mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP (Mark D. Freeman) (02/07/86)
Sorry if this is a repost... 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? -- <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mark D. Freeman Guest account at The Ohio State University StrongPoint Systems, Inc. mdf@osu-eddie.UUCP 209 Olentangy Street Mdf@Ohio-State.CSNET Columbus, OH 43202-2340 Mdf%Ohio-State@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA !cbosgd!osu-eddie!mdf I disclaim even my very existance. Acceptance without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western religion, Rejection without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western science. -- Gary Zukav from "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
samson@h-sc1.UUCP (gregory samson) (02/09/86)
There is no such DEVO song as "Dare to be Different". You MAY be thinking of the song "Freedom of Choice", the video of which does bear some slight similarities to Al's "Dare to be Stupid". However, DTBS also contains numerous references to other DEVO videos, including "Whip It" and the DEVO Corporate Anthem (when they stick the ice cream cones to their foreheads). Basically, I'd say that DTBS is a very nicely handled spoof of just about every video DEVO ever made. It's purely Weird Al's handiwork, though. -G. T. Samson The Evil MicRoWizARD gts@wjh12.HARVARD.EDU gts@borax.LCS.MIT.EDU
asente@cascade.ARPA (02/11/86)
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