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Start Date: July 17, 2020
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"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC  -  Self Titled  -  Rock 'N' Roll BVZ 38679  (1983)
The foremost song parodist of the MTV era, "Weird Al" Yankovic carried the torch of musical humor more proudly and more successfully than any performer since Allan Sherman.  In the world of novelty records - a genre noted for its extensive back catalog of flashes-in-the-pan and one-hit wonders - Yankovic was king, scoring smash after smash over the course of an enduring career which found him typically mocking everything from new wave to gangsta rap.
Alfred Matthew Yankovic was born October 23, 1959, in Lynwood, California.  An only child, he began playing the accordion at age seven, following in the tradition of polka star Frank Yankovic (no relation).  In his early teens he became an avid fan of the Dr. Demento show, drawing inspiration from the parodies of Allan Sherman as well as the musical comedy of Spike Jones, Tom Lehrer, and Stan Freberg.  In 1973, Demento spoke at Yankovic's school, where the 13-year-old passed the radio host a demo tape of home recordings; three years later, Demento played Yankovic's "Belvedere Cruising" - an accordion-driven pop song written about the family's Plymouth - on the air, and his career was launched.
Yankovic quickly emerged as a staple of the Demento play list, recording a prodigious amount of tongue-in-cheek material throughout his high-school career.  After graduation, he studied architecture; while attending California Polytechnic State University, he also joined the staff of the campus radio station, first adopting the nickname "Weird Al" and spinning a mixture of novelty and new wave hits.  In 1979, the success of the Knack's monster hit "My Sharona" inspired Yankovic to record a parody dubbed "My Bologna"; not only was the song a smash with Demento fans, but it even found favor with the Knack themselves, who convinced their label, Capitol, to issue the satire as a single.
After graduating in 1980, Yankovic cut "Another One Rides the Bus", a parody of Queen's chart-topping "Another One Bites the Dust" recorded live in Dr. Demento's studios; the song became an underground hit, and Yankovic followed it up with "I Love Rocky Road", a satire of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n Roll".  After hooking up with noted session guitarist and producer Rick Derringer, he signed to Scotti Brothers, which issued his debut LP, "Weird Al" Yankovic, in 1983.  The album featured the song "Ricky", a tune inspired equally by Toni Basil's hit "Mickey" and the "I Love Lucy" television series; issued as a single, it hit the Top 100 charts, and its accompanying video became a staple of the fledgling MTV network.
TRACK LISTING:
Ricky Gotta Boogie I Love Rocky Road Buckingham Blues Happy Birthday Stop Draggin' My Car Around My Bologna The Check's In The Mail Another One Rides The Bus I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead Such A Groovy Guy Mr. Frump In The Iron Lung