The return of a true rebel: PEE-WEE's BIG ADVENTURE score to be re-released on vinyl
So vinyl is not only more popular than ever but we are living in an era in which movie scores are enjoying a very good health as well, so it's not a surprise that a few of the more popular and iconic scores of Hollywood are coming back (again that is...) in this format of old. The next one that is going to hit the streets is Danny Elfman's score for the first full length feature directed by his long-time pal, Tim Burton, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, that was released almost 34 years ago!
The score, that was released in a limited edition last year to mark the 30th anniversary of the original issue of Varése Sarabande's compact disc, cassette and first-time vinyl editions, will be available this time on wide release and fear not: the record itself will be red, the same color as Pee-wee's most cherished possession, his bike.
As Elfman recalls in the dvd commentary of the film:
"That was my first orchestral score, I've been playing in a rock band called Oingo Boingo and previously with a musical theatrical group called the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo although it bore no ressemblance (...) Paul Reubens knew my work through the Mystic Knights 'cause I did a late-night cult movie, although it wasn't for an orchestra, they were just eleven players, it's called The Forbidden Zone and Tim Burton knew my work through the rock band years later, so they called me up for a meeting, I had no idea why, I did a pretty good job, at least I thought, of 'un-selling' myself because I thought that they were kind of crazy for trying to hire me, but they persisted and in short I ended up going home and doing a demo of an idea, I didn't think that much about it and send it off and that recording later became the main title of the film"
Danny Elfman of course became from that moment on the first choice composer for Burton and they've worked together up until very recently as we can attest with the recent release of their 17th collaboration, Disney's live-action version of their animated classic Dumbo.
As soon as the music for Pee-wee's Big Adventure starts it's impossible not to recognize what is one of Elfman major influences, the music of Bernard Herrmann; the film itself, an absurd comedy of sorts, would also allow Elfman to emulate the style of other of his beloved film music heroes: italian maestro Nino Rota.
The original release of Pee-wee's Big Adventure had the accompanying music of Back to School, the Rodney Dangerfield film in which Elfman himself appears with Oingo Boingo performing one of the band's most known songs, 'Dead Man's Party'. That music remains in this re-release on vinyl so as the say: the more the merrier.
Pee-wee's Adventure can be purchased directly from Varése Sarabande's website.
