Elfman, Danny

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biography of Elfman, Dann

Daniel Robert Elfman
29 May 1953, Los Angeles, California, USA
178 cm
As Danny Elfman was growing up in the Los Angeles area, he was largely unaware of his talent for composing. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Danny and his older brother 'Richard Elfman' (qv) started a musical troupe while in Paris; the group "Mystic Knights of Oingo-Boingo" was created for Richard's directorial debut, _Forbidden Zone (1982)_ (qv) (now considered a cult classic by Elfman fans). The group's name went through many incarnations over the years, beginning with "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo" and eventually just 'Oingo Boingo' (qv). While continuing to compose eclectic, intelligent rock music for his L.A.-based band (some of which had been used in various film soundtracks, e.g. _Weird Science (1985)_ (qv)), Danny formed a friendship with young director 'Tim Burton (I)' (qv), who was then a fan of Oingo Boingo. Danny went on to score the soundtrack of _Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)_ (qv), Danny's first orchestral film score. The Elfman-Burton partnership continued (most notably through the hugely-successful "Batman" flicks) and opened doors of opportunity for Danny, who has been referred to as "Hollywood's hottest film composer".
Dana Caro James

- 'Bridget Fonda' (qv) (29 November 2003 - present); 1 child

- '?' (? - ?) (divorced); 2 children

- Frequently combines orchestral sounds with digital sounds. Most noticeable in the opening sequence of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

- Heavy use of brass and percussion in his film scores.

- Dated 'Caroline Thompson (I)' (qv)

- Uncle of 'Bodhi Elfman' (qv)

- His older brother is director 'Richard Elfman' (qv).

- His mother is 'Clare Elfman' (qv), an author of children's books.

- Elfman fans discuss his current and past work in the usenet group rec.music.artists.danny-elfman.

- The past, present and future of Elfman and the other members of 'Oingo Boingo' (qv) are also discussed at alt.fan.oingo-boingo.

- Wrote the score for _Black Beauty (1994)_ (qv) for his two daughters from a collapsed marriage. Released a solo album in 1984, So-Lo, which happened to feature most of the band members from 'Oingo Boingo' (qv).

- (1997) Signed a non-exclusive contract with Disney to write, produce, and direct films, while continuing to compose for Disney and other studios.

- Often composes scores for 'Tim Burton (I)' (qv)'s films

- Engaged to 'Bridget Fonda' (qv) (March 2003)

- Claims 'Bernard Herrmann (I)' (qv) as a heavy influence on many of his scores.

- Owns a dachshund.

- He and 'Howard Shore (I)' (qv) have both formed hit bands ('Oingo Boingo' (qv) and The Blues Brothers), both scored films for 'Peter Jackson (I)' (qv) (_The Frighteners (1996)_ (qv) and _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)_ (qv) and others), both scored films for 'Tim Burton (I)' (qv) (Elfman has scored everything but _Ed Wood (1994)_ (qv), which Shore scored), and both scored a Hannibal Lecter film (_Red Dragon (2002)_ (qv) and _The Silence of the Lambs (1991)_ (qv)).

- Composed comic book scores from _Dick Tracy (1990)_ (qv), _Darkman (1990)_ (qv), _Batman (1989)_ (qv), _Batman Returns (1992)_ (qv), _Men in Black (1997)_ (qv), _Men in Black II (2002)_ (qv), _Spider-Man (2002)_ (qv), _Spider-Man 2 (2004)_ (qv), and _Hulk (2003)_ (qv).

- Admires 'Peter Lorre (I)' (qv).

- Was in the theater band Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo, which later morphed into 'Oingo Boingo' (qv).

- Son Oliver Elfman was born mid January 2005

- Son-in-law of 'Peter Fonda (I)' (qv) and 'Susan Brewer' (qv).

- Brother-in-law of 'Justin Fonda' (qv).

- It is sometimes believed that Elfman may have been born in Amarillo, Texas, but that is, apparently, due to a joke that he once made. He was actually born in Los Angeles County, California.

- Father of 'Mali Elfman' (qv).

- Did not return to provide the musical score for _Spider-Man 3 (2007)_ (qv), citing creative differences with director 'Sam Raimi' (qv) over the previous film. He instead, provided the score for _Charlotte's Web (2006)_ (qv), which, as it happens, is about a spider who uses her talents to do good.

- The two only Tim Burton films Elfman did not compose the score for are Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd.

- Learned how to breathe fire as a street performer in Paris after he graduated from high school.

- Sang all the vocals for the five songs in _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)_ (qv). He recorded singing it in different ways and played with the audio to make it sound like various high- and low-pitched vocals.

- Received an honorary doctorate from the North Carolina School of the Arts (June 2007).

- Daughter: Lola Elfman (born 1979).

- Daughter: Mali Elfman (born 1984).

- Was awarded Film Composer of the Year in 2008 by the International Film Music Critics Association.

- Danny continues as composer and lead singer of his eclectic rock band, known as 'Oingo Boingo' (qv). The group has released 11 albums as of 1994's recording (titled simply "Boingo"). The band retired after its farewell tour around Halloween 1995.

- Scored an MTV short film "Oh No, Not Them!"

- Scored the short animated film "Face Like a Frog" (1987)

- TV commercials (music) for Nissan (1996-1997)

- TV commercials (music) for Nike (1992)

- Print advertising for E-MU Emulator samplers (1999).

- Music for commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume directed by 'Luc Besson' (qv), adapted from _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ (qv)

- Songs written for Oingo Boingo:

- Forbidden Zone

- "Hercules" Family Theme

- Journey Through the Intestines

- Squeezit's Vision of His "Sister"

- Queen's Revenge

- Factory

- Squeezit and the Chickens

- Flash and Gramps

- Squeezit the Moocher (lyrics only; parody of Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher")

- Cell 63

- Chamber Music

- Battle of the Quuens

- King and Queen

- Finale

- Only a Lad

- Ain't This the Life

- I'm So Bad

- Little Girls

- Perfect System

- On the Outside

- Capitalism

- What You See

- Controller

- Imposter

- Nasty Habits

- Grey Matter

- Insects

- Private Life

- Wild Sex (In the Working Class)

- Running on a Treadmill

- Whole Day Off

- Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself)

- Why'd We Come

- Islands

- Reptiles and Samurai

- Goodbye-Goodbye

- Who Do You Want to Be

- Good for Your Soul

- No Spill Blood

- Cry of the Vatos

- Fill the Void

- Sweat

- Wake Up (It's 1984)

- Dead or Alive

- Pictures of You

- Little Guns

- Gratitude

- Cool City

- Go Away

- Sucker For a Mystery

- It Only Makes Me Laugh

- The Last Time

- Tough as Nails

- Lightning

- Just Another Day

- Dead Man's Party

- Heard Somebody Cry

- No One Lives Forever

- Stay

- Fool's Paradise

- Help Me

- Same Man I Was Before

- Weird Science

- Try to Believe

- Home Again

- Where Do All My Friends Go

- Elevator Man

- New Generation

- We Close Our Eyes

- Not My Slave

- My Life

- Outrageous

- Pain

- Cinderella Undercover

- Return of the Dead Man

- Winning Side

- Country Sweat

- Return of the Dead Man 2

- When the Lights Go Out

- Skin

- Out of Control

- Glory Be

- Long Breakdown

- Flesh 'N Blood

- Run Away (The Escape Song)

- Dream Somehow

- Is This

- Right to Know

- Insanity

- Hey!

- Mary

- Can't See (Useless)

- Pedestrian Wolves

- Lost Like This

- Spider

- War Again

- Tender Lumplings

- Change

- Helpless

- Burn Me Up

- Water

- Piggies

- Clowns of Death

- Album: "So-Lo", 1984.

- Fable (VG) Soundtrack

- (2006) Composed the symphony Serenada Schizophrana.

- (2006) Symphony: Serenada Schizophrana

- Janet K. Halfyard. _Danny Elfman's "Batman": A Film Score Guide._ Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. ISBN 0810851261

- I get drawn to things that don't make any sense, and I learned early on not to resist that.

- I've known Sam [Raimi] for almost 15 years. Spider-Man 2 was my fifth movie with him and all I can say is that the person who was there at the end of Spider-Man 2 was not Sam. I don't know who it was, but it wasn't Sam. It was as close to living out Invasion of the Body Snatchers as I've ever experienced. To see such a profound negative change in a human being was almost enough to make me feel like I didn't want to make films anymore. It was really disheartening and sad to see the way it ended up.

- It all depends on the directors. Working closely with a director is the main job of a film composer. Interpreting what he perceives as a color, an emotion or mood is very abstract. A director tells you something he wants and then you have to run back to your music and respond with, "I think he meant something like this."

- I don't think there's a trademark Danny Elfman element that has been consistent in my work. I don't hear many similarities in what I do and I don't think it's necessary that I have a particular style. Having a particular style is not bad, but I prefer to push myself in the direction of being a composer who you never know what he's doing next.

- The Oingo is still there. It just got lost off of our current album cover. Since then, however, it was found by my daughter in between the cushions of our couch. Although it's a bit sticky it will undoubtedly find its way back on our next album. The horn section I'm sorry to say succumbed to the terrible flesh-eating bacteria that I'm sure you read so much about. I wish I could say that they died quietly in their sleep, as opposed to screaming in agony as was the case. However who am I to question such things in the great cosmic scheme...

- _Spider-Man 2 (2004)_ (qv) -> $2,000,000

- "Diário de Notícias" (Portugal), 4 March 2000, pg. 4, by: Nuno Galopim, "Negros hábitos"

- "Starlog" (USA), February 1997, Iss. 235, by: Bill Warren, "Martian Melodies"

- "Fangoria" (USA), March 1994, Iss. 130, pg. 58-63, by: Anthony C. Ferrante, "Dead Man's Composer"

- "Starlog" (USA), December 1993, Iss. 197, by: Dan Yakir, "Twas the Night Before Halloween"

- "Starlog" (USA), October 1989, Iss. 147, pg. 63-66,+96, by: Marc Shapiro, "Music of the Dark Knight"

- "Penthouse" (USA), November 1999, Vol. 31, Iss. 3, pg. 9, by: David Dalton, "The Elfman Cometh", English

- "Entertainment@Home" (USA), April 1997, Vol. 1, Iss. 2, pg. 88-92, by: Scott Wilson and Rebecca Kraus, "Danny Elfman: Elfman Scores with Mischief"