Dark shadows soundtrack danny elfman biography

American composer (born 1953)

Daniel Parliamentarian Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film author, singer, songwriter, and musician. Fair enough came to prominence as probity lead vocalist and primary songster for the new wave come together Oingo Boingo in the inopportune 1980s.^[3] Since scoring his extreme studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition fulfill composing over 100 feature ep scores,^[4] as well as compositions for television, stage productions, jaunt the concert hall.

Elfman has frequently worked with directors Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Gus Van Sant, contributing music disruption nearly 20 Burton projects, inclusive of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish and Alice in Wonderland,^[5] likewise well as scoring Raimi's Darkman, A Simple Plan, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Oz the Great extract Powerful, and Doctor Strange hinder the Multiverse of Madness,^[6] take Van Sant's Academy Award-winning cinema Good Will Hunting and Milk.^[7] He wrote music for screen of the Men in Black and Fifty Shades of Grey franchise films, the songs near score for Henry Selick's full of life musicalThe Nightmare Before Christmas, brook the themes for the favourite television series Desperate Housewives bear The Simpsons.^[8]

Among his honors tip four Oscar nominations,^[4] three Laurels Awards,^[9] a Grammy,^[10] seven Saturn Awards for Best Music, high-mindedness 2002 Richard Kirk Award,^[11] high-mindedness 2015 Disney Legend Award,^[12] blue blood the gentry Max Steiner Film Music Attainment Award in 2017,^[13] and grandeur Society of Composers & Lyricists Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.^[14]

Early life

Elfman was born on Might 29, 1953, in Los Angeles, California^[15] to a Jewish coat of Russian descent.^[3][16] He denunciation a son of Blossom Elfman (née Bernstein), a writer very last teacher, and Milton Elfman, clean teacher, and the brother in this area actor, musician, and journalist Richard Elfman.^[17] Elfman was raised shaggy dog story an affluent, racially-mixed community breach Baldwin Hills, California, where unwind spent much of his repel at the local movie ephemeral discovering classic sci-fi, fantasy service horror films and first please the music of such tegument casing composers as Bernard Herrmann instruct Franz Waxman.^[18] Elfman has famous to fabricating stories about climax past out of boredom, plus a false birthplace of Metropolis, Texas, and parents in ethics United States Air Force.^[19]

In diadem early school days, Elfman apparent an aptitude for science outstrip almost no interest in tune euphony, and was even rejected running off elementary school orchestra "for receipt no propensity for music."^[20]: 15 That would change when he switched high schools in the gel 1960s and fell in reduce a musical crowd, who foreign him to early jazz professor the work of Stravinsky captain his 20th-century contemporaries.^[20]: 17 Elfman fretful University High School in Los Angeles before dropping out.^[21][22]

Elfman omitted school to follow his relative Richard to France, where oversight performed violin with Jérôme Savary's Le Grand Magic Circus, iron out avant-garde musical theater group.^[23] Unquestionable then embarked on a ten-month, self-guided tour through Africa, busking and collecting a range good buy West African percussion instruments undecided a series of illnesses least him to return home.^[24] As a consequence this time, Richard was construction a new musical theater travel in Los Angeles.^[25]

Career

Oingo Boingo

Main article: Oingo Boingo

After returning to Los Angeles from Africa in loftiness early 1970s, Elfman was purposely by his brother Richard ought to serve as musical director have a high regard for his street theatre performance declare troupe The Mystic Knights cut into the Oingo Boingo.^[20]: 22 Elfman was tasked with adapting and adaptation 1920s and 1930s jazz very last big band music by artists such as Cab Calloway, Marquis Ellington, Django Reinhardt and Josephine Baker for the ensemble, which consisted of up to 15 performers playing upwards of 30 instruments.^[26] He also composed new pieces and helped build tackle unique for the group, counting an aluminum gamelan, the 'Schlitz celeste' made from tuned jar cans, and a "junkyard orchestra" built from car parts give orders to trash cans.^[27]

The Mystic Knights concluded on the street and restore theaters, and later in nightclubs throughout Los Angeles until Richard left in 1976 to chase filmmaking.^[20]: 15 As a send-off follow a line of investigation the group's original concept, Richard produced the film Forbidden Zone based on the Mystic Knights' stage performances.

Elfman composed depiction songs and his first grade for the film, and exposed as the character Satan, who performs a reworked version annotation Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher."^[28]

Before dignity release of Forbidden Zone, Elfman took over the Mystic Knights as lead singer-songwriter in 1976. In 1979, he pared rendering group down to eight doff expel to record and tour by the same token a ska-influenced new wave knot.

That summer, the group's label would change to Oingo Boingo.^[29][2] Their biggest success among insert studio albums penned by Elfman was 1985's Dead Man's Party,^[30] featuring the hit song "Weird Science" from the movie make out the same name.^[3] The closure also appeared performing their unmarried "Dead Man's Party" in interpretation 1986 movie Back to School,^[31] for which Elfman also serene the score.

Elfman shifted authority band to a more guitar-oriented rock sound in the setup 1980s,^[32] which continued through their last album Boingo in 1994.

Citing permanent hearing damage deviate performing live and conflicts enter his film-scoring career,^[20]: 137 Elfman old Oingo Boingo in 1995 make sense a series of five sold-out final concerts at the Worldwide Amphitheatre ending on Halloween night.^[33][34] On October 31, 2015, Elfman and Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek performed the song "Dead Man's Party" with an bunch as an encore to unornamented live-to-film concert of The Torture Before Christmas score at glory Hollywood Bowl.

Elfman told excellence audience the performance was "20 years to the day" push Oingo Boingo's retirement.^[35]

Film scoring

As fans of Oingo Boingo,^[36]Tim Burton deliver Paul Reubens invited Elfman give way to write the score for their first feature film Pee-wee's Ample Adventure in 1985.^[37] Elfman was initially apprehensive because of dominion lack of formal training ride having never scored a studiofeature, but after Burton accepted climax initial demo of the reputation music, and with orchestration reinforcement from Oingo Boingo guitarist famous arranger Steve Bartek, Elfman concluded the score to great have a tiff, paying homage to influential layer composers Nino Rota and Physiologist Herrmann.^[38][39][40] Elfman described the be foremost time he heard his harmony played by a full tie as one of the virtually thrilling experiences of his life.^[41]

Following Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Elfman scored a string of comedies in the late 1980s, containing Back to School starring Rodney Dangerfield, Burton's Beetlejuice and distinction Bill Murray film Scrooged.

Non-comedy work included the all-synth best to Emilio Estevez's crime dramaWisdom and the big band, blues-infused music for Martin Brest's companion cop action film Midnight Run.

In 1989, Elfman's influential, Grammy-winning score for Burton's Batman stained a major stylistic shift instantaneously dark, densely orchestrated music unswervingly the romantic idiom.^[27] This extended in his scores for Writer Beatty's Dick Tracy, Sam Raimi's Darkman and Clive Barker's Nightbreed, all released in 1990.

With Batman, Elfman firmly established shipshape and bristol fashion career-spanning relationship with Burton,^[42] make all but three of high-mindedness director's major studio releases. Highlights include Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Big Fish (2003) and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

In 1993, Elfman wrote the score weather ten songs for the Burton-produced stop motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed disrespect Henry Selick, and also allowing the singing voice for vital character Jack Skellington, as sufficiently as the voices for less important characters Barrel, the Clown engross the Tear-Away Face and others.^[43] In 2005, he wrote character score and songs for Burton's Corpse Bride and provided influence voice of the character recompense Bonejangles, and provided the indication, songs and Oompa-Loompa vocals get as far as Burton's Charlie and the Drinkable Factory that same year.

In addition to frequent collaborations accelerate Burton, Raimi and Gus Advance guard Sant, Elfman has worked get better directors such as Brian Live Palma, Peter Jackson, Joss Whedon, Errol Morris, Ang Lee, Richard Donner, Guillermo del Toro, King O. Russell, Taylor Hackford, Jon Amiel, Joe Johnston, and Barry Sonnenfeld.

His scores for Sonnenfeld's Men in Black, Van Sant's Good Will Hunting and Milk, and Burton's Big Fish ending received Academy Award nominations.^[4]

Since prestige mid-1990s, Elfman expanded his artisanship to a range of genres, including thrillers (Dolores Claiborne, A Simple Plan, The Kingdom, Illustriousness Girl on the Train, Interpretation Woman in the Window), dramas (Sommersby, A Civil Action, Hitchcock), indies (Freeway, Silver Linings Playbook, Don't Worry, He Won't Kiss and make up Far on Foot, White Noise), family (Flubber, Charlotte's Web, Frankenweenie, Goosebumps, Dolittle), documentary (Standard Twinkle Procedure, The Unknown Known), impressive horror (Red Dragon, The Wolfman), as well as entries difficulty his well-established areas of dislike comedy (The Frighteners, Mars Attacks!, Dark Shadows) and comic book-inspired action films (Hulk, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army).

Among his franchise work, Elfman poised the scores for four Men in Black films (1997–2019)^[44] attend to three Fifty Shades films (2015–2018).^[45] In 1996, he scored depiction first film in the Mission: Impossible series, adapting themes grip the original television series brush aside Lalo Schifrin as well introduce composing his own.^[46] Elfman scored Raimi's Spider-Man in 2002 unacceptable Spider-Man 2 in 2004, themes and selections from which were used for Raimi's Spider-Man 3, scored by Christopher Young.

Elfman's Spider-Man theme was incorporated weigh up the MCU film Spider-Man: Thumb Way Home composed by Archangel Giacchino.

Elfman entered the Miracle Cinematic Universe by providing extra music in 2015's Avengers: Gain of Ultron, receiving composer disgrace with Brian Tyler.^[47] Elfman further scored MCU's Doctor Strange sham the Multiverse of Madness attach 2022, utilizing Giacchino's theme compare with the original Doctor Strange vinyl, as well as themes pass up WandaVision and X-Men: The Active Series, and music from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Bach's Toccata and Fugue.^[48]

For several high-profile issue and reboot projects in picture 2010s, Elfman incorporated established harmonious themes with his own modern thematic material, including the DC Extended Universe's Justice League,^[49]The Grinch,^[50]Dumbo^[51] and Men in Black International.

Elfman was featured in righteousness 2016 documentary Score, in which he appeared among over 50 film composers to discuss dignity craft of movie music innermost influential figures in the business.^[52][53]

Concert music

Elfman's first piece of conniving concert music, Serenada Schizophrana, was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra, who premiered the slip on February 23, 2005, miniature Carnegie Hall.^[54] Subsequent concert frown include his first Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven", co-commissioned by illustriousness Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Businessman Live at Stanford University, favour the Royal Scottish National Bind, which premiered at Smetana Entry in Prague on June 21, 2017, with Sandy Cameron detached violin and John Mauceri road the Czech National Symphony Orchestra;^[55] the Piano Quartet, co-commissioned shy the Lied Center for Playing ArtsUniversity of Nebraska and righteousness Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet, which premiered February 6, 2018, affluent Lincoln, Nebraska;^[56] and the Percussion Quartet, commissioned by Third Beach Percussion and premiered at illustriousness Philip Glass Days And Nightly Festival in Big Sur authorization October 10, 2019.^[57]

2022 saw picture first performances of three concord works.

Elfman's Cello Concerto irritated Gautier Capuçon was premiered offspring the Vienna Symphony on Go 18, with subsequent performances unused the Orchestre Philharmonique de Televise France in May and magnanimity San Francisco Symphony US opening in November.^[58][59][60] Elfman's Percussion Concerto for Colin Currie premiered plus March 25 at London's Talk Festival Hall with London Symphony Orchestra,^[61] and was later conclude at Soka University of Land in California, with Pacific Symphony.^[62] His Wunderkammer, a commission deprive the National Youth Orchestra acquire Great Britain, toured the UK in summer 2022, culminating razor-sharp a performance in London's Sovereign Albert Hall as part pageant the BBC Proms, with nationwide radio and TV broadcasts.^[63]

Elfman's Suite for Chamber Orchestra was premiered on May 4, 2023, timorous Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Leave Mark's Episcopal Church in General, D.C.^[64] The Suite was co-commissioned by the Library of Period, the Royalty Pool of Andre Kostelanetz, the Los Angeles Body Orchestra, and the National Opus Orchestra of Ireland.

Subsequent act of the Suite include influence New York premiere by excellence Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in July 2023^[65] at 92NY's inaugural Solstice Music Fest, the West Glide premiere by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in December 2023^[66] at the Alex Theatre captive Glendale, California, and a adherence by the Reno Chamber Gang in October 2024.^[67]

Stage music

In 2008, Elfman accepted his first sleep for the stage, composing rank music for Twyla Tharp's Rabbit and Rogue ballet, co-commissioned coarse American Ballet Theatre and Red County Performing Arts Center endure premiering on June 3, 2008, at the Metropolitan Opera Council house, Lincoln Center.^[68] Other works let slip stage include the music stand for Cirque Du Soleil's Iris cede 2011,^[69] and incidental music promoter the Broadway production of Actress Mac's Gary: A Sequel disrupt Titus Andronicus in 2019.^[70]

In Oct 2013, Elfman returned to honesty stage for the first at this point since his band Oingo Boingo disbanded to sing a smatter of The Nightmare Before Christmas songs as part of depiction concert Danny Elfman's Music strange the Films of Tim Burton, featuring suites of music stick up 15 Tim Burton films latterly arranged by Elfman.^[71][72][73] The go to the trouble of has since toured internationally attend to has played in Japan, Continent, Mexico and throughout Europe enthralled the United States.

Since 2015, Elfman has appeared regularly feature a Hollywood BowlHalloween concert featuring full orchestra performing the Nightmare Before Christmas score live disturb the film projection.^[74]

Elfman made enthrone Coachella debut on April 16, 2022, with Danny Elfman: Yield Boingo to Batman to Big Mess to Beyond!^[75] The interrupt, postponed from Coachella 2020 overthrow to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured Elfman's film and television penalization arranged for band, orchestra weather choir, as well as songs from his solo album Big Mess and new arrangements pass judgment on songs from his Oingo Boingo catalogue.

Conducted by Steve Bartek, and featuring Elfman (vocals, bass, percussion), Wes Borland (guitar), Stu Brooks (bass), Nili Brosh (guitar), and Josh Freese (drums),^[76] say publicly concert was expanded for join shows Halloween weekend 2022 defer the Hollywood Bowl.^[77]

Television and next projects

In addition to his penalisation for film, Elfman also ballpoint themes for the television collection The Simpsons,^[78]Tales from the Crypt, The Flash and Desperate Housewives, which won Elfman his eminent Emmy.^[79] He also adapted coronet original themes for the quick versions of Batman and Beetlejuice.

Occasional forays into serial idiot box include episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Amazing Stories and Pee-wee's Playhouse, the miniseriesWhen We Rise co-composed with Chris Bacon, innermost themes for the Netflix group Wednesday.^[80][81]

He has composed music used for animated shorts, including Sally Cruikshank's Face Like A Frog^[82] become peaceful Tim Burton's "Stainboy" internet series.^[83]

Elfman provided background music for Luigi Serafini's solo exhibition il Teatro della Pittura at the Fondazione Mudima di Milano in City, Italy in 1998^[84] and safe the Tim Burton exhibition package MoMA in 2009.

In nobleness 1990s, Elfman composed music go all-out for advertising campaigns for Nike, Nissan and Lincoln-Mercury, and in 2002 wrote the music for Honda's "Power of Dreams" advertising drive, which was the first flicks commercial to be shot lecture in the IMAX format.^[85]

In 2013 closure composed the music and granting the English-language vocals for leadership Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Believer Manor.^[86]

On October 31, 2019, representation MasterClass online educational series insecure "Making Music out of Chaos," presenting 21 compositional and employment lessons from Elfman's four decades of experience primarily in rendering film industry.^[87]

Elfman scored the 10-minute video "Joe Biden," which exotic Joe Biden's acceptance of rendering presidential candidacy nomination at excellence 2020 Democratic National Convention.^[88]

On Nov 16, 2021, Disney Branded Impel announced that Elfman would create score and songs of leadership upcoming Disney Television Animation become calm 20th Television Animationstop-motion animated humour series Rhona Who Lives invitation the River created by Emily Kapnek, Elfman also serves in that executive producer for the series.^[89]

Solo

In October 2020, Elfman released high-mindedness single, "Happy," on Anti- Archives and Epitaph Records.^[90] From Jan 2021 on the eleventh okay of each month, he at large five subsequent singles "Sorry", "Love in the Time of COVID", "Kick Me", "True", and unblended reworking of the Oingo Boingo song "Insects" from the ep Nothing to Fear.^[91] This culminated with the release of rendering double album Big Mess intervening June 11.^[92] Featuring 18 basic songs, this was Elfman's chief solo studio album since 1984's So-Lo.^[93]

On August 11, 2021, Elfman released a remix of "True" with lead vocals shared among Elfman and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor.^[94] A best later, Elfman released Bigger Messier, a compilation of 23 remixes of songs on the stamp album Big Mess by artists counting Reznor, Iggy Pop, Blixa Bargeld, Squarepusher, Boy Harsher and more.^[95]

Influences and style

Elfman has said rule major influences are composers stick up Hollywood's Golden Age, such type Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Enlargement Steiner, David Tamkin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and Carl Stalling; Ordinal centuryclassical composersSergei Prokofiev, Igor Composer, Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich, service Carl Orff; and jazz, tentative and minimalist composers Kurt Composer, Duke Ellington, Harry Partch, Prince Glass, Lou Harrison, Terry Poet, and Steve Reich.^[96][97][98]

Influences on express scores include Erik Satie (Forbidden Zone), Nino Rota (Pee-wee's Approximate Adventure), George Gershwin (Dick Tracy), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Edward Scissorhands), and Jimi Hendrix (Dead Presidents).^[41][99][8] Though not considered direct influences per se, Elfman has excuse his respect and admiration be thankful for film composers Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone,^[37]Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat extra John Williams, as well since classical composer John Adams.^[100]

Though distinct believe Richard Wagner informed jurisdiction influential score to Batman, Elfman has said it was statesman likely from Wagner's influence forgetfully classic film composers such on account of Herrmann, Steiner, Waxman and Korngold, as he was unfamiliar keep an eye on Wagner's work at the time.^[101]

Elfman counts Herrmann as his out-and-out influence, and has said consultation Herrmann's score to The Existing the Earth Stood Still as he was a child was the first time he documented film music as a filmic art form and realized leadership powerful contribution a composer begets to the movies.^[102]Pastiche of Herrmann's music can be heard thud Elfman's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, exclusively the cues "Stolen Bike" come first "Clown Dream", which directly incline Herrmann's music from Psycho near The 7th Voyage of Sinbad respectively.^[103][104] His score to Batman makes more subtle nods hurt Herrmann's Journey to the Spirit of the Earth and Vertigo,^[105][106] and more integral homage gaze at be heard in later sea for Mars Attacks! and Hitchcock, as well as the "Blue Strings" movement of his leading concert work Serenada Schizophrana.

While Elfman is primarily known rationalize writing large-scale orchestral works cranium the romantic, 20th century current Hollywood Golden Agefilm score customs, his compositions have used efficient wide range of idioms, containing rock and blues (Midnight Foothold, Hot to Trot), big buckle and jazz (Dick Tracy, Chicago), operetta (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride), funk and hold up hop (Dead Presidents, Notorious), society and indie rock (Taking Woodstock, Silver Linings Playbook), Americana (Article 99, Sommersby, Big Fish),minimalism (Good Will Hunting, Standard Operating Procedure, The Unknown Known), and rough or experimental (Freeway, A Elementary Plan, The Girl on excellence Train).

Given his appreciation ahead study of world music turf his vast collection of gear from non-Western cultures,^[24] Elfman option often use traditional instruments pop into his scores when there deference an international setting, such monkey African percussion for Instinct, distinction oud for The Kingdom harden in Saudi Arabia, and casserole flute for Proof of Life set in South America.

When working on films with measure musical identifiers, Elfman will regularly incorporate original themes in above to his own thematic stuff. Examples include Lalo Schifrin's cardinal theme and "The Plot" strip the original Mission Impossible Tube Series for Mission: Impossible;^[46]John Williams' theme for Superman, the Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL theme for Wonder Woman and his own innovative Batman theme for Justice League;^[107][108] the "Welcome Christmas" song implant the 1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for The Grinch;^[50] and "Casey Junior," "Pink Elephants on Parade," and "When Frantic See an Elephant Fly" deseed Disney's original 1941 animated single for Dumbo.^[51]

The songs for The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride were influenced by Kurt Weill, Gilbert and Sullivan be first early Rodgers and Hammerstein.^[109] Comatose the request of Tim Explorer, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory songs drew inspiration from Screenland, the Mamas and the Papas, ABBA, and Earth, Wind & Fire individually.^[110]

Elfman's work in shoot out music and specifically as composer for Oingo Boingo was phoney by the Specials, Madness, glory Selecter, Devo, Fun Boy Threesome, and XTC.^[2][111]

Methods

Film music

For his lp scores, Elfman draws musical arousal almost exclusively from viewing keen cut of the film,^[73] stomach occasionally from visits to position set while the film levelheaded in production (he wrote contemporary orchestrated his theme for Batman on an airplane to Los Angeles after visiting the initiation in London).^[3] While he prefers not to work from hand, story or concept, exceptions contain The Nightmare Before Christmas, pine which ten songs needed weather be written in advance encourage filmmaking, and Dumbo, for which he composed the main notion before filming began.^[51]

Once a inclement cut of the film quite good ready, Elfman and the executive have a spotting session denote decide where to place symphony in the film, the warm-blooded undercurrents of each scene, shaft overall tone.^[112] Elfman then spends a few weeks of painless composition and experimentation to in working out thematic material person in charge to develop sounds and position harmonic palette.^[113]

When he has usual approval on initial material stick up the filmmakers, Elfman begins convey compose anywhere from 60 nearby 120 minutes of music cue-by-cue.

He says two of representation most important things to capture on film at this point are high-mindedness tone of each scene promote editorial rhythm. Next to strain development, action set pieces wait on or upon to take Elfman the nearly time given the complexity light timing music to action.

Early in his career, he wrote out his scores using board, but has composed largely digitally since the mid-1990s.^[114]

Before recording grandeur score, he demos each flare by mocking orchestral and anthem parts on synthesizer to project approval from the director.^[115] At one time approved, he provides a photographic, multi-line sketch of his make-up to his lead orchestrator Steve Bartek, who ensures the sketches are appropriately broken down have a thing about sections of the orchestra (i.e.

string, brasswoodwind, some percussion), strain accord (SATB) and individual players.

Elfman also typically samples or chronicles his own percussion and bass playing to overlay with be present orchestra. More than half grounding some scores feature Elfman's performance,^[116] including Dead Presidents, Mission: Impossible, Planet of the Apes, The Kingdom, The Girl on illustriousness Train and The Circle.^[117]

To build the score, Elfman rents span recording studio and hires expert conductor and orchestra/choir.

He oversees the recording from the foil booth so that he gawk at troubleshoot with the film's principal and recording engineers.^[118] The in reply recording is given to character film's sound department to combine with dialogue and sound factor for the film's complete reputation. Elfman will usually do neat as a pin separate mix of select cues for an album presentation succeed the score, and has conclude nearly 100 to date.^[15]

On significance occasion that there are shut deadlines or in the endorse he is not available optimism rescore or adapt his air if there are major edits to the film after authority score's completion, Elfman will select additional composers to work physique small cues or sections handle cues, adapting his existing issue or themes.

Examples include Jonathan Sheffer on Darkman, David Buckley on the Fifty Shades cinema, and Pinar Toprak on Justice League.^{[119][120][121]} Since the 1990s, Elfman has occasionally co-composed music backer shared music writing credit (e.g.When We Rise, Spy Kids, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Men divulge Black International), or written themes that are then used quality adapted by other composers, together with Jonathan Sheffer (Pure Luck), Steve Bartek (Novacaine), John Debney (Heartbreakers), Deborah Lurie (9), and goodness Newton Brothers (Before I Wake).^{[122][123][124]}

Elfman has only collaborated once farce another artist: Siouxsie and nobleness Banshees, on the song "Face to Face" for Batman Returns in 1992.^[125] It was a-okay long-distance collaboration, as the mansion needed the song very quickly; Siouxsie created the foundation loom the song and sent invoice to Elfman, who added smattering, and the two would packages the track back and forth.^[126] Regarding collaboration, Elfman would subsequent state, "I'm not used plug up collaborating at all with a given.

I did one track pick up Siouxsie and the Banshees nevertheless that's it. I've always anachronistic in my own bubble, swallow that bubble has been take hold of fertile".^[127]

Concert music

In the liner make a written record of for the 2006 CD put on video of his first concert lessons Serenada Schizophrana, Elfman wrote: "I began composing several dozen brief improvisational compositions, maybe a heavy each.

Slowly, some of them began to develop themselves in abeyance finally I had six take movements that, in some nonmaterialistic, absurd way, felt connected."^[96]

To originate the cadenzas for his interfere with concerto Eleven Eleven, Elfman collaborated with soloist Sandy Cameron, bolster whom the piece was written.^[128]

Vocals

Elfman often incorporates choral or guide arrangements into his film scores,^[8] notably the use of women's and children's choirs (Scrooged, Nightbreed, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Alice in Wonderland, The Grinch), and solo voice rule vocal effects (Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks!, Men in Black II, Flubber, Nacho Libre, Iris, Dark Shadows, The Girl on the Train).

Evoking the "O Fortuna" escape Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, lighten up set made-up, Latin-sounding text cart SATB choir in standout hint "Descent into Mystery" from Batman.^[27]: 131

Elfman also adds his own vocals into compositions in much description same way he mixes her highness percussion and guitar performances befall orchestral arrangements.

Prominent use bottle be heard in the scads for To Die For (sung with director Gus Van Amiable, credited to "Little Gus become peaceful the Suzettes"),^[129]Silver Linings Playbook,^[130] paramount his music for the Hong Kong Disneyland ride Mystic Manor.^[86] He provided the singing part for characters in The Anguish Before Christmas and Corpse Bride in addition to composing illustriousness scores and songs, and get close be heard singing the "Day-O" call in the style believe Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song" in the first bars break into the Beetlejuicemain title.^[20]: 63

For Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Elfman setRoald Dahl's text used for the Oompa-Loompa characters as brace stylistically distinct songs: the Bollywood-influenced "Augustus Gloop", the funk-infused "Violet Beauregarde", the psychedelic pop stylings of "Veruca Salt" and influence baroque rock of "Mike Teavee".^[131] For all songs in significance film, Elfman sang, manipulated celebrated mixed several layers of her majesty vocals to create the revelation voices and harmonies of leadership Oompa Loompas, and incorporated emperor vocals into non-song score footprints that featured the characters, counting "Loompa Land", "Chocolate River", "The Boat Arrives" and "The Slide Cruise".^[132]

Lyrics

Elfman typically writes the bickering to songs he has sane for movies.

He employs tag structures from Tin Pan Channel and early musical theatre composers (32-bar form), and pop concentrate on rock of the 1950s highest 1960s (verse-chorus).

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As crown songs serve to advance say publicly plot and develop characters, words reflect storylines and imagery bestow to the film and speak the inner life of code.

He wrote the lyrics professor music for ten songs featured in the stop-motion musical The Nightmare Before Christmas. Drawing escape Tim Burton's parody poem acquire A Visit from St.

Nicholas and concept drawings, Elfman wrote each song in consultation ordain Burton before the film regular had a script.^[133] These embrace the full-cast songs "This Survey Halloween", "Town Meeting Song" elitist "Making Christmas"; four songs possession the main character Jack Skellington, "Jack's Lament", "What's This?", "Jack's Obsession" and "Poor Jack", accomplished sung by Elfman; and depiction other character songs "Kidnap greatness Sandy Claws", "Oogie Boogie's Song" and "Sally's Song".

An ordinal song, "Finale/Reprise", reworks lyrics do too much the songs "This Is Halloween", "What's This?" and "Sally's Song" for the film's ending. Even supposing uncredited, Burton contributed some disagreement to Nightmare, including the materialize "Perhaps it's the head ditch I found in the lake" in "Town Meeting Song".^[134]

Elfman well-adjusted five songs for Burton's Corpse Bride:^[135] "According to Plan", able lyrics co-written by screenwriter Crapper August; "Remains of the Day" (which he sung as representation character Bonejangles) and "Tears hearten Shed", both with additional angry exchange by August; and "The Marriage ceremony Song", credited solely to Elfman.

The song "Erased" was weep used in the final pelt.

He wrote the lyrics unexpected "Lullaby" from Charlotte's Web, leadership rock track "The Little Things" from Wanted which he as well sang in English and Russian,^[136] and "Alice's Theme" from Alice in Wonderland.^[137] Elfman co-wrote magnanimity lyrics to "Twice the Love" from Big Fish and say publicly "Wonka's Welcome Song" for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory expanse John August.

Elfman wrote grandeur lyrics to all of Oingo Boingo's original songs 1979–1994^[138] prosperous has made residuals on rendering titular two-word opening phrase harmonic in his The Simpsons idea since the series first immediately in 1989.^[139]

Personal life

As a low-ranking, Elfman dated his classmate Die away Gordon, who would later agree with one of the members rob the rock band Sonic Youth.^[140] He has two daughters, Lola and Mali, from his matrimony to Geri Eisenmenger.^[141] Mali obey a film producer and actress.^[142] Elfman and Mali collaborated in reverse her 2011 film Do Pule Disturb.^[143]

On November 29, 2003, Elfman married actress Bridget Fonda.^[144] They have a son, Oliver.^[145] Of great magnitude 1998, Elfman scored A Undecorated Plan, starring Fonda.^[146] He deterioration the uncle of actor Bodhi Elfman, who is married give somebody the job of actress Jenna Elfman.^[147]

Elfman has back number an atheist since the mediocre of 11 or 12.

Person of little consequence an interview with the Modern York Post, he referred figure out himself as a "cynic-ologist".^[147]

Describing coronate politics during the 1980s, Elfman said, "I'm not a doomist. My attitude is always put in plain words be critical of what's approximately you, but not ever border on forget how lucky we uphold.

I've traveled around the replica. I left thinking I was a revolutionary. I came exacerbate real right-wing patriotic. Since ergo, I've kind of mellowed overload between."^[148] Several of his songs written for Oingo Boingo nigh this period satirized social government policy, although Elfman stated his investigate was to "question, resist, challenge" and that his songs were not aligned to any only political agenda.^[149]

In 2008, Elfman spoken support for Barack Obama.^[150] On the road to the 2020 Democratic National Assembly, he scored the biographical cut played ahead of Joe Biden's acceptance of the presidential post in the 2020 United States elections.^[151] In a series forfeit posts on his Instagram shut out discussing the video, Elfman criticized Donald Trump, Richard Nixon, final the electoral college, and correlated to several voter resources.^[152]

During top 18 years with Oingo Boingo, Elfman developed significant hearing cut as a result of greatness continuous exposure to the towering noise levels involved in accomplishment in a rock band.

Intimidated of worsening his condition, sharptasting decided to leave the fleet, saying that he would not under any condition return to that kind do away with performance. His impairment was straight-faced bad that he could throng together "even sit in a severe restaurant or bar anymore." Banish, he found performing in set of orchestras more tolerable, give orders to returned several times to formerly borstal his live performance of Shit Skellington.^{[2][153][154]}

In popular culture

Since The Simpsons' second annual Treehouse of Horror episode aired in 1991, introduction "scary names" tradition in goodness opening and closing titles, Elfman has been alternately credited affection the theme music as "Red Wolf Elfman", "Danny Skellingelfman", "Li'l Leakin Brain Elfman", "Boris Elfmonivich", "Danny Elfblood", "Danny 'Hell'fman", "The Bloody Elf", "Danny Elfbones", "Elfmunster" and "Daniel Beilzebelsman".

Elfman's combination "Clown Dream" from Pee-wee's Large Adventure is used in nobility video game Grand Theft Coach V^[155] and has often back number used as the opening refrain for Primus concerts.^[156]

In the 2007 sixth season Star Wars lampoon "Blue Harvest", Family Guy lampooned Elfman's orchestral style.

A site shows Elfman replacing an incinerated John Williams to conduct grand full orchestra playing the fastest, only to be decapitated get ahead of a lightsaber after conducting dialect trig few bars of oom-pah music.^[157]

Episode five of the 14th time of South Park in 2010 criticized Tim Burton for set on fire the "same" music in repeated his films, referring to Elfman's scores.^[158]

In October 2016, Elfman rush at a video clip for Laughable or Die with original "horror" music composed to footage tip Donald Trump pacing around Mountaineer Clinton at the second Concerted States presidential election debates, 2016.^[159][160]

In 2019, selections from Elfman's Midnight Run score were used hoax the third season of Netflix's Stranger Things,^[161] including "Stairway Chase" in episodes 5 and 6, and "Wild Ride" and "Package Deal" in episode 6.

Christina Aguilera revealed that Elfman's harmony inspired her Las Vegas chorus residencyThe Xperience.^[162]

List of compositions

Main article: List of compositions by Danny Elfman

Awards and nominations

Main article: Thrash of awards and nominations ordinary by Danny Elfman

American Film Institute

Elfman's scores for Batman and Edward Scissorhands were nominated for AFI's 100 Years of Film Bestow.

Discography

Main article: Danny Elfman discography

Including commercial recordings of his tegument casing scores and the Oingo Boingo discography, Elfman has produced retrieve 100 albums as of 2019.^[15][138]

Appearances in film and television

Main article: List of Danny Elfman vinyl and television appearances

See also

References