So-Lo

So-Lo was produced during a hiatus for Oingo Boingo, following the departure of Hatch and Gibbs. Elfman described the album as "a chance to experiment with slower tempos" and added that "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." The tracks "Cool City" and "Lightning" originated from the 1983 sessions for Good for Your Soul. 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. This was underscored by a 1990 interview for Music Connection, where Elfman stated that this period marked the closest the band had ever come to breaking up: "Not only were we between labels, but we didn't know where we were going and weren't earning a living at the time and we had guys in the band who weren't a hundred percent into it." In 2020, Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek stated that So-Lo was "mostly a band record", but that MCA "wasn't particularly interested" in Oingo Boingo and so had signed Elfman as a solo artist. However, Elfman wanted to continue the band and convinced MCA to change his recording contract to Oingo Boingo following the release of So-Lo. =="Gratitude" versions==

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). 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, 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". ==Reissues==

In 2014, So-Lo was reissued on CD by Varèse Sarabande, with one bonus track. In 2022, a remaster was issued by Rubellan Remasters as an expanded edition CD with five bonus tracks, as well as a colored vinyl LP. ==Track listing==

"The Cast" • Danny Elfman – vocals, percussion, programming • Steve Bartek – guitars, programming • Rich Gibbs – synthesizers, special DX-7 programming • Paul Fox – synthesizers • Kerry Hatch – basses • John Hernandez – drums, percussion • Leon Schneiderman – baritone sax • Sam Phipps – tenor sax • Dale Turner – trumpet, trombone 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 ==References==