Something I’ve noticed in the past: it seems to me that Weird Al Yankovic’s song parodies have gotten closer and closer to the songs they were based on in terms of arrangement and key. In the past, and still now in some cases (like in “Family Guy’s” “U Can’t Touch This” parody), the parodies were deliberately in a different key, or used a slightly different arrangement. Yet there are still parodies out there that, except for the lyrics, sound almost exact (and in some cases, like “What if God Smoked Cannabis?”, the SINGER sounds exactly like Joan whoever).
So why the different approaches? Parody is protected, isn’t it? And if some people can use identical sounding arrangements, why can’t they all?
Also, unless you have absolute pitch (which is rare) or an incredible musical education (rarer), it would be very difficult for you to determine if a song is played in different keys in different versions, unless you heard them back to back. Most songs are sung in different keys by different people; we have different vocal ranges, and some songs sound better in one key or the other, depending on the singer. I had to have a song transcribed into “my” key when I sang at a wedding a few years ago.
You’re probably referring to the common practice of changing the melody as well as the lyrics for a parody without permission. Can’t think of any widely known instances, but MadTV did it a couple years ago with a HYlarious parody of the “Lady Marmalade” video. Coudn’t afford the song, so they wrote a barely disguised “version” of it and let the visuals do most of the talking.
Well Eo, if you notice he doesn’t give a definitive answer. And hasn’t Prince always prevented Weird Al from parodying his songs? or did I hear that wrong?
That would make sense, but I can’t see how changing the key, or making the song just slightly different would make a lawsuit “iffy.” After all, the song is still completely recognizable.
My guess as to the OPs question would be that sometimes the key is changed because the singer is more comfortable in a different key, or has trouble with the original one.
. . . except that 99 people out of a hundred wouldn’t be able to tell if it’s in a different key. I’m talking about changing it *enough * to avoid a lawsuit, but not too much so that your audience doesn’t know what you’re parodying. This is a pretty common practice on comedy shows.
Do you have a cite for this? Specifically referring to Weird Al, I know he always TRIES to get permission, and I believe he CHOOSES to only release things with permission (he does other material in his live shows), but I don’t believe he NEEDS permission.
Also, lissener, Prince has, apparently, turned Al down several times over the years, but I don’t think he CAN prevent him from doing parodies.
But we’re not talking about the original, we’re talking about a parody. Are you still standing by your assertion that parody is not covered under copyright?
Weird Al himself did say, I believe, that his Michael Jackson parodies were deliberately in a different key, because he couldn’t manage the original range.
Forbidden Broadway does pretty exact parodies–I mean, if you weren’t paying attention to the words, you’d think it was the original–except for Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, which they change slightly 'cause they can’t get permission.
That would make sense for most key alterations, I think. MJ’s “Bad” is in the key of A minor, and Al’s “Fat” is a minor third lower than that, in the key of F# minor.