So-Lo is the debut studio album by American musician Danny Elfman, released in 1984 by MCA Records. Recorded primarily by Elfman,[1] but also featuring the members of his band, Oingo Boingo, it was recorded when Elfman was offered a solo contract with MCA after the band had been dropped from I.R.S. Records.[2] The album marked the band's last release to feature bassist Kerry Hatch and keyboardist Richard Gibbs.
| So-Lo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1984 | |||
| Recorded | April 1983; July 1984 | |||
| Studio | Ground Control (Santa Monica) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:34 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek, Paul Ratajczak | |||
| Danny Elfman chronology | ||||
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| Oingo Boingo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from So-Lo | ||||
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Background edit
So-Lo was produced during a hiatus for Oingo Boingo, following the departure of Hatch and Gibbs. Elfman described the album as "a chance to experiment with slower tempos"[3] and added that "it was fun to do some ballads and try to snap out of that image that a lot of people have of me just writing real fast (...) tunes."[1]
While much of the instrumentation features synth programming from Elfman, Oingo Boingo's remaining members all performed on the album,[1] with Flea of the then-recently formed Red Hot Chili Peppers providing "additional bass guitar". The track "Lightning" had been recorded in 1983 for Good For Your Soul[citation needed] while Hatch and Gibbs were still with the band.
Despite rumors at the time of the band breaking up, Elfman later stated that So-Lo was "not made out of frustration" and that he was more committed to the group than ever before.[1] However, a 1987 article published in BAM magazine, in which Elfman was interviewed about the band's past, suggested that Oingo Boingo had in fact considered disbanding in 1984.[4]
In 2020, Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek stated that So-Lo was "mostly a band record", but that MCA "wasn't particularly interested" in Oingo Boingo and so had signed Elfman as a solo artist. However, Elfman wanted to continue the band and convinced MCA to change his recording contract to Oingo Boingo following the release of So-Lo.[2]
Release edit
Original vinyl and cassette releases contained an alternate, earlier mix of the opening song, "Gratitude". Among other differences, this 5:04 mix included a spoken verse cut from all other versions; this was also the version used on the soundtrack to the film Beverly Hills Cop (1984).[5] The original CD release contained the full 5:12 album mix.
The missing verse is as follows:
I used to eat people like you for breakfast
I used to fly, high up in the sky
I used to chew up rocks and spit out gravel
I had a heart as cold as ice
This verse was retained for live performances of the song, sometimes with slightly different lyrics,[6][7] and was also featured on the re-recording of the song for Boingo Alive in 1988.
The 12-inch single release for "Gratitude" used a shorter 4:42 mix, parenthetically named the "Short Version", and the accompanying music video featured an even shorter 4:08 edit. Confusingly, CD releases erroneously titled the 5:12 album mix as the "Short Version", while later vinyl reissues replaced the album mix with the 12-inch "Short Version".
In 2014, So-Lo was reissued on CD by Varèse Sarabande, with one bonus track.[8] In 2022, a remaster was issued by Rubellan Remasters as an expanded edition CD with five bonus tracks, as well as a colored vinyl LP.[9]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Danny Elfman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gratitude" (5:04 early vinyl & cassette; 4:42 "Short Version" on later issues) | 5:12 |
| 2. | "Cool City" | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Go Away" | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Sucker for Mystery" | 5:15 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It Only Makes Me Laugh" | 4:03 |
| 2. | "The Last Time" | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Tough as Nails" | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Lightning" | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Everybody Needs" | 3:50 |
| Total length: | 38:34 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Gratitude (Single Edit)" (Video Edit) | 4:08 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Gratitude (Original Version)" | 5:05 |
| 11. | "Gratitude (Extended Dance Version)" | 6:44 |
| 12. | "Gratitude (Single Version)" | 4:04 |
| 13. | "Gratitude (Tornado Version)" | 7:02 |
| 14. | "Gratitude (Short Version)" | 4:47 |
Personnel edit
"The Cast"
- Danny Elfman – vocals, percussion, programming
- Steve Bartek – guitars, programming
- Rich Gibbs – synthesizers, special DX-7 programming
- Paul Fox – synthesizers
- Kerry Hatch – basses
- John Hernandez – drums, percussion
- Leon Schneiderman – baritone sax
- Sam Phipps – tenor sax
- Dale Turner – trumpet, trombone
Additional musician
- The liner notes on some versions (including the 2014 CD reissue) list "Special Thanx" to "Michael Flea for his extra bass work."
Technical
- Steve Bartek – co-producer, arrangements
- Danny Elfman – co-producer, arrangements
- Paul Ratajczak – co-producer, engineer
- Spozzi the "Spazz" – assistant engineer
- Laura Engel – production assistant
- Greg Fulginiti – mastering
- Georganne Deen – art direction, illustration
- Aaron Rapoport – photography
References edit
- ^ a b c d Willman, Chris (1985-01-03). "Oingo Boingo's Elfman Tries a 'So-Lo' Album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
- ^ a b Bartek, Steve (October 18, 2020). "Richard Blade interviews Oingo Boingo Former Members". YouTube. Richard Blade. Event occurs at 42m 13s. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ The Elfman Zone - Denver Post Article 1986
- ^ Darling, Cary (5 May 1987). "Oingo Boingo's Difficult Teenage Years". BAM.
- ^ Beverly Hills Cop I 07. Danny Elfman - Gratitude
- ^ Oingo Boingo - Gratitude - Universal Amphitheatre 1993.01.16
- ^ Boingo at The Palace-Gratitude
- ^ "Danny Elfman's 'So-Lo' album reissued on CD after more than a decade out of print". Slicing Up Eyeballs. December 11, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ Duquette, Mike (November 4, 2022). "Rubellan Puts Flesh N' Blood Into Next Wave of Oingo Boingo Reissues on CD, Vinyl (UPDATED PRE-ORDER LINKS)". The Second Disc. Retrieved November 5, 2022.