Newman's traditionally laid-back work pace was set back even further during the mid-to-late 1980's when his chronic episodes of fatigue were eventually diagnosed as symptoms of Epstein-Barr Syndrome, for which he underwent extensive treatment (Newman also went through a quiet divorce from his wife, Rosewitha, during this period). He maintained a light work schedule, but for the first time in memory, Newman's personal life was to overshadow his work.
Similar to the direction taken by his Warner colleague Ry Cooder in the early 1980's, Randy Newman turned to what was (for him) a less demanding and draining task of scoring films. The Natural, a 1984 Robert Redford vehicle based on the classic Bernard Malamud novel about a baseball player, features some of Newman's most inspiring movie music -- his first score to feature synthesizers prominently in string arrangements. Leaning gently on Copland, Berlin and his uncle Al, the dramatic title theme (which has been heard in virtually every baseball-related film trailer since the movie's release) earned Newman both an Acadamy Award nomination for best soundtrack and a 1985 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental.
Newman also made guest appearances on Don Henley's 1984 album Building The Perfect Beast (Geffen GHS 24026), arranging synthesizers on the memorable track and single "Sunset Grill"; he also plays piano on the title track from ex-Eagle Joe Walsh's 1985 album, The Confessor.
After a brief appearance hosting a segment for Live Aid in July, 1985, Newman performed three songs with Billy Joel at the first Farm Aid benefit concert that September. Playing back-to- back grand pianos, the two bantered briefly before tackling "Sail Away," Joel's "Only The Good Die Young" and the great New Orleans standard "Stagger Lee." Although the latter song was cut from the simulcast, Newman performed a bawdy version with Paul Schaeffer's band during a Late Night With David Letterman appearance in October of that year.
In November 1985, Washington D.C.'s Cabaret Theatre presented Short Confessions, a musical work focusing on songs by Newman and Laura Nyro. The Middle of Nowhere in the Middle of the Night, a musical by Tracy Friedman that featured thirteen Newman songs (including the yet-unreleased "Roll With The Punches") debuted at Chicago's Wisdom Bridge Theatre in December 1985, playing later at New York's Astor Palace Theatre. The Itchey Foot Ristorante group in L.A. also included Newman songs in a November 1986 cabaret, Rogues Gallery.
In December 1986, Newman made his fifth appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live, debuting two songs, "Roll With The Punches" (which would appear on 1988's Land Of Dreams) and "The Longest Night." The former song, a cleverly constructed rag, is a tough-minded indictment of the social fallout resulting from the Reagan era: "Little black kid come home from school/Mr. Rat's on the stairway/Mr. Junkie' lying in his own vomit on the floor/You gotta roll with the puches little black boy/You gotta roll with the punches ... " In concert, Newman typically shares his vision of the proposed video during the song's instrumental break: "I'd like to have a little girl dressed in an American flag outfit come out and tap dance a bit here ... "). A studio version of "The Longest Night," a upbeat, horn-driven shuffle, was recorded during the Land Of Dreams sessions, but remains unreleased to date.
Earlier in 1986, Randy's growing relationship with Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels led to his gradual involvement in a comedy Michaels was developing with Steve Martin. Originally intending to provide a few songs for the project, Newman quickly became a collaborating writer, meeting at Martin's house over the summer to hammer out a script. ¡Three Amigos! told the story of Lucky (Martin), Dusty (Chevy Chase), and Ned (Martin Short), a trio of washed-up B-movie actors who help save a small Mexican village from a band of ruthless/inept outlaws led by the villanous "El Guapo" ("the Handsome One").
For his big screen acting debut (following his four-line cameo in a "Trivial Pursuit" skit on Michaels' short-lived 1984 revue The New Show), Newman created the timeless role of "The Singing Bush," a nervous, high-pitched shrub that reponded to all questions with a song selection from the Public Domain ("She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain," "Blow The Man Down"). Newman's blink-and-you'll-miss-it album track regrettably edits some amusing banter heard in the extended film scene.
Newman's original demos of the songs performed by Chase, Martin and Short on the soundtrack album (Warners 9-25558-1) are also entertaining, in particular his "Blue Shadows On The Trail" (see Faust section to follow), the ridiculously fey "My Little Buttercup," and "The Ballad Of The Three Amigos" (which may include the longest held note in the history of pop music). Though the album is padded with Elmer Bernstein instrumentals (whom director John Landis inexplicably chose to score the incidental music), some terrific songs Newman were recorded which didn't make the cut, among them a cover of a fast 30's rag, "Crazy About You," and two versions of a Newman original, "Happy": "I woke up this mornin' with a smile on my face/And a great big hard-on for the whole human race/I love everybody and I want you to know/Got the world by the balls and I won't let it go/ ... 'cause I'm so fuckin' happy" (a "sanitized" version of the song replaces "fuckin'" with "goddamn").
Also in 1987: Randy appeared on the Shelly Duvall-produced childrens series Tall Tales And Legends, narrating the story of "Darlin' Clementine" and singing the title song. In Europe, a 22-song Newman compilation CD, Lonely At The Top (WEA 2292-41126-2) was released. And a teaser for his album-in-progress, the pretty ballad "Something Special," closed the otherwise forgettable Goldie Hawn movie Overboard.