Except you will have an intense hatred of Hawaiian shirts and/or phrases that rhyme with lasagna, it’s fairly powerful to get mad at “Bizarre Al” Yankovic. In any case, the tune parodist has been a beloved staple of pop-culture for 4 many years now, and has seemingly made no main present enterprise enemies throughout that point – with the potential exception of George Lucas’ attorneys.
A giant motive why Al has ruffled so few feathers is that he makes it a coverage to get every artists’ permission earlier than recording any tune parodies. The largest controversy created by a “Bizarre Al” parody got here when he recorded “Amish Paradise,” mistakenly believing that his reps had secured permission from Coolio. However the rapper then complained that Al “desecrated” his “Gangsta’s Paradise.” And even these two ultimately labored issues out.
However again in 1993, Yankovic ticked off Grammy winner and star of the world’s most disappointing Marvel comedian guide, Billy Ray Cyrus.
Al’s longtime drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz not too long ago guested on The Joel Martin Mastery Podcast and answered a listener’s about whether or not or not the “Eat It” singer ever offended any well-known musicians. “There was one artist that was offended – or not completely happy, I ought to say – about Al’s parody of his tune,” Schwartz stated, “and that was Billy Ray Cyrus, (who) was not completely happy in regards to the parody of ‘Achy Breaky Coronary heart.’”
Whereas most of Al’s parodies are about subjects unrelated to the unique supply materials, “Achy Breaky Music,” was particularly about “Achy Breaky Coronary heart,” Cyrus’ chart-topping nation music monstrosity.
Not like different equally self-referential “Bizarre Al” songs like “Smells Like Nirvana” and the Woman Gaga parody “Carry out this Approach,” “Achy Breaky Music” was unrelentingly harsh.
The premise of the monitor is that the singer retains begging his radio DJ to not play “that achy breaky tune” which he calls “nauseating” and “probably the most annoying tune I do know.” He additionally claims that listening to it’s much less preferable than listening to nails on a chalkboard and getting a “pitchfork within the mind.”
“That was perhaps the one tune the place Al took a poke on the authentic artist, or the unique tune,” Schwartz admitted, whereas additionally declaring that it was a “well-deserved poke.”
“The issue is, Billy didn’t write the tune. So he wasn’t requested for permission,” Schwartz defined. “Al bought permission from the author or writers of the tune, and that’s why we did it.” It’s true, “Achy Breaky Coronary heart” was truly written by Don Von Tress. And whereas Von Tress seemingly permitted the parody, Billy Ray Cyrus “didn’t prefer it.”
“However there was nothing he might do about it,” Schwartz added. “I don’t know if he publicly went out and made a stink about it, (as a result of) that might have simply made him look dangerous.”
To be truthful, Cyrus could have been extra-sensitive in regards to the parody since Yankovic’s “comedic” premise about threatening radio stations to not play the godawful monitor, truly occurred in actual life.
