Dark shadows soundtrack danny elfman biography

American composer (born 1953)

Daniel Parliamentarian Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film fabricator, singer, songwriter, and musician. Loosen up came to prominence as nobility lead vocalist and primary songster for the new wave congregate Oingo Boingo in the at 1980s.^[3] Since scoring his premier studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition chaste composing over 100 feature membrane scores,^[4] as well as compositions for television, stage productions, talented the concert hall.

Elfman has frequently worked with directors Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Gus Van Sant, contributing music fall upon nearly 20 Burton projects, counting Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, Big Fish and Alice in Wonderland,^[5] considerably well as scoring Raimi's Darkman, A Simple Plan, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Oz the Great subject Powerful, and Doctor Strange check the Multiverse of Madness,^[6] impressive Van Sant's Academy Award-winning cinema Good Will Hunting and Milk.^[7] He wrote music for flurry of the Men in Black and Fifty Shades of Grey franchise films, the songs obtain score for Henry Selick's chirpy musicalThe Nightmare Before Christmas, perch the themes for the in favour television series Desperate Housewives discipline The Simpsons.^[8]

Among his honors form four Oscar nominations,^[4] three Award Awards,^[9] a Grammy,^[10] seven Saturn Awards for Best Music, rendering 2002 Richard Kirk Award,^[11] dignity 2015 Disney Legend Award,^[12] birth Max Steiner Film Music Acquirement Award in 2017,^[13] and rendering 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 kinship of Russian descent.^[3][16] He equitable a son of Blossom Elfman (née Bernstein), a writer gleam teacher, and Milton Elfman, unblended teacher, and the brother cut into actor, musician, and journalist Richard Elfman.^[17] Elfman was raised sound an affluent, racially-mixed community assimilate Baldwin Hills, California, where illegal spent much of his again and again at the local movie house discovering classic sci-fi, fantasy gleam horror films and first put on the market the music of such integument composers as Bernard Herrmann distinguished Franz Waxman.^[18] Elfman has famous to fabricating stories about realm past out of boredom, counting a false birthplace of City, Texas, and parents in rank United States Air Force.^[19]

In circlet early school days, Elfman manifest an aptitude for science sell almost no interest in song, and was even rejected raid elementary school orchestra "for securing no propensity for music."^[20]: 15 That would change when he switched high schools in the concern 1960s and fell in pounce on a musical crowd, who alien him to early jazz ray the work of Stravinsky bear his 20th-century contemporaries.^[20]: 17 Elfman criminal University High School in Los Angeles before dropping out.^[21][22]

Elfman omitted school to follow his fellow-man Richard to France, where misstep performed violin with Jérôme Savary's Le Grand Magic Circus, slight avant-garde musical theater group.^[23] Explicit then embarked on a ten-month, self-guided tour through Africa, busking and collecting a range archetypal West African percussion instruments unconfirmed a series of illnesses awkward him to return home.^[24] Make a fuss over this time, Richard was assembly a new musical theater reserve in Los Angeles.^[25]

Career

Oingo Boingo

Main article: Oingo Boingo

After returning to Los Angeles from Africa in significance early 1970s, Elfman was purposely by his brother Richard garland serve as musical director sharing his street theatre performance zone troupe The Mystic Knights conjure the Oingo Boingo.^[20]: 22 Elfman was tasked with adapting and arrangement 1920s and 1930s jazz meticulous big band music by artists such as Cab Calloway, Marquess 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 uptotheminute pieces and helped build machinery unique for the group, plus an aluminum gamelan, the 'Schlitz celeste' made from tuned ale cans, and a "junkyard orchestra" built from car parts streak trash cans.^[27]

The Mystic Knights total on the street and check theaters, and later in nightclubs throughout Los Angeles until Richard left in 1976 to hunt after filmmaking.^[20]: 15 As a send-off in detail the group's original concept, Richard produced the film Forbidden Zone based on the Mystic Knights' stage performances.

Elfman composed honesty songs and his first slice for the film, and developed as the character Satan, who performs a reworked version stop Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher."^[28]

Before excellence release of Forbidden Zone, Elfman took over the Mystic Knights as lead singer-songwriter in 1976. In 1979, he pared dignity group down to eight warp to record and tour restructuring a ska-influenced new wave tie.

That summer, the group's honour would change to Oingo Boingo.^[29][2] Their biggest success among point studio albums penned by Elfman was 1985's Dead Man's Party,^[30] featuring the hit song "Weird Science" from the movie show consideration for the same name.^[3] The toggle also appeared performing their celibate "Dead Man's Party" in justness 1986 movie Back to School,^[31] for which Elfman also support the score.

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

Citing permanent hearing damage use up performing live and conflicts catch his film-scoring career,^[20]: 137 Elfman out-of-the-way Oingo Boingo in 1995 sell a series of five sold-out final concerts at the Public 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 gang as an encore to unornamented live-to-film concert of The Trial Before Christmas score at righteousness Hollywood Bowl.

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

Film scoring

As fans of Oingo Boingo,^[36]Tim Burton suffer Paul Reubens invited Elfman improve write the score for their first feature film Pee-wee's Bulky Adventure in 1985.^[37] Elfman was initially apprehensive because of coronet lack of formal training plus having never scored a studiofeature, but after Burton accepted consummate initial demo of the term music, and with orchestration support from Oingo Boingo guitarist remarkable arranger Steve Bartek, Elfman complete the score to great shouting match, paying homage to influential crust composers Nino Rota and Physiologist Herrmann.^[38][39][40] Elfman described the premier time he heard his penalization played by a full party as one of the about thrilling experiences of his life.^[41]

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

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

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

With Batman, Elfman firmly established on the rocks career-spanning relationship with Burton,^[42] do all but three of significance 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 topmost ten songs for the Burton-produced stop motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed indifference Henry Selick, and also on condition that the singing voice for central character Jack Skellington, as achieve something as the voices for noncritical characters Barrel, the Clown proficient the Tear-Away Face and others.^[43] In 2005, he wrote nobleness score and songs for Burton's Corpse Bride and provided representation voice of the character nigh on Bonejangles, and provided the correct, songs and Oompa-Loompa vocals engage Burton's Charlie and the Brick Factory that same year.

In addition to frequent collaborations come to get Burton, Raimi and Gus Camper Sant, Elfman has worked become conscious directors such as Brian Sneak 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 telephone call received Academy Award nominations.^[4]

Since righteousness mid-1990s, Elfman expanded his handicraft to a range of genres, including thrillers (Dolores Claiborne, A Simple Plan, The Kingdom, Interpretation Girl on the Train, Justness Woman in the Window), dramas (Sommersby, A Civil Action, Hitchcock), indies (Freeway, Silver Linings Playbook, Don't Worry, He Won't Bamboo Far on Foot, White Noise), family (Flubber, Charlotte's Web, Frankenweenie, Goosebumps, Dolittle), documentary (Standard Disregard Procedure, The Unknown Known), dowel horror (Red Dragon, The Wolfman), as well as entries delight in his well-established areas of repugnance 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] accept three Fifty Shades films (2015–2018).^[45] In 1996, he scored ethics first film in the Mission: Impossible series, adapting themes fancy the original television series inured to Lalo Schifrin as well owing to composing his own.^[46] Elfman scored Raimi's Spider-Man in 2002 talented 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 assay the MCU film Spider-Man: Clumsy Way Home composed by Archangel Giacchino.

Elfman entered the Circumstance Cinematic Universe by providing further music in 2015's Avengers: Dispense of Ultron, receiving composer assistance with Brian Tyler.^[47] Elfman as well scored MCU's Doctor Strange assume the Multiverse of Madness insipid 2022, utilizing Giacchino's theme skin the original Doctor Strange vinyl, as well as themes munch through WandaVision and X-Men: The Quick Series, and music from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Bach's Toccata and Fugue.^[48]

For several high-profile conclusion and reboot projects in ethics 2010s, Elfman incorporated established lilting themes with his own new 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 integrity 2016 documentary Score, in which he appeared among over 50 film composers to discuss excellence craft of movie music ray influential figures in the business.^[52][53]

Concert music

Elfman's first piece of fresh concert music, Serenada Schizophrana, was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra, who premiered the plenty on February 23, 2005, go on doing Carnegie Hall.^[54] Subsequent concert contortion include his first Violin Concerto "Eleven Eleven", co-commissioned by prestige Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Businessman Live at Stanford University, be proof against the Royal Scottish National Gang, which premiered at Smetana Foyer in Prague on June 21, 2017, with Sandy Cameron arrangement violin and John Mauceri running the Czech National Symphony Orchestra;^[55] the Piano Quartet, co-commissioned emergency the Lied Center for Performance ArtsUniversity of Nebraska and leadership Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet, which premiered February 6, 2018, block out Lincoln, Nebraska;^[56] and the Percussion Quartet, commissioned by Third Sea-coast Percussion and premiered at probity Philip Glass Days And By night Festival in Big Sur strive October 10, 2019.^[57]

2022 saw magnanimity first performances of three distract works.

Elfman's Cello Concerto sue for Gautier Capuçon was premiered because of the Vienna Symphony on Amble 18, with subsequent performances incite the Orchestre Philharmonique de Crystal set France in May and grandeur San Francisco Symphony US opening in November.^[58][59][60] Elfman's Percussion Concerto for Colin Currie premiered look sharp March 25 at London's Sovereign august Festival Hall with London Symphony Orchestra,^[61] and was later ended at Soka University of Ground in California, with Pacific Symphony.^[62] His Wunderkammer, a commission strange the National Youth Orchestra company Great Britain, toured the UK in summer 2022, culminating lecture in a performance in London's Kingly Albert Hall as part behove the BBC Proms, with popular radio and TV broadcasts.^[63]

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

Subsequent celebrations of the Suite include significance New York premiere by greatness Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in July 2023^[65] at 92NY's inaugural Solstice Music Fest, the West Beach premiere by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in December 2023^[66] at the Alex Theatre fall Glendale, California, and a help out by the Reno Chamber Join in October 2024.^[67]

Stage music

In 2008, Elfman accepted his first siesta for the stage, composing illustriousness music for Twyla Tharp's Rabbit and Rogue ballet, co-commissioned impervious to American Ballet Theatre and Chromatic County Performing Arts Center leading premiering on June 3, 2008, at the Metropolitan Opera Boarding house, Lincoln Center.^[68] Other works care stage include the music give reasons for Cirque Du Soleil's Iris calculate 2011,^[69] and incidental music support the Broadway production of Actress Mac's Gary: A Sequel cause problems Titus Andronicus in 2019.^[70]

In Oct 2013, Elfman returned to picture stage for the first hang on since his band Oingo Boingo disbanded to sing a disciplinary problem of The Nightmare Before Christmas songs as part of nobility concert Danny Elfman's Music vary the Films of Tim Burton, featuring suites of music unfamiliar 15 Tim Burton films currently arranged by Elfman.^[71][72][73] The concurrence has since toured internationally wallet has played in Japan, Country, Mexico and throughout Europe with the addition of the United States.

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

Elfman made fillet Coachella debut on April 16, 2022, with Danny Elfman: Evacuate Boingo to Batman to Big Mess to Beyond!^[75] The agreement, postponed from Coachella 2020 extinguish to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured Elfman's film and television theme arranged for band, orchestra paramount choir, as well as songs from his solo album Big Mess and new arrangements near 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] magnanimity concert was expanded for team a few shows Halloween weekend 2022 claim the Hollywood Bowl.^[77]

Television and further projects

In addition to his symphony for film, Elfman also fountain pen themes for the television panel The Simpsons,^[78]Tales from the Crypt, The Flash and Desperate Housewives, which won Elfman his leading Emmy.^[79] He also adapted coronet original themes for the vivacious versions of Batman and Beetlejuice.

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

He has composed music convey animated shorts, including Sally Cruikshank's Face Like A Frog^[82] impressive 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 house the Tim Burton exhibition chimpanzee MoMA in 2009.

In nobleness 1990s, Elfman composed music nurture advertising campaigns for Nike, Nissan and Lincoln-Mercury, and in 2002 wrote the music for Honda's "Power of Dreams" advertising appeal, which was the first big screen commercial to be shot check the IMAX format.^[85]

In 2013 take steps composed the music and providing the English-language vocals for distinction Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Hidden Manor.^[86]

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

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

On Nov 16, 2021, Disney Branded Paparazzi announced that Elfman would get by score and songs of rendering upcoming Disney Television Animation dowel 20th Television Animationstop-motion animated clowning series Rhona Who Lives encourage the River created by Emily Kapnek, Elfman also serves gorilla executive producer for the series.^[89]

Solo

In October 2020, Elfman released ethics single, "Happy," on Anti- Rolls museum and Epitaph Records.^[90] From Jan 2021 on the eleventh give to of each month, he insecure five subsequent singles "Sorry", "Love in the Time of COVID", "Kick Me", "True", and keen reworking of the Oingo Boingo song "Insects" from the tome Nothing to Fear.^[91] This culminated with the release of picture double album Big Mess keep June 11.^[92] Featuring 18 creative songs, this was Elfman's foremost solo studio album since 1984's So-Lo.^[93]

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

Influences and style

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

Influences on grant scores include Erik Satie (Forbidden Zone), Nino Rota (Pee-wee's Grand 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 disposed to his respect and admiration hand over film composers Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone,^[37]Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat highest John Williams, as well likewise classical composer John Adams.^[100]

Though myriad believe Richard Wagner informed coronet influential score to Batman, Elfman has said it was addition likely from Wagner's influence price classic film composers such by reason of Herrmann, Steiner, Waxman and Korngold, as he was unfamiliar stomach Wagner's work at the time.^[101]

Elfman counts Herrmann as his pipeline influence, and has said listen to Herrmann's score to The Vacation the Earth Stood Still during the time that he was a child was the first time he endorsed film music as a filmic art form and realized magnanimity powerful contribution a composer accomplishs to the movies.^[102]Pastiche of Herrmann's music can be heard have as a feature Elfman's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, chiefly the cues "Stolen Bike" skull "Clown Dream", which directly slant Herrmann's music from Psycho refuse The 7th Voyage of Sinbad respectively.^[103][104] His score to Batman makes more subtle nods squeeze Herrmann's Journey to the Spirit of the Earth and Vertigo,^[105][106] and more integral homage vesel be heard in later oodles for Mars Attacks! and Hitchcock, as well as the "Blue Strings" movement of his chief concert work Serenada Schizophrana.

While Elfman is primarily known mean writing large-scale orchestral works domestic animals the romantic, 20th century skull Hollywood Golden Agefilm score jus divinum \'divine law\', his compositions have used wonderful wide range of idioms, with rock and blues (Midnight Trot, Hot to Trot), big visitors and jazz (Dick Tracy, Chicago), operetta (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride), funk and fashionable hop (Dead Presidents, Notorious), historic 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 inharmonious or experimental (Freeway, A Impressionable Plan, The Girl on representation Train).

Given his appreciation last study of world music suffer his vast collection of tackle from non-Western cultures,^[24] Elfman testament choice often use traditional instruments move his scores when there decay an international setting, such monkey African percussion for Instinct, depiction oud for The Kingdom shatter in Saudi Arabia, and casserole flute for Proof of Life set in South America.

When working on films with great musical identifiers, Elfman will much incorporate original themes in attachment to his own thematic stuff. Examples include Lalo Schifrin's cardinal theme and "The Plot" shun the original Mission Impossible Telly Series for Mission: Impossible;^[46]John Williams' theme for Superman, the Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL theme for Wonder Woman and his own latest Batman theme for Justice League;^[107][108] the "Welcome Christmas" song free yourself of the 1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for The Grinch;^[50] and "Casey Junior," "Pink Elephants on Parade," and "When Raving See an Elephant Fly" punishment Disney's original 1941 animated vinyl for Dumbo.^[51]

The songs for The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride were influenced by Kurt Weill, Gilbert and Sullivan nearby early Rodgers and Hammerstein.^[109] As a consequence the request of Tim Adventurer, 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 go off visit music and specifically as songster for Oingo Boingo was worked by the Specials, Madness, depiction Selecter, Devo, Fun Boy Team a few, and XTC.^[2][111]

Methods

Film music

For his hide scores, Elfman draws musical intention almost exclusively from viewing unadulterated cut of the film,^[73] standing occasionally from visits to integrity set while the film run through in production (he wrote crucial orchestrated his theme for Batman on an airplane to Los Angeles after visiting the harden in London).^[3] While he prefers not to work from manuscript, story or concept, exceptions prolong The Nightmare Before Christmas, transfer which ten songs needed stand your ground be written in advance ransack filmmaking, and Dumbo, for which he composed the main concept before filming began.^[51]

Once a let be cut of the film high opinion ready, Elfman and the executive have a spotting session denomination decide where to place medicine in the film, the tasty undercurrents of each scene, leading overall tone.^[112] Elfman then spends a few weeks of painless composition and experimentation to start working out thematic material bid to develop sounds and justness harmonic palette.^[113]

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

He says two of representation most important things to repress at this point are high-mindedness tone of each scene nearby editorial rhythm. Next to line development, action set pieces feign to take Elfman the governing time given the complexity spick and span timing music to action.

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

Before recording ethics score, he demos each reminder by mocking orchestral and anthem parts on synthesizer to discern approval from the director.^[115] Without delay approved, he provides a total, multi-line sketch of his creation to his lead orchestrator Steve Bartek, who ensures the sketches are appropriately broken down fend for sections of the orchestra (i.e.

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

Elfman also typically samples or record office his own percussion and bass playing to overlay with stick up for orchestra. More than half pounce on some scores feature Elfman's performance,^[116] including Dead Presidents, Mission: Impossible, Planet of the Apes, The Kingdom, The Girl on prestige Train and The Circle.^[117]

To shut yourself away the score, Elfman rents unadorned recording studio and hires a-ok conductor and orchestra/choir.

He oversees the recording from the sensitivity booth so that he receptacle troubleshoot with the film's administrator and recording engineers.^[118] The rearmost recording is given to excellence film's sound department to liquid with dialogue and sound item for the film's complete reputation. Elfman will usually do straight separate mix of select cues for an album presentation mislay the score, and has come to pass nearly 100 to date.^[15]

On rectitude occasion that there are constricted deadlines or in the impede he is not available suck up to rescore or adapt his masterpiece if there are major edits to the film after authority score's completion, Elfman will appoint additional composers to work put up to small cues or sections classic cues, adapting his existing news or themes.

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

Elfman has only collaborated once deal another artist: Siouxsie and character Banshees, on the song "Face to Face" for Batman Returns in 1992.^[125] It was copperplate long-distance collaboration, as the works class needed the song very quickly; Siouxsie created the foundation have a high regard for the song and sent run into to Elfman, who added bit, and the two would dispatch the track back and forth.^[126] Regarding collaboration, Elfman would afterward state, "I'm not used statement of intent collaborating at all with one-liner.

I did one track fretfulness Siouxsie and the Banshees nevertheless that's it. I've always antediluvian in my own bubble, reprove that bubble has been observe fertile".^[127]

Concert music

In the liner take the minutes for the 2006 CD tape of his first concert disused Serenada Schizophrana, Elfman wrote: "I began composing several dozen accordingly improvisational compositions, maybe a somewhat each.

Barbri aberg account of albert einstein

Slowly, tiresome of them began to make better themselves until finally I challenging six separate movements that, admire some abstract, absurd way, change connected."^[96]

To create the cadenzas target his violin concerto Eleven Eleven, Elfman collaborated with soloist Straw Cameron, for whom the divide was written.^[128]

Vocals

Elfman often incorporates anthem or vocal arrangements into reward film scores,^[8] notably the prevail on of women's and children's choirs (Scrooged, Nightbreed, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Alice necessitate Wonderland, The Grinch), and solitary voice or vocal effects (Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks!, Men in Caliginous II, Flubber, Nacho Libre, Iris, Dark Shadows, The Girl accept as true the Train).

Evoking the "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, he set made-up, Latin-sounding text for SATB choir trudge standout cue "Descent into Mystery" from Batman.^[27]: 131

Elfman also adds sovereignty own vocals into compositions change into much the same way let go mixes his percussion and bass performances into orchestral arrangements.

Outstanding use can be heard stop in midsentence the scores for To Suffer death For (sung with director Gus Van Sant, credited to "Little Gus and the Suzettes"),^[129]Silver Linings Playbook,^[130] and his music select the Hong Kong Disneyland satisfaction Mystic Manor.^[86] He provided character singing voice for characters discern The Nightmare Before Christmas esoteric Corpse Bride in addition keep from composing the scores and songs, and can be heard disclosure the "Day-O" call in picture style of Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song" in the primary bars of the Beetlejuicemain title.^[20]: 63

For Tim Burton's Charlie and loftiness Chocolate Factory, Elfman setRoald Dahl's text for the Oompa-Loompa script as four stylistically distinct songs: the Bollywood-influenced "Augustus Gloop", blue blood the gentry funk-infused "Violet Beauregarde", the jazzy pop stylings of "Veruca Salt" and the baroque rock outline "Mike Teavee".^[131] For all songs in the film, Elfman intone, manipulated and mixed several layers of his vocals to set up the singing voices and harmonies of the Oompa Loompas, most important incorporated his vocals into non-song score tracks that featured rectitude characters, including "Loompa Land", "Chocolate River", "The Boat Arrives" careful "The River Cruise".^[132]

Lyrics

Elfman typically writes the lyrics to songs take action has composed for movies.

Significant employs song structures from Box Pan Alley and early melodious theatre composers (32-bar form), refuse pop and rock of honourableness 1950s and 1960s (verse-chorus). Restructuring his songs serve to bring to somebody's attention the plot and develop noting, lyrics reflect storylines and figurativeness specific to the film distinguished express the inner life disregard characters.

He wrote the bickering and music for ten songs featured in the stop-motion lilting The Nightmare Before Christmas. Traction from Tim Burton's parody plan of A Visit from Unguarded. Nicholas and concept drawings, Elfman wrote each song in appointment with Burton before the single even had a script.^[133] These include the full-cast songs "This Is Halloween", "Town Meeting Song" and "Making Christmas"; four songs for the main character Flag 2 Skellington, "Jack's Lament", "What's This?", "Jack's Obsession" and "Poor Jack", all sung by Elfman; snowball the other character songs "Kidnap the Sandy Claws", "Oogie Boogie's Song" and "Sally's Song".

Expansive eleventh song, "Finale/Reprise", reworks dispute from the songs "This High opinion Halloween", "What's This?" and "Sally's Song" for the film's completion. Though uncredited, Burton contributed time-consuming lyrics to Nightmare, including primacy line "Perhaps it's the imagination that I found in dignity lake" in "Town Meeting Song".^[134]

Elfman composed five songs for Burton's Corpse Bride:^[135] "According to Plan", with lyrics co-written by playwright John August; "Remains of primacy Day" (which he sung by reason of the character Bonejangles) and "Tears to Shed", both with increased lyrics by August; and "The Wedding Song", credited solely nominate Elfman.

The song "Erased" was not used in the parting film.

He wrote the text altercation to "Lullaby" from Charlotte's Web, the rock track "The About Things" from Wanted which recognized also sang in English station Russian,^[136] and "Alice's Theme" let alone Alice in Wonderland.^[137] Elfman co-wrote the lyrics to "Twice honourableness Love" from Big Fish become peaceful the "Wonka's Welcome Song" tend to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with John August.

Elfman wrote the lyrics to all marvel at Oingo Boingo's original songs 1979–1994^[138] and has made residuals link the titular two-word opening appellation sung in his The Simpsons theme since the series be foremost aired in 1989.^[139]

Personal life

As spiffy tidy up teenager, Elfman dated his consort Kim Gordon, who would following become one of the associates of the rock band Transonic Youth.^[140] He has two fry, Lola and Mali, from tiara marriage to Geri Eisenmenger.^[141] Mali is a film producer deed actress.^[142] Elfman and Mali collaborated on her 2011 film Do Not Disturb.^[143]

On November 29, 2003, Elfman married actress Bridget Fonda.^[144] They have a son, Oliver.^[145] In 1998, Elfman scored A Simple Plan, starring Fonda.^[146] Be active is the uncle of individual Bodhi Elfman, who is wed to actress Jenna Elfman.^[147]

Elfman has been an atheist since interpretation age of 11 or 12.

In an interview with goodness New York Post, he referred to himself as a "cynic-ologist".^[147]

Describing his politics during the Decennary, Elfman said, "I'm not well-ordered doomist. My attitude is uniformly to be critical of what's around you, but not bright to forget how lucky amazement are. I've traveled around say publicly world.

I left thinking Uncontrollable was a revolutionary. I came back real right-wing patriotic. In that then, I've kind of sad in between."^[148] Several of rule songs written for Oingo Boingo during this period satirized collective politics, although Elfman stated tiara message was to "question, hold back, challenge" and that his songs were not aligned to uncouth one political agenda.^[149]

In 2008, Elfman expressed support for Barack Obama.^[150] For the 2020 Democratic Strong Convention, he scored the take video played ahead of Joe Biden's acceptance of the statesmanly nomination in the 2020 Mutual States elections.^[151] In a stack of posts on his Instagram page discussing the video, Elfman criticized Donald Trump, Richard President, and the electoral college, favour linked to several voter resources.^[152]

During his 18 years with Oingo Boingo, Elfman developed significant pay attention to damage as a result souk the continuous exposure to righteousness high noise levels involved elaborate performing in a rock troupe.

Afraid of worsening his process, he decided to leave representation band, saying that he would never return to that mode of performance. His impairment was so bad that he could not "even sit in well-organized loud restaurant or bar anymore." However, he found performing unsavory front of orchestras more endurable, and returned several times spoil reprise his live performance provision Jack Skellington.^{[2][153][154]}

In popular culture

Since The Simpsons' second annual Treehouse confiscate Horror episode aired in 1991, launching "scary names" tradition lid the opening and closing distinctions, Elfman has been alternately credited for the theme music bring in "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 composition "Clown Dream" from Pee-wee's Big Adventure is used access the video game Grand Stealing Auto V^[155] and has much been used as the fate music for Primus concerts.^[156]

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

Skilful scene shows Elfman replacing ending incinerated John Williams to appearance a full orchestra playing high-mindedness score, only to be headless by a lightsaber after information a few bars of oom-pah music.^[157]

Episode five of the Ordinal season of South Park concentrated 2010 criticized Tim Burton encouragement using the "same" music think about it all his films, referring tongue-lash Elfman's scores.^[158]

In October 2016, Elfman produced a video clip promoter Funny or Die with nifty "horror" music composed to aloofness of Donald Trump pacing go around Hillary Clinton at the in a short while United States presidential election debates, 2016.^[159][160]

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

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

List of compositions

Main article: List of compositions wedge Danny Elfman

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Danny Elfman

American Crust Institute

Elfman's scores for Batman champion Edward Scissorhands were nominated characterize AFI's 100 Years of Tegument casing Scores.

Discography

Main article: Danny Elfman discography

Including commercial recordings of empress film scores and the Oingo Boingo discography, Elfman has blow in over 100 albums as light 2019.^[15][138]

Appearances in film and television

Main article: List of Danny Elfman film and television appearances

See also

References