Joss Whedon discusses "Once More, With Feeling"

BUFFY creator, writer and executive producer, Joss Whedon discusses how "Once More, With Feeling" went from a demo tape to a nationally distributed CD

By Jennifer H. Tomooka     September 30, 2002

In an interview to promote the release of the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Once More, With Feeling" soundtrack, BUFFY creator, writer, and executive producer Joss Whedon explained how Rounder Records came to release the album and whether or not there would be another musical happening this season.

"[Basically] Rounder Records said, 'We'll release the album,'" says Whedon. "They were interested and it worked out that they were able to figure out all the stuff that we couldn't because we hadn't released anything ever."

When Whedon made the decision to make a BUFFY musical, instead of approaching the cast about the idea, he went ahead and wrote it on his own, without telling them what he was up to.

"I don't care about their feelings," Whedon jokes. "[The cast] had all sung at the house during our readings, so I went in knowing their ranges and who was good at what and who was comfortable with what and then I just sort of dove in. And people were like, 'There's too much.' I [just laughed evilly at them]."

Fans will delight in discovering that original demos from Whedon and wife Kai Cole are included on the album, as well as some tracks from BUFFY composer Christopher Beck. Whedon included this extra material as a treat to the BUFFY fans.

"We just thought it would be a fun little extra thing for fans to [hear] the original, done in our living room," explains Whedon. "Just to see how it started and where it started from. And we wanted to put some [BUFFY composer] Chris Beck stuff on there because we have been wanting to get a soundtrack out with some of his stuff, because its so beautiful, for years, so it seemed like a good opportunity to do that."

When asked if there were any other BUFFY musicals in the works for this season, Whedon confirmed that there would be one song, but a whole musical production was out of the question.

"I want to [do another musical] and we sort of are, since we are having one number," says Whedon. "We do have Anya [Emma Caulfield] doing a number in an upcoming episode that's a flashback to when the musical was happening. But I don't think that I'll have time to do another one."

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