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Happy belated! Thanks for everything you do. For your gift I won’t ask how the redesign is coming:
:)” title=”>:)” class=”bbcode_smiley” />saj
Wow BATMAN! That is an astonishing acumen. Would you, by chance, be some one in the business?
Speaking of, there’s a great book on the rise and fall of the classical music recording industry called THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CLASSICAL MUSIC by Norman Lebrecht. I worry about getting good orchestral music recorded that isn’t backed by a big studio these days. I think the concert-hall composers are going to have to be the pioneers this time around (as opposed to the producers/distributors of old). With the rise of the independent and personal studios, the proliferation of cheap (i.e. digital) distribution, it’s up to Elfman to get his music into our hands.
Hope he’s up for the new century!
saj
He’s mentioned Stravinsky in connection to the strings in BEETLEJUICE, and Jimi Hendrix in relation to the vibe of DEAD PRESIDENTS. He’s also said a few times if he hadn’t gone into filmmusic he would have wanted to follow the path of Harry Partch, which is evident when he uses detuning and modified sampling.
saj
Clips are up!
“Summer of Heroes”
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/episodes/2008/07/31/segments/104633“Hans Zimmer” (Interview)
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/episodes/2008/07/31/segments/104634The first has several comments on Elfman and the clips I mentioned. There’s an ingenious exemplary moment where they play snippets of Batman themes from the 60s, 80s and 00s back-to-back. The second clip has Zimmer discussing how he let go of the musical “baggage” of the previous films and how he ingeniously decided not to give Joker a theme, which was Elfman’s approach for the 89 film, if anyone has read DANNY ELFMAN’S BATMAN: A FILM SCORE GUIDE by Janet K. Halfyard, or, I don’t know, seen the movie.
saj
This is fantastic and answers nearly every unanswered question I had. Thanks Ryan! I’m surprised Elfman didn’t mention at the end how much of the Oingo/Boingo crew now contributes the Battlestar Galactica scores. From a Soundtrack.net interview with BSG composer Bear McCreary:
Soundtrack.net: Who are the main people who help you write, orchestrate, and perform the music on the show?
Bear McCreary: […] You’ll also frequently hear Oingo Boingo alums Steve Bartek (guitars), John Avila (bass), and Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez (drum kit).
SN: Indeed, I had noticed a strong association with Oingo Boingo. How did that come about?
BM: Yeah… a lot of people notice it. Sometimes they call the show Boingo-star Galactica. The story of how that came about is a long and improbable yarn, but I’ll summarize it by saying that I’ve always been a huge fan of their music, so the opportunity to collaborate with them on a near-daily basis is pretty amazing. I’ve also worked with them for three years in a row as Music Director for the Johnny “Vatos” Tributes to Halloween and Oingo Boingo. They are these totally insane Halloween concerts performed in Los Angeles and Orange County where the Boingo boys get together with me and my brother (vocalist Brendan “Bt4” McCreary) and perform tunes from Oingo Boingo and The Nightmare Before Christmas with an eighteen-piece band (I think of it as the rock-chamber-orchestra from Hell).
SN: Richard Gibbs was credited as the main composer on the mini-series. Then you took over during the first season. How and why did this “passing of the torch” happen?
BM: Working for Richard was my first gig in “the business” when I got out of school. I’d worked with him for nearly a year when the Battlestar mini landed on his plate. So, I pitched in on that, writing a lot of the percussion-based action cues, while he developed the thematic material. From there, I helped him score the first two episodes of the series that were produced (which were “Water” and “Bastille Day”). But before he could begin scoring the series’ premiere episode, “33,” he got the irresistible pull back to feature film work. So, I was the obvious choice to take over from there.
Full interview here: http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=247.
The CD liner notes note that additional music on the track “Doorway” was written by Halli “Cauthry”. I think they mean Cauthrey as in David Harald Cauthery, the violinist and perhaps most prolific “additional music” composer of the last three years, if his IMDB page is accurate.
saj
Hooray! They say the 21st Century is all about online presence. No rush, though. I’m still just thrilled the text is no longer dark blue.
saj
I have very few score tracks on my most played because I rarely put them on the playlists that I create for the train ride to work, preferring to hear scores all the way through. But hmmm…. what’s that amidst an obsession with Mash-ups and Tori Amos B-sides at number 23?
Since U Been Gone – DJ Earworm (Kelly Clarkson/Depeche Mode) – http://www.djearworm.com
Not David Bowie – Tori Amos – A Piano
Dolphin Song – Tori Amos – A Piano
Zero Point – Tori Amos – A Piano
Jive Talkin” – Bee Gees – Number Ones
I Like the Way Jenny Scrubs – DJ Earworm (Bodyrockers/Jennifer Lopez/TLC/Missy Elliott) – http://www.djearworm.com
How Can You Mend A Broken-Heart – -Bee Gees – Number Ones
Greased (Vocal Mix) – Dunproofin’
Take Me With You – Tori Amos – A Piano
Bug A Martini – Tori Amos – Welcome To Sunny Florida: Bonus CD (RR2005)
Flamingo – Herb Jeffries – Voice Masters
Walk To Dublin (Sucker Reprise) – Tori Amos – A Piano
Flying Dutchman (Alternate Mix) – Tori Amos – A Piano
Carnival – Tori Amos – Mission Impossible 2
Dominique – The Singing Nun – Billboard Top Pop Hits 1963
Peeping Tommi – Tori Amos – A Piano
Wow – Kate Bush – The Whole Story
Bachelorette – Tori Amos – Sparks (Single)
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan – Marianne Faithfull – A Perfect Stranger
You Should Be Dancing – Bee Gees – Number Ones
The Fox In The Snow – Belle & Sebastian If You’re Feeling Sinister
Brazil is Full of Love – DJ Earworm (Bjork vs. Death Cab for Cutie vs. Cat Power vs. Cornelius vs. Chris Isaak) – http://www.djearworm.com
V. “I Forget” – Elfman, Danny – Serenada Schizophrana
Rapture Riders -Go Home Productions (Blondie vs The Doors)
Indian Summer -Tori Amos – Welcome To Sunny Florida: Bonus CD (RR2005)Fun downtime game!
saj
The tune is David Rose’s “Holiday for Strings”, especially reminiscent of The Voices Of Walter Schumann arrangement that appears on the Ultra-Lounge album SPACECAPADES, sans voices of course.
If you people do not have this album, get it STAT. It will enrich your lives. A musical fusion of 50s kitsch, 60s Tom & Jerry cartoons, and much of the era’s esoteria that influenced Elfman.
http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Lounge-Vol-3-Space-Capades/dp/B000002TZL?tag2=gp04-20
saj
(In no way affiliated with Capitol Records.)That piece got some good reviews from the indie kids here in New York. Erik Sanko is the mastermind behind it, I believe. His website with contact info is:
Happy (Good Will) Hunting!
saj
>>>George Garcia (a song and artist that turns up zip on Google)
Could it be George LaMond? Latin pop “sensation” born George Garcia?
This is going to be fun. I hear accordions, flamenco guitars and the “Mexican Hat Dance” inverted and pumped up to 45 RPMs. Ole!
I have the original ’93 recording (bought in the midwest in ’93 at the time of its release). There are 21 tracks on the CD but only 20 listed on the booklet. It’s always bugged the oogie-boogie out of me.
saj
Music is never subjective. People’s perceptions of it certainly can be–your aesthetic “misfire”, “unmemorable”, “outright annoying”, “insane mickey-mousing” (it’s a kids’ movie for crying out loud) and “only for the completeist” comments included.
Taken from a purely objective perspective (as far as anyone on this board is able!), I would hand over the FLUBBER score album long before the PROOF OF LIFE album, which you 2.5 stars, as an example of Elfman’s abilities and output for anyone who had never been introduced to his music. Not because I like it better, but because the textures are richer, his broad use of sampled sounds are seamlessly integrated into the well-balanced orchestrations, the nods to Mancini and Stalling are intelligent and well-suited for the material, the mambo is a fantastic display of Elfman at his over-the-top best, and the album overall displays a wide range of quirkiness that has endeared so many people to his music.
On a subjective note, the “End Credits” suite is sublime. Sometimes I dance around the apartment to it… naked. Much to the joy of my neighbors.
Thor Wrote:
> sajrocks Wrote:
>
>
> > Thor – Flubber deserves two stars. I never
> saw the
> > movie, which you obviously hated, but the
> ablum is
> > much more representative of Elfman’s
> ingenuity
> > than you give it credit for. As for
> “misfire”, I
> > believe this was part of his famous 3
> picture
> > Disney deal… I’m sure the check cleared!
>
> Well, music is – as always – subjective. I meant
> “misfire” in an aestethic sense, not economic.Thor – Flubber deserves two stars. I never saw the movie, which you obviously hated, but the ablum is much more representative of Elfman’s ingenuity than you give it credit for. As for “misfire”, I believe this was part of his famous 3 picture Disney deal… I’m sure the check cleared!
Flubber (1997) * Walt Disney 60952-7 • 18 tracks – 47:09
Yet another forgettable remake of an old Fred MacMurray comedy that wasn’t that funny to begin with. Robin Williams seems uncomfortable in his role as the crazy professor inventing the bouncy “flubber” material, and the film is littered with plot holes and cheap resolutions. I’m sorry to report that Elfman’s score is unmemorable as well. In fact, it’s outright annoying. Imagine his blaring brass outbursts combined with insane mickey-mousing and you’ve got an idea of what this is. A fun mambo and occasional nostalgic details such as the piano flourish don’t save this score and CD from becoming an unnecessary misfire in Elfman’s career. Only for the completist.
Outright annoying? I guess that depends on how much you like mambo music. I found Weebo’s Death, for example, touching.
Patrick Bristow. He’s also the rump-swatting choreogrpher’s assistant in SHOWGIRLS. Woof!
For those of us with barely a trickle of information, we greatly appreciate your spill-off, Ryan. Thanks for the confirmation!
Ew. If you would like to know know exactly how Wal-Mart is so evil, check out this documentary probably NOT at your local cineplex.
Personally I wouldn’t step into a Wal-Mart if Mr. Elfman was onhand giving blowjobs to goldfish. But that’s just me.
There is a great preview of the project at The Independent.
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/features/article327669.ece
We can probably expect the ballet in the states sometime in late 2006, I would assume.
