"Winged Mammal Theme"

[Cobblepot4Mayor]

What you are listening to here (believe it or not) is the rejected soundtrack theme for Batman Returns composed by none other than R.E.M.

This was of course before Siouxsie and The Banshees were approached. Though I imagine this was Burton and Elfman's scheme right from the start of the whole debacle.

Very strange I think you'll agree. But you have to love the inclusion of the old Batman tv series theme in here. Still it is EXTREMELY hard for me to imagine this in the movie in any shape or form. Thank goodness we got the right band and the right song regardless of the opinion of Warner's brass in the end.

[BatmAngelus]

Wow, I had no idea about this song until now. Thanks for posting, Cobblepot4Mayor.

Agree entirely that the song doesn't fit the movie at all (or any of the Batman films, for that matter). At most, I could see it being used in the background of the elevators at Wayne Enterprises or a WE commercial (much like how Iron Man used the old cartoon theme when Tony was at the casino).

[Cobblepot4Mayor]

Rather hilariously the song turned up as source music for an American weather channel broadcast report in 2005 and again in 2009. Now that's where I really CAN imagine this music fitting. Indeed.

It was ultimately released in 1992 as a b-side for the band's single "Drive". I personally think the mood of that particular track may have better suited Batman Returns.

This situation reminds me a lot of the James Bond series, in which multiple songs of title tracks from various artists are submitted before a final choice is approved. And there has been some controversial corkers over the years. Alice Cooper wrote an absolutely CRACKING theme for "The Man with The Golden Gun" (definitely in the action/excitement flavor of McCartney's "Live and Let Die") and was defeated by....*gasp, splutter*, LULU! Then Blondie recorded a reasonable version of "For Your Eyes Only". But since eventual winner Ms Sheena Easton has her own (albeit shockingly often not regarded) musical connection with Batman in a duet with Prince, I am more than happy she won. Same as when Sheryl Crow bested K.D Lang for "Tomorrow Never Dies".

So with that in mind is it possible the Batman soundtracks have similar histories? A producer on the 2005 dvd mentioned that before Prince several Warner's artists were considered. Most famously perhaps, the possibility of a certain Michael Jackson that is known in some online sources. Madonna is one such person who tried for the role of Catwoman during the crazy casting sessions that unleashed Sean Young to madness. Had she been successful I think it possible she may have provided a soundtrack also as she did with "Dick Tracy". Makes sense. That would've meant something from the "Erotica" era and I like to think that the criminally underrated track "Bad Girl", (the video of which not only stars a then recently completed Batman Returns Christopher Walken, but also was originally supposed to be directed by Tim Burton) may have been an excellent candidate for a Catwoman-esque song choice. The strong, moving lyrics of that recall to me images of a "Year One" Frank Miller Selina Kyle.