So-Lo
| So-Lo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Danny Elfman/Oingo Boingo | ||||
| Released | November 11, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | July 1984 | |||
| Genre | New wave, ska, synth-pop | |||
| Length | 38:34 | |||
| Label | MCA Records | |||
| Producer |
Danny Elfman Steve Bartek Paul Ratajczak | |||
| Oingo Boingo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from So-Lo | ||||
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So-Lo is the fourth album by Oingo Boingo, released in 1984. It was released under lead singer Danny Elfman's name.
Background
The album was released under Elfman's name instead of Oingo Boingo's in order to circumvent a dispute with the band's record label. Elfman stated that he used the opportunity to record previously written material, moving away from the band's ska origins and more towards mainstream synthpop. He described it as "a chance to experiment with slower tempos".[1] It was the band's final album recorded with bass player Kerry Hatch and keyboardist Richard Gibbs.
Music
The album has notably more electronic production than the majority of Elfman's work under the name Oingo Boingo, although retaining the prominence of Steve Bartek's electric guitar work. It features simpler pop songwriting than the preceding Only A Lad, Nothing To Fear and Good For Your Soul, but with multifaceted synth arrangements and similar themes of social commentary running through the album.
Initial releases of the album featured a significantly different mix of the opening song "Gratitude". The initial mix included alternate backing vocals and rhythm guitar, a different use of reverberation (mixed more dry) and a faded out ending with an additional guitar solo. The single release and accompanying music video used a revised mix of the song, which was subsequently issued on all re-releases of So-Lo on CD. The "short version" is an edit of the extended version from the 12 inch single—the short version is actually four seconds longer than the original mix.)
The most significant change from the original mix is the removal of a spoken verse (starting at 1:37) whose complete lyrics are: 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. The original mix was only ever released digitally as part of the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack compilation.[2] However, the spoken verse was included in all live performances of the song, sometimes with slightly different lyrics.[3][4] For example, in the version on Boingo Alive the spoken section appears between 1.29-1.44, exactly as quoted above.
Track listing
All tracks written by Danny Elfman.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gratitude" (5:07 on earliest pressings) | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Cool City" | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Go Away" | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Sucker for Mystery" | 5:15 |
| 5. | "It Only Makes Me Laugh" | 4:03 |
| 6. | "The Last Time" | 4:07 |
| 7. | "Tough as Nails" | 4:35 |
| 8. | "Lightning" | 3:44 |
| 9. | "Everybody Needs" | 3:50 |
| Total length: | 38:34 | |
Performers
- Danny Elfman: vocals, percussion, programming
- Steve Bartek: guitars, programming
- Rich Gibbs: synthesizers, special DX-7 programming
- Paul Fox: synthesizers
- Kerry Hatch: Bass
- Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez: drums, percussion
- Leon Schneiderman: baritone sax
- Sam Phipps: tenor sax
- Dale Turner: trumpet, trombone
- The liner notes on some versions (including the 2014 CD reissue) list "Special Thanx" to "Michael Flea for his extra bass work[5]"