Ira Newborn
Encyclopedia
Ira Newborn is an American musician and composer, best known for his work composing motion picture soundtracks.
Among the many movies Newborn has scored or for which he has written songs are Sixteen Candles
, Weird Science
, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
, Uncle Buck
, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Mallrats
, the smoky jazz score for Into the Night, for which he wrote music for B.B. King, and Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. He frequently worked with director John Hughes. He also stepped in as musical director and producer for The Blues Brothers
. Newborn's many film credits also include a small acting role in Xanadu
, in which he appears as a 1940's band leader.
Newborn’s most famous association is possibly as the soundtrack composer for the Naked Gun
series of police satires starring Leslie Nielsen
. Newborn’s brassy big band/blues theme song for the franchise first appeared on the TV series that inspired the movies, 1982’s Police Squad!
.
Newborn has also worked in concerts, commercials, Broadway, and the recording industry as performer, arranger, composer and conductor.
Newborn is also a professor at New York University
, from which he received his bachelor’s degree in 1972. Influenced by everything from Johann Sebastian Bach
to James Brown
to the Beatles, guitarist Newborn led and played in several musical groups before signing on as the musical director for the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer
.
Among the many artists on whose records Ira Newborn has worked are Ray Charles
, Diana Ross
, Billy Joel
and The Pointer Sisters. Besides contributing to the "blockbuster" status of many motion pictures, a number of his film scores have received "cult status."
and Into the Night. Two songs co-written by Newborn appeared on the Into the Night LP
, but not in
the film: "Don't Make Me Sorry", co-written by Joe Esposito
and performed by Patti La Belle; and "Keep It Light", co-written by Reginald "Sonny" Burke and performed by Thelma Houston
.
Newborn also co-wrote Clap Your Hands
for The Manhattan Transfer
. He co-wrote the song "Get It On And Have A Party", with singer Patti Brooks for the Dr. Detroit soundtrack. Both "Geek Boogie" from Sixteen Candles
, and "Geek Romance" from Weird Science
were credited to Ira and the Geeks.
He co-wrote "I Guess I'm Just Screwed" for The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, with David Zucker and Robert LoCash. With Peter Segal
he co-wrote "The Food Song" for Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult soundtrack.
Among the many movies Newborn has scored or for which he has written songs are Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
, Weird Science
Weird Science (film)
Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock...
, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
, Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
, the smoky jazz score for Into the Night, for which he wrote music for B.B. King, and Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. He frequently worked with director John Hughes. He also stepped in as musical director and producer for The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
. Newborn's many film credits also include a small acting role in Xanadu
Xanadu (film)
Xanadu is a 1980 romantic musical fantasy film written by Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the poem "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted in the film. Xanadu is the name of the Chinese province...
, in which he appears as a 1940's band leader.
Newborn’s most famous association is possibly as the soundtrack composer for the Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
series of police satires starring Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
. Newborn’s brassy big band/blues theme song for the franchise first appeared on the TV series that inspired the movies, 1982’s Police Squad!
Police Squad!
Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
.
Newborn has also worked in concerts, commercials, Broadway, and the recording industry as performer, arranger, composer and conductor.
Newborn is also a professor at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, from which he received his bachelor’s degree in 1972. Influenced by everything from Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
to James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
to the Beatles, guitarist Newborn led and played in several musical groups before signing on as the musical director for the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
.
Among the many artists on whose records Ira Newborn has worked are Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
and The Pointer Sisters. Besides contributing to the "blockbuster" status of many motion pictures, a number of his film scores have received "cult status."
As a songwriter
Newborn wrote two songs performed by B.B. King for the Into the Night soundtrack: My LucilleLucille
Lucille may refer to:* Lucille * Lucille, a 1954 song by Clyde McPhatter with The Drifters* "Lucille" , 1957* "Lucille" , 1977* "Lucille" , 1985...
and Into the Night. Two songs co-written by Newborn appeared on the Into the Night LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, but not in
the film: "Don't Make Me Sorry", co-written by Joe Esposito
Joe Esposito
Joe Esposito or Joseph Esposito may refer to:*Joe Esposito , Italian-American organized crime figure known as "Diamond Joe"; Sicilian Mafia member active in Prohibition-era Chicago; associate of Al Capone; Republican elected leader of 19th Ward; assassinated*Joe Esposito , American rock concert...
and performed by Patti La Belle; and "Keep It Light", co-written by Reginald "Sonny" Burke and performed by Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
.
Newborn also co-wrote Clap Your Hands
The Manhattan Transfer (album)
The Manhattan Transfer is the second album by The Manhattan Transfer. However, it is the first of four albums to be released by the line-up of Tim Hauser, Laurel Massé, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel, and the first to establish the sound and style for which the group would become known...
for The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
. He co-wrote the song "Get It On And Have A Party", with singer Patti Brooks for the Dr. Detroit soundtrack. Both "Geek Boogie" from Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
, and "Geek Romance" from Weird Science
Weird Science (film)
Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock...
were credited to Ira and the Geeks.
He co-wrote "I Guess I'm Just Screwed" for The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, with David Zucker and Robert LoCash. With Peter Segal
Peter Segal
Peter Segal is an American film director, with credits in producing, writing, and acting. He has had general success in the comedy film genre.-Filmography:*Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult *Tommy Boy...
he co-wrote "The Food Song" for Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult soundtrack.
Filmography
- The Blues BrothersThe Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
(1980) - All Night LongAll Night Long (1981 film)All Night Long is a 1981 comedy film starring Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Dobson, and William Daniels, written by W. D...
(1981) - SCTVSCTVSCTV can refer to:*Second City Television, a Canadian sketch comedy television program*SCTV , an Indonesian TV station*SCTV , a television station of Sichuan province in China...
(1981) (TV) - Police Squad!Police Squad!Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
(1982) (TV) - Sixteen CandlesSixteen CandlesSixteen Candles is a 1984 American film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. It was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
(1984) - Weird ScienceWeird Science (film)Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock...
(1985) - Into The Night (1985)
- Wise Guys (1986)
- Ferris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day OffFerris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes.The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller , who decides to skip school and spend the day in downtown Chicago...
(1986) - Amazon Women on the MoonAmazon Women on the MoonAmazon Women on the Moon is a 1987 American satirical comedy film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget movies on late-night television...
(1987) - DragnetDragnet (1987 film)Dragnet is a 1987 film comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, directed by Tom Mankiewicz, based on the television crime drama of the same name starring Jack Webb. The screenplay is written by Aykroyd, Alan Zweibel and Mankiewicz. The original music score is by Ira Newborn...
(1987) - Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
- Caddyshack IICaddyshack IICaddyshack II is the 1988 sequel to the 1980 golf comedy film Caddyshack. The film stars Jackie Mason, Dan Aykroyd, Robert Stack, Dyan Cannon, Chevy Chase, Jonathan Silverman, and Jessica Lundy.-Plot:...
(1988) - The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
- Uncle BuckUncle BuckUncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
(1989) - My Blue HeavenMy Blue Heaven (1990 film)My Blue Heaven is a 1990 comedy film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Nora Ephron and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack.It has been noted for its relationship to the movie Goodfellas, which was released one month after this film...
(1990) - The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
- Brain DonorsBrain DonorsBrain Donors is an American comedy movie released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedy, A Night at the Opera...
(1992) - Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
(1992) (TV) - Innocent BloodInnocent Blood (film)Innocent Blood is a 1992 American horror-crime film directed by John Landis. The film stars Anne Parillaud as a vampire who finds herself against a blood-sucking legion of mobsters after biting a notorious crime boss played by Robert Loggia....
(1992) - Ace Ventura: Pet DetectiveAce Ventura: Pet DetectiveAce Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
(1994) - The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
- Jerky Boys: The MovieJerky Boys: The MovieThe Jerky's Boys: The Movie, also known as The Jerky's Boys, is a 1995 comedy/crime film starring John G. Brennan and Kamal Ahmed, best known as the comedy duo The Jerky Boys.The film features two men, Johnny B...
(1995) - MallratsMallratsMallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
(1995) - The Late ShiftThe Late Shift (film)The Late Shift is a 1996 American TV movie produced by HBO. It is directed by Betty Thomas and based on the book of the same name by The New York Times media reporter Bill Carter.-Plot synopsis:...
(1995) (TV) - High School HighHigh School HighHigh School High is a 1996 comedy film about an inner city high school in the Los Angeles, California area, starring Jon Lovitz, Tia Carrere, Mekhi Phifer, Louise Fletcher, Malinda Williams and Brian Hooks...
(1996)