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 jungle by Frank Zappa, some easy-listening music by Esquivel, and a teach-your-parrot-to-talk-record.
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 07:14 (8 months ago) Permalink
h/t dangerous minds:
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/1967_frank_zappa_linda_ronstadt_radio_ad_that_influenced_the_simpsons_theme
sounds like elfman disregarded all but the jetson's theme 2 me
― flopson, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:25 (8 months ago) Permalink
i have to admit i don't really hear the esquivel.
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:27 (8 months ago) Permalink
But you hear the parakeet training record?!
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:31 (8 months ago) Permalink
i get how it contributes to the gestalt. plus i have no idea which actual parrot/parakeet record he used -- that's just the one i found on youtube.
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:35 (8 months ago) Permalink
Just funnin'. Actually that whole gestalt (Zappa + TV themes + space age bachelor pad etc.) seemed pretty prevalent among a certain mindset. (B-52s were huge Rota fans, Pylon famously planned to use a bird training record as found vocal matter.)
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:41 (8 months ago) Permalink
it would be fun to put together a playlist of what else groening might have put on that tape. kind of a "what's on your ipod, matt groening of the late '80s trying to help danny elfman compose a simpsons theme?"
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:44 (8 months ago) Permalink
Totally! I never knew of that Remingon ad btw. "Up go the shaving heads, down go the shaving heads..."
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:46 (8 months ago) Permalink
See also: Church of The Subgenius, Devo (especially the E-Z Listening stuff), "Ping-Pong Percussion" records...
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 17:50 (8 months ago) Permalink
That remington ad is amazing! thanks.
― wk, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 18:03 (8 months ago) Permalink
i love the devo e-z listening disc!
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 18:34 (8 months ago) Permalink
Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse" is total proto-Simpsons.
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 18:45 (8 months ago) Permalink
It's been linked elsewhere, and surely ever Boingo fan has seen it, but here they are on The Gong Show in 1976. Elfman's signature syncopations already on display;
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 18:51 (8 months ago) Permalink
feel like some les baxter belongs on that tape.
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:01 (8 months ago) Permalink
stupid youtube playlist format.
― pastoral mellotron soaked epic gnome and wizard shit (get bent), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:02 (8 months ago) Permalink
That's okay, I had never seen those Latino Roots comps. Rowr!
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:30 (8 months ago) Permalink