What if JW scores the upcoming Simpsons movie? (revamped)

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The original thread got locked. (for reasons far to complex to get into.)

But those interested may continue here.

[Morlock 11]

Tyrany!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

BTW, Danny Elfman did the theme for The Simpsons, but did he do anything else for the show, like the pilot, maybe?

[Morlock 11]

Nope, I don't believe he did anything else.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Has Elfman ever commented on the show?

I doubt he expected that this theme he wrote for this little cartoon show was gonna still be heard more then a decade later.

[A24 4,326]

Matt Groening commented this:

I gave Elfman what I called a "flavors" tape, featuring the kind of sound I wanted for The Simpsons theme. The tape included The Jetsons theme, selections from Nino Rota's Juliet of the Spirits, a Remington electric shaver jingle by Frank Zappa, some easy-listening music by Esquivel, and a teach-your-parott-to-talk record.

Elfman gave it a listen and said, "I know exactly what you're looking for."

[A24 4,326]

And here's a part of an Elfman interview:

GM: Has it occurred to you that, of all the work you've done and probably ever will do, your most enduring legacy will likely be the "Simpsons" theme?

DE: That is the great irony, is that I've done, what, 20 scores now; let's say I do 20 more before I kick the bucket. And I've done some enormously successful scores, and I've done scores that have been imitated frequently, much to my amusement and annoyance. And yet the thing that will be on my gravestone when I die is "Danny Elfman: 1953 to 19..." Oh, let's say '98 -- let's give me four more years. It'll say "He wrote the Simpsons theme." Yeah, it's true, that thing I spent two days on will be what I'll probably be most known for, instead of those labors of love that I spent months just killing myself over -- a la Batman and others that I just thought when I finished those projects that I would never do another thing in my life, it's so much work. Of course the thing that I spent two days on would be most famous... Maybe there's a lesson to be learned there.

1994 Grammy Magazine

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Cool, thanks Alex.

[Morlock 11]

Here's a link where he says basicaly the same thing. Just scroll down, it's a bunch of short video clips.

[Morlock 11]

BTW- that's the BMI site, they've got a bunch of clips for a lot of different composers. Some are pretty interesting. The clips are generaly very shot, but they can be informative.

[Guest]

I apologise for calling you a Dick, Stefancos.

[Guest]

I've heard the Simpsons theme so much, it's about as common as hearing the phone ring.

Anyway...let Alf do this one. JW doesn't need to score everything and I don't think he'd be whimsical enough to do Simpsons. He's an old man. He can't handle the kind of caffeine that powers each and every episode of the Simpsons to date. Maybe he's not too old, but he's too restrained. Or maybe not. I'd say let Goldsmith do it if you didn't get Clausen. Looney Tunes was A-OK in my book. Of course, it was a Dante movie too, and those are always good.

[Hector J. Guzman 1]

Matt Groening commented this:

I gave Elfman what I called a "flavors" tape, featuring the kind of sound I wanted for The Simpsons theme. The tape included The Jetsons theme, selections from Nino Rota's Juliet of the Spirits, a Remington electric shaver jingle by Frank Zappa, some easy-listening music by Esquivel, and a teach-your-parott-to-talk record.  

    Elfman gave it a listen and said, "I know exactly what you're looking for."

Where can I get all those themes together in a collection?

[tharpdevenport 4]

Yeah, he should score the The Simpsons movie (I didn't know one was coming), but think about this:

Composer Adam Berry wanted to score the South Park movie and it ended up going to Marc Shaiman.

The studios will want to pull in a major name, who MAtt will probably want alfclausen.com.

He is underrrated and I really hope he does.

A CD of score would be excellant, sh!t, if I was payed, I would go threw every single episode score and pick the best cues for a good release. I don't mind.

imdb.com has a complete listed of all composers who worked on the show.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I apologise for calling you a Dick, Stefancos.

I accept your apology.

[Guest]

Except or accept?

[Henry B 50]

JW doesn't need to score everything and I don't think he'd be whimsical enough to do Simpsons. He's an old man. He can't handle the kind of caffeine that powers each and every episode of the Simpsons to date. Maybe he's not too old, but he's too restrained.

Not true at all.

Alf Clausen should do it. Or maybe that guy who wrote the music for The Simpsons Hit and Run (video game). I liked his work. Marc something, I think!

[tharpdevenport 4]

I thought, though I could be wrong, that Futurama composer, Christopher Tyng, composed the video game.

[Henry B 50]

He didn't. I was watching the credits after beating Hit & Run, and it definitely said "Marc" something. Then again, there were three assistant composers; Tyng could have been one of them.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I forgot about the Futurama composer. He is absolutely brilliant, as is the show IMO. Very few cartoons (hell, very few movies or shows) are able to make me almost cry. There are about five episodes I have watched recently that have heartbreaking scenes with perfect underscore. If Clausen is unavailable or doesn't want to do it, get Tyng.

[Henry B 50]

It seems like the typical Futurama show consists of a main theme fanfare and them some action music later on. They needed more underscore. But what music there is is good!

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Have you heard some of the more emotional episodes? I'm pretty sure in these ones it's all originally written for the episode, I can't tell you the episodes off the top of my head but I'll get back to ya.