Danny Elfman. The name brings a vague recognition to many a people's mind. It may also bring instant joy and/or excitement to others who truly know of him and his work. Who is this Elfman guy, and why does he sound so familiar?
I'll tell you why.
Ever hear of Pee Wee's Big Adventure? What about Big Top Pee Wee? Batman? Beetlejuice? Batman Returns? Edward Scissorhands? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas? Mars Attacks!? Army of Darkness? Tales from the Crypt? The Simpsons???
Yeah, I thought that last one would get your attention. Well, you're right. Danny Elfman did do the music for all of those listed, plus more. To this date (2004), he's done over 70 scores for movies and television shows. His scores are some of the most highly sampled and reproduced of many composers out there, especially his most famous Batman theme and Edward Scissorhands. He's possibly amongst the top 10 composers, and one of the few who didn't even have any proper schooling on the subject.
"You don't say?" you might say. It's true. Danny is self taught ever since the mid to late 70s. His first movie he ever did music for was his older brother, Richard's, cult film Forbidden Zone (1980) , of which the music group Danny was a part of at that time, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, also starred in. Danny played the keen role of Satan, who wanted to kidnap the princess for his own perverse deeds. If anyone knows Danny Elfman, then they know it was a well cast role.
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo was originally a theatrical troupe started by Richard in France during the 60s. The name was completely random and he specifically asked Danny to join, who was in Africa at the time not getting a tan since he has such low melanin the sun didn't even tinge his skin.
Perhaps a little apprehensively, Danny went to France to join TMKOTOB, where they traveled the towns and performed on the street with fire breathers, dancers, and all sorts of strange music.
It was the late 70s when Richard handed the reigns over to Danny, and they kicked off the first part of the name and shortened it to Oingo Boingo. The band then became a rock band in 1979, the year when they released their first and self-titled album. The year 1981 is what really gave them the boost in the music industry with their album Only A Lad with their unique sound of ska, a little bit of reggae, and influences of African music from when Danny had lived there before. Not to mention the deranged and delightful singing and songwriting of Danny himself.
Oingo Boingo was pretty well known after that, as perhaps the only rock band with their own horn section. It wasn't until 1985 when Oingo Boingo was put on the map with their album Dead Man's Party and the two hit singles, Dead Man's Party and Weird Science, the latter of which became the title and theme song of a quirky movie about two boys making their own girl.
1985 was also the year when Danny composed his first real score for a movie. Paul Reubens, also known as the personality Pee Wee Herman, had seen Richard's movie and was a big fan. His friend, Tim Burton, was looking for someone to score their (his and Paul Reuben's) movie, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Paul recommended Danny to him. So, a little wary, Tim approached Danny with the proposition. And since it was Tim's first movie directing, and Danny's first movie to actually score, they both decided to dive right into it and see what could happen.
The movie was a hit! As well as Tim and Danny's friendship, they got along smoother than any director and composer you could know. Tim's unique way of thinking and Danny's twisted mind somehow became a good match for eachother and the two were nearly inseperable. Danny Elfman continued to score every one of Tim Burton's movies, including Big Top Pee Wee, Beetlejuice, and the first two Batman's.
There was, though, a slight "creative difference" as it has been told, when the time came for Tim to film Ed Wood in 1994 that he had to get someone else to score the movie. But in the time between post-production of Ed Wood and Tim's next movie, they must have patched things up because Danny went on to score the movie after that, which was Mars Attacks! (1996)
Through all these years, Danny was successfully maintaining his two careers as film composer and rock star. In an interview, he once explained how both of his worlds as such balanced each other out nicely. That, after he had been spending a long time writing music for a film, he'd suddenly get an urge and would jump back into his Boingo persona to wreak havoc on stage.
Sadly, it wasn't until 1994 when Danny was considering dropping Oingo Boingo to concentrate more on composing. The other members of the band seemed to agree. Fourteen or so years of playing together kind of makes one antsy to go out and try other things that couldn't have been tested before due to the band. By 1995 they were engaged in a final tour, dubbed the Farewell Tour, going all out to give their fans the best last concerts of their lives.
Halloween 1995, their very last concert in the Amphitheatre in Universal Studios, Hollywood. They had always had their concerts on Halloween, so it only seemed proper. Why break the tradition, after all?
Yours truly doesn't know by first-hand experience, but the concert was a blast! And to make it better, they were recording the whole thing to later release on video (and DVD of course). This was their last concert, they were going to go all out. Which they did.
So now, Danny Elfman has continued his career as film composer for such directors as Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson, his brother Richard Elfman, Clive Barker, and way too many others to count. Danny also has a few side projects of his own, musicals he has written scripts for and music and everything... he just doesn't seem to have the up-and-at-'em to get them off the ground. Perhaps some day, eh Danny?
Danny Elfman has also married the dashing Bridget Fonda, daughter of reknown Peter Fonda, on November 29th of 2003. They have two wonderful and classic homes in both L.A. and Santa Barbara, California, restored and one of which has a grand ballroom.
Facts: Danny was born May 29, 1953 in sunny Los Angeles, as Daniel Robert Elfman. His birthplace was confirmed by one Rachael Rowan, former girlfriend of Richard Elfman. This red-headed Gemini's favorite band is Primus, of which Oingo Boingo was an influence of, and they have a tribute to Danny-- by playing the Breakfast Machine from the first Pee Wee movie during their live concerts. Danny has said that his favorite score is Edward Scissorhands, but Jack Skellington of The Nightmare Before Christmas is the character he most relates too. I think it's because he helped build Jack's character and story.
Family:Has two daughters: Mali, the oldest, and Lola, the youngest and also his step-daughter. His mother, Blossom Elfman, is a successful novelist, and his father, Milton, was in the air force and also a teacher. Sadly, he passed away June 4th of 2001.
Update!: Danny and his estranged wife, Bridget, have a baby boy now! Information concerning his name and where his looks are inherited from are unknown, but we can rest easy knowing he'll have an awesome father. :) Oh yeah, and Danny's shoe size is 9 1/2. Random fact for you.
Richard Elfman is still makin' movies, with his mother no less! For more information on what Rick's up to, go to his official website at Richard Elfman.com.
So where are the other band members? It really is hard to find any sort of scoop on those guys, believe you me.
Steve Bartek, lead guitar for Oingo Boingo, is still sticking by Danny has his lead orchestrator and long-time friend.
Facts: His birthday is January 29th, for anyone who is curious. Ol' Steve-o is 52 as of 2004, a year or so older than Danny himself, and hasn't changed a bit. Steve was born in Garfield Heights, Ohio. He began playing with the group in the late 70s, during the Mystic Knights era when they were a 12-piece jungle of music and mayhem, and continued on until the final concert. Now that's friendship right there folks.
John Avila, bass guitar and vocals, is busy with several other band projects. He and Vatos where in the Psychotic Aztecs together but that one seemed to have fallen through, but they are now in a band called CID, an alternative blues band. Also, their other band is called Hammond Sammond Johnnies .
Facts: John was born in Los Angeles, CA on January 14, possibly one of the youngest ex-members of Boingo, making him about 45 or 46 as of 2004. He was around since the DMP album and proved to be a good asset with his wild on-stage performance (thereby encouraging Danny to be just as wild) and backing vocals that Steve Bartek didn't usually provide (which is okay, since he was/is a great guitarist anyway).
Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez, psycho drummer extraordinaire, as mentioned above is doing band projects with Avila. The two seem to be good buddies, having first been in a band called Food For Feet that produced an album with a rockin' cover of Tequila, and Boingoesque lyrics, but not the Boingo sound.
Facts: Our boy Vatos was born September 5, 1951. He's been around since the beginning, from Mystic Knights to just Boingo (they didn't get around to calling the band O as Danny had jokingly said on a late night talk show once.) His hairstyle is ever changing, my most favorite is the killer widow's peak he once had that I had dubbed the Eddie Munster hairstyle. I don't know about you, but I was always noticing the different styles during different eras. Maybe I'm just weird.
Sam "Sluggo" Phipps, the Saxy kinda guy who also played some clarinet, was also there from the Mystic Knights age. He wore all that funky make-up and everything, what a guy, eh? Currently he has his own little group, the Sam Phipps Jazz Quartet and often performs with Doug & the Mystics.
Facts: Brought into the wide world on October 1, 1953, his birthplace is unknown but he looks like one of those chaps who was born in a nice place, don't you think? His only singing swing was during the song "Reptiles and Samurai" where he didn't usually appear too thrilled to be singing at all... either that was part of the act or he got conned into it and forever feels betrayed, who knows?
Dale Turner, trumpeter and trombone specialist, the guy with the grey temples and warm smile. Dale's an original Oingo Boingo member, also having been along with the Mystic Knights and all that jazz.
Facts: Birthday is July 2, 1942. He's the oldest, it seems, and also appears to be quiet, but that's just my own speculation. He, like Sam and Leon, did not tour with the band in 1994 to support the release of the Boingo album, though the reasons are unknown. But, at least they appeared for the Farewell tour, that was nice of them.
Leon Schneiderman, picking up the baritone and alto saxy-phones (Sam had tenor and soprano), is in the few of those who was an original member right down to TMKOTOB. Not too sure what he's up to these days, and I can't seem to find anything through a search on the internet. If you have any info please contact me.
Facts: This one's a January man (No, not the Alan Rickman movie, but he is another of my favorite celebrities aside from Danny). Born on the 25th, 1954, I hear he was the actual inventor of the Rumbaphones (alternate name also Balafons, in which language, I am not sure), an instrument of which was used often in Boingo songs such as Grey Matter and Nothing to Fear. Pretty awesome achievement, I would say.
Warren Fitzgerald, after his fling with Boingo in the early 90s, seems to have moved on to a lot of different stuff. For one, he founded the recording company Kung Fu Records, and not only founded The Ataris but is also a founding member of the band The Vandals. Wow, that's awesome. He also has credits in writing and producing lesser-known movies, as well as composing/writing for the movie School of Rock. I suggest checking out the Internet Movie Database for more information on him. Thanks go out to Matt from France for the info!
Facts: Born September 15, 1968 and born in Newport Beach, California. Apparently he likes to paint.
The remaining band members, Kerry Hatch and Richard Gibbs don't have too much else information on them for me be able to say much about them.
A big thanks and credit goes to Raptorial.com for a lot of the details they provided on their "about the band members" page for me to put most of this up there. I don't know what their main Boingo page is, but clicking their link will take you to the aforementioned site.
I would also like to thank Elfrowan for her initial help in clarifying the true birthplace of the Elfman brothers.
And that's it! I hope this was helpful for you, if you have any corrections or anything else to suggest or add, feel free to email me.
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