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Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo |
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Written by Ghost
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Thursday, 07 December 2006 |
Danny was born Daniel Robert Elfman on May 29, 1953, in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in Baldwin Hills, as a child the film scores of composers like Bernard Herrmann made an impression on him. He's said before that, like many of us film score fanatics, he was soon able to identify a film's composer before their credits came on screen.
When Danny was 18 he took a trip to West Africa paid for with the settlement from a drunk driver hitting his car. He originally intended to go around the world, but soon visited his brother, Richard Elfman, who was living in France. It was there that Danny began performing with Richard's musical-theatrical group. After touring with the group Elfman headed to the Canary islands, where his juju and skeleton folk art collecting began. After becoming ill with Malaria, Elfman returned to the United States and was soon joining his brother once again, this time in the eccentric musical theatre troupe The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, formed in 1972. The band played a mix of experimental music, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington covers. The band even appeared on the Gong Show and won.
When Richard Elfman became more interested in making film, Danny led The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. He had become interested in ska, writing contemporary music, and performing as a club band rather than a theatrical cabaret.
Richard began putting together an underground film and asked Danny to score The Forbidden Zone, which was released in 1980. This first feature-length score by Danny Elfman would not only have a trademark catchy Danny Elfman opening theme, but a performance from Danny Elfman as Satan, riffing on Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher", called "Squeezit the Moocher." The sequence was inspired by the Mystic Knights stage performance.
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Early Music 
