Danny Elfman | via Amoeba Music on YouTube
The latest installment in Amoeba Music’s ever-popular “What’s In My Bag?” video series — which features musicians stopping by the record store to answer the titular question — finds Danny Elfman offering a tour through the evolution of his own musical tastes.
The former Oingo Boingo frontman and celebrated film composer — who released his second solo album, Big Mess, in 2021 — dropped by the independent record chain’s Hollywood outpost for the segment.
Elfman talks about discovering The Beatles and delving into the music of Duke Ellington and Django Reinhardt — and how they informed his future musicality — before falling into punk (The Clash’s London Calling), ska (Madness’ One Step Beyond) and “a nervous rock band” (XTC’s Drums and Wires), the latter two, in particular, informing his Boingo years. And later still came David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails.
Check out the full segment below.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
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Ahhh… Danny Elfman. What an influence to me growing up. From the first Oingo Boingo album, to watching his Coachella performance, the impressions are everlasting. What surprised me the most in this interview is the discovery that he only started playing an instrument at the age of 18. Wow! What a talent. Hoping for more from him, because he never ages. ;-)
this episode is more of a what influenced you than an artist explaining a random assortment of records they are buying on a particular day….and I for one am not complaining. love DE.
I see photos of his now reclusive wife Bridget Fonda, and she looks so unhappy.