Here’s One Cat Who Knows the Score

Singer-songwriter Randy Newman has given a lot of thought to what he should play--and what he shouldn’t--when he appears with the Pacific Symphony this weekend at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

“You play for different audiences, and most of this one will include donors and supporters of the arts expecting to simply be entertained,” Newman said by phone from his West L.A. home earlier this week. “So I won’t do anything lyrically inflammatory like ‘Christmas in Capetown’ or ‘Rednecks.’ ”

Is this really Randy Newman?

The man who once sprayed the raspberry into the camera on national TV as his response to charges that his “Short People” single was insensitive? The one whose musical comedy version of the Faust legend gives the devil the best lines?

“There’s really no sense in offending anyone,” he said. “I don’t feel like, ‘Oh, I’m an artist and I can do whatever I want.’ I can do whatever I want when I get home.”

Anyone who saw the premiere production of “Randy Newman’s Faust” at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1995, or who heard the all-star album version, knows that Newman hasn’t lost the edge that’s characterized his music over three decades.

But it’s something Newman has worried about from time to time. Most recently, the thought struck him while he was recording the six songs he wrote for the new animated film “Cats Don’t Dance.”

“I was recording some bippidy-boppidy, cute thing for the film, and in the studio next to me was Snoop Doggy Dogg, ya know, laying down some cool, hip-hop beat,” he recalled. “It reminded me of when I was starting out . . . doing this new weird stuff, and there’d be Vic Damone singing next door.

“I remember at the time thinking he was this old crock,” he said. “Well, I felt like the old crock this time. But I did get over it.”

Newman sounds like anything but the old crock when discussing his preferences in contemporary pop music.

“I really like Notorious B.I.G., and it amazes me that two of the best rappers got killed,” he said.

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Other artists whose albums might be in Newman’s CD player include Alanis Morissette (“a real smart writer”), jazz revivalists Squirrel Nut Zippers (their single “Hell,” he said, “is very hip”) and Beck (“what a solid talent”). He also admires such enduring pop and rock musicians as Chrissie Hynde, Neil Young, Elton John, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker “for being the real thing.”

After seeing his long-simmering Faust project make it to the stage, first in La Jolla and then in Chicago--where David Mamet was enlisted to strengthen the book--Newman continues to put most of his energies into his many film scores. (He said he’d like to take “Randy Newman’s Faust” to Broadway, but a lack of financial backing has grounded the project.)

Newman is working frantically to complete the score to the forthcoming action-thriller titled “Air Force One.” He has five weeks to finish the music for the Harrison Ford-Glenn Close film, which is scheduled for summer release.

He practically inherited his latter-day role as an in-demand film composer.

Newman grew up in Los Angeles immersed in music and the movies. His uncles were Alfred, Lionel and Emil Newman, all orchestra leaders and composers of movie scores. His father, a physician, also wrote some songs.

Newman learned to play the piano at age 7 and later studied music composition at UCLA. He worked as a staff songwriter for Metric Music in his teens, penning pop and country hits for the Fleetwoods, Jerry Butler, Gene Pitney, Judy Collins and others.

He recorded the first of his nine albums, “Randy Newman,” in 1968. Others followed every three to four years; many are considered gems of the era: “12 Songs,” “Sail Away,” “Good Old Boys,” “Trouble in Paradise.”

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In 1977, he unexpectedly charted his first hit single with “Short People.”

“It is nice just to be known, but it’s sort of a drag that ‘Short People’ is the biggest hit I’ve ever had, because it’s kind of like having a hit with ‘Purple People Eaters’ or some other novelty-type song,” he said.

“It does show you how important hits are, though. They’re around [on the charts] for maybe six weeks but stay much longer in the collective consciousness. I don’t think my hits are reflective of what I do as a whole, but I’ll take it.”

A fuller representation of his multifaceted career will be evident during this weekend’s O.C. concerts.

In the program’s first half, conductor Richard Kaufman will lead the orchestra in “A Tribute to Alfred Newman,” consisting of Newman’s uncle’s scores for “How the West Was Won,” “Airport,” “Wuthering Heights” and others.

In the second half, Newman will conduct several of his own movie-based songs, backed by the orchestra, and play songs from his albums and from “Randy Newman’s Faust.”

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Newman won his only Grammy with his first film score, for the 1984 Robert Redford baseball movie “The Natural.” His fascination with animation has been enhanced during his past three movie projects: “Toy Story,” “James and the Giant Peach” and the current “Cats Don’t Dance.”

He said he’s more a fan of Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes--especially those featuring Bugs Bunny and Pepe and Penelope Le Pew--than the ‘30s / Betty Boop-era style mirrored in “Cats Don’t Dance.”

Still, it all resonates with him.

“I love animation. It seems like it’s the great invention of the 20th century in a lot of ways,” he said. “It’s absolutely a unique mode of expression that allows you such incredible latitude of vision. To create music for these films is just wonderful.”

“I really believe animation is one reason why ‘The Simpsons’ is the best comedy that’s ever been on television. They have that extra freedom you just can’t get in a traditional sitcom. I mean, just look at those characters!”

* Randy Newman performs with the Pacific Symphony in a pops program tonight at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. $22-$58. Also Saturday. (714) 755-5799.