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Danny Elfman (1953-     )

Danny Elfman, composerBest known for his work in collaboration with director Tim Burton, composer Danny Elfman created one of the most distinctive bodies of work in contemporary film music, bringing his talents to a dark fantasy world populated by superheroes, monsters and freaks. The son of novelist Blossom Elfman, he was born May 29, 1953 in Amarillo, Texas; raised in Los Angeles, he and brother Richard relocated to France in 1971, where he joined a theatrical group. Elfman subsequently moved on to Africa, returning to the U.S. only after battling a bout with malaria; he then reunited with Richard, who had directed the 1980 film The Forbidden Zone and asked Danny to compose the score. Assembling a band dubbed the Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo, Elfman recorded the movie's soundtrack; abbreviated to simply Oingo Boingo, the group remained a going concern following the project's completion, later earning a significant cult following during the New Wave era. In 1985 Elfman met fledgling filmmaker Burton; after collaborating on the score to the hit Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, they reunited frequently in the years to come, with Elfman composing the music to later Burton projects including Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks! and the Grammy-winning Batman. In 1993 Elfman also scored the Burton-produced Nightmare Before Christmas, dubbing the vocals of the animated musical's lead character Jack Skellington. Outside of Burton's sphere of influence, Elfman also scored a number of other features, most of them strange fables such as Darkman, Dick Tracy, Army of Darkness and The Frighteners; in 1997, he composed the music for Men in Black, the summer's biggest hit. Among his television work: the theme song to The Simpsons.
-  Jason Ankeny/AllMusic

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Elfman  Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Elfman on Elfman
Forbidden Zone, film score (1980) [1982?]
Pee-wee's Big Adventure, film score (1985)
Back to School, film score (1986)
The Jar, TV episode score (1986) [Alfred Hitchcock Presents]
Amazing Stories, TV series scores (1985-87)
    - Mummy Daddy (1985)
    - Family Dog (1987)
Summer School, film score (1987)
Wisdom, film score (1987)
Beetlejuice, film score (1988)
Midnight Run, film score (1988)
Big Top Pee-wee, film score (1988)
Hot to Trot, film score (1988)
Scrooged, film score (1988)
Face Like a Frog, short film score (1988)
Batman, film score (1989)
Nightbreed, film score (1990)
Dick Tracy, film score (1990)
Darkman, film score (1990)
Edward Scissorhands, film score (1990)
Article 99, film score (1992)
Batman Returns, film score (1992)
The Last Laugh, TV episode score (1992) [Batman TV series]
Sommersby, film score (1993)
Army of Darkness, film score (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas, film score (1993)
Black Beauty , film score (1994)
Dolores Claiborne, film score (1995)
Dead Presidents, film score (1995)
To Die For , film score (1995)
Mission: Impossible, film score (1996)
The Frighteners, film score (1996)
Freeway, film score (1996)
Extreme Measures, film score (1996)
Mars Attacks!, film score (1996)
Men in Black, film score (1997)
Flubber, film score (1997)
Bad Day on the Block, film score (1997)
Good Will Hunting, film score (1997)
A Simple Plan, film score (1998)
A Civil Action, film score (1998)
Instinct, film score (1999)
Anywhere But Here, film score (1999)
Sleepy Hollow, film score (1999)
Proof of Life, film score (2000)
The Family Man, film score (2000)
Spy Kids, film score (2001)
Mazer World, short film score (2001)
Planet of the Apes, film score (2001)
Spider-Man, film score (2002)
Men in Black II, film score (2002)
Red Dragon, film score (2002)
Chicago, film score (2002)
Hulk, film score (2003)
Big Fish, film score (2003)
Spider-Man 2, film score (2004)
No Experience Needed, short film score (2005)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, film score (2005)
Corpse Bride, film score (2005)
Serenada Schizophrana, female chorus and orchestra (2005) [2004?]
Improv for Alto Sax, alto saxophone and orchestra (2005?)
Deep Sea 3D, film score (2006)
Nacho Libre, film score (2006)
Charlotte's Web, film score (2006)
Meet the Robinsons, film score (2007)
Liaisons, TV episode score (2007) [Desperate Housewives TV series]
The Kingdom, film score (2007)
Standard Operating Procedure, film score (2008)
Wanted, film score (2008)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army, film score (2008)
Milk, film score (2008)
Notorious, film score (2009)
Terminator Salvation, film score (2009)
Taking Woodstock, film score (2009)
Do Not Disturb, film score (2010)
The Wolfman, film score (2010)
Alice in Wonderland, film score (2010)
The Next Three Days, film score (2010)
Restless , film score (2011)
Real Steel, film score (2011)
Iris, theatrical score (2011) [for theatrical company "Cirque du Soleil"]
The Hunger Games, film score (2012)
Dark Shadows, film score (2012)
Men In Black III , film score (2012)
Frankenweenie, film score (2012)
Oz, The Great and Powerful, film score (2013)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Elfman  Links    ~ ~ ~    Elfman on Elfman     ~ top of page ~
Theater
Iris, theatrical score (2011) [for theatrical company "Cirque du Soleil"]

Band

A Brass Thing, band (2005) [from "Serenada Schizophrana", 2005; arr. by Richard L. Saucedo]

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Improv for Alto Sax, alto saxophone and orchestra (2005?)

Chorus w/Orchestra
Serenada Schizophrana, female chorus and orchestra (2005) [2004?]
    - Pianos
    - Blue Strings
    - A Brass Thing
    - The Quadruped Patrol
    - 'I Forget'
    Bells And Whistles

Film
Forbidden Zone, film score (1980) [1982?]
Pee-wee's Big Adventure, film score (1985)
Back to School, film score (1986)
The Jar, TV episode score (1986) [Alfred Hitchcock Presents]
Amazing Stories, TV series scores (1985-87)
    - Mummy Daddy (1985)
    - Family Dog (1987)
Summer School, film score (1987)
Wisdom, film score (1987)
Beetlejuice, film score (1988)
Midnight Run, film score (1988)
Big Top Pee-wee, film score (1988)
Hot to Trot, film score (1988)
Scrooged, film score (1988)
Face Like a Frog, short film score (1988)
Batman, film score (1989)
Nightbreed, film score (1990)
Dick Tracy, film score (1990)
Darkman, film score (1990)
Edward Scissorhands, film score (1990)
Article 99, film score (1992)
Batman Returns, film score (1992)
The Last Laugh, TV episode score (1992) [Batman TV series]
Sommersby, film score (1993)
Army of Darkness, film score (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas, film score (1993)
Black Beauty , film score (1994)
Dolores Claiborne, film score (1995)
Dead Presidents, film score (1995)
To Die For , film score (1995)
Mission: Impossible, film score (1996)
The Frighteners, film score (1996)
Freeway, film score (1996)
Extreme Measures, film score (1996)
Mars Attacks!, film score (1996)
Men in Black, film score (1997)
Flubber, film score (1997)
Bad Day on the Block, film score (1997)
Good Will Hunting, film score (1997)
A Simple Plan, film score (1998)
A Civil Action, film score (1998)
Instinct, film score (1999)
Anywhere But Here, film score (1999)
Sleepy Hollow, film score (1999)
Proof of Life, film score (2000)
The Family Man, film score (2000)
Spy Kids, film score (2001)
Mazer World, short film score (2001)
Planet of the Apes, film score (2001)
Spider-Man, film score (2002)
Men in Black II, film score (2002)
Red Dragon, film score (2002)
Chicago, film score (2002)
Hulk, film score (2003)
Big Fish, film score (2003)
Spider-Man 2, film score (2004)
No Experience Needed, short film score (2005)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, film score (2005)
Corpse Bride, film score (2005)
Deep Sea 3D, film score (2006)
Nacho Libre, film score (2006)
Charlotte's Web, film score (2006)
Meet the Robinsons, film score (2007)
Liaisons, TV episode score (2007) [Desperate Housewives TV series]
The Kingdom, film score (2007)
Standard Operating Procedure, film score (2008)
Wanted, film score (2008)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army, film score (2008)
Milk, film score (2008)
Notorious, film score (2009)
Terminator Salvation, film score (2009)
Taking Woodstock, film score (2009)
Do Not Disturb, film score (2010)
The Wolfman, film score (2010)
Alice in Wonderland, film score (2010)
The Next Three Days, film score (2010)
Restless , film score (2011)
Real Steel, film score (2011)
The Hunger Games, film score (2012)
Dark Shadows, film score (2012)
Men In Black III , film score (2012)
Frankenweenie, film score (2012)
Oz, The Great and Powerful, film score (2013)


ELFMAN  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre     ~ ~ ~    Elfman on Elfman      ~ top of page ~
Composer Finally Gets to Run Away & Join the Big Top for Cirque du Soleil's 'Iris' (Daniel Schweiger, Buzzine)
So Danny Elfman Walks Into Carnegie Hall ... An Interview with Danny Elfman (Jessica Lustig, American Composers Orch)
Tales From the Black Side: Danny Elfman Interview (Film Score Monthly)
When Words Are Not Enough (Timya, Bretton Hall University, England)

Composer's website    . . .   contact Danny Elfman:  here

Elfman @ Wikipedia
Elfman @ About.com
Elfman @ American Music Center
Elfman @ Answers.com
Elfman @ Art + Culture
Elfman @ BluntInstrument
Elfman @ Chester Novello
Elfman @ CITWF / Complete Index to World Film
Elfman @ Classical Archives
Elfman @ Classical Composers Database
Elfman @ Classical Net
Elfman @ ClassicsToday
Elfman @ digitalSymphonix
Elfman @ Everything2
Elfman @ Facebook
Elfman @ Fandango
Elfman @ Filmbug
Elfman @ Film Music Magazine
Elfman @ Film Reference
Elfman @ Film Score Click Track
Elfman @ Film Score Monthly (via Google)
Elfman @ Filmtracks
Elfman @ IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Elfman @ InstantEncore
Elfman @ mfiles
Elfman @ Movie Music UK (via Google)
Elfman @ MSN Movies
Elfman @ MusicBrainz
Elfman @ MusicWeb International
Elfman @ MySpaceMusic
Elfman @ Naxos
Elfman @ The New York Times/movies
Elfman @ NNDB
Elfman @ NPR
Elfman @ NPRmusic
Elfman @ SoundtrackCollector
Elfman @ Soundtrack Express (via Google)
Elfman @ SoundtrackNet
Elfman @ SoundUnwound
Elfman @ Starpulse.com
Elfman @ Turner Classic Movies

Publisher
Elfman @ Chester Novello

Streaming Audio
Elfman @ Classical Archives
Elfman @ last.fm
Elfman @ MySpaceMusic
Elfman @ NPR
Elfman @ NPRmusic
Elfman @ Rhapsody.com
Elfman @ SoundCloud

Recordings
Elfman @ Amazon.com
Elfman @ ArkivMusic
Elfman @ CD Universe
Elfman @ ClassicsOnline
Elfman @ Discogs

Video
Elfman @ YouTube
Elfman @ Google Video
Elfman @ Vimeo

                                                                                                                                                                         ~ top of page ~
Elfman on Elfman: On Film Composing (VIDEO)








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