Danny Elfman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Elfman at the premiere forNext Exit at theVillage East by Angelika in 2022 | |
| Born | Daniel Robert Elfman (1953-05-29)May 29, 1953 (age 71) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse | Geri Eisenmenger (divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
| Mother | Blossom Elfman |
| Relatives | Richard Elfman (brother) Bodhi Elfman (nephew) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Formerly of | Oingo Boingo |
Musical artist | |
| Website | dannyelfman |
Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for thenew wave bandOingo Boingo in the early 1980s.[3] Since scoring his first studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 featurefilm scores,[4] as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall.
Elfman has frequently worked with directorsTim Burton,Sam Raimi, andGus Van Sant, contributing music to nearly 20 Burton projects, includingPee-Wee's Big Adventure,Beetlejuice,Batman,Edward Scissorhands,Batman Returns,Mars Attacks!,Sleepy Hollow,Big Fish andAlice in Wonderland,[5] as well as scoring Raimi'sDarkman,A Simple Plan,Spider-Man,Spider-Man 2,Oz the Great and Powerful, andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,[6] and Van Sant'sAcademy Award-winning filmsGood Will Hunting andMilk.[7] He wrote music for all of theMen in Black andFifty Shades of Grey franchise films, the songs and score forHenry Selick's animatedmusicalThe Nightmare Before Christmas, and thethemes for the popular television seriesDesperate Housewives andThe Simpsons.[8]
Among his honors are fourOscar nominations,[4] threeEmmy Awards,[9] aGrammy,[10] sevenSaturn Awards forBest Music, the 2002 Richard Kirk Award,[11] the 2015Disney Legend Award,[12] theMax Steiner Film Music Achievement Award in 2017,[13] and theSociety of Composers & Lyricists Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.[14]
Elfman was born on May 29, 1953, inLos Angeles, California[15] to aJewish family ofRussian descent.[3][16] He is a son ofBlossom Elfman (née Bernstein), a writer and teacher, and Milton Elfman, a teacher. He is the brother of actor, musician, and journalistRichard Elfman.[17] Elfman was raised in an affluent, racially-mixed community inBaldwin Hills, California, where he spent much of his time at the local movie theater discovering classicsci-fi, fantasy and horror films and first noticed the music of such film composers asBernard Herrmann andFranz Waxman.[18] Elfman has admitted to fabricating stories about his past out of boredom, including a false birthplace ofAmarillo, Texas, and parents in theUnited States Air Force.[19]
In his early school days, Elfman exhibited an aptitude for science with almost no interest in music, and was even rejected from elementary school orchestra "for having no propensity for music."[20]: 15 This would change when he switched high schools in the late 1960s and fell in with a musical crowd, who introduced him to earlyjazz and the work ofStravinsky and his20th-century contemporaries.[20]: 17 Elfman attendedUniversity High School in Los Angeles before dropping out.[21][22]
Elfman left school to follow his brother Richard to France, where he performed violin withJérôme Savary's Le Grand Magic Circus, anavant-garde musical theater group.[23] He then embarked on a ten-month, self-guided tour through Africa,busking and collecting a range of West African percussion instruments until a series of illnesses forced him to return home.[24] At this time, Richard was forming a new musical theater group in Los Angeles.[25]
After returning to Los Angeles from Africa in the early 1970s, Elfman was asked by his brotherRichard to serve as musical director of hisstreet theatre performance art troupeThe Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.[20]: 22 Elfman was tasked with adapting and arranging 1920s and 1930sjazz andbig band music by artists such asCab Calloway,Duke Ellington,Django Reinhardt andJosephine Baker for the ensemble, which consisted of up to 15 performers playing upwards of 30 instruments.[26] He also composed original pieces and helped build instruments unique for the group, including an aluminumgamelan, the 'Schlitzceleste' made from tuned beer cans, and a "junkyard orchestra" built from car parts and trash cans.[27]
The Mystic Knights performed on the street and in theaters, and later innightclubs throughout Los Angeles until Richard left in 1976 to pursue filmmaking.[20]: 15 As a send-off to the group's original concept, Richard produced the filmForbidden Zone based on the Mystic Knights' stage performances. Elfman composed the songs and his firstscore for the film, and appeared as the characterSatan, who performs a reworked version of Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher."[28]
Before the release ofForbidden Zone, Elfman took over the Mystic Knights as lead singer-songwriter in 1976. In 1979, he pared the group down to eight players to record and tour as aska-influencednew wave band. That summer, the group's name would change toOingo Boingo.[29][2] Their biggest success among eight studio albums penned by Elfman was 1985'sDead Man's Party,[30] featuring the hit song "Weird Science" from the movie of the same name.[3] The band also appeared performing their single "Dead Man's Party" in the 1986 movieBack to School,[31] for which Elfman also composed the score. Elfman shifted the band to a more guitar-oriented rock sound in the late 1980s,[32] which continued through their last albumBoingo in 1994.
Citing permanent hearing damage from performing live and conflicts with his film-scoring career,[20]: 137 Elfman retired Oingo Boingo in 1995 with a series of five sold-outfinal concerts at theUniversal Amphitheatre ending on Halloween night.[33][34] On October 31, 2015, Elfman and Oingo Boingo guitaristSteve Bartek performed the song "Dead Man's Party" with an orchestra as an encore to a live-to-film concert ofThe Nightmare Before Christmas score at theHollywood Bowl. Elfman told the audience the performance was "20 years to the day" of Oingo Boingo's retirement.[35]
As fans ofOingo Boingo,[36]Tim Burton andPaul Reubens invited Elfman to write thescore for their first feature filmPee-wee's Big Adventure in 1985.[37] Elfman was initially apprehensive because of his lack of formal training and having never scored astudiofeature, but after Burton accepted his initial demo of thetitle music, and withorchestration assistance fromOingo Boingo guitarist and arrangerSteve Bartek, Elfman completed the score to great effect, paying homage to influential film composersNino Rota andBernard Herrmann.[38][39][40] Elfman described the first time he heard his music played by a full orchestra as one of the most thrilling experiences of his life.[41]
FollowingPee Wee's Big Adventure, Elfman scored a string of comedies in the late 1980s, includingBack to School starringRodney Dangerfield, Burton'sBeetlejuice and theBill Murray filmScrooged. Non-comedy work included the all-synth score toEmilio Estevez'scrime dramaWisdom and thebig band,blues-infused music forMartin Brest'sbuddy cop action filmMidnight Run.
In 1989, Elfman's influential,Grammy-winning score for Burton'sBatman marked a major stylistic shift to dark, densely orchestrated music in the romantic idiom.[27] This continued in his scores forWarren Beatty'sDick Tracy,Sam Raimi'sDarkman andClive Barker'sNightbreed, all released in 1990.
WithBatman, Elfman firmly established a career-spanning relationship with Burton,[42] scoring all but three of the director's major studio releases. Highlights includeEdward Scissorhands (1990),Batman Returns (1992),Sleepy Hollow (1999),Big Fish (2003) andAlice in Wonderland (2010). In 1993, Elfman wrote the score and ten songs for the Burton-producedstop motion animated filmThe Nightmare Before Christmas, directed byHenry Selick, and also provided the singing voice for main characterJack Skellington, as well as the voices for secondary characters Barrel, the Clown with the Tear-Away Face and others.[43] In 2005, he wrote the score and songs for Burton'sCorpse Bride and provided the voice of the character of Bonejangles, and provided the score, songs and Oompa-Loompa vocals for Burton'sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory that same year.
In addition to frequent collaborations with Burton, Raimi andGus Van Sant, Elfman has worked with directors such asBrian De Palma,Peter Jackson,Joss Whedon,Errol Morris,Ang Lee,Richard Donner,Guillermo del Toro,David O. Russell,Taylor Hackford,Jon Amiel,Joe Johnston, andBarry Sonnenfeld. His scores for Sonnenfeld'sMen in Black, Van Sant'sGood Will Hunting andMilk, and Burton'sBig Fish all receivedAcademy Award nominations.[4]
Since the mid-1990s, Elfman expanded his craft to a range of genres, includingthrillers (Dolores Claiborne,A Simple Plan,The Kingdom,The Girl on the Train,The Woman in the Window),dramas (Sommersby,A Civil Action,Hitchcock),indies (Freeway,Silver Linings Playbook,Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot,White Noise),family (Flubber,Charlotte's Web,Frankenweenie,Goosebumps,Dolittle), documentary (Standard Operating Procedure,The Unknown Known), and horror (Red Dragon,The Wolfman), as well as entries in his well-established areas ofhorror 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 composed the scores for fourMen in Black films (1997–2019)[44] and threeFifty Shades films (2015–2018).[45] In 1996, he scored the first film in theMission: Impossible series, adapting themes for the original television series byLalo Schifrin as well as composing his own.[46] Elfman scored Raimi'sSpider-Man in 2002 andSpider-Man 2 in 2004, themes and selections from which were used for Raimi'sSpider-Man 3, scored byChristopher Young. Elfman'sSpider-Man theme was incorporated into the MCU filmSpider-Man: No Way Home composed byMichael Giacchino.
Elfman entered theMarvel Cinematic Universe by providing additional music in 2015'sAvengers: Age of Ultron, receiving composer credit withBrian Tyler.[47] Elfman also scored MCU'sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, utilizing Giacchino's theme to the originalDoctor Strange film, as well as themes fromWandaVision andX-Men: The Animated Series, and music fromBeethoven'sFifth Symphony andBach'sToccata and Fugue.[48]
For several high-profile sequel andreboot projects in the 2010s, Elfman incorporated established musical themes with his own original thematic material, including theDC Extended Universe'sJustice League,[49]The Grinch,[50]Dumbo[51] andMen in Black International.
Elfman was featured in the 2016 documentaryScore, in which he appeared among over 50 film composers to discuss the craft of movie music and influential figures in the business.[52][53]
Elfman's first piece of original concert music,Serenada Schizophrana, was commissioned by theAmerican Composers Orchestra, who premiered the piece on February 23, 2005, atCarnegie Hall.[54] Subsequent concert works include his firstViolin Concerto "Eleven Eleven", co-commissioned by theCzech National Symphony Orchestra, Stanford Live atStanford University, and theRoyal Scottish National Orchestra, which premiered atSmetana Hall in Prague on June 21, 2017, withSandy Cameron on violin andJohn Mauceri conducting the Czech National Symphony Orchestra;[55] thePiano Quartet, co-commissioned by theLied Center for Performing ArtsUniversity of Nebraska and theBerlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet, which premiered February 6, 2018, inLincoln, Nebraska;[56] and thePercussion Quartet, commissioned byThird Coast Percussion and premiered at thePhilip Glass Days And Nights Festival inBig Sur on October 10, 2019.[57]
2022 saw the first performances of three concert works. Elfman'sCello Concerto forGautier Capuçon was premiered by theVienna Symphony on March 18, with subsequent performances by theOrchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in May and theSan Francisco Symphony US premiere in November.[58][59][60] Elfman'sPercussion Concerto forColin Currie premiered on March 25 at London'sRoyal Festival Hall withLondon Philharmonic Orchestra,[61] and was later performed atSoka University of America in California, withPacific Symphony.[62] HisWunderkammer, a commission from theNational Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, toured the UK in summer 2022, culminating in a performance in London'sRoyal Albert Hall as part of theBBC Proms, with national radio and TV broadcasts.[63]
Elfman'sSuite for Chamber Orchestra was premiered on May 4, 2023, byOrpheus Chamber Orchestra atSt Mark's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.[64] TheSuite was co-commissioned by theLibrary of Congress, the Royalty Pool ofAndre Kostelanetz, theLos Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and theNational Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. Subsequent performances of theSuite include the New York premiere by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in July 2023[65] at92NY's inaugural MidSummer Music Fest, the West Coast premiere by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in December 2023[66] at theAlex Theatre in Glendale, California, and a performance by the Reno Chamber Orchestra in October 2024.[67]
In 2008, Elfman accepted his first commission for the stage, composing the music forTwyla Tharp'sRabbit and Rogue ballet, co-commissioned byAmerican Ballet Theatre and Orange County Performing Arts Center and premiering on June 3, 2008, at theMetropolitan Opera House,Lincoln Center.[68] Other works for stage include the music forCirque Du Soleil'sIris in 2011,[69] and incidental music for theBroadway production ofTaylor Mac'sGary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019.[70]
In October 2013, Elfman returned to the stage for the first time since his bandOingo Boingo disbanded to sing a handful ofThe Nightmare Before Christmas songs as part of the concertDanny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton, featuring suites of music from 15Tim Burton films newly arranged by Elfman.[71][72][73] The concert has since toured internationally and has played in Japan, Australia, Mexico and throughout Europe and the United States. Since 2015, Elfman has appeared regularly in aHollywood BowlHalloween concert featuring full orchestra performing theNightmare Before Christmas score live to the film projection.[74]
Elfman made hisCoachella debut on April 16, 2022, withDanny Elfman: From Boingo toBatman toBig Mess to Beyond![75] The concert, postponed from Coachella 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured Elfman's film and television music arranged for band, orchestra and choir, as well as songs from his solo albumBig Mess and new arrangements of songs from hisOingo Boingo catalogue. Conducted bySteve Bartek, and featuring Elfman (vocals, guitar, percussion),Wes Borland (guitar),Stu Brooks (bass),Nili Brosh (guitar), andJosh Freese (drums),[76] the concert was expanded for two shows Halloween weekend 2022 at theHollywood Bowl.[77]
In addition to his music for film, Elfman also penned themes for the television seriesThe Simpsons,[78]Tales from the Crypt,The Flash andDesperate Housewives, which won Elfman his first Emmy.[79] He also adapted his original themes for the animated versions ofBatman andBeetlejuice. Occasional forays into serial television include episodes ofAlfred Hitchcock Presents,Amazing Stories andPee-wee's Playhouse, theminiseriesWhen We Rise co-composed withChris Bacon, and themes for theNetflix seriesWednesday.[80][81]
He has composed music for animated shorts, includingSally Cruikshank'sFace Like A Frog[82] and Tim Burton's "Stainboy" internet series.[83]
Elfman provided background music forLuigi Serafini's solo exhibitionil Teatro della Pittura at the Fondazione Mudima di Milano inMilan, Italy in 1998[84] and for theTim Burton exhibition atMoMA in 2009.
In the 1990s, Elfman composed music for advertising campaigns forNike,Nissan andLincoln-Mercury, and in 2002 wrote the music forHonda's "Power of Dreams" advertising campaign, which was the first cinema commercial to be shot in theIMAX format.[85]
In 2013 he composed the music and provided the English-language vocals for theHong Kong Disneyland attractionMystic Manor.[86]
On October 31, 2019, theMasterClass online educational series released "Making Music out of Chaos," presenting 21 compositional and career lessons from Elfman's four decades of experience primarily in thefilm industry.[87]
Elfman scored the 10-minute video "Joe Biden," which introducedJoe Biden's acceptance of the presidential candidacy nomination at the2020 Democratic National Convention.[88]
On November 16, 2021,Disney Branded Television announced that Elfman would compose score and songs of the upcomingDisney Television Animation and20th Television Animationstop-motion animated comedy seriesRhona Who Lives by the River created byEmily Kapnek, Elfman also serves as executive producer for the series.[89]
In June 2024, it was announced that Elfman would compose the music for theDark Universe section ofUniversal Epic Universe.[90]
In October 2020, Elfman released the single, "Happy," onAnti- Records andEpitaph Records.[91] From January 2021 on the eleventh day of each month, he released five subsequent singles "Sorry", "Love in the Time of COVID", "Kick Me", "True", and a reworking of theOingo Boingo song "Insects" from the albumNothing to Fear.[92] This culminated with the release of the double albumBig Mess on June 11.[93] Featuring 18 original songs, this was Elfman's first solo studio album since 1984'sSo-Lo.[94]
On August 11, 2021, Elfman released a remix of "True" with lead vocals shared between Elfman andNine Inch Nails frontmanTrent Reznor.[95] A year later, Elfman releasedBigger Messier, a compilation of 23 remixes of songs on the albumBig Mess by artists including Reznor,Iggy Pop,Blixa Bargeld,Squarepusher,Boy Harsher and more.[96]
Elfman has said his major influences are composers fromHollywood's Golden Age, such asBernard Herrmann,Dimitri Tiomkin,Max Steiner,David Tamkin,Erich Wolfgang Korngold, andCarl Stalling;20th centuryclassical composersSergei Prokofiev,Igor Stravinsky,Béla Bartók,Dmitri Shostakovich, andCarl Orff; andjazz,experimental andminimalist composersKurt Weill,Duke Ellington,Harry Partch,Philip Glass,Lou Harrison,Terry Riley, andSteve Reich.[97][98][99]
Influences on specific scores includeErik Satie (Forbidden Zone),Nino Rota (Pee-wee's Big Adventure),George Gershwin (Dick Tracy),Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Edward Scissorhands), andJimi Hendrix (Dead Presidents).[41][100][8] Though not considered direct influencesper se, Elfman has discussed his respect and admiration for film composersJerry Goldsmith,Ennio Morricone,[37]Thomas Newman,Alexandre Desplat andJohn Williams, as well as classical composerJohn Adams.[101]
Though many believeRichard Wagner informed his influential score toBatman, Elfman has said it was more likely from Wagner's influence on classic film composers such as Herrmann, Steiner, Waxman and Korngold, as he was unfamiliar with Wagner's work at the time.[102]
Elfman counts Herrmann as his biggest influence, and has said hearing Herrmann's score toThe Day the Earth Stood Still when he was a child was the first time he recognizedfilm music as a cinematic art form and realized the powerful contribution a composer makes to the movies.[103]Pastiche of Herrmann's music can be heard in Elfman'sPee-wee's Big Adventure, especially the cues "Stolen Bike" and "Clown Dream", which directly reference Herrmann's music fromPsycho andThe 7th Voyage of Sinbad respectively.[104][105] His score toBatman makes more subtle nods to Herrmann'sJourney to the Center of the Earth andVertigo,[106][107] and more integralhomage can be heard in later scores forMars Attacks! andHitchcock, as well as the "Blue Strings" movement of his first concert workSerenada Schizophrana.
While Elfman is primarily known for writing large-scale orchestral works in the romantic,20th century andHollywood Golden Agefilm score traditions, his compositions have used a wide range of idioms, including rock andblues (Midnight Run,Hot to Trot),big band andjazz (Dick Tracy,Chicago),operetta (The Nightmare Before Christmas,Corpse Bride),funk andhip hop (Dead Presidents,Notorious),folk andindie rock (Taking Woodstock,Silver Linings Playbook),Americana (Article 99,Sommersby,Big Fish),minimalism (Good Will Hunting,Standard Operating Procedure,The Unknown Known), andatonal orexperimental (Freeway,A Simple Plan,The Girl on the Train).
Given his appreciation and study of world music and his vast collection of instruments from non-Western cultures,[24] Elfman will often use traditional instruments in his scores when there is an international setting, such as African percussion forInstinct, theoud forThe Kingdom set inSaudi Arabia, andpan flute forProof of Life set in South America.
When working on films with established musical identifiers, Elfman will often incorporate original themes in addition to his own thematic material. Examples includeLalo Schifrin's main theme and "The Plot" from the originalMission Impossible TV Series forMission: Impossible;[46]John Williams' theme forSuperman, theHans Zimmer/Junkie XL theme forWonder Woman and his own originalBatman theme forJustice League;[108][109] the "Welcome Christmas" song from the 1966How the Grinch Stole Christmas! forThe Grinch;[50] and "Casey Junior," "Pink Elephants on Parade," and "When I See an Elephant Fly" from Disney's original 1941animated film forDumbo.[51]
The songs forThe Nightmare Before Christmas andCorpse Bride were influenced byKurt Weill,Gilbert and Sullivan and earlyRodgers and Hammerstein.[110] At the request of Tim Burton,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory songs drew inspiration fromBollywood,the Mamas and the Papas,ABBA, andEarth, Wind & Fire individually.[111]
Elfman's work in pop music and specifically as songwriter forOingo Boingo was influenced bythe Specials,Madness,the Selecter,Devo,Fun Boy Three, andXTC.[2][112]
For hisfilm scores, Elfman draws musical inspiration almost exclusively from viewing acut of the film,[73] and occasionally from visits to theset while the film is in production (he wrote and orchestrated his theme forBatman on an airplane to Los Angeles after visiting the set in London).[3] While he prefers not to work from script, story or concept, exceptions includeThe Nightmare Before Christmas, for which ten songs needed to be written in advance of filmmaking, andDumbo, for which he composed the main theme before filming began.[51]
Once arough cut of the film is ready, Elfman and the director have aspotting session to decide where to place music in the film, the emotional undercurrents of each scene, and overall tone.[113] Elfman then spends a few weeks of free composition and experimentation to begin working out thematic material and to develop sounds and the harmonic palette.[114]
When he has received approval on initial material from the filmmakers, Elfman begins to compose anywhere from 60 to 120 minutes of music cue-by-cue. He says two of the most important things to capture at this point are the tone of each scene and editorial rhythm. Next to thematic development, actionset pieces tend to take Elfman the most time given the complexity of timing music to action.
Early in his career, he wrote out his scores using pencil, but has composed largely digitally since the mid-1990s.[115]
Before recording the score, he demos each cue by mocking orchestral and choral parts on synthesizer to get approval from the director.[116] Once approved, he provides a detailed, multi-line sketch of his composition to his lead orchestratorSteve Bartek, who ensures the sketches are appropriately broken down for sections of the orchestra (i.e.string,brasswoodwind, somepercussion), choir (SATB) and individual players.
Elfman also typically samples or records his own percussion and guitar playing to overlay with live orchestra. More than half of some scores feature Elfman's performance,[117] includingDead Presidents,Mission: Impossible,Planet of the Apes,The Kingdom,The Girl on the Train andThe Circle.[118]
To produce the score, Elfman rents a recording studio and hires a conductor and orchestra/choir. He oversees the recording from thecontrol booth so that he can troubleshoot with the film's director andrecording engineers.[119] The final recording is given to the film's sound department to mix with dialogue and sound effects for the film's complete soundtrack. Elfman will usually do a separate mix of select cues for an album presentation of the score, and has produced nearly 100 to date.[15]
On the occasion that there are compressed deadlines or in the event he is not available to rescore or adapt his music if there are major edits to the film after the score's completion, Elfman will hire additional composers to work on small cues or sections of cues, adapting his existing material or themes. Examples includeJonathan Sheffer onDarkman,David Buckley on theFifty Shades films, andPinar Toprak onJustice League.[120][121][122] Since the 1990s, Elfman has occasionally co-composed music or shared music writing credit (e.g.When We Rise,Spy Kids,Avengers: Age of Ultron,Men in Black International), or written themes that are then used or adapted by other composers, includingJonathan Sheffer (Pure Luck),Steve Bartek (Novacaine),John Debney (Heartbreakers),Deborah Lurie (9), andthe Newton Brothers (Before I Wake).[123][124][125]
Elfman has only collaborated once with another artist:Siouxsie and the Banshees, on the song "Face to Face" forBatman Returns in 1992.[126] It was a long-distance collaboration, as the studio needed the song very quickly; Siouxsie created the foundation of the song and sent it to Elfman, who added elements, and the two would send the track back and forth.[127] Regarding collaboration, Elfman would later state, "I'm not used to collaborating at all with anybody. I did one track with Siouxsie and the Banshees but that's it. I've always been in my own bubble, and that bubble has been very fertile".[128]
In the liner notes for the 2006 CD recording of his first concert workSerenada Schizophrana, Elfman wrote: "I began composing several dozen short improvisational compositions, maybe a minute each. Slowly, some of them began to develop themselves until finally I had six separate movements that, in some abstract, absurd way, felt connected."[97]
To create thecadenzas for his violin concertoEleven Eleven, Elfman collaborated with soloist Sandy Cameron, for whom the piece was written.[129]
Elfman often incorporates choral or vocal arrangements into his film scores,[8] notably the use of women's and children'schoirs (Scrooged,Nightbreed,Edward Scissorhands,Batman Returns,Sleepy Hollow,Alice in Wonderland,The Grinch), and solo voice or vocal effects (Beetlejuice,Mars Attacks!,Men in Black II,Flubber,Nacho Libre,Iris,Dark Shadows,The Girl on the Train). Evoking the "O Fortuna" fromCarl Orff'sCarmina Burana, he set made-up, Latin-sounding text forSATB choir in standout cue "Descent into Mystery" fromBatman.[27]: 131
Elfman also adds his own vocals into compositions in much the same way he mixes his percussion and guitar performances into orchestral arrangements. Prominent use can be heard in the scores forTo Die For (sung with directorGus Van Sant, credited to "Little Gus and the Suzettes"),[130]Silver Linings Playbook,[131] and his music for theHong Kong Disneyland rideMystic Manor.[86] He provided the singing voice for characters inThe Nightmare Before Christmas andCorpse Bride in addition to composing the scores and songs, and can be heard singing the "Day-O" call in the style ofHarry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song" in the first bars of theBeetlejuicemain title.[20]: 63
For Tim Burton'sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, ElfmansetRoald Dahl's text for theOompa-Loompa characters as four stylistically distinct songs: theBollywood-influenced "Augustus Gloop", thefunk-infused "Violet Beauregarde", thepsychedelic pop stylings of "Veruca Salt" and thebaroque rock of "Mike Teavee".[132] For all songs in the film, Elfman sang, manipulated and mixed several layers of his vocals to create the singing voices and harmonies of the Oompa Loompas, and incorporated his vocals into non-song score tracks that featured the characters, including "Loompa Land", "Chocolate River", "The Boat Arrives" and "The River Cruise".[133]
Elfman typically writes thelyrics to songs he has composed for movies. He employssong structures fromTin Pan Alley and early musical theatre composers (32-bar form), and pop and rock of the 1950s and 1960s (verse-chorus). As his songs serve to advance the plot and develop characters, lyrics reflect storylines and imagery specific to the film and express the inner life of characters.
He wrote the lyrics and music for ten songs featured in thestop-motion musicalThe Nightmare Before Christmas. Drawing from Tim Burton's parody poem ofA Visit from St. Nicholas and concept drawings, Elfman wrote each song in consultation with Burton before the film even had a script.[134] These include the full-cast songs "This Is Halloween", "Town Meeting Song" and "Making Christmas"; four songs for the main character Jack Skellington, "Jack's Lament", "What's This?", "Jack's Obsession" and "Poor Jack", all sung by Elfman; and the other character songs "Kidnap the Sandy Claws", "Oogie Boogie's Song" and "Sally's Song". An eleventh song, "Finale/Reprise", reworks lyrics from the songs "This Is Halloween", "What's This?" and "Sally's Song" for the film's ending. Though uncredited, Burton contributed some lyrics toNightmare, including the line "Perhaps it's the head that I found in the lake" in "Town Meeting Song".[135]
Elfman composed five songs for Burton'sCorpse Bride:[136] "According to Plan", with lyrics co-written by screenwriter John August; "Remains of the Day" (which he sung as the character Bonejangles) and "Tears to Shed", both with additional lyrics by August; and "The Wedding Song", credited solely to Elfman. The song "Erased" was not used in the final film.
He wrote the lyrics to "Lullaby" fromCharlotte's Web, the rock track "The Little Things" fromWanted which he also sang in English and Russian,[137] and "Alice's Theme" fromAlice in Wonderland.[138] Elfman co-wrote the lyrics to "Twice the Love" fromBig Fish and the "Wonka's Welcome Song" forCharlie and the Chocolate Factory with John August.
Elfman wrote the lyrics to all ofOingo Boingo's original songs 1979–1994[139] and has maderesiduals on the titular two-word opening phrase sung in hisThe Simpsons theme since the series first aired in 1989.[140]
As a teenager, Elfman dated his classmateKim Gordon, who would later become one of the members of the rock bandSonic Youth.[141] He has two daughters, Lola and Mali, from his marriage to Geri Eisenmenger.[142] Mali is a film producer and actress.[143] Elfman and Mali collaborated on her 2011 filmDo Not Disturb.[144]
On November 29, 2003, Elfman married actressBridget Fonda.[145] They have a son, Oliver.[146] In 1998, Elfman scoredA Simple Plan, starring Fonda.[147] He is the uncle of actorBodhi Elfman, who is married to actressJenna Elfman.[148]
Elfman has been anatheist since the age of 11 or 12. In an interview with the New York Post, he referred to himself as a"cynic-ologist".[148]
Describing his politics during the 1980s, Elfman said, "I'm not a doomist. My attitude is always to be critical of what's around you, but not ever to forget how lucky we are. I've traveled around the world. I left thinking I was a revolutionary. I came back real right-wing patriotic. Since then, I've kind of mellowed in between."[149] Several of his songs written for Oingo Boingo during this period satirized social politics, although Elfman stated his message was to "question, resist, challenge" and that his songs were not aligned to any one political agenda.[150]
In 2008, Elfman expressed support forBarack Obama.[151] For the2020 Democratic National Convention, he scored the biographical video played ahead ofJoe Biden's acceptance of the presidential nomination in the2020 United States elections.[152] In a series of posts on his Instagram page discussing the video, Elfman criticizedDonald Trump, Richard Nixon, and theelectoral college, and linked to several voter resources.[153]
During his 18 years with Oingo Boingo, Elfman developed significanthearing damage as a result of the continuous exposure to the high noise levels involved in performing in a rock band. Afraid of worsening his condition, he decided to leave the band, saying that he would never return to that kind of performance. His impairment was so bad that he could not "even sit in a loud restaurant or bar anymore." However, he found performing in front of orchestras more tolerable, and returned several times to reprise his live performance ofJack Skellington.[2][154][155]
ComposerNomi Abadi has alleged that Elfman had been involved in multiple instances of sexual harassment and misconduct with her that took place from 2015 to 2016. Elfman has denied these claims. The allegations reportedly resulted in Elfman and Abadi agreeing to a non-public settlement and nondisclosure agreement, wherein Elfman would have paid Abadi a total of $830,000 over time. In 2024, Abadi alleged that Elfman had missed payments and had defamed her in statements he made toRolling Stone magazine in 2023 regarding this matter, suing Elfman for the full settlement of $830,000.[156][157][158] Abadi's ex-boyfriend from the time contacted Rolling Stone to express his concern, noting the relationship between Elfman and she was never sexual, also citing the false allegations she had laid against him after their breakup, resulting in a judge ruling in his favor.[159] The validity of Abadi's allegations was called into question when text messages and emails revealed the nature of their relationship was non-sexual and that Abadi had become enraged when her advances had been rejected. After the initial settlement, Abadi's attorneys emailed Elfman's attorneys informing them that she wanted to meet with him for "closure", though Elfman declined.[159]
SinceThe Simpsons' second annualTreehouse of Horror episode aired in 1991, launching "scary names" tradition in the opening and closing titles, Elfman has been alternately credited for thetheme music as "Red Wolf Elfman", "Danny Skellingelfman", "Li'l Leakin Brain Elfman", "Boris Elfmonivich", "Danny Elfblood", "Danny 'Hell'fman", "The Bloody Elf", "Danny Elfbones", "Elfmunster" and "Daniel Beilzebelsman".
Elfman's composition "Clown Dream" fromPee-wee's Big Adventure is used in the video gameGrand Theft Auto V[160] and has often been used as the opening music forPrimus concerts.[161]
In the 2007 sixth seasonStar Wars parody "Blue Harvest",Family Guy lampooned Elfman's orchestral style. A scene shows Elfman replacing an incineratedJohn Williams to conduct a full orchestra playing thescore, only to be decapitated by alightsaber after conducting a few bars ofoom-pah music.[162]
Episode five of the 14th season ofSouth Park in 2010 criticizedTim Burton for using the "same" music in all his films, referring to Elfman's scores.[163]
In October 2016, Elfman produced a video clip forFunny or Die with original "horror" music composed to footage ofDonald Trump pacing aroundHillary Clinton at the secondUnited States presidential election debates, 2016.[164][165]
In 2019, selections from Elfman'sMidnight Run score were used in the third season ofNetflix'sStranger Things,[166] including "Stairway Chase" in episodes 5 and 6, and "Wild Ride" and "Package Deal" in episode 6.
Christina Aguilera revealed that Elfman's music inspired her Las Vegasconcert residencyThe Xperience.[167]
| Award | Wins | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | |
| 0 | 1 | |
| 24 | 24 |
| 0 | 2 | |
| 0 | 2 | |
| 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | 5 | |
| 0 | 2 | |
| 1 | 11 | |
| 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 6 | |
| 7 | 16 | |
| 1 | 2 |
| 0 | 2 |
| Totals | ||
| Awards won | 39 | |
| Nominations | 105 | |
Elfman's scores forBatman andEdward Scissorhands were nominated forAFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.
Including commercial recordings of his film scores and theOingo Boingo discography, Elfman has produced over 100 albums as of 2019.[15][139]
Beginning with his first score on Tim Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Elfman has scored over 100 films...
I took a year off to travel Africa when I was 18. On my 19th birthday I crossed into Nigeria... I spent time in Mali, Ghana, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya... I have all my drums from India, Africa, plus my gamelan (percussive music set) from Bali...
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)8. Burton's friend and composer Danny Elfman wrote the songs and music for the film without a script or storyboard... 9. Elfman also provided the singing voice for Jack...11. Elfman also provided the voices for Barrel and the Clown with the Tear-Away Face.
The only people from the original franchise that are involved in this movie are me and Laurie, Emma and Danny Elfman, who did the music for all of them.
We ask Danny Elfman, better known as Tim Burton's collaborator on spooky fairy tales, about composing the music for all three Fifty Shades of Grey movies.
...once Elfman felt his own heart grow two sizes when it came to Christmas, incorporating the original songs become one of the highlights of writing his score for The Grinch. "The 'Welcome' song was easy," he says. "We were playing the song twice in the film, so it was just how to score it and then pick up the melody and have it kind of lift up and explode when his heart does." When it came to the other hit song, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," Elfman had a slightly more complex task, collaborating with rapper Tyler the Creator on the iconic tune first recorded by Thurl Ravenscroft.
"This is a cultural icon," the composer says, "and I was happy to pay homage." So "Pink Elephants on Parade," "When I See an Elephant Fly" and the train motif "Casey Junior" all make appearances...
Matt Schrader's "Score: A Film Music Documentary" spotlights such a rich and fascinating topic — the craft of motion picture scoring — that its mere presence proves a feast for the eyes and ears...the film is largely devoted to feting some of Hollywood's most influential composers...
The Elfman Percussion Quartet will have its world premiere at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, as part of the Days and Nights Festival.
Danny Elfman was the main attraction on Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl during a live concert performance of Tim Burton'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas...The screening of the 1993 stop-motion animated movie, with a live orchestra, felt almost like a decadent dessert to the main course... Elfman saved his entrance for last, sending the audience into a frenzy of cheering and fan worship.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)Also effective is Burton's frequent music collaborator Danny Elfman, who offers a grandiose, orchestral score to the Stainboy's adventures.
In the mid 90s my friend Luigi Serafini, who's an amazing artist, asked me to write something to play for his gallery show in Milan, Italy. I put this together as a semi-composed, semi-DJ'd experiment for him.
...the film composer Danny Elfman jumped at the chance to try something new: creating the music for Mystic Manor, a new Disneyland ride in Hong Kong...Figures in Chinese art leap off the walls, Roman frescos come alive, musical instruments play themselves, and floating headgear from armored suits sing in three languages: Mandarin, Cantonese and English. ("It's me singing in English, by the way," Mr. Elfman says.)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)there are composers that I love that have bridged that gap [between serious and entertaining music]. I mean, most famously amongst them for me, John Adams and Philip Glass
...'Stolen Bike' is perhaps the clearest emulation of Herrmann's fearful tone from Psycho to ever exist (until Elfman ironically re-recorded the classic score in full over a decade later for the remake).
As for the Herrmann touch, Elfman was able to draw from that reservoir in some of the film's more inspires dream sequences. 'There was some strange and wonderful music of Herrmann's that influenced me, in particular, Jason and the Argonauts, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, and Mysterious Island.'Alt URL
Elfman and Whedon previously worked together on 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, another situation he describes as another "three-alarm call." He shared scoring credits with Brian Tyler.
I record my own samples, doing my own percussion. Percussion was my first love, and I have a whole warehouse of percussion instruments. When you hear percussion in the movies I do, it's probably me playing.
I never conduct because the conductor's job for me is answering many questions all at once as quickly as possible, and then to keep things moving...I'm listening in the booth, which is where I prefer to listen anyway because I am hearing closer to the way it's going to sound.
These projects have always been collaborations between Elfman and David Buckley, some of the concept's more memorable music actually the work of the ghostwriter.
it was decided that Danny [Elfman] would do the themes for the film, and then I would get to take them, elaborate and score the film around them.
Late in the recording process, while stuck during a storm at an airport in London, Elfman decided to write lyrics to his main theme for Alice in Wonderland after recognizing his subconscious earlier choice to make the two final notes of the theme perfectly lend themselves to a performance of the name 'Alice.'
Tim Burton is ridiculed for having Johnny Depp play main characters in all of his movies, and for using "the same crappy music" (meaning Danny Elfman) in all of his films.
In Elfman's new clip, titled 'Trump Stalks Hillary,' the swell of the music overwhelms Hillary's words. The composer builds anxiety with a tense string section, screechy, jarring effects and a haunting choir.
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