999 October 22, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic January 1999 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site "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.Raftery Brian Weird Al: Forefather of the YouTube Spoof https://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/magazine/16-10/ff_weirdal Wired September 22, 2008 October 21, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081021051438/http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/magazine/16-10/ff_weirdal October 21, 2008 livehttp://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#0699 'Ask Al' Q&As for June, 1999 October 21, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic June 1999 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20081208110042/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm December 8, 2008 live "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. "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. Answering a fan in 1998, Yankovic replied that he would not rewrite and rerecord the song in light of the death of Diana. http://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#0398 Midnight Star 'Ask Al' Q&As for March/April, 1998 October 21, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic March 1998 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20081208110042/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.htm December 8, 2008 live 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. 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." "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. A Success At Last, and He's Eating It Up Bianculli David The Philadelphia Inquirer Brian Tierney Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA D01 March 22, 1984 "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. "The Check's in the Mail" parodies business-related prevarications, exampling avoidance, litigation, and the titular payment delay. "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. November 4, 2003 "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection DVD Volcano Entertainment Los Angeles, United States "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" is a rejection of the stereotypical attitudes and accoutrements of the hippie/yuppie lifestyles. "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. "Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung" is an audience favorite from Yankovic's days playing in coffeehouses at Cal Poly; 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. "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. http://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#040 'Ask Al' Q&As for April, 2000 October 21, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic April 2000 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20081208110042/http://www.weirdal.com/aaarchive.html December 8, 2008 live "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. Promotion and tour 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" YankovicList of 1983 concertshttp://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/live-performances/#first Live Performances "Weird Al" Yankovic Yankovic Weird Al "Weird Al" Yankovic en 2018-05-25Nightlife New York Magazine May 23, 1983 16 21 136 https://books.google.com/books?id=m8oBAAAAMBAJ&dq=weird+al+1983+perform&pg=PA136 December 14, 2021 New York Media, LLC en 0028-7369 5/21, Dr. Demento with special guests "Weird Al" Yankovic and Benny Bell.Zebora Jim The Club Scene https://books.google.com/books?id=XddHAAAAIBAJ&dq=weird+al+1983+perform&pg=PA10&article_id=1767,2852213 December 14, 2021 Record-Journal May 20, 1983 Meriden, Connecticut 17 en Dr. Demento and "Weird Al" Yankovic will team up at Toad's on Wednesday Date City Country VenueMay 21New York CityUnited StatesThe Bottom LineMay 22RoslynMy Father's PlaceMay 24New HavenToad's PlaceMay 26BostonJonathan Swift'sMay 28SyracuseLost HorizonMay 31RochesterRed CreekJune 1BuffaloTralfamadoreJune 3TorontoCanadaEl MocamboJune 8ClevelandUnited StatesAgora BallroomJune 9ChicagoPark WestJune 10MilwaukeeMickey's Critical reception AllMusic 3.5 5 The Daily Vault B−The Daily Vault Music Reviews Pitchfork 8.2/10https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/weird-al-yankovic-squeeze-box-the-complete-works-of-weird-al-yankovic/ "Weird Al" Yankovic - Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic Pitchfork Media December 7, 2017 Thomas Erlewine Stephen December 7, 2017 Rolling Stone 3 5 Brackett Nathan Christian Hoard The Rolling Stone Album Guide Simon and Schuster 2004 New York City, New York 893 0-7432-0169-8 https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac registration rolling stone weird al yankovic alapalooza review. 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." 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 a throw-away novelty act".https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15960999 Guest DJ "Weird Al" Yankovic Boilen Bob Bob Boilen October 30, 2008 November 2, 2006 All Songs Considered National Public Radio Washington, D.C. 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, 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. https://web.archive.org/web/20081122021436/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15960999 November 22, 2008 live 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." Musical databasing and review websites AllMusic and Artistdirect rated "Weird Al" Yankovic three and a half out of five stars.http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,188926,00.html Weird Al Yankovic : "Weird Al" Yankovic November 14, 2008 Artistdirect.com Artistdirect June 2026 InternetArchiveBot Track listing Parody of Side one 28% 37% 35% Ricky Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn, "Weird Al" Yankovic "Mickey" by Toni Basil 2:36 Gotta Boogie Yankovic Original 2:14 I Love Rocky Road Alan Merrill, Jake Hooker, Yankovic "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 2:36 Buckingham Blues Yankovic Original 3:13 Happy Birthday Yankovic Style parody of Tonio KSet List: 'Weird Al' Yankovic Nathan Rabin Nathan Rabin https://www.avclub.com/weird-al-yankovic-1798226810 The A.V. Club The Onion, Inc Chicago, Illinois June 29, 2011 June 29, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110701100237/http://www.avclub.com/articles/weird-al-yankovic,58244/ July 1, 2011 live mdy 2:28 Stop Draggin' My Car Around Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Yankovic "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 3:16 Side two 28% 37% 35% Parody of My Bologna Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Yankovic "My Sharona" by the Knack 2:01 The Check's in the Mail Yankovic Original 3:13 Another One Rides the Bus John Deacon, YankovicWhile Yankovic wrote new lyrics for the song, on February 2, 1981, he transferred copyright of the parody to John Deacon.Another One Rides The Bus http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=7&ti=1,7&Search%5FArg=Another%20One%20Rides%20The%20Bus&Search%5FCode=TALL&CNT=25&PID=zWgAFWLEmJWXk6x1Ox6hHvg26i&SEQ=20151117150118&SID=1 United States Copyright Office December 18, 2016 This is reflected in the liner notes for the album itself, which lists only Deacon as the parody's writer."Weird Al" Yankovic "Weird Al" Yankovic 1983 LP liner notes Rock 'n Roll Records PZ 38679 California, United States "nb" "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen 2:40 I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead Yankovic Original 3:39 Such a Groovy Guy Yankovic Original 3:02 Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung Yankovic Original 1:54 32:59 Personnel Credits adapted from LP liner notes, except where noted. 25em Musicians "Weird Al" Yankovic – accordion, lead vocals, backing vocals Rick Derringer - guitars, backing vocals Steve Jay – bass guitar, backing vocals Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz – drums, percussion, backing vocals Richard Bennett – banjo, ukulele; guitar solo on "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead"; additional guitarThe 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.http://weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/ask-al/#0499 'Ask Al' Q&As for April, 1999 October 21, 2008 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic April 1999 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site "nb" William K. Anderson – saxophone, harmonica Joel Miller – bongos "Musical Mike" Kieffer – musical hands Dorothy Remsen – harp Tress MacNeille – voice of Lucy on "Ricky" Dawn Smithey – female backing vocals Zaidee Cole – female backing vocals Joan Manners – female backing vocals Jay Levey – male backing vocals Damaskas (Dan Hollombe)https://www.weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/players/ Players "Weird Al" Yankovic January 18, 2023 – male backing vocals Jake (Jake Hooker) – male backing vocals The Doctor (Dr. Demento) – male backing vocals Technical Rick Derringer – producer Tony Papa – engineer (tracks 1, 4) Peter Kelsey – engineer (tracks 2–3, 5–12) Ted Jensen – mastering Charts and certifications Charts Chart (1984)PeakpositionUS Billboard 200 http://www.weirdal.com/awards.htm dead Awards April 3, 2013 Yankovic Alfred M. "Weird Al" Yankovic 2003 The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site https://web.archive.org/web/20090203145148/http://www.weirdal.com/awards.htm February 3, 2009 mdy-all139 Certifications CountryCertification(sales thresholds)United StatesGold Gold & Platinum – Search Results: 'Weird Al' Yankovic Recording Industry Association of America https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=weird+al#search_section December 21, 2016 Singles Year Song Peakposition US100 1981 "Another One Rides the Bus" 104 1983 "Ricky" 63 1983 "I Love Rocky Road" 106 Notes References External links "Weird Al" Yankovic at the official "Weird Al" Yankovic website album r82658 "Weird Al" Yankovic Category:"Weird Al" Yankovic albums Category:1983 debut albums Category:Albums produced by Rick Derringer Category:Articles with quotation marks in the title Category:Rock 'n Roll Records albums