Halloween's coming a little early this year, thanks to Rubellan Remasters. The label is licensing expanded editions of the first four Oingo Boingo albums from Universal Music Group for release this September.

The mind-bending ska/New Wave group from Los Angeles, formed from an experimental theater troupe that appeared on The Gong Show, was led by a charismatic frontman named Danny Elfman. Boingo's nervous energy, horn-infused rock and lyrics that thumbed the noses of polite society made for an engaging combination admired by West Coast punks of all stripes. In 1985, the band began to flirt with the mainstream when two songs from fourth album Dead Man's Party were featured in films: "Weird Science" became the title song for the John Hughes sci-fi comedy of the same name, reaching No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 - their highest-charting work - while the title track (and the band themselves) appeared in the Rodney Dangerfield comedy Back to School.

It was that latter appearance that signalled the band's - or more specifically, Elfman's - future: it was his second assignment as a film score composer, a role for which he's best known today. He's scored nearly every film for Tim Burton, including Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas (in which he provided the singing voice for Jack Skellington), as well as the theme to the long-running series The Simpsons. (Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek has partnered with Elfman as orchestrator on all his score works.) Elfman retired Boingo in 1995 but recently revisited his rock roots with the release of the captivating Big Mess in 2021.

Rubellan are rolling out the red carpet for Boingo's first four efforts: Only a Lad (1981), Nothing to Fear (1982), Good for Your Soul (1983) and Dead Man's Party (1985). Each is remastered from original tapes in the Universal Music Group archive and will come with a myriad of new-to-CD bonus tracks, including the band's original 1980 EP added to Only a Lad, soundtrack songs from films like Bachelor Party and The Last American Virgin, and dance mixes of "Weird Science," "Dead Man's Party" and "Stay." (The label has confirmed that "Goodbye, Goodbye," the closing track to Fast Times At Ridgemont High, will not be included due to lack of clarity on ownership; additionally, overtures to secure unreleased material were not answered.)

The label is also releasing two "splatter" color vinyl variants of Only a Lad for the album's 40th anniversary - one in yellow/green, the other in blue/orange. Quantities are limited to 500 copies each, and Rubellan is maintaining a two-copy maximum to discourage "flipping" or reselling. Pressings of Nothing to Fear (in green/black and red/yellow variants) and Good for Your Soul (orange/yellow and clear/magenta) are slated for September, which is when the expanded CDs should be available as well.

Rubellan has confirmed the below track lists, and we'll post order links for the CDs as soon as they're available. Until then, who could ask for more?

Only a Lad: Expanded Edition (Rubellan RUBY20LP/24CD, 2021)

Yellow/Green vinyl
Blue/Orange vinyl

1. Little Girls
2. Perfect System
3. On the Outside
4. Capitalism
5. You Really Got Me
6. Only a Lad
7. What You See
8. Controller
9. Imposter
10. Nasty Habits
11. Only a Lad (EP Version)
12. Violent Love
13. Ain't This the Life (EP Version)
14. I'm So Bad
15. Ain't This the Life (12" Version)

Tracks 1-10 released as A&M/I.R.S. SP-4863, 1981
Tracks 11-14 released as Oingo Boingo EP - I.R.S. SP-70400, 1980
Track 15 released on 12" version of Oingo Boingo EP - I.R.S. SP-70400, 1980

Nothing to Fear: Expanded Edition (Rubellan, 2021)

1. Grey Matter
2. Insects
3. Private Life
4. Wild Sex (in the Working Class)
5. Running on a Treadmill
6. Whole Day Off
7. Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself)
8. Why'd We Come
9. Islands
10. Reptiles and Samurai
11. Better Luck Next Time
12. Private Life (Single Version)

Tracks 1-10 released as A&M/I.R.S. SP-4903, 1982
Track 11 released on The Last American Virgin: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Columbia JST 38279, 1982
Track 12 released on "Private Life" 12" promo - A&M/I.R.S. SP-17203, 1982 (replaced album version on CD/later pressings)

Good for Your Soul: Expanded Edition (Rubellan, 2021)

1. Who Do You Want to Be
2. Good for Your Soul
3. No Spill Blood
4. Cry of the Valos
5. Fill the Void
6. Sweat
7. Nothing Bad Ever Happens
8. Wake Up (It's 1984)
9. Dead or Alive
10. Pictures of You
11. Little Guns
12. Bachelor Party
13. Something Isn't Right
14. Wake Up (It's 1984) (Single Version)

Tracks 1-11 released as A&M SP-4959, 1983
Tracks 12-13 released on Bachelor Party: The Music from the Movie - I.R.S. SP-70047, 1984
Track 14 released on A&M single AM-2610, 1983

Dead Man's Party: Expanded Edition (Rubellan, 2021)

1. Just Another Day
2. Dead Man's Party
3. Heard Somebody Cry
4. No One Lives Forever
5. Stay
6. Fool's Paradise
7. Help Me
8. Same Man I Was Before
9. Weird Science
10. Take Your Medicine
11. Just Another Day (Single Version)
12. Dead Man's Party (Short Version)
13. Weird Science (Single Version)
14. Stay (Stay Late Mix)
15. Dead Man's Party (Party 'Til You're Dead Mix)
16. Weird Science (Extended Dance Version)

Tracks 1-9 released as MCA Records 5665, 1985
Track 10 released on Live! for Life - I.R.S. 5731, 1986
Tracks 11-12 released as MCA Records single 52726, 1985
Track 13 released on MCA Records single 52633, 1985
Tracks 14-15 released as MCA Records 12" 23638, 1986
Track 16 released on MCA Records 12" 23574, 1985