It’s the end of an era.
Emmy-winning composer Alf Clausen, the man behind some of the most famous songs in the history of The Simpsons, has been fired from the show after 27 years.
Clausen told Variety that he had been told over the phone by long-time producer of The Simpsons, Richard Sakai, that the show was looking for a “different kind of music” and that his services would no longer be required.
Clausen was once described by the creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, as the show’s “secret weapon” and won two Emmy awards for his work on the show, having been nominated a whopping 30 times. He has scored over 560 episodes of the show, dating back to the very early days in the 1990-91 season.
Amongst the songs contributed by Clausen that earned Emmy nominations over the years were ‘We put the spring in Springfield’, ‘We Do’ (The Stonecutters song) and ‘I’m checkin’ in’, while he was also responsible for the likes of ‘See my vest’ and The Planet of the Apes parody, ‘Dr. Zaius’.
Although representatives from Fox and The Simpsons have not commented on Clausen’s dismissal, there is speculation that it may have been a cost-cutting measure.
Clausen uses a 35-piece orchestra every week and Fox has been seeking to reduce costs in recent years; the main cast members were asked to take a significant pay cut in 2011.
In tribute to a man who has been such an integral part of the show since almost the very beginning, why not have one more listen to one of his more famous offerings…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSpOjj4YD8c
Clip via ChainedReality
