And unless you've been living under a rock, you already know that Al is starting to announce tour dates. We might--MIGHT--do a project this summer in which we'll need field operatives again as we have in years' past. It won't be the main campaign project this year, but we may need some help at these shows rallying fellow fans to the cause, so stay tuned...or let us know if you're ready and raring to go for certain shows no matter what.
But really, we wanted to take some time to note the passing of Doug Fieger, who died on Valentine's Day after suffering from brain cancer for several years. Doug was the frontman and chief songwriter of the Knack, the new wave group that a number of music historians credit as ending the "disco era" of popular music.
In the summer of 1979, the Knack had a huge hit with their debut single "My Sharona." The song was becoming so popular that Cal Poly's campus radio station, KCPR, was getting swamped with requests. This inspired student deejay "Weird Al" Yankovic to take his accordion into the bathroom across the hall from his studio and record a silly parody about luncheon meat: "My Bologna." Al sent the song to his friend and hero, Dr. Demento, who played it on his nationally syndicated comedy radio show to tremendous response.
Al was gaining little more than a cult following through his parody, but all that changed when the Knack played a concert at Cal Poly that fall (IF ANYONE KNOWS THE EXACT DATE OF THIS PERFORMANCE, PLEASE CONTACT US!). Al wormed his way backstage after the show and introduced himself to the band. Doug immediately knew who he was and turned to Rupert Perry, Capitol Records' vice president of A&R, and suggested that Capitol sign Al and release the parody. Rupert agreed, and by Christmas, "My Bologna" was out as a 45.
Doug remained a supporter and friend of Al's ever since then. Doug later appeared on Al's episode of Behind the Music, was one of the guests Al invited onto VH1's The List in August 2000, and even again gave Al permission to cover "My Sharona" for the bridge of "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" as a "Plan B" when it momentarily looked as if Led Zeppelin was going to be unresponsive.
And if there ever was any stronger indication of how much Doug was a fan of Al's and appreciated what he did, in 2004 he became the first celebrity to sign our first Rock Hall petition. We are forever grateful for his support and for the prestige and credibility that came with his participation.
The point is that Doug had a great sense of humor about himself and his work, and Al fans are grateful for the contribution he made to Al's early career. Doug was a wonderfully talented artist and he will be missed. Thank you, Mr. Fieger.
]]>Greg is still hard at work on our big documentary, Yankoheit 27 (he decided against the movie's working title, Tyler Perry's Yankoheit 27), sifting through archival footage and sending requests out to various entities for assistance. We will soon update our documentary wishlist on the main site, but by all means, if you have Al concert footage that you yourself had shot that you would be willing to let us use, please give us a holler.
If you happen to live in or around Los Angeles, you might want to head to The Echoplex on December 8 for the two-day Winston Calling rock/comedy benefit. Al will appear on stage that first night with none other than the Pixies! Tickets are either $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show. You can order general-admission tickets online through TicketWeb: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=500645
Speaking of Al-related events in Los Angeles, the AlFest 2009 DVD is still for sale, featuring highlights from all the events, live performances, the UHF panel, and even a special video cameo from Al himself. Order here: www.alfest2009.com
Meanwhile, as we look ahead to the holidays, we are delighted to say that we will again be posting our annual gift guide, offering suggestions on what can be sent to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation to help show Al's body of work. And yes, the recent compilation The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic will be featured prominently...which leads to the bigger question of, have YOU bought it yet?? All thirty-eight tracks have been completely remastered, sounding better than they ever have before, and the liner introduction by NPR music editor Stephen Thompson makes no bones about it...Al belongs in the Rock Hall! And remember, when you buy things through the links we'll provide, you will in part be helping to fund the campaign, maintain the web site, etc.
On the same wavelength of buying stuff, we did want to mention to our fellow U.S. fans a huge sale going on online that we won't be reflecting in our holiday guide only because the sale will soon expire after our page goes live. DeepDiscount is having a gigantic across-the-board sale until November 29 on everything...DVDs, books, CDs, etc. It is quite possibly the biggest sale they've ever had, and you don't even need a coupon code this time out!
Anyway, we bring it up because all of Al's CDs are dirt-cheap during this sale (except for Straight Outta Lynwood, only because it seems to be on permanent backorder there or something). Al's back catalog had recently gone down in price in general at retail, so this current sale at DeepDiscount really puts them in the "you can't pass this up" category. These are quite possibly the lowest prices these albums have ever been offered for by a retail outlet.
As of this blog update, these are the current sale prices (current RIAA sales statuses noted in parentheses)....
"Weird Al" Yankovic - $5.59 (not yet Platinum)
In 3-D - $5.59 (not yet Double Platinum)
Dare to Be Stupid - $5.59 (not yet Double Platinum)
Even Worse - $6.29 (not yet Double Platinum)
Greatest Hits - $6.29 (not yet Gold - includes Polka Party! tracks no longer available on CD)
Off the Deep End - $6.29 (not yet Double Platinum)
The Food Album - $6.29 (not yet Platinum - includes Polka Party! and UHF tracks no longer available on CD)
Alapalooza - $6.29 (not yet Platinum)
Greatest Hits Volume II - $6.29 (not yet Gold - includes Polka Party! and UHF tracks no longer available on CD)
Bad Hair Day - $6.99 (not yet Double Platinum)
Running with Scissors - $6.29 (not yet Double Platinum)
Poodle Hat - $6.29 (not yet Gold)
In addition to Al's own albums, there are also sales on some of the other Al-related releases of the last couple of years such as the Pokemon 2000 soundtrack, the Halloween II soundtrack (featuring an excerpt of Al's cameo on the explicit version), and the Simpsons Testify CD...not to mention even bigger sales on such Al DVDs as UHF and The Ultimate Video Collection.
This is the perfect time to fill those holes in your Al collection...and by buying them from a retail outlet you'll not only be contributing to the albums' respective sales status, but you'll also be giving Al his due royalties. Just be sure to get your order(s) in by November 29...even if a certain album is out of stock, you'll get it as soon as it comes back in, and at the price you ordered it for!
Speaking of Halloween II, it seems as if it has been quietly announced that the movie will be released on DVD on January 12. So if you want to own Al's hilarious cameo as he razzes Dr. Loomis on a talk show while host Chris Hardwick looks on, click here to pre-order it (or click here for the Blu-ray).
And speaking even more of movies, Al appears on the recently released anniversary edition of Say Anything (um, of course), showing up in an "I Love the..."-style featurette poking fun at the film. If you don't have the DVD yet, order here (here for Blu-ray).
And speaking even MORE of movies, head to your local multiplex December 16, as Al will be the featured guest on the one-night-only RiffTrax LIVE: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza!, appearing alongside Mystery Science Theater 3000 stars Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett as they mock a number of Christmas-themed short subjects. This will be a satellite-provided live feed, and hundreds of theaters across the country will be showing it. Click here to find one near you and order tickets: http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/Comedy/RiffTrax_Xmas_Live.aspx
And in addition to continuing work on Yankoheit 27, we are slowly formulating our big mail drive for next year. We can't say too much just yet, but we guarantee that you will not think of a better way to express your love for Al.
]]>Today is also our First Annual Make the Rock Hall "Weird" Tweet-In, a day-long event on Twitter where we want all fans of all walks of life to send a tweet to the Rock Hall requesting Al's induction.
Just be sure to properly format your tweet so that the Rock Hall receives it. Remember, to address them you need to include @rock_hall somewhere in your tweet. And please include the tag #WeirdAl. Let's turn this into a trending topic!
And don't forget, you can also follow our campaign on Twitter as well by going to our account @rockhallweird
One final little activity for today: the People's Choice Awards are now asking people to vote online for nominees in various categories. Feel free to write in Al's name in the appropriate categories, but be sure to cast your vote before moving on to the next section or it will not count: http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/nominations/vote.jsp?pollId=300030&_requestid=19964
(Thanks to erkman27 for the heads up on this!)
So go out there and tweet!! We're doing it for the birthday boy!
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY AL!
]]>We have set up a page on our web site detailing all that you need to do, but for those who need their information right now this second...at some point during the day on Friday, send a tweet to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's official Twitter account and request that Al be inducted. That's it!
Just be sure to properly format your tweet so that the Rock Hall receives it. Remember, to address them you need to include @rock_hall somewhere in your tweet.
And if you want to suggest other artists for induction, feel free. All we ask is that non-Al-related tweets still include the tag #WeirdAl. After all, it's still his day.
So if all that is still too much for you to remember, we supposed you can just copy and paste the following sample tweet, but it would be better if you personalized it a little....
@rock_hall: Isn't it about time for you to induct "Weird Al" Yankovic? #WeirdAl
Be sure to spread the word on your own Twitter account, your Facebook page, your MySpace (for all three of you who still use it), etc. There is absolutely no reason any online Al fan cannot participate.
And don't forget, Tuesday marks the release of the new two-disc collection The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic. Be sure to pre-order it or at least buy it during its first week of release so that it will chart in Billboard.
Let's make our tweets heard!
]]>Usually the poll has a write-in option, and though this year is no different, they are doing things a bit differently and more "Web 2.0ish" this time out. The newspaper wants people to post their write-in choices underneath the poll the way one posts a blog comment.
Click here to go to the poll. You need to register a username for the site first, so if you need to do so just click here. Don't worry, it's free and there's an option to select so that they won't send you any advertising.
This poll is just for fun and has no bearing on the actual induction process, but we nevertheless would like Al to win. Come on, everyone, we just buried the competition in Rolling Stone's poll...let's work that magic once more! The poll is open until October 11.
In other Al news, in case you didn't attend the awesome Al Fest 2009 this past August, there is now a DVD available chronicling what happened! The two-disc set includes Jim "Kimo" West and the Valtierra Latin Orchestra's complete performances, the complete UHF anniversary panel, highlights from Bermuda's onstage presentation, and highlights from all the comedic artists who performed...and yes, Al himself also appears via video clips that were shot especially for the convention! The DVD is now on sale at the convention web site: www.alfest2009.com
Some additional footage shot at Al Fest will soon be seen in our group documentary Yankoheit 27...stay tuned!
But for now, go write-in a vote for Al!
]]>The results are listed here:
Competition was fierce, but in the end Al beat out such other rock legends as Rush, the Moody Blues, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, and others.
Hey, we think they're all great and a lot of them are certainly worthy, but deep down we are all tickled pink that Weird Al got more votes than the whole lot of them!
This is the only the first step in our post-nominations rally cry. As soon as a technical glitch gets resolved with their site, we will soon be urging everyone to flood the Plain Dealer's annual Rock Hall readers poll with votes for Al. Come on, we just buried the competition in a national poll hosted by the premier popular-music magazine in the world...we eat the Plain Dealer for breakfast!
And of course, on October 23--Al's big 5-0--we will be hosting the First Annual Make the Rock Hall "Weird" Tweet-In on...where else?...Twitter.
But for right now, way to go, Al!
]]>In the article's comments section, be sure to mention Al! Don't worry, you don't have to sign up for their site or anything.
Just go here:
They said they're only doing this for the weekend, so don't delay! Flood the comments with votes for Al!
Thanks to TMBJon for the heads up on this!
]]>But first, let's update everyone on some of our new outlets for that social interaction thing that the kids seem to like these days.
First, because we want to catch up to the world of 2008, we are proud to announce our brand new, official, and rather anemic Facebook page. There had been a group page for the campaign on the site before, but we wanted to make sure we had an official presence there as well: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-the-Rock-Hall-Weird/160475345080
Also, like everyone else on the planet who has exactly 140 characters of thought at a time, we're now on Twitter, too! We have a big Twitter event coming up (see below), so it might be a good idea to follow us so that everyone's on the same page...err, tweet...or whatever: http://www.twitter.com/rockhallweird
And of course, we're still on MySpace, us and maybe about three other people anymore: http://www.myspace.com/rockhallweird
Now then, the nominees. We are proud to say that we have predicted exactly 31.87 percent of this year's nominations. Okay, that's not true at all, but it sounds cool and creates this false sense of mathematical legitimacy to our site.
The big news, at least to us anyway, is that two perennial shut-outs have been nominated for the first time ever: Genesis and KISS. This is a long time coming for each act, and we couldn't be happier for our comrades in spirit who had been campaigning on KISS's behalf. Whether or not they were given the nod because of the campaigning, we don't know (strangely, not a single news outlet today has mentioned the fans' effort to get them in), but we nevertheless can't help but feel optimistic about our own cause after today's news.
The other big news is that two acts were nominated in their first year of eligibility: rapper and Toys star LL Cool J and Al parody target and Tough Guys stars Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Previously nominated friends include Mamma Mia! composers ABBA, girl group pioneers the Chantels, Lethal Weapon 4 star Darlene Love, aging grouches the Stooges, and disco queen and Thank God It's Friday star Donna Summer.
Newbies this year are reggae icon and Club Paradise star Jimmy Cliff and Graham Nash's whiny Beatles wannabes and After the Fox theme song performers the Hollies.
Another newbie is the late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, who didn't really have any commercial hits on her own but whose songs led to moderate hit covers by such groups as the Fifth Dimension and Three Dog Night. No offense to her, of course, but we're not quite sure why she was nominated...at least in the main performer category. According to the RIAA, none of her releases have ever gone Gold. Meanwhile, she never had a top twenty single or album...in fact, only one of her singles even charted in Billboard: "Up on the Roof," which reached #92 in 1970. In fact, her greatest claim to fame might be that she launched the managing career of David Geffen.
As they do every time they have a "WTF" nominee, the Rock Hall attempted to justify Laura's nomination with a quote from a celebrated rock/pop legend. In this case it was Elton John, who apparently said, "The soul, the passion, the out-and-out audacity of her rhythmic and melody changes was like nothing I'd ever heard before." It should be noted that he had also told Billboard in 1999 that having Al cover your song is "a compliment" and "really quite a thrill," as long as we're using Sir Elton as ammo (even though, ironically, Al has yet to do an Elton John parody).
Seriously, we congratulate all of this year's nominees and wish them well.
BUT, this campaign isn't about reporting news and patting the Rock Hall on the back; it's about getting Weird Al inducted!
Greg is still holed up in his Unabomber-like bunker working on Yankoheit 27, our group documentary. We are grateful to everyone who allowed themselves to be interviewed at Al Fest 2009 last month, as it was literally the final place we were interviewing anyone for the movie. Hopefully--HOPEFULLY--the whole thing will be done and ready for release by year's end.
In the meantime, our Great Greeting Card Project is still going on, so if you haven't sent a greeting card to the Rock Hall Foundation yet, now's your chance.
In fact, on October 23, Al's fiftieth birthday, we're going to end this latest project with a bang!
We will be urging everyone to send out two cards to arrive on October 23: one to the Rock Hall Foundation urging them to induct Al, and one to Al himself wishing him a happy birthday. We want EVERYONE to participate, even if you've already sent a card to the Rock Hall.
Send your card to the Rock Hall to:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
Attn: Joel Peresman
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
USA
Send your card to Al to:
Close Personal Friends Of Al
PMB #4018
8033 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
USA
Also, on October 23, we will be staging a brand new one-day event: THE FIRST ANNUAL MAKE THE ROCK HALL "WEIRD" TWEET-IN!
The what, you may ask? Well, hypothetical person, 2009 has been quite a year for hippie culture. The summer marked the fortieth anniversary of the ultimate expression of peace and harmony, Woodstock, and this month saw the unprecedented reissue of all the Beatles' studio albums remastered on CD. So, keeping in with the spirit of peaceful protests--the sit-ins, the love-ins, the laugh-ins--we will be urging everyone to join us on Twitter for a "tweet-in!"
Essentially, we will spend the day tweeting the Rock Hall's Twitter account to ask why Al hasn't been nominated or inducted yet. We will also be encouraging fans of other snubbed artists to join in, creating a virtual love fest for those acts who have been shunned so far.
More details to follow, but in the meantime be sure you're a member of Twitter, even if you have no other plans to use it anytime soon!
And in the meantime, if you haven't yet, also be sure to pre-order your copy of the new two-disc collection The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic, in stores October 27. It will cover Al's entire career with thirty-eight songs, including the rare and sought-after "Extra Gory Version" of "The Night Santa Went Crazy!"
We will make our voices heard!
]]>It's been perhaps the most positive quote ever directed toward "Weird Al" Yankovic. It's been a testament to his popularity, his sustained success, and his unique role in popular music. And most amazingly, it has been attributed to one of the most revolutionary acts in rock and roll history.
The only problem is, nobody seems to know where it came from!
Kurt Cobain has been said to have said it. As has David Grohl. And even Krist Novoselic. But what--what!--is the true origin of this oft-repeated quote?
The most definitive reporting of this legendary praise came from Dr. Demento in the liner notes to Al's 1994 boxed set, Permanent Record: Al in the Box, in which he wrote....
"Kurt Cobain told a Chicago interviewer that was the one moment when he felt he'd really made it, when Weird Al did a parody of him."
So, not to doubt the Good Doctor, but is this true? Was this actually said? Where and when? Or is this just a pop music urban legend, our own version of Mama Cass choking on a ham sandwich?
Here's the challenge: "Simply" find the exact source of this quote. Find the who, the where, and the when.
BUT, you must provide proof. If it was in print, you must include the publication's name, the date, even the page if possible...heck, if possible, even a scan of the original article. If it was televised or otherwise broadcast, the date and/or reporter's name must be included for verification.
Now, without leaving everyone in the wind, here's how we can best whittle down the source....
Per Dr. Demento's liner notes, the quote was told to a "Chicago interviewer." Whether this meant a newspaper journalist, a TV reporter, or even a radio deejay, we don't know.
Wherever the interview was taking place, the quote didn't seem to reach any national platform like the AP wire. This isn't definite, though. It can however be confirmed that, for example, Billboard never ran a piece on the group with anything like that quote.
Kurt Cobain of course killed himself in early April 1994, so if this quote did in fact come from him, then at least that gives us a ballpark of when he might have said it.
Al's boxed set was released in September 1994, so even if the quote did not in fact come from Kurt, then there's only an additional five months at most of possibilities.
Al's parody was released in April 1992, so at most we're looking at a range of April 1992 to September 1994, not even two and a half years.
BUT, an article in the Fresno Bee from May 26, 1992 made a reference to the "made it" declaration from Nirvana, even further whittling the window in which this original statement was made.
The first person to provide concrete proof of the source and privately contact us will get an exclusive research credit on the upcoming documentary Yankoheit 27 and will receive a DVD of the completed movie upon its release.
]]>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD "CNR" NOW!
This past weekend Greg was in Southern California to attend Al Fest 2009, the first Weird Al fan convention in seven years. He was mostly there to give his fellow fans one final chance to appear on camera and be interviewed for our upcoming documentary.
While he was there, he also officially announced the title of the movie...YANKOHEIT 27!
We sincerely thank not only everyone who stepped up and answered Greg's questions but of course also the convention's organizers for allowing him to roam around.
Hopefully, Yankoheit 27 will be ready for release by the end of the year. We'll update the "wish list" on our site very soon to reflect what we still need from fans.
In the meantime, we are still urging everyone to continue sending greeting cards and letters to the Rock Hall Foundation to let them know that you want to see Al inducted.
Send your mail to:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
Attn: Joel Peresman
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
USA
Download "CNR" now!
]]>We would greatly appreciate it if you would help fund the Make the Rock Hall "Weird" campaign and documentary by clicking on the following link: Download "Skipper Dan" on Amazon!
We don't want to give anything away, but the song is fantastic; an original that reminds one of some of Al's best compositions of the 1980s like "Melanie" and "Good Old Days." So far, the preliminary buzz around the song has been pretty positive, especially from the workforce that it targets.
Please be sure to download the song by Sunday so that it can chart in Billboard. Let's make this Al's first original to ever hit the charts. We can do this!
Enjoy the song!
]]>Al Fest 2009 is less than a month away. This will be the first Weird Al fan convention in seven years, and it's going to be a blast! Bermuda will be there giving a video/history presentation. Jim will be there to perform, as will Rubén. Dr. Demento will be there, and there will even be a UHF 20th anniversary panel with Jay Levey, Victoria Jackson, and Gedde Watanabe. Tickets are available at the convention web site. And don't forget, if you buy your ticket early enough, either the day before or the day after the convention you'll have unlimited cuts in the line to see Al's Brain at the Orange County Fair (fair admission still required).
Speaking of which, this Friday the Orange County Fair opens, featuring the world premiere of Al's new 3-D movie and educational exhibit Al's Brain! The movie will be shown exclusively at the fair through the end of the summer, after which it will hopefully tour the country. If you'll be in the area or are planning to make the trek to the O.C., click here to order tickets to the fair!
And this upcoming Tuesday will see the digital release of Al's new single! The title hasn't been officially announced yet, but we'll hopefully have an ordering link available as soon as possible (start checking the site Monday night after midnight). We would greatly appreciate it if you downloaded the song through the link we'll provide to help fund the campaign. And of course, let's try to get this new song to chart! Come on, "Craigslist" didn't even scrape Billboard's digital charts...we can do MUCH better than that!
And although not entirely Al-related, or Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-related for that matter, we did want to share some similar great news....
Dr. Demento has been nominated for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in its "National - Pioneer" category...and what's cooler, you can help get him inducted!
Unlike certain other halls of fame we could mention, the National Radio Hall of Fame actually invites the public to select the inductees. One can vote until August 1.
Just go to this web site:
http://www.radiohof.org/2009_nominees.html
You need to register to their site first. They'll send you an e-mail with a password and a link to vote, and that's it!
Now back to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, don't forget to send in a greeting card to the Rock Hall Foundation urging them to induct Al.
Cards (or letters if you insist) can be mailed to:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
Attn: Joel Peresman
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
USA
Keep checking back, as we will have a major activity/contest to announce very soon, one concerning our still-in-production documentary!
]]>Two years ago, we were knee-deep in a massive petition drive to get Al into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, during which Greg made a determined effort to get Michael involved.
Naturally, that was easier said than done, as this was during the height of Michael's financial troubles. People were suing him left and right, he was reported as living anywhere from Las Vegas to the Middle East to an uncharted desert isle, and he was generally the least accessible celebrity in all the world. Greg came close, though, thanks to a couple of extremely helpful Michael fans, and he eventually got a representative's name and address and sent a couple of feelers out. But unfortunately, it ultimately came down to too many people out there representing themselves as "handling" Michael and jobs such as his press agent changing hands on an almost daily basis, so by the time he kept reaching someone new along the chain they had already severed their ties with Michael. After a while, our request just got lost in the shuffle.
Trying to get Michael on board was a no-brainer for the simple reason that he had always been a big supporter of Al's. He was, of course, the first truly major rock star to okay an Al parody. It can't be overstated how much the permission to record "Eat It" boosted Al's career. Record sales aside, it gave a certain credibility to what Al was doing. Though the parody targets of the first album were pop stars in their own right, this was Michael Jackson, unquestionably the biggest music personality in the world at the time. If he got the joke, then what excuse could any other artist possibly have?
Michael again showed graciousness when Al approached him with the idea of parodying "Bad" as "Fat." Michael was not only cool with it, he also loaned Al a recreation of the "Bad" video's subway set that he had built for a portion of his Moonwalker home video. And in perhaps the greatest show of mutual respect, Michael asked Al to be the opening act on the European leg of his Bad Tour. Unfortunately Al was forced to turn Michael down in order to spend the remainder of 1988 to film UHF. Showing that there were no hard feelings, the next year Michael invited Al to make a couple of fun cameos in his music video for "Liberian Girl."
It all showed that the King of Pop had a good sense of humor about himself. It's a shame that we literally ran out of time to get Michael's participation in our effort.
Our hearts go out to Michael's family and friends. If there's any comfort, it's that his music will truly be immortal.
]]>We're continuing our week-long series of "Craigslist"-related activities by targeting the other end of the 11:35 late night spectrum, David Letterman. Can you believe that Dave has never invited Al onto any of his shows? It boggles the mind.
Unlike yesterday with Conan, we actually have a normal staff e-mail address handy for the Late Show, so rest assured that your letters will reach someone!
E-MAIL THE LATE SHOW AND TELL THEM YOU WANT TO SEE AL ON: cbsmailbag@aol.com
When you're writing your requests to these shows, don't forget to mention that Al will soon be starring in the 3-D movie Al's Brain...this way it will sound like Al will have more to promote if he appears.
]]>Well then, let's try to help get that promotional ball rolling!
In Al's thirty-year career, he has appeared on numerous talk shows, from Johnny Carson's Tonight Show to...um, Jay Leno's Tonight Show. But there are three major late night hosts/shows that have yet to invite Al on, despite numerous jokes and references to him over the years: David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Saturday Night Live.
SNL is currently in reruns for the summer, so we'll hold off on that right now. Let's worry about the other two: Letterman and Conan.
Yesterday during Al's live Ustream/Twitter online chat thingy, he joked that he would swear eternal allegiance to whichever 11:35 talk show host booked him first...so let's see what we can do to make that happen.
First let us try the "new" kid on the block, Conan O'Brien. Conan recently did his own segment on The Tonight Show lampooning Craigslist in a way, so this might be the perfect place for Al to perform his new single.
Now, back in that bygone year of 2008, both Conan's Late Night and Jay Leno's Tonight Show had public e-mail addresses posted that invited folks to write in with guest suggestions. Unfortunately, the current Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien web site does not list such an address, so we'll have to contact the show through NBC's general "contact us" form and hope that it gets to the show's staff.
CLICK HERE TO CONTACT THE TONIGHT SHOW. (Be sure to select the show in the pull-down menu...yeah yeah, we know it still lists Jay's name. Select it anyway.)
If anyone comes across a more reliable e-mail address for The Tonight Show, please let us know as soon as possible!
]]>