Only a Lad

Green & White vinyl, Limited Edition. Before becoming a world-renowned film composer, Danny Elfman fronted the band Oingo Boingo. The group emerged from the surrealistic musical theatre troupe The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Reducing from a 15-piece troupe to an 8-piece band, Oingo Boingo was formed in 1979. With a style that initially mixed Punk, Ska, Rock and New Wave, Oingo Boingo stood out from the traditional guitar/bass/drums by incorporating a 3-piece brass section to accompany their quirky, frantic rhythms. Originally released by A&M records in 1981, the debut album Only A Lad fit alongside similar contemporaries of the day, including Devo and Suburban Lawns, with the high energy, herky-jerky and complex arrangements. The video for the opening track Little Girls was played on MTV and other video shows of the day. The album also includes a radical reworking of The Kinks' hit You Really Got Me. The wacky Nasty Habits displays a rhythm that would become an Elfman trademark, crossing over into his debut film score for the 1985 comedy Pee Wee's Big Adventure.? Only A lad is reissued on green and white vinyl in a limited edition of 500 copies.