The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2019) |
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo | |
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Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Years active | 1972-1979 |
Past members | Richard Elfman Danny Elfman Gene Cunningham Matthew Bright Ernie Fosselius Leon Schneiderman George Jay Arla Dietz William Winant Stan Ayeroff Jan Munroe Marie-Pascale Elfman Lori Erenberg William Folwell Musti Faun Jon Gold Josh Gordon Todd Manley Dale Turner Sam Phipps Brad Kay Gisele Lindley Charlie Unkeless Miriam Cutler Steve Bartek Joe Berland Timm Boatman Tom Pedrini John Hernandez Craig Pallett |
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo was an American surrealist street theatre troupe, formed by performer and director Richard Elfman in 1972. The group was led by Richard until 1976, when his brother Danny Elfman took over. The group evolved into an experimental musical theatre group, performing songs from the 1930s-40s and original material.[1][2]
In 1979, Danny Elfman wished to pursue a new direction as a dedicated rock band and the group reformed as Oingo Boingo. Several Mystic Knights band members continued with the new band including Steve Bartek, Leon Schneiderman, Dale Turner, Sam 'Sluggo' Phipps, and Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez.
History
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, formed in late 1972 by Richard Elfman, was a musical theater troupe in the tradition of
As Richard Elfman's interest shifted to filmmaking, he passed leadership of the band to younger brother Danny, who had recently returned from spending time in Africa playing violin and studying percussion instruments. They gained a following in Los Angeles, and appeared as contestants on The Gong Show in 1976, winning the episode they appeared on with 24 points out of a possible 30.[5] The Gong Show presentation included an accordion, a purple dragon and a gaseous rocket-man.
Later in 1976, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo released "You Got Your Baby Back", a doo-wop style novelty single about kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst. Both this track and the B-side "Ballad of the Caveman" were written and sung by Danny Elfman. The band featured in the 1976 Martin Brest film Hot Tomorrows performing the songs "St. James Infirmary" and "42nd Street".[6]
Under the younger Elfman's leadership, the troupe made a transition away from street theater into dedicated multimedia theatrical performance around 1977, performing in theaters and clubs around Los Angeles, which is depicted in the bulk of surviving video and audio footage. Musical performances were often augmented by humorous skits, costume changes, and projected short films and animations, including the original "Tender Lumplings", which was often shown in this period and would be revived many years later towards the end of Oingo Boingo's subsequent lifespan.[7]
In interviews detailing his musical influences, Danny Elfman has maintained that during much of his years with The Mystic Knights, "I lived in my head back in the early part of the [20th] century, long before I was born; I didn't want to listen to music recorded after 1935."
Richard Elfman produced Forbidden Zone in 1977-78 with a cast mostly comprising band members and friends, later released in 1980. In one scene, Danny, as Satan, sings a version of "Minnie the Moocher" with lyrics adapted for the movie plot.[9] In another, Richard sings the 1920s novelty song "The Yiddishe Charleston". The movie attained cult status.[10] The film's theme, "Forbidden Zone", was described by Danny Elfman as the first song he consciously wrote, composed and arranged for electric instrumentation, marking the beginning of a new artistic direction.[11]
During 1978-79, Danny Elfman introduced more original songs into the band’s set, now being sometimes named just "The Mystic Knights", with a growing rock influence. The new songs specifically took after the then recent developments of punk("Marching In Time"), new wave("Cruisin"), ska("Ain't This The Life", a very fast and energetic cover of The Beach Boys' "California Girls", with revised and humorous lyrics), 2 tone and highlife("Louise", "Make It Right") all while still maintaining threads of the pre-rock musical idioms the troupe had been specializing in ("Nuclear Babies", written during this period, is a noticeable return to the doo wop sound of a few years previous). This was aided by the recent addition of drummer Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez in 1978, who would gain his "Vatos" nickname from a persona he would take on in performances of the song "Cruisin". In mid-1979, Danny decided to officially disband the Mystic Knights to form a dedicated rock band in this new musical style, shortening the name to just Oingo Boingo.
Discography
- "You Got Your Baby Back" / "Ballad Of The Caveman" (Pelican Records, 1976)
Filmography
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977)
- Hot Tomorrows (1977)
- Forbidden Zone (1980)
References
- ^ Benson, Alex (May 15, 2018). "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo: Danny Elfman's Circus Theater Origins". Medium. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Dan (26 March 1975). "Return to Calculated Pandemonium". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ ""The Dr. Demento Show (live on KMET) - August 25, 1974 (6p-10p)" archived broadcast. courtesy of drdemento.com".
- ^ ""The Dr. Demento Show #10 (2-2) - September 8, 1974" archived broadcast. courtesy of drdemento.com".
- ^ "Oingo Boingo on the Gong Show". Archived from the original on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2011-11-02 – via YouTube.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (October 4, 1977). "'Hot Tomorrows' Is Grim Film". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
At the club, an eerie-looking combo in heavymakeup is playing "St. James infirmary"... Paracise Ballroom sequence performed by the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo...
- ^ "Oingo Boingo-Tender Lumplings *Extended and Improved!*". Retrieved 2009-12-14 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Danny Elfman - What's In My Bag?". Retrieved 2023-03-21 – via YouTube.
- ISBN 978-1-900486-21-7
- ISBN 978-1-55652-591-9
- ^ "Danny Elfman talks to Guy Raz About Working With Tim Burton and His Band Oingo Boingo". Retrieved 2022-12-20 – via YouTube.