"This was my first orchestral film score, and my first time working with director Tim Burton... a very lucky break for me. Although I was absolutely terrified at first, but by the end of the project I knew I was addicted to filmmusic for life. Hearing the second part of this suite (the 'Breakfast Machine') played by a full orchestra is still one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. Filmmusic fans will undoubtedly hear my tributes to Nino Rota and Bernard Herrmann, the two composers who were responsible for igniting my interest in filmmusic way back when I was a kid. "Pee Wee" is when I began working with Steve Bartek as the principal orchestrator on all my films, and music editor Bob Badami who has become the third member of our longstanding 'Filmmusic Club'." - Danny Elfman






Two years after Danny Elfman made his auspicious debut with Pee-Wee, due to it's popularity, portions of the score for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure were re-recorded in London (to avoid paying AFM re-use fees to the Lon Angeles musicians to performed the score as heard in the film) along with cues from Back To School (at the time Elfman's current effort) and released in tandem by Varese Sarabande. The re-recording was conducted by John Coleman and performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra (for years, Jerry Goldsmith's orchestra of choice). This album was originally issued on LP in 1986 and then subsequently re-issued on compact disc in 1991.

The compact disc contains an error in the tracklisting. There are two track elevens - one for the Pee-Wee section ("Finale") and Back To School section ("Overture"). There are in fact nineteen tracks on the disc.


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