A full score transcription/reduction and analysis of the score of "On Leather Wings" from the TV show, Batman: The Animated Series. I own nothing. Enjoy!
Shirley Walker was undoubtedly the greatest composers among her contemporaries. Tragic loss but a talent immortalised forever in the hearts of Batman fans and music lovers.
As always, a marvelous transcription and analysis, David McCaulley! I especially enjoyed this one, as I was fortunate and privileged to be one of the composers Shirley brought on for BTAS (I composed the scores for a handful of episodes: it was my favorite gig ever!). Shirley was an absolute genius, a musical powerhouse, and a caring and supportive mentor: we really learned SO MUCH from her, beginning-as you mention above-by orchestrating her cues and then moving on to composing for the show. In any case, I've invariably been terrifically impressed with how accurate your transcriptions are: what an amazing ear you have and eye for detail! Thanks so much for posting these always informative and spectacular score reductions set to the visuals!
The most fascinating thing about this to me is how the musical content is all appropriately dark and ominous and yet the instrumentation still seems somehow like a children's cartoon, particularly the prominent xylophone. Really good video as always
Shirley was truly a chameleon, and I think her involvement with Steve Bartek and Danny on the 89 Batman really gave her the materials needed to keep that "Elfman language" Because Danny sure liked doing little groupings of thirds in low voices. And I love that her swirly string texture at 7:43 is reminiscent of A Night on Bald Mountain. She knew the film-score/cartoon tradition so well to include little tidbits like that. Excellent work at always David!
Rewatched the whole series a few years ago and was shocked by the amount of music that was composed and recorded for each single episode. Shirley Walker was an absolute machine!! Great video, keep these coming, I totally love them!!
The adventures of batman and robin was one of my favorite shows growing up. I recall one time I was jumping around fighting imaginary villians while watching the show when the lady in the apartment downstairs with the baby started baanging on the door, yelling "Open up. I know you are in there." Once we moved into a house, I could jump around as much as I wanted when the show came on. Those were the days.
Had to watch again after today's sad news. Two geniuses of their respective crafts, gone much too young. But stuff like this helps keep them alive. RIP Shirley Walker and Kevin Conroy.
Love that you kept the iconic outro in. Gave me an air of nostalgia after watching the whole thing. I'm so glad there are other people out there who feel this way about the music of the series. I love BTAS and a huge part of it growing up for me was the music. It took everything great from the Elfman scores and expanded upon them. So many memorable leitmotifs and moments punctuated by excellent orchestration. Definitely one of the greatest animated shows ever made with one of the best TV scores to accompany it.
As a huge Batman and Shirley Walker fan just getting into composition, this is everything I ever could have asked for and then some. Liked, favorited, subscribed, the whole 9 yards.
Ah, nice nostalgia trip with this one. Love Shirley Walker's scores to Batman: TAS, Superman: TAS, and the Final Destination films. Gone way too soon. Good work!
For those who are interested, since this score probably doesn't exist outside the Warner Archives, I've made an orchestral transcription of this score here: musescore.com/davidmccaulley/batman-the-animated-series-on-leather-wings-by-shirley-walker-orchestral-transcription And of course, PDFs of these reductions are available to $20 patrons at patreon.com/davidmccaulley
I'm so happy you made this video. Any chance of maybe doing a video on all the mini leitmotifs Shirley Walker composed for the show, rather than transcribing the score for a single episode? I'm pretty sure every Batman villain had their own theme throughout the show. Just makes you appreciate all the effort that was put in even more. Cheers!
Walker was a regular collaborator of Elfman's from Batman 1989 until around the early 90s. She was one of his main orchestrators, along with Steve Bartek (Elfman's go-to), for at least a half-dozen of his breakthrough (and still among his greatest) scores. Walker conducted a few as well, including Batman. To say she knew Elfman's idiom well is not giving her enough credit. Indeed, many consider Walker to be one of the major factors in creating the 'Elfman sound'. She was an unsung hero in the Renaissance of film music during the 90s.
@@danielduggan5405 Ahh ok that would explain it then! I thought it was Steve Bartek who was responsible for his orchestrations. So year Shirly Walker is definitely an unsung hero as from an Orchestration perspective Elfman’s original Batman score was his all time best score.
