Oingo Boingo
Encyclopedia
Oingo Boingo was an American
new wave
band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween
concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art
group. From 1976 it was led by songwriter/vocalist Danny Elfman
, who has since achieved success as a composer for film and television.
The group's format changed twice. In 1979, it reshaped from a semi-theatrical music and comedy troupe into a ska
-influenced New Wave octet and shortened their name to Oingo Boingo. In 1994, the band reshuffled its lineup, and adopted an alternative rock
sound. The band retired (a surprising move to many) after a sold out farewell concert on Halloween 1995.
, was a musical theater troupe in the tradition of Spike Jones
and Frank Zappa
, performing an eclectic repertoire ranging from Cab Calloway
covers to instrumentals in the style of Balinese gamelan
and Russian ballet music. The name was inspired by a fictional secret society
on the Amos 'n' Andy
TV series called The Mystic Knights of the Sea. Most of the members performed in whiteface and clown makeup, and a typical show contained music ranging from the 1890s to the 1950s, in addition to original material. This version of the band employed as many as 15 musicians at any given time, playing over 30 instruments, including some instruments built by band members. Few recordings from this period exist, although they released a novelty record about kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst
, "You've Got Your Baby Back".
As Richard Elfman's interest shifted to filmmaking, he passed leadership of the band to younger brother Danny Elfman
, who had recently returned from spending time in Africa
playing violin and studying percussion instrument
s. They gained a following in Los Angeles, and appeared as contestants on The Gong Show
in 1976, winning the episode they appeared on with 24 points out of a possible 30 (and without getting gonged). The Gong Show presentation included an accordion, a purple dragon, and a gaseous rocket-man. The band appeared as extras in hallucinatory sequences in the 1977 movie I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
.
When the group began to move away from its cabaret style towards a more pop/rock format, Richard Elfman made a film based on the band's stage performance, Forbidden Zone
, which was released in 1980 and filmed in black and white with a cast mostly made up of band members and friends. In one scene, Danny, as Satan, sings a version of Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" with modified lyrics integrated into the plot of the film. In another, Richard sings the 1920s novelty song "The Yiddishe Charleston". The movie attained cult status and provided a springboard for the film and music careers of Richard and Danny.
and a desire to perform music that didn't need theatrics. There was some confusion about what name the band would use. In the 1978 animated short "Face Like a Frog", by Sally Cruikshank
, the band's song "Don't Go in the Basement" is credited to The Mystic Knights. The name was shortened in 1979 to Oingo Boingo for the Rhino Records Los Angeles rock and New Wave compilation, L.A. In, which included their song "I'm Afraid".
By this time, Richard was no longer a group member, and the band had coalesced into an octet: Danny Elfman on lead vocals; Steve Bartek
on guitars; Richard Gibbs
on keyboards; Kerry Hatch on bass; Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez on drums; and Leon Schneiderman, Sam "Sluggo" Phipps and Dale Turner on horns. Early success for the group came in 1980 with the song "Only a Lad" from their eponymous EP
. The song aired frequently in Los Angeles on KROQ-FM
and complemented the station's then-unusual New Wave format. Although their sound was classified as New Wave and was compared to Devo
, Oingo Boingo defied easy categorization. Their use of exotic percussion, a three-piece horn section, unconventional scales and harmony and surrealistic imagery was an unusual combination.
Following regional success of "Only a Lad", the group released its first full length album, also titled Only a Lad
(and featuring a new recording of the song), in 1981. Oingo Boingo also appeared in the 1981 film Longshot, performing their unreleased song "I've Got to Be Entertained". The band, recording for A&M Records, released albums in 1982 (Nothing to Fear
) and 1983 (Good for Your Soul
) that drew comparisons to Devo
and later, Wall of Voodoo
. At this point, new manager Mike Gormley, who had just left the position of VP of Publicity and Asst. to the Chairman of A&M, negotiated a release from the label and signed the band to MCA Records. The first release was officially a Danny Elfman solo record in 1984 (titled So-Lo
); it was actually a group effort released under Elfman's name. Subsequently, the band would record under their own name for MCA. The band would also use "Wild Sex (In the Working Class)" for the classic teen comedy Sixteen Candles
during a dance scene by Farmer Ted, a.k.a "The Geek" (portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall
).
, and John Avila
replaced Kerry Hatch on bass. Oingo Boingo appeared in a number of soundtracks in the early to mid 1980s, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High
, which features "Goodbye, Goodbye". Their best-known song, "Weird Science", was written for the John Hughes film of the same name
, and was later included on their 1985 album Dead Man's Party.
Later, the band made an appearance playing their hit "Dead Man's Party" on stage in the film Back to School. Four more songs from the album Dead Man's Party were used in soundtracks: "No One Lives Forever" was featured in Tobe Hooper
's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, "Stay" (in the Boingo Alive version) was used as the theme music for the Brazilian soap opera Top Model, "Same Man I Was Before" was used in My Best Friend Is a Vampire
, and "Just Another Day" opened the 1985 film adaptation of S. E. Hinton
's That Was Then, This Is Now
. Beginning with 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure
, Danny Elfman had been scoring major films with increasing frequency, including almost all of Tim Burton's films.
Oingo Boingo's 1987 album BOI-NGO didn't make a huge impression on the charts. After this album, Bacich was replaced by new keyboardist Carl Graves. The band's 1988 release Boingo Alive
was actually recorded live on a soundstage, with no studio audience, and contained a selection of songs from earlier albums, plus two new compositions. The Boingo Alive track "Winning Side" became a #14 hit on US Modern Rock radio stations.
on guitar, Marc Mann on keyboards and Doug Lacy on accordion. In 1994, the band released an album, titled Boingo
, on Giant Records. Though the band was officially a ten-piece ensemble, only five members (Elfman, Bartek, Avila, Hernandez and Fitzgerald) were pictured in the album's liner notes. The Boingo album also continued in the less party-friendly vibe of Dark at the End of the Tunnel, although it contained the modern rock hit "Hey!" The more guitar-oriented album used the keyboards and horns of the five remaining members sparingly.
Live performances from the period excluded the horn section entirely. The quintet was often backed by an orchestra, conducted by Bartek, which featured prominent cello by Fred Seykora. Some have speculated that the change of instrumentation is reflected by the band changing its name to "Boingo". However, Danny Elfman insists that the name change was virtually meaningless, and "kind of an afterthought." Restoring the horn section, the band embarked on a brief farewell tour in 1995, culminating in a final annual Halloween performance at the Universal Amphitheatre
. The final concert is available on both audio and video recordings.
found a career writing film scores, where he has been nominated for four Academy Awards. His first major motion picture score was Pee-wee's Big Adventure
, and he continues to be much sought-after in the movie business, particularly in collaboration with director Tim Burton
. Elfman almost exclusively employs Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek as orchestrator. His film scores have included Pee-wee's Big Adventure
, Batman
, Edward Scissorhands
, Good Will Hunting
, Men in Black
, Spider-Man
, Big Fish
, The Nightmare Before Christmas
and dozens more. Elfman also wrote the themes for more than a dozen TV series, including The Simpsons
, Batman: The Animated Series
, Tales from the Crypt
and Desperate Housewives
.
John Avila and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez were two members of the trio Food For Feet. They also formed the rhythm section of Tito & Tarantula
, a Los Angeles band fronted by Tito Larriva
of The Plugz
and the Cruzados. Avila and Hernandez also joined Larriva and guitarist Stevie Hufstetter in a one-off project band called Psychotic Aztecs. The Aztecs released one album on the Grita label called Santa Sangre. After the breakup, bassist John Avila, guitarist Steve Bartek, drummer Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez, and saxophonist Sam Phipps (along with Doug Lacy and other musicians) formed a band called Doug & The Mystics. They recorded one album, New Hat, which included a cover of the Oingo Boingo song "Try to Believe", original songs, and covers of songs by Frank Zappa
and other artists.
During the 2005 Halloween season, Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez put together an Oingo Boingo tribute show, joined by former Oingo Boingo members Steve Bartek, John Avila, and Sam "Sluggo" Phipps, at The Grove of Anaheim
. Standing in for Elfman was Rob Elfaizy. In 2003, Richard Gibbs scored the Battlestar Galactica miniseries
. In 2005, John Avila, Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez and Steve Bartek began contributing to the subsequent Battlestar Galactica
television series. During the 2006 Halloween season, there were two Johnny Vatos Tribute to Halloween shows, one in Los Angeles and one in Orange County
, with Vatos, Bartek, Avila, Phipps, and Legacy and Rob Elfaizy.
In early 2007, Danny Elfman said there would not be a reunion. He has irreversible hearing loss and is worried that playing live would exacerbate it. He stated that some other members of the band may also suffer from the condition.
As a small tribute to the band, Southern California based Blizzard Entertainment included character references to some band members in the starting area for undead characters "The Forsaken" in the immensely popular World of Warcraft PC game. New adventurers can find skeletons with names such as Daniel Ulfman, fitting to one of the band's running themes.
As Oingo Boingo
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
group. From 1976 it was led by songwriter/vocalist Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
, who has since achieved success as a composer for film and television.
The group's format changed twice. In 1979, it reshaped from a semi-theatrical music and comedy troupe into a ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
-influenced New Wave octet and shortened their name to Oingo Boingo. In 1994, the band reshuffled its lineup, and adopted an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
sound. The band retired (a surprising move to many) after a sold out farewell concert on Halloween 1995.
Early years
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, formed in late 1972 by Richard ElfmanRichard Elfman
Richard "Rick" Elfman, , is an American film actor, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and magazine publisher.-Family:...
, was a musical theater troupe in the tradition of Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
and Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, performing an eclectic repertoire ranging from Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
covers to instrumentals in the style of Balinese gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
and Russian ballet music. The name was inspired by a fictional secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
on the Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
TV series called The Mystic Knights of the Sea. Most of the members performed in whiteface and clown makeup, and a typical show contained music ranging from the 1890s to the 1950s, in addition to original material. This version of the band employed as many as 15 musicians at any given time, playing over 30 instruments, including some instruments built by band members. Few recordings from this period exist, although they released a novelty record about kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst , now known as Patricia Campbell Hearst Shaw, is an American newspaper heiress, socialite, actress, kidnap victim, and convicted bank robber....
, "You've Got Your Baby Back".
As Richard Elfman's interest shifted to filmmaking, he passed leadership of the band to younger brother Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
, who had recently returned from spending time in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
playing violin and studying percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s. They gained a following in Los Angeles, and appeared as contestants on The Gong Show
The Gong Show
The Gong Show is an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976 through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976–1980 and 1988–1989. The show was produced by Chuck Barris, who also served...
in 1976, winning the episode they appeared on with 24 points out of a possible 30 (and without getting gonged). The Gong Show presentation included an accordion, a purple dragon, and a gaseous rocket-man. The band appeared as extras in hallucinatory sequences in the 1977 movie I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (film)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden is a 1977 film based on the Joanne Greenberg novel of the same name.In the wake of the success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Roger Corman was able to get funding for a movie version of Rose Garden. Bibi Andersson played Dr. Fried, while Kathleen Quinlan...
.
When the group began to move away from its cabaret style towards a more pop/rock format, Richard Elfman made a film based on the band's stage performance, Forbidden Zone
Forbidden Zone
Forbidden Zone is a 1982 musical comedy film based upon the stage performances of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The film stars Hervé Villechaize, Susan Tyrrell and members of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and features appearances by Warhol Superstar Viva, Joe Spinell and The...
, which was released in 1980 and filmed in black and white with a cast mostly made up of band members and friends. In one scene, Danny, as Satan, sings a version of Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" with modified lyrics integrated into the plot of the film. In another, Richard sings the 1920s novelty song "The Yiddishe Charleston". The movie attained cult status and provided a springboard for the film and music careers of Richard and Danny.
I.R.S. years (1980–1984)
Various reasons were given for the band's transformation from musical theater troupe to rock band. They included cutting costs, increasing mobility, exploring new musical directions such as Danny's interest in skaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and a desire to perform music that didn't need theatrics. There was some confusion about what name the band would use. In the 1978 animated short "Face Like a Frog", by Sally Cruikshank
Sally Cruikshank
Sally Cruikshank is an American cartoonist and animator whose work includes animation for the Children's Television Workshop program Sesame Street, and whose short "Quasi at the Quackadero" was inducted into the United States National Film Registry.-Early life and education:Sally Cruikshank was...
, the band's song "Don't Go in the Basement" is credited to The Mystic Knights. The name was shortened in 1979 to Oingo Boingo for the Rhino Records Los Angeles rock and New Wave compilation, L.A. In, which included their song "I'm Afraid".
By this time, Richard was no longer a group member, and the band had coalesced into an octet: Danny Elfman on lead vocals; Steve Bartek
Steve Bartek
Steve Bartek, born in Garfield Heights, Ohio on January 30, 1952, is an American guitarist, film composer, conductor and orchestrator.-Early career:...
on guitars; Richard Gibbs
Richard Gibbs
Richard “Ribbs” Gibbs is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include the films Sweet Hearts Dance, Dr...
on keyboards; Kerry Hatch on bass; Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez on drums; and Leon Schneiderman, Sam "Sluggo" Phipps and Dale Turner on horns. Early success for the group came in 1980 with the song "Only a Lad" from their eponymous EP
Oingo Boingo (EP)
Oingo Boingo is the first official release from the southern California new wave band Oingo Boingo. The song selection includes three original compositions by Danny Elfman, as well as a ska inflected cover of bluesman Willie Dixon's "Violent Love"....
. The song aired frequently in Los Angeles on KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
and complemented the station's then-unusual New Wave format. Although their sound was classified as New Wave and was compared to Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Oingo Boingo defied easy categorization. Their use of exotic percussion, a three-piece horn section, unconventional scales and harmony and surrealistic imagery was an unusual combination.
Following regional success of "Only a Lad", the group released its first full length album, also titled Only a Lad
Only a Lad
-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals* Steve Bartek - guitars* Richard Gibbs - keyboards* Kerry Hatch - bass* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums* Leon Schneiderman - baritone and alto saxophones* Sam "Sluggo" Phipps - tenor and soprano saxophones...
(and featuring a new recording of the song), in 1981. Oingo Boingo also appeared in the 1981 film Longshot, performing their unreleased song "I've Got to Be Entertained". The band, recording for A&M Records, released albums in 1982 (Nothing to Fear
Nothing to Fear
-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals, rhythm guitar* Steve Bartek - lead guitar, backing vocals* Richard Gibbs - keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals* Kerry Hatch - bass, key rhythm vocals* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums, percussion...
) and 1983 (Good for Your Soul
Good For Your Soul
-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals, rhythm guitar* Steve Bartek - lead guitar* Kerry Hatch - bass guitar, bass synthesizer* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums* Richard Gibbs - keyboards* Sam "Sluggo" Phipps - lead tenor, clarinet...
) that drew comparisons to Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and later, Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
. At this point, new manager Mike Gormley, who had just left the position of VP of Publicity and Asst. to the Chairman of A&M, negotiated a release from the label and signed the band to MCA Records. The first release was officially a Danny Elfman solo record in 1984 (titled So-Lo
So-Lo
-Performers:* Danny Elfman: vocals, percussion, programming* Steve Bartek: guitars, programming* Rich Gibbs: synthesizers, special DX-7 programming* Paul Fox: synthesizers* Kerry Hatch: Bass* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez: drums, percussion...
); it was actually a group effort released under Elfman's name. Subsequently, the band would record under their own name for MCA. The band would also use "Wild Sex (In the Working Class)" for the classic teen comedy Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
during a dance scene by Farmer Ted, a.k.a "The Geek" (portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall
Anthony Michael Hall
Michael Anthony Hall , known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor, film producer and director who starred in several teen-oriented films of the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980...
).
MCA years (1985–1990)
With the move to MCA, the band made two personnel switches: Mike Bacich took over on keyboards from departing member Richard GibbsRichard Gibbs
Richard “Ribbs” Gibbs is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include the films Sweet Hearts Dance, Dr...
, and John Avila
John Avila
John Avila is a Mexican-American bassist and music producer, best known for being in the new wave band Oingo Boingo from 1984 to 1995.-Career:Avila co-founded the music group Food for Feet in 1981, and played with them until 1991....
replaced Kerry Hatch on bass. Oingo Boingo appeared in a number of soundtracks in the early to mid 1980s, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
, which features "Goodbye, Goodbye". Their best-known song, "Weird Science", was written for the John Hughes film of the same name
Weird Science (film)
Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock...
, and was later included on their 1985 album Dead Man's Party.
Later, the band made an appearance playing their hit "Dead Man's Party" on stage in the film Back to School. Four more songs from the album Dead Man's Party were used in soundtracks: "No One Lives Forever" was featured in Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, "Stay" (in the Boingo Alive version) was used as the theme music for the Brazilian soap opera Top Model, "Same Man I Was Before" was used in My Best Friend Is a Vampire
My Best Friend Is a Vampire
My Best Friend Is a Vampire is a 1987 American horror-comedy film about a newly made vampire who is trying to live as a "good" vampire and not feed on humans. Jeremy is played by Robert Sean Leonard and Rene Auberjonois also stars as Jeremy's vampire guidance counsel...
, and "Just Another Day" opened the 1985 film adaptation of S. E. Hinton
S. E. Hinton
Susan Eloise Hinton is an American author best known for her young adult novel The Outsiders.While still in her teens, Hinton became a household name as the author of The Outsiders, her first and most popular novel, set in Oklahoma in the 1960s. She began writing it in 1965...
's That Was Then, This Is Now
That Was Then, This Is Now
That Was Then, This Is Now is a coming-of-age young adult novel by S. E. Hinton. It follows the relationship between two brothers who find their relationship rapidly changing. It was later made into a film starring Emilio Estevez.- Plot :...
. Beginning with 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his full-length debut and starring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman. Reubens also co-wrote the script with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol. Supporting roles are played by Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane...
, Danny Elfman had been scoring major films with increasing frequency, including almost all of Tim Burton's films.
Oingo Boingo's 1987 album BOI-NGO didn't make a huge impression on the charts. After this album, Bacich was replaced by new keyboardist Carl Graves. The band's 1988 release Boingo Alive
Boingo Alive
Boingo Alive is a double-disc album by Oingo Boingo, released on September 26, 1988. It serves a number of purposes, being a hybrid of a greatest hits album, studio album and live album...
was actually recorded live on a soundstage, with no studio audience, and contained a selection of songs from earlier albums, plus two new compositions. The Boingo Alive track "Winning Side" became a #14 hit on US Modern Rock radio stations.
Final years (1991–1995)
After being dropped from MCA, the band explored a new musical direction and reshuffled their lineup somewhat. Graves was dropped (after recording "Lost Like This"), and added were Warren FitzgeraldWarren Fitzgerald
Warren Fitzgerald is an American punk rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner.-Overview and business:Warren Fitzgerald is most famous for being the current guitarist of The Vandals...
on guitar, Marc Mann on keyboards and Doug Lacy on accordion. In 1994, the band released an album, titled Boingo
Boingo (album)
The compact disc edition did not feature the album's final track, "Helpless". It only appeared on the cassette edition.- Personnel :Boingo* Danny Elfman - vocals, guitar* Steve Bartek - guitar* John Avila - bass, vocals...
, on Giant Records. Though the band was officially a ten-piece ensemble, only five members (Elfman, Bartek, Avila, Hernandez and Fitzgerald) were pictured in the album's liner notes. The Boingo album also continued in the less party-friendly vibe of Dark at the End of the Tunnel, although it contained the modern rock hit "Hey!" The more guitar-oriented album used the keyboards and horns of the five remaining members sparingly.
Live performances from the period excluded the horn section entirely. The quintet was often backed by an orchestra, conducted by Bartek, which featured prominent cello by Fred Seykora. Some have speculated that the change of instrumentation is reflected by the band changing its name to "Boingo". However, Danny Elfman insists that the name change was virtually meaningless, and "kind of an afterthought." Restoring the horn section, the band embarked on a brief farewell tour in 1995, culminating in a final annual Halloween performance at the Universal Amphitheatre
Gibson Amphitheatre
The Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It seats up to 6,189 for concerts, including 6,089 chairback seats...
. The final concert is available on both audio and video recordings.
Legacy
Following the band's dissolution, frontman Danny ElfmanDanny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
found a career writing film scores, where he has been nominated for four Academy Awards. His first major motion picture score was Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his full-length debut and starring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman. Reubens also co-wrote the script with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol. Supporting roles are played by Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane...
, and he continues to be much sought-after in the movie business, particularly in collaboration with director Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
. Elfman almost exclusively employs Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek as orchestrator. His film scores have included Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his full-length debut and starring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman. Reubens also co-wrote the script with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol. Supporting roles are played by Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane...
, Batman
Batman (1989 film)
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
, Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter...
, Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård...
, Men in Black
Men in Black (film)
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
, Big Fish
Big Fish
Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from...
, The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to...
and dozens more. Elfman also wrote the themes for more than a dozen TV series, including The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
, Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
and Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
.
John Avila and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez were two members of the trio Food For Feet. They also formed the rhythm section of Tito & Tarantula
Tito & Tarantula
Tito & Tarantula are a chicano rock band formed in Hollywood California in 1992. The band is best known for its songs, "After Dark", "Back to the House That Love Built", "Strange Face of Love", and "Angry Cockroaches", as well as for its role in Robert Rodriguez's film From Dusk Till Dawn as the...
, a Los Angeles band fronted by Tito Larriva
Tito Larriva
-Early life:Larriva was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and El Paso, Texas. As a child he played the violin in the school orchestra and sang in the church and school choirs where he met his wife Janet Carroll. In 1972 Larriva snuck into Yale University for a full...
of The Plugz
The Plugz
The Plugz were a Mexican-American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California that formed in 1977. They and The Zeros were among the first Chicano punk bands, although several Latino garage rock bands, such as Thee Midniters and Question Mark & the Mysterians, predated them...
and the Cruzados. Avila and Hernandez also joined Larriva and guitarist Stevie Hufstetter in a one-off project band called Psychotic Aztecs. The Aztecs released one album on the Grita label called Santa Sangre. After the breakup, bassist John Avila, guitarist Steve Bartek, drummer Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez, and saxophonist Sam Phipps (along with Doug Lacy and other musicians) formed a band called Doug & The Mystics. They recorded one album, New Hat, which included a cover of the Oingo Boingo song "Try to Believe", original songs, and covers of songs by Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and other artists.
During the 2005 Halloween season, Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez put together an Oingo Boingo tribute show, joined by former Oingo Boingo members Steve Bartek, John Avila, and Sam "Sluggo" Phipps, at The Grove of Anaheim
The Grove of Anaheim
The City National Grove of Anaheim is an indoor, live music venue in Anaheim, California operated by Nederlander Concerts of Los Angeles. Its approximate capacity is 1,700....
. Standing in for Elfman was Rob Elfaizy. In 2003, Richard Gibbs scored the Battlestar Galactica miniseries
Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries)
Battlestar Galactica is a three-hour miniseries written and produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer. It was the first part of the Battlestar Galactica reimagining based on the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series, and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series...
. In 2005, John Avila, Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez and Steve Bartek began contributing to the subsequent Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
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television series. During the 2006 Halloween season, there were two Johnny Vatos Tribute to Halloween shows, one in Los Angeles and one in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, with Vatos, Bartek, Avila, Phipps, and Legacy and Rob Elfaizy.
In early 2007, Danny Elfman said there would not be a reunion. He has irreversible hearing loss and is worried that playing live would exacerbate it. He stated that some other members of the band may also suffer from the condition.
As a small tribute to the band, Southern California based Blizzard Entertainment included character references to some band members in the starting area for undead characters "The Forsaken" in the immensely popular World of Warcraft PC game. New adventurers can find skeletons with names such as Daniel Ulfman, fitting to one of the band's running themes.
Discography
- Demo EP (1979)
- Oingo BoingoOingo Boingo (EP)Oingo Boingo is the first official release from the southern California new wave band Oingo Boingo. The song selection includes three original compositions by Danny Elfman, as well as a ska inflected cover of bluesman Willie Dixon's "Violent Love"....
(1980) - Only a LadOnly a Lad-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals* Steve Bartek - guitars* Richard Gibbs - keyboards* Kerry Hatch - bass* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums* Leon Schneiderman - baritone and alto saxophones* Sam "Sluggo" Phipps - tenor and soprano saxophones...
(1981) - Nothing to FearNothing to Fear-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals, rhythm guitar* Steve Bartek - lead guitar, backing vocals* Richard Gibbs - keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals* Kerry Hatch - bass, key rhythm vocals* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums, percussion...
(1982) - Good for Your SoulGood For Your Soul-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals, rhythm guitar* Steve Bartek - lead guitar* Kerry Hatch - bass guitar, bass synthesizer* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums* Richard Gibbs - keyboards* Sam "Sluggo" Phipps - lead tenor, clarinet...
(1983) - So-LoSo-Lo-Performers:* Danny Elfman: vocals, percussion, programming* Steve Bartek: guitars, programming* Rich Gibbs: synthesizers, special DX-7 programming* Paul Fox: synthesizers* Kerry Hatch: Bass* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez: drums, percussion...
(1984) - Dead Man's Party (1985)
- Boi-ngoBOI-NGOBoi-ngo is the fifth album by Oingo Boingo, released in 1987. Its original proposed title was More Nervous Energy. This album was also released in a limited edition box set of seven inch vinyl records which included the additional studio track "Mama"...
(1987) - Dark at the End of the TunnelDark At the End Of the Tunnel-Personnel:Oingo Boingo* Danny Elfman - lead vocals* John Avila - bass, vocals* Steve Bartek - guitars* Carl Graves - keyboards, vocals* Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez - drums, percussion* Sam Phipps - tenor and soprano saxophones...
(1990) - BoingoBoingo (album)The compact disc edition did not feature the album's final track, "Helpless". It only appeared on the cassette edition.- Personnel :Boingo* Danny Elfman - vocals, guitar* Steve Bartek - guitar* John Avila - bass, vocals...
(1994)
Filmography
As The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo- Mr. Sycamore (1975) (uncredited cameo)
- Forbidden ZoneForbidden ZoneForbidden Zone is a 1982 musical comedy film based upon the stage performances of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The film stars Hervé Villechaize, Susan Tyrrell and members of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and features appearances by Warhol Superstar Viva, Joe Spinell and The...
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)
- Hot Tomorrows (1977)
As Oingo Boingo
- Longshot (1981)
- Urgh! A Music WarUrgh! A Music WarUrgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1982 featuring performances by punk rock, New Wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. Among the artists featured in the movie are Magazine, The Go-Go's, The Fleshtones, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, XTC, Devo, The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Dead...
(1981) - Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
(1982) - The Last American VirginThe Last American VirginThe Last American Virgin is a 1982 American coming-of-age film, a remake of the Israeli film Eskimo Limon .After the success of the original and several sequels, writer/director Boaz Davidson re-teamed with producers Golan-Globus to attempt to re-create the same success in the United States....
(1982) - Sixteen CandlesSixteen CandlesSixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
(1984) - Good Morning, Mr. OrwellGood Morning, Mr. Orwell"Good Morning, Mr. Orwell" was the first international satellite "installation" by Nam June Paik, a South Korean-born American artist often credited with inventing video art...
(1984) - Bachelor Party (1984)
- Weird ScienceWeird Science (film)Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock...
(1984) - WisdomWisdom (film)Wisdom is a 1986 American crime film. It was written by its star, Emilio Estevez, who co-directed with executive producer Robert Wise. The film also stars Demi Moore, along with Tom Skeritt and Veronica Cartwright as Estevez's parents. Emilio dedicated the film to the memory of his friend Henry...
(1986) - Back to School (1986), where they appeared as a performing group
- The Best of Oingo Boingo: Skeletons in the Closet (1989; music video compilation)
- Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre, Halloween 1995
- Donnie DarkoDonnie DarkoDonnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
(2001, director's cut) - Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
(Episode: "Halloween")
External links
- The Complete History of the Oingo Boingo - by Richard Elfman
- The official Oingo Boingo website (Entertainment networking site; no endorsement from the band or its members)
- The official John Avila website (Band member: 1984-1995)
- The official Steve Bartek website (Band member: 1976-1995)
- The official Richard Gibbs website (Band member: 1980-1984)
- The official Johnny 'Vatos' Hernandez website (Band member: 1979-1995)
- Dan's Boingo page
- 1976 Gong Show performance by the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo - video
- From Mystic Knights to Hollywood Lights - The first and only UK Boingo website
- Miriam Cutler
- Dead Man's Party - The Southern California Oingo Boingo tribute band
- Dep't of Records - independent record label releasing an Oingo Boingo tribute album on Halloween, 2006
- Former drum tech for Oingo Boingo and Food for Feet's site (photo gallery, etc.)