To get a start on the weekend before Halloween, I thought I would kick it off with a bit of the 1980s, with Oingo Boingo. The band, which featured the talented Danny Elfman, released an album in 1985, the intriguing 'Dead Man's Party'. All the songs on the album were written by Elfman, who had a love and understanding of the eccentric. But it was the title cut that seems like just the right song for the occasion, for how could you celebrate All Hallow's Eve without a "Dead Man's Party"?
The album also included the huge hit, "Weird Science". You can purchase Oingo Boingo's 'Dead Man's Party' from iTunes and Amazon.
Clockwise from Top Left: The Village People, Dead Or Alive, Oingo Boingo and Culture Club.
Back in the day, you couldn't imagine having a hit song without a really good frock. Yes, I am speaking back in the 70s and 80s, when some of the costumes were a source of campy humor, or a statement to a world that might have just been ready to think about what the performers had to say. Take, for instance, The Village People. The Cop. The Cowboy. The Indian. The Biker. The Construction Worker. The Marine. Given this information, you might guess them to be rough and tumble me, ready for a brawl. But that wasn't the case, as it was a powerhouse disco group of the 70s and 80s, The Village People. This is their hit, YMCA.
Frontman Pete Burns put it all out there when he was performing with Dead Or Alive. He took the gender-bender craze to a different level when the stunning and provocative singer announced he was not a drag queen, but transgender and was starting to transition from man to woman. But that came after they had their big hit, You Spin Me Round.
Boy George certainly didn't shy away from the gender-bending issue, with a high-style make-up and long dreads. He certainly made a statement from the first time Culture Club was noticed and has never looked back. Here they are performing a dance hit, War.
Danny Elfman put together a band that was high on theater, but every bit as high on musical freedom. Oingo Boingo might have had a big hit with Weird Science, but the perfect Halloween song was Dead Man's Party. This was a bunch of str8 men who could rock a costume!
There you have it, four different bands whose costumes were at home on the stage, but could be equally inspiring at any Halloween parade. Hope you enjoyed!
The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo started in 1972 as a Los Angeles live experience, part theater, part rock band. Originally founded by Richard Elfman, the band had an esoteric set list more in keeping with Frank Zappa, combining a wide range of influences, blending it all together with a jazz mentality. In 1976, Richard decided to focus on his career as a movie director, and younger brother Danny Elfman took the leadership role, changing the direction and feel of the band. While the theatrics were still a big part of the performances, Danny's darker side made for a new flow for the band. That included a winning appearance on the Gong Show, which did not manage to catapult them to any fame, not surprising once you see the clip.
It wasn't until 1981 they managed to put out their first album, and still didn't find commercial success until 1985 with the release of Dead Man's Party. The band had focused their sound, moving in a New Wave direction, although maintained the large performance style. But the real success was a single off the album, which was the written for a John Hughes film. The song, Weird Science, which played everywhere in 1985, enabling the album to be certified gold.
They followed up the hit with Dead Man's Party, another visually arresting video to support a layered and textured musical performance.
One of my favorite songs off the album was Stay. It was more melodic and less theatrical, showing a more New Wave and less Pop side of the band. The song did not chart, although it did get some radio-play follwoing the success of Weird Science.
The band were together until 1995, when they finally called it quits. Elfman started working full time working on film soundtracks, something he had started before, working on brother Richard's films, as well as the soundtrack to Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. He went on to work in collaboration with Tim Burton on such films as Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride. He also scored Burton's upcoming release, Alice In Wonderland.
