It’s still spooky season and there are plenty of options for Halloween fare. If Lady Gaga isn’t your cup of tea, why not try something a little more classically spooky: an iconic Universal monster?
What is Known
Oingo Boingo was not always the band we’ve known them to be. Initially, they were “The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo”, a surreal musical troupe. Performances included covers of tracks like “Minnie the Moocher” and “St. James Infirmary” as well as lip syncs of more obscure tracks. The group would have brief film appearances in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and Hot Tomorrows. Actors from both films (Susan Tyrell in the former and Hervé Villechaize in the latter) would reunite in an original film that memorialized the group’s acts, Forbidden Zone. This film would serve as a transition for the group as they leaned more into a new wave sound at the time. The band would last from 1980 with their debut album “Only a Lad” all the way up to 1995 with a grand farewell concert on Halloween. Their work would appear in films like Sixteen Candles, Back to School, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, Weird Science, Ghostbusters II, and original work like Sally Cruikshank’s Face Like a Frog. In time, frontman Danny Elfman would shift to doing film scores for eventual frequent collaborator Tim Burton (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Batman, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands) among others. The band would dissolve in 1995 but their music would find heavy rotation in Halloween playlists ever since.
While not the first adaptation of the novel, the 1931 film from James Whale is the most iconic iteration of the character. Released a few months after the English and Spanish versions of Dracula, Boris Karloff cemented his status as a classic horror icon as the Monster. Not only would this film spawn a number of sequels, parodies, and remakes, Karloff would find plenty of work in horror films inside Universal (The Old Dark House, The Mummy, the 1935 version of The Raven, The Black Cat) but also outside (the 1963 version of The Raven as part of the Poe/Corman cycle, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Corridors of Blood, The Terror and Targets for a uniquely American horror story that utilizes footage from The Terror).
In terms of straightforward syncs, it was Tyler Buffett who found a pairing of their work paired with horror films, the original Friday the 13th with “Only a Lad” and the original A Nightmare on Elm Street with “Dead Man’s Party” back in 2014.
The Setlist
Sessions August 23, September 9-11, 2024. Completed September 11, 2024
Instructions
Start the playlist right when the man walks on stage.
The Setlist Commentary
Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself). A kindly patron lets the audience know that the film they’re about to see is scary, at least by pre-Code standards. However, the band tells us that “there’s nothing to fear but fear itself”.
No One Lives Forever. It’s time to desecrate some graves. Frankenstein notices a moon out as “there’s a full moon in the sky”. He even tells Fritz to cut the rope as “the grim reaper cuts, cuts, cuts”. Between the two of them, “they’re as clever as can be” and “only got so many tricks”.
Right to Know. “No one knows what’s on his mind” except stealing a mind or two. Meanwhile, Frankenstein’s fiancée is worried about what’s going on and she demands that she has a right to know and visits his old professor.
Outrageous. Their “little world is due for a shakeup” as they learn of Frankenstein’s motives. “Something’s gonna happen real soon (something scary)” as the storm gathers metaphorically and literally while Frankenstein preps for his big moment.
Wild Sex (In the Working Class). Fritz slaves away and starts up the machinery. His “back is achin’ so bad, but he’s grinnin’ inside” even as he does his master’s bidding. Frankenstein “works so hard, thinking of you” as he confronts Elizabeth during her surprise visit.
Return of the Dead Man (1988 Boingo Alive Version). The rare instrumental from the group, a prelude for the actual events.
Weird Science. This one was definitely a gimme. How could I not include it for this film? Especially putting it where Frankenstein screams “It’s alive!” and have the sample mimic it. Personally, I don’t care for the film it was written for but as this track is a guaranteed Halloween staple, I’d be foolish to omit it.
Ain’t This the Life (10” EP). The doctor celebrates his success. During a debate about the monster’s existence, his thoughts are “folks below, they say it ain’t fair/hell with them, I really don’t care”.
Grey Matter (1988 Boingo Alive Version). The monster lurches forward with the “new” grey matter rattling around in his skull, demonstrating basic skills.
Controller. “There’s someone knocking at my door, I think they’re looking for me” is a true paranoid sentiment as the monster opens up the door to a trap by the doctor.
Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me. Despite all of the terror and the stress, we “see them scream but hear no sound”. And yet, bad things happen to others as the monster strangles an assistant and flees the castle. As the song fades out, we’re taken to a peaceful and protected spot.
Is This. A brief moment of bliss “another place, another time”. “If only I can make time stand still for a moment, capture a memory” all on the wedding day.
Little Girls. Imagine having this be the opening track of your debut album. It’s meant to be tongue in cheek but here we have an actual monster interacting with the girl by the lake and tossing her in it to see her float. “Isn’t it a nightmare, too?”
Helpless - Live. Originally, this accordion-backed track existed in official form on the cassette for the final studio album “Boingo”. While that has Danny’s vocals weave through a forlorn carnivalesque ballad, the live version from the farewell concert is considerably angrier in tone. Plus, the accordion helps blend in with the local festivities outside.
Stay - Live. The father brings Maria’s corpse through the town, wanting her to “stay with me one more day”.
When the Lights Go Out. The mob assembles in the dark of night where the “monsters and madmen all come alive”. They all want to “start a fire in an alley way” with their torches. Even verse three talks about how “common folks like you and me turn into mobs”.
Winning Side (1988 Boingo Alive Version). Another mob song that asks who is actually the winning side? Is it the creator or the creation? Man or monster? It all culminates at the final setting: the old mill. It also wouldn’t be the last time the mill would serve as a climatic setting as Carl Theodore Dryer would do something similar a year later with Vampyr.
Burn Me Up - Live. A fiery finale from their final album. “Some poor bastard bites the dust.” The monster’s face glares one last time as the mob “lights a match and burn me up”. Sure, it’s a happy ending for now but the monster will return again as itself and other forms.
The Cutting Floor.
Not My Slave. It would’ve been used to discuss Fritz as Frankenstein’s henchman.
The Rubellan Remasters. In the early 2020’s, Rubellan Remasters re-released some of the band’s albums with bonus tracks and remixes. A handful of the tracks included in these releases are absent from streaming.
Forbidden Zone Soundtrack. The soundtrack for the film has been released over the years with some slight variations up to the most recent director’s cut. However, it’s completely gone from streaming.
No Spill Blood. Devo wasn’t the only group inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau. This track touches on the same speech that the beasts have as they are reminded of the Law. This would’ve gone in a mob scene in the end.