| Dark at the End of the Tunnel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 20, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | May 1989 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:46 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek, John Avila | |||
| Oingo Boingo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Dark at the End of the Tunnel | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Los Angeles Times | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Dark at the End of the Tunnel is the seventh studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1990 by MCA Records.
Dark at the End of the Tunnel marked Oingo Boingo's move toward a more pure pop sound, eschewing the hyper, frantic style exemplified on previous records for a more mainstream, less formally innovative approach, with an emphasis on emotional, positive lyrics. [1] [2]
By the time of the album's recording, frontman Danny Elfman had become a famed film composer, particularly in collaboration with Tim Burton. Two tracks on the album had previously emerged on movie soundtracks: "Try to Believe" first appeared as an instrumental in the 1988 film Midnight Run (scored by Elfman), and "Flesh 'N Blood" had first appeared on the soundtrack of Ghostbusters II (1989). [2]
"Out of Control" was written after Elfman received letters from fans who were contemplating suicide and seeking his help. Conversely, "The Long Breakdown", an "epic, Western-tinged" track ending with a vision of death, was deemed by Elfman as "the most depressing song I've ever written. It's about a spiral down to the bottom." The hopeful "Try to Believe" was selected to be the closing track on Dark at the End of the Tunnel to "counterbalance" the album's darker subject matter. [4]
"When the Lights Go Out" peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in March 1990. [5]
The cover art of the album depicts a portion of a painting entitled "Volcano", by artist Peter Zokosky. [6]
A promotional version of the album was released on a vinyl picture disc, with one side featuring the album cover and the other side featuring a color photograph of the band.
In 2022, Rubellan Remasters announced that they would be issuing a remastered version of Dark at the End of the Tunnel on both colored vinyl and CD, the latter as an expanded edition with four bonus tracks. [7]
All tracks are written by Danny Elfman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When the Lights Go Out" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Skin" | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Out of Control" | 4:12 |
| 4. | "Glory Be" | 5:03 |
| 5. | "Long Breakdown" | 4:39 |
| 6. | "Flesh 'N Blood" | 4:19 |
| 7. | "Run Away (The Escape Song)" | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Dream Somehow" | 4:39 |
| 9. | "Is This" | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Right to Know" (CD/cassette exclusive bonus track) | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Try to Believe" | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 47:46 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Out of Control (Funky Vocal Mix)" | 7:15 |
| 13. | "Flesh 'N Blood (Extended Version)" | 5:39 |
| 14. | "Try to Believe ("Midnight Run" Soundtrack Version)" | 4:18 |
| 15. | "Out of Control (Power Mix)" | 4:20 |
Oingo Boingo
Additional musicians
Technical
Daniel Robert Elfman is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his first studio film in 1985, Elfman has garnered international recognition for composing over 100 feature film scores, as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall.
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band formed by songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979. The band emerged from a surrealist musical theatre troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, that Elfman had led and written material for in the years previous. Their highest-charting song, "Weird Science", reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
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Oingo Boingo is the debut EP by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1980 by I.R.S. Records.
Boi-Ngo is the sixth studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1987 by MCA Records.
Nothing to Fear is the second studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1982 by A&M Records.
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Good for Your Soul is the third studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1983 by A&M Records. It was produced by Robert Margouleff and was the band's last album to be released on A&M Records.
Boingo Alive is a double album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1988 by MCA Records. It was performed and recorded live in a rehearsal studio with no audience, with the band performing songs from previous albums and two previously unreleased songs to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the band's beginning.
Boingo is the eighth and final studio album by American new wave band Oingo Boingo. It was the band's only album recorded for the label Giant Records. With Boingo, the band's sound changed to a guitar-driven rock style, with Danny Elfman having released the keyboard and horn players after the first recording attempt.
Best O' Boingo is the second greatest hits album from American new wave band Oingo Boingo, released in 1991 by MCA Records. It features songs recorded during the band's years on MCA Records, from 1984's So-Lo through 1990's Dark at the End of the Tunnel. As such, the songs from the period when the band was on I.R.S. Records—as well as several others—are represented here by their re-recorded versions from the 1988 "live in the studio" album Boingo Alive.
Dale Turner is an American trumpet player, best known for being a member of the American new wave band Oingo Boingo.
Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play well on small speakers and FM radio. Lord-Alge frequently collaborates with Howard Benson, who has produced the plurality of his mix discography.
Forbidden Zone (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to Forbidden Zone, the 1982 cult film directed by Richard Elfman, with music by his brother Danny Elfman and performed by The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.
Steve Bartek is an American guitarist, film composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He is best known as the lead guitarist in the band Oingo Boingo and for his orchestration work with composer Danny Elfman.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is the fifteenth soundtrack album by American composer Danny Elfman. It was released on October 12, 1993, by Walt Disney Records to promote the 1993 American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Composed by Danny Elfman, the soundtrack was nominated for the 1993 Golden Globe for Best Original Score. The album peaked at #64 on the US Billboard 200.
Select commercially released recordings of Danny Elfman's music for film, television, stage and the concert hall. For a full list of Elfman's compositions, see List of compositions by Danny Elfman. For Elfman's recordings as lead singer/songwriter for Oingo Boingo, see the Oingo Boingo discography page.
"Little Girls" is a song by American new wave band Oingo Boingo and the opening track of their debut studio album Only a Lad. It was released as a single in Australia.
Big Mess is the second solo studio album by American singer, musician, and composer Danny Elfman. It was released by Anti- and Epitaph Records on June 11, 2021.
