My Bologna
Encyclopedia
"My Bologna" is "Weird Al" Yankovic
's parody of "My Sharona
" by The Knack
. Yankovic wrote the song while he attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California
. The song, in its original crude form, was recorded in the tiled men's bathroom across from the college radio station
using only Yankovic's vocals and his accordion
. The title refers to Bologna sausage
, specifically the Oscar Meyer brand popular in the United States.
Yankovic sent "My Bologna" to Dr. Demento
, who aired the song on his nationwide radio program, The Dr. Demento Show. It was Yankovic's first song to gain the number one spot on Dr. Demento's Funny Five countdown and also became number three on the Funny Twenty-five; the original "bathroom recording" was later included on the compilation album Dr. Demento's Dementia Royale. "My Bologna" was later re-recorded and re-released on Yankovic' debut album.
Side B
"My Bologna" was re-recorded for Yankovic's debut album. "School Cafeteria" was never re-recorded or made available on any studio albums, although a live-on-the-radio version was released on the compilation album Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes 7.
. The belch that appears at the end of the accordion solo in the original version is not Al. In an interview, Al confessed that he "swiped it off the It's a Gas" record, a flexi-record in The Worst from Mad 9 and credited to Alfred E. Neuman
.
.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
's parody of "My Sharona
My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
" by The Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
. Yankovic wrote the song while he attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
. The song, in its original crude form, was recorded in the tiled men's bathroom across from the college radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
using only Yankovic's vocals and his accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. The title refers to Bologna sausage
Bologna sausage
Bologna sausage is an American sausage derived from and definitely not similar to the Italian mortadella . It is commonly called boloney, baloney or, more formally, bologna...
, specifically the Oscar Meyer brand popular in the United States.
Yankovic sent "My Bologna" to Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
, who aired the song on his nationwide radio program, The Dr. Demento Show. It was Yankovic's first song to gain the number one spot on Dr. Demento's Funny Five countdown and also became number three on the Funny Twenty-five; the original "bathroom recording" was later included on the compilation album Dr. Demento's Dementia Royale. "My Bologna" was later re-recorded and re-released on Yankovic' debut album.
Track listing
Side A- "My Bologna" – 2:20
Side B
- "School Cafeteria" – 2:12
"My Bologna" was re-recorded for Yankovic's debut album. "School Cafeteria" was never re-recorded or made available on any studio albums, although a live-on-the-radio version was released on the compilation album Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes 7.
Recording
In 1982, Yankovic re-recorded the song for his debut album, "Weird Al" Yankovic. The Capitol Records single version appears on Permanent Record: Al in the BoxPermanent Record: Al in the Box
Permanent Record: Al in the Box is a four disc compilation boxed set of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It features his favorite songs from his first eight studio albums, plus alternate versions of "My Bologna", "Happy Birthday", "UHF", and the previously unavailable new single, "Headline News"...
. The belch that appears at the end of the accordion solo in the original version is not Al. In an interview, Al confessed that he "swiped it off the It's a Gas" record, a flexi-record in The Worst from Mad 9 and credited to Alfred E. Neuman
Alfred E. Neuman
Alfred E. Neuman is the fictional mascot and cover boy of Mad magazine. The face had drifted through American pictography for decades before being claimed and named by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman...
.
Music video
Although an official video was never shot, an early "demo video" was shot. This video clip shows a young Yankovic lip-syncing to this song at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in December 1979. It is included on the DVD "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection as an Easter eggEaster egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
.