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Path: utzoo!decvax!decwrl!glacier!cascade!asente
From: asente@cascade.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Weird Al
Message-ID: <57@cascade.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 10-Feb-86 16:36:03 EST
Article-I.D.: cascade.57
Posted: Mon Feb 10 16:36:03 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 04:51:30 EST
References: <1289@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Reply-To: asente@cascade.UUCP (Paul Asente)
Distribution: na
Organization: Stanford University CIS Apple Orchard
Lines: 31
Keywords: DEVO and Dare to be Different

In article <1289@osu-eddie.UUCP> mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) writes:
>I just got a copy of Weird Al's new album.  There is a song on it called
>"Dare to be Stupid" which sounds a lot like a DEVO tune called "Dare to be
>Different".
>
>On all of the other cover tunes on this album, they give credit to the author's
>of the original music, and list the copyright info, along with giving Al
>billing for the new lyrics.  On this tune the credits look just like the tunes
>on the album that are original compositions.
>
>Did someone screw up at the printers?  Am I mistaken in making a connection
>between the two songs?  Is Al secretly writing for DEVO?  Should I stop this
>article now?

Not all of Al's songs are parodies of other songs.  Some are songs that he's
written that have no real connection to anything else (e.g. "Midnight Star"),
some are stylistic parodies ("Buy Me a Condo" => reggae, "Nature Trail to
Hell" => Heavy Metal) and some are parodies of groups.  "Dare to Be Stupid"
is a parody of Devo, not of any particular Devo song.  Similarly,
"Mr. Popeil" was a parody of the B-52's.  (A very skillful one at that...
it could easily have BEEN by the B-52's).  Only parodies of particular songs
need to give credit.

Now a question.  I noticed that "Polkas on 45" didn't credit the songs
included.  Why?  My theory is that since he was just playing the songs
(albeit a little strangely) rather than changing them, all he needed to
do was pay the ASCAP/BMI fee for re-recording the songs and didn't need
to get particular permission from the songwriters.  Is this right?

	-paul asente
	    asente@SU-Cascade.ARPA	decwrl!glacier!cascade!asente