jen*
09-11-2002, 09:21 AM
Oingo Boingo
(Credit: RollingStone.com)
The quirky '80s cult pop group Oingo Boingo was formed in Los Angeles in 1979 as the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a band created to write music for the independent film The Forbidden Zone, by director Richard Elfman. Core members of the group included Richard's younger brother Danny Elfman (vocals/guitar), Steve Bartek (guitar) and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez (drums), as well as bassist John Avila, who joined in 1985; throughout its history the band's lineup changed many times, ranging from five to eight members.
Oingo Boingo released a self-titled debut EP in 1980 on IRS Records, then signed to A&M Records for their 1981 full-length debut, Just a Lad. Thanks to their unusual sound -- horns, complex rhythms and odd lyrics -- the group soon built up a cult following, expanded with their 1982 follow-up Nothing to Fear and 1983's Good For Your Soul. Oingo Boingo peeked into the mainstream with the Top 40 single "Dead Man's Party," from their gold-selling 1985 release of the same name, then returned to their extensive cult for 1987's Boi-ngo and the 1988 double-live album Boingo Alive.
Throughout the 1980s Oingo Boingo contributed tracks to popular soundtracks, including the theme song to the 1986 film Weird Science. Thanks to his success with Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman soon developed a side business of writing film and TV scores, becoming a top name in the business and building a close relationship with director Tim Burton. Following the 1990 release of Dark at the End of the Tunnel, Elfman left the group to work on film scores full-time. The group returned in 1993 as simply "Boingo" and released a self-titled album, then disbanded in 1995; a recording of their last show was released the following year.
(Credit: RollingStone.com)
The quirky '80s cult pop group Oingo Boingo was formed in Los Angeles in 1979 as the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a band created to write music for the independent film The Forbidden Zone, by director Richard Elfman. Core members of the group included Richard's younger brother Danny Elfman (vocals/guitar), Steve Bartek (guitar) and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez (drums), as well as bassist John Avila, who joined in 1985; throughout its history the band's lineup changed many times, ranging from five to eight members.
Oingo Boingo released a self-titled debut EP in 1980 on IRS Records, then signed to A&M Records for their 1981 full-length debut, Just a Lad. Thanks to their unusual sound -- horns, complex rhythms and odd lyrics -- the group soon built up a cult following, expanded with their 1982 follow-up Nothing to Fear and 1983's Good For Your Soul. Oingo Boingo peeked into the mainstream with the Top 40 single "Dead Man's Party," from their gold-selling 1985 release of the same name, then returned to their extensive cult for 1987's Boi-ngo and the 1988 double-live album Boingo Alive.
Throughout the 1980s Oingo Boingo contributed tracks to popular soundtracks, including the theme song to the 1986 film Weird Science. Thanks to his success with Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman soon developed a side business of writing film and TV scores, becoming a top name in the business and building a close relationship with director Tim Burton. Following the 1990 release of Dark at the End of the Tunnel, Elfman left the group to work on film scores full-time. The group returned in 1993 as simply "Boingo" and released a self-titled album, then disbanded in 1995; a recording of their last show was released the following year.