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I recently read a topic about Shirley walker possibly co-composed the score of the first Batman, what is this all about ? Is that REALY true ?
As someone can proof crearly what is all about, because if is true, why they did’nt mention the works of Shirley Walker and why it,s not mention, on the score album : ”Music by Danny Elfman and Shirley Walker” ????
Pay no heed all of those misinformed, mentally handicapped individuals that claim Shirly Walker co-wrote the Batman score, because it’s not true!
For BATMAN, Walker conducted the score. Period. There’s a difference between “writing” and “conducting” and she would have gotten a bigger credit for writing. Case in point, she got credit for writing one cue in NightBreed.
Elfman writes his own music. I think after twenty years that’s pretty obvious at this point. If not, that would be the grand high record for faking it.
People probably come to the conclusion that Walker’s his “ghost-writer” because she later did the Batman: Animated Series, which used the same timbre and sound as the first two Batman movies. Her work on The Flash, likewise, had a strong Elfman feel. She isn’t Elfman though. He’s worked on several movies WITHOUT her.
Thanks, I’m happy to know that, because in the moment, I thought that it was a conspiracy, and I was afraid about Shirley had co-composed this score.
I don’t have anything else against the work of Mrs. Walker, but her style is perticular similar (I mean her orchestration).
So, this is realy the works of Danny Elfman for Batman, I’m very happy !!!
Thanks !!!
Pretty much all composers with the exception of Williams use ghost writers who don’t get credit. When your under such a time crunch ya need em.
It was Shirley Walker who wrote the Batman: The Animated Series theme, right? I always get confused about that one. I absolutely love what she did with it.
Batman Animated Series (From 1992) 84 eps. Composer
Yeah she did 84 episodes. I like her Mask of the Phantasm batman score.
It is curious as to WHY on her website it lists her as co-composer.
Otherwise it’s demonstrably true that Elfman writes his own music. I remember a few interviews where Bartek and he explain the process. He composes orchestral drafts and prepares his own mock-ups. And the orchestration is “prepared” by Bartek and Co. News to the world: It’s really freaken tough and time consuming to write orchestral music, especially the dense action cues. No one recognizes how much work it is.
So not only is Danny working to the limits of his conceptual abilities, there are all sorts of tedious details about preparing the music to be performed and recorded.
The best anology I have heard of is comparing the film composers to architects (architecture also a forgotten and underrated artform).
The composer comes up with the creative part as the architect creates design. A team of draftsmen prepare the drawings, under his supervision, and in the end his creative vision is brought to life. The composer invents the musical material, he has colors and instrumentation in his head, orchestrators prepare it, and the end product is what he desired.
The acting principle here is that Elfman can change orchestrators, and it always will have the “Elfman Sound”.The only argument that can be made is that film composers, who want to have or be known for their “artistic purity” should need these people helping them. The truth of course is that it’s the nature of the beast. “Not enough time” has been the rule from Steiner to Elfman. Unfortunately even the esteemed John Williams whom I love uses orchestrators. Only difference is that he doesn’t credit them in Albums.
Shows what you know — Williams has used a ghostwriter, Fred Steiner, on RETURN OF THE JEDI. Thanks for contributing to the misinformation…
Ryan
The listing on her site — the one I created and run — is an error that I haven’t seen until now! Her Filmog is gigantic. I had a lot of problems coding it many years ago.
Ryan
I meant to write probably with the exception of Williams. Congrats though on your contribution of misinformation on Shirley’s site.
I heard that John Williams sometimes has his son write some of his stuff also. I am not saying it’s true… I just heard it.
There’s still Steven Scott Smalley who was an orchestrator on Batman who has an orchestration course in L.A. and New York where he provides samples from Batman that show Elfman sketches and then his work with extra harmonies and melodies. Anyways I know this stuff makes people mad so i’ll stop now.
Danny is still my favourite composer wether he had help or not…not a big deal.Mr. Chocothrax, Ryan said : ” Everything is Elfman’s. I’ll stake everything on it! ”
That’s all !!! This case is closed…
All I have to say is where is Elfman now and where the fuck is Steve Scott Smalley now? Shilling orchestration courses!!
Ryan
Brian Tyler’s site does look very cool. I didn’t see any photos from Buba Ho-Tep though.
That’s like the best movie ever!!! (Top 10,000 at least!)
You could pull still immages off the DVD’s behind the scenes clips if you can’t find them anywhere else.
I never saw Buba Ho-Tep but I listened to a clip or two of it on Brian’s site and didn’t like it that much. Greatest Game ever played has really nice music except for the theme he stole from Legends of the Fall.
Well Steven Scott Smalley doesn’t have it all that bad. He makes a lot of money from these courses and I think he likes teaching aspiring composers. While Danny has fame and lots of money he also has an incredibly hard and stressful job. Although Danny does have Fonda….
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