So-Lo

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So-Lo
Solo Danny Elfman album art.jpg
Studio album by
Danny Elfman
ReleasedNovember 11, 1984
RecordedApril 1983; July 1984
StudioGround Control (Santa Monica)
GenreNew wave, synth-pop, ska
Length38:34
LabelMCA
ProducerDanny Elfman
Steve Bartek
Paul Ratajczak
Danny Elfman chronology
So-Lo
(1984) 		Big Mess
(2021)
Oingo Boingo chronology
Good for Your Soul
(1983) 		So-Lo
(1984) 		Dead Man's Party
(1985)
Singles from So-Lo
  1. "Gratitude"
    Released: 1984

So-Lo is the debut studio synth-pop album by American musician Danny Elfman, released in 1984 by MCA Records. While it was released as a solo record, it is generally attributed to Elfman's band Oingo Boingo, of which he was the frontman and sole songwriter. The album marked the band's first release with MCA records after leaving I.R.S. Records.

Production[]

So-Lo features notably more electronic production than previous albums released by Oingo Boingo, but with prominent electric guitar by Steve Bartek.

The album was produced during a hiatus for Oingo Boingo, following the departure of bassist Kerry Hatch and keyboardist Richard Gibbs. Elfman described So-Lo as "a chance to experiment with slower tempos"[1] and added "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."[2]

Oingo Boingo's remaining members returned as session musicians and all feature on the record, 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 while Hatch and Gibbs were still with the band, hence they are also credited on the album.

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.[3] 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, Steve Bartek explained that MCA had signed Danny Elfman on a solo contract and "weren't interested" in Oingo Boingo. However, Elfman wanted to continue the band and managed to persuade MCA to change the contract following the release of So-Lo.[5]

Release[]

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).[6] 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,[7][8] 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, Varèse Sarabande reissued the album on CD with the 4:08 video edit of "Gratitude" included as a bonus track, parenthetically labelled "Single Edit" and erroneously billed as the "Special version of the song from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack".

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Danny Elfman.

Side one
No.TitleLength
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
Side two
No.TitleLength
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
2014 CD bonus track
No.TitleLength
10."Gratitude (Single Edit)" (Video Edit)4:08

Personnel[]

"The Cast"

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

Notes[]

  1. ^ The Elfman Zone - Denver Post Article 1986
  2. ^ Willman, Chris (1985-01-03). "Oingo Boingo's Elfman Tries a 'So-Lo' Album". Retrieved 2019-07-28.
  3. ^ Willman, Chris (1985-01-03). "Oingo Boingo's Elfman Tries a 'So-Lo' Album". Retrieved 2019-07-28.
  4. ^ Darling, Cary (5 May 1987). "Oingo Boingo's Difficult Teenage Years". BAM Magazine.
  5. ^ Bartek, Steve. "Richard Blade interviews Oingo Boingo Former Members". YouTube. Richard Blade. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  6. ^ Beverly Hills Cop I 07. Danny Elfman - Gratitude
  7. ^ Oingo Boingo - Gratitude - Universal Amphitheatre 1993.01.16
  8. ^ Boingo at The Palace-Gratitude
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