Danny Elfman - Batman Theme (1989)
Christopher Nolan's eagerly anticipated follow-up to Batman Begins hits cinemas July 18, and in celebration of the event this was to be the first of our five-week look at soundtracks from the feature films that were. I had intended to pull the video for "Partyman," which, I feel, is the unsung hero to Prince's better recognised Batdance. Alas, it was not to be!
The diminutive popstar may have hit the big five-oh (that's 50!) last month, but it seems his legal escapades haven't slowed! YouTube videos devoid of sound lie scattered across the internet like decapitated heads on pikes, warning off any would-be pirates of the funk-pop soundtrack.
Fortunately, Danny Elfman's iconic Batman march more than suffices for our purpose galleria! The theme marks Elfman's first major forray into work as a soundtrack artist, which some would say, is his bread and butter. Others, of course, would point to Oingo Boingo royalties... but I digress!
The Batman theme remains one of the most iconic tracks to come from superhero cinema, mixing the right amount of brooding pathos with the inspirational swell of victory. Elfman's Flash collaborator, Shirley Walker, would later dwell further on the brooding dirge qualities of the theme for the gritty, deco animated series.
So successful is the theme that it even won Batman a Grammy! It's not quite a giant penny, but that's pretty neat, all the same!
Again, I really would've liked to have brought you some of the Prince soundtrack, particularly as it was he who provided music for Jack Nicholson's clown price Joker, to which Heath Ledger is already compared.
From this experience I suppose we can take solace in the things we've learned; Prince has many things in common with Galactus! Both are closely associated with the colour purple; despite this association, both are said to be sexless creatures that appear in different forms to each person; and when either makes a decree, it is cosmic law! Party like it's 1999? Still retired nine years later!!! Law!
No comments:
Post a Comment