That Weird Al/James Blunt parody
You might remember that Weird Al’s next album was originally due out earlier this year, and that he even posted a song intended for it on his website. It was “You’re Pitiful,” a light parody of James Blunt’s all-too-overplayed “You’re Beautiful” song that ruled the AC Top 40 earlier this year.
The album has been delayed until the end of September now, but I had missed the full story about the “Pitiful” song’s attempted erasure. It’s another hum-dinger of music publishing stupidity:
NPR : Free ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic!
According to Yankovic, Blunt himself gave his blessing to a song called “You’re Pitiful”, which was to appear on Yankovic’s now-finished but as-yet-unreleased new album. But after Yankovic finished recording the parody, Atlantic Records, Blunt’s label, told Yankovic that he couldn’t release “You’re Pitiful.” Though Yankovic has encountered resistance from artists before [, …] he says this is the first time a label has stepped in to squash the release of one of his parodies. (Quoth an Atlantic representative: “We have no comment on this matter.”) […]
“I have a long-standing history of respecting artists’ wishes,” Yankovic writes. “So if James Blunt himself were objecting, I wouldn’t even offer my parody for free on my Web site. But since it’s a bunch of suits — who are actually going against their own artist’s wishes — I have absolutely no problem with it.”
Go, Al!
Now if only we could get that Nellie McKay double album released. . .
August 23rd, 2006 at 3:19 pm
Al is the man! Can’t wait for the new album!
Oh, and by the way, the latest is that Nellie McKay is looking to release the new album sometime later this year on her own record label!
August 23rd, 2006 at 8:24 pm
Another option to getting the Nellie CD is Lala.com, a CD trading site. I’ve been using it a couple of months now and have received over 70 CDs for $1 each plus nominal postage; and Lala rules stipulate no burned discs, only originals.
I have Nellie’s unreleased CD on my want list there. Some members have copies because the record label printed official copies to distribute prior to the CDs official release, and although the CD was never officially released, some were released before the plug was pulled. I haven’t gotten it yet, but hopefully I’ll get it soon.