Since we’re apparently knee deep in some sort of weird shoot-out for most straight up 80’s sounding Halloween song ever, we’re gonna let the “ band” Run make their case to close us out.
Now, I’m not sure who the clear winner is, but Run definitely puts up a solid argument for themselves here, with the help of Michael Heart, who apparently arranged, wrote and provided the vocals for this track.
I guess Michael Heart is a pseudonym for Italo-producer and composer Bruno Kassar, who had a string of aliases under which he released all kinds of music. Is Run one of those?
Damned if it know, as this appears to be their sole release. The only other thing I can dig up on them is this business with Michael Heart. Since he’s a known pseudonymist, producing all sorts of shit under aliases, perhaps Run really is just another one for the fire.
That’ll have to be a Shindig mystery for another time, it seems. For now, let’s give the floor to The Phoenician himself, Mr. Michael Bruno Firefly 5 Heart Kassar with the exceedingly 80’s Halloween (Dance Version) by Run.
Since we seem to have a decidedly 80’s electronic pop vibe goin’ on here so far in the 320’s, we’re gonna keep that rollin’ with Scary Thieves.
This short-lived British New Wave crew appear to be challenging us to find a more 80’s-ass holiday dancer than their 1984 tune Halloween. Strangely, this is a Halloween song which actually appears to be about Halloween for a change, but even that’s a little unclear.
Though technically recorded in 1984, Scary Thieves encountered nothing but problems during that whole process and their self title LP was summarily shelved by the EMI. The band broke up shortly thereafter and most of that material went completely unheard for 30 years.
In 2015, Furry Records released the album Halloween which was essentially a repackaged and remastered version of the original LP Scary Thieves.
So, buried though it may have been, another Halloween got its chance to see the light of day.
Look, I don’t know what the hell’s going on in Halloween City, but from the looks of this album cover, it’s fuckin’ serious.
What’s more, I don’t know what the hell’s going on in this song. Probably because I don’t speak French. Perhaps I should attempt to translate these lyrics. Gimme a sec.
Ok, that failed, cause – surprise – outside of the Discogs page, no one seems to have a whole lotta info on Special Du Jour. So, easily finding the French lyrics to this song was perhaps a nonstarter. If either of you readers out there are fluent in French and wanna take a crack at decoding this business, be my guest. ed@halloweenshindig.com is awaiting your calls.
Speaking of Discogs, they’re informing me that Special Du Jour is the handle for French duo Louise Beaudoin & Martine Fugère. So there’s that, at least.
This is an album I picked up years ago, song unseen, back when I discovered it was a thing and a blind purchase seemed to be the only way I was actually gonna hear the tune.
I won’t say it was disappointing, but it didn’t hit the playlist immediately upon arrival, so that ought to speak a bit to my initial impression.
Perhaps if I knew what the hell they were saying other than “Halloween City” I could gauge things a bit more accurately. As it stands, I think the song isn’t bad. Certainly not the Halloween Disco banger I was hoping it might be, but not unlistenable, and definitely not unfestive in its sound.
So here, in the midst of our Halloweens-til-Halloween run, seemed like as good a place as any to drop this somewhat spooky and somewhat danceable Halloween (question mark) hit (also question mark.)
So grab some spandex, maybe a headband, a few rattle cans and let’s take the metro over to Halloween City! There’s a plywood wall there that would look a lot better with the words “Halloween Shindig” sprayed on it.
Once upon time, Bret Michaels revealed to the world that every rose had it’s thorn. Ya know, just like every night had it’s dawn.
Now, whether or not every cowboy truly sang a sad, sad song, or why that is also held up as a universal truth, I couldn’t say.
What I can say though is that, similarly, every day has it’s night. It certainly doesn’t have the same ring, but it does seem just as true.
Such is the case with this evenings entry, the ying to Ministry’s Yang, Every Night Is Halloween by Industrials.
This one, much like Al’s tune, seems to use the idea that the underground culture of dance/industrial/goth is a operating outside the boundaries of accepted society and hey, stop giving us all so much shit all the time, ya fuckin’ squares. But they beat Ministry to the conceptual punch, releasing this song a good 4 years prior.
I’m not sure this is exactly the same kinda deal though, as Industrials seem to be playing a different sort of pool here. Homeboys got a welding helmet on, and that’s kinda…industrial…I suppose. Nothing else about this seems terribly gothy or industrial. It just kinda sounds like new wave synth pop if you ask me, so maybe this is angling for a bit of a different message. Or maybe they were getting the business too, for dressing all freaky with welding helmets and typical 80’s wares.
Either way, the lonely dancers on the ceiling feel like it’s Halloween. Maybe they’re dressed up. Maybe there’s candy up there. Who knows.
But yeah, it’s another “not really about Halloween” Halloween song. There’s a lot of these fuckers it seems. Maybe they need they’re own playlist or something. I dunno.
I like this tune though. It’s got a spookyish sort of synthy vibe that feels right and man is it 80’s. Looks like we might be starting a bit of a thing here.
Interestingly (at least to me, maybe to you too, we’ll see) this album was produced by infamous music industry whack job Kim Fowley. This is the same Kim Fowley who put together The Runaways and allegedly sexually assaulted Jackie Fox while Joan Jett and Cherie Currie watched. Damn, ok. That was a left turn.
This is also the same Kim Fowley who released the album Frankenstein and His All-Star Monster Band, which you would think might be wall-to-wall Shindig goodness (I know, cause I did too) but here we are and here they ain’t. I’d say give it a listen, but don’t actually think you should.
Sorry about that little detour Industrials, I didn’t mean to get ya webbed up in all of that. I just saw his name there on the back sleeve and was like “Snap. Really? I don’t really like that Frankenstein album and this might be a good time to explain why it’s never been featured to readers that might be wondering.” Which, admittedly, is probably no one.
But anyway, we’re loosing the thread here so let’s just let Industrials take ya through the night and I’ll see ya in the morning for some more 80’s Halloween madness!
Oh, and this opening sample is from 1963’s The Haunting. If anyone is playing along at home.
As I may or may not have already stated, 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of the internet incarnation of Halloween Shindig.
I had planned to do more things to ring in the occasion, but alas, even doing just the normal October push at this point seems difficult enough.
We will not let the anniversary go unmarked however, as from here on out, every song til Halloween will be a Halloween Song. That’s right…though it pains me to even utter the phrase…everyday is Halloween from here on out.
So, to kick off such a block, we’re finally calling upon Al Jorgensen and his Ministry to join the fold, with their Halloween staple Everyday (Is Halloween.)
Long time followers may know of my general distaste for the nascent cult of “Everyday is Halloween.”
My disassociation from this slogan and it’s ideology is 3 fold:
First, and chiefly, it is an (admittedly) semantic and good-natured comical argument I make with the literal nature of the phrase. Every day is not, in fact, Halloween. More to the point, we shouldn’t act as though it were, because if it were, then Halloween would cease to be special and what’s all this fuss about?
Another semantic off-shoot of this qualm, is that Halloween isn’t a day at all, but rather an eve. Hallow’s Eve, The Eve of All Saints. Halloween technically doesn’t start until sundown. I know, I know. I’m splitting hairs here. I’m just being ridiculous and annoying prick! Hell, many definitions of “eve” will suggest it can also be the day before. However, in that it’s a shortening of “even” or “evening,” I think I got a leg to stand on this one, obnoxious though it may sound.
Lastly, I find it to be, as the kids are wont to say, a bit of a flex. And a stupid one at that. Oh yeah? That’s how spooky you are, huh? That’s how much you like monsters and horror and shit? Halloween ain’t no big deal because you at that spooky shit 24/7? The rest of the poser world has decided to take this time of year, and only this time, to revel in ghosts and goblins, but not you, bruh. You do this shit all year, so fuck the tourists? Get real. Ya’ll sound like Suicide.
And yeah, it is a costume and I do think that’s what it’s all about, cause that is what it’s all about. It’s Halloween, and it falls on October 31st.
Look, I get it. If it wasn’t clear after 10 years, I love Halloween. I love the colors, the air, the traditions, the imagery and the horror. In particular, I love it for the very fact that for one month (or at least it should be) the whole world around me seems aligned with all the things I love as well. Stores have spooky webs up, candy is in abundance everywhere, die-cuts adorn waiting rooms and post offices, monsters are suddenly in TV commercials, and people have their houses decked out for the onslaught of costumed tricksters. I don’t get chippy about this fact, like people are falsely co-opting my interests. I embrace it. I don’t like when it happens too soon, or when Christmas encroaches too early. It’s a special time, but I don’t want it to overstay it’s welcome either.
Now, this brings into question my own actions. Namely this website, my obsession with this Eve, or plastering my work space with all manner of Halloween imagery…all year. It sounds hypocritical, right? Well, maybe that’s true.
I doubt if even a day goes by in either my work on this blog, or in my research, or with my personal interests, that I don’t write out the word “Halloween.” I see things, and many of them, that say “Halloween” on them, every day. Like Graham once put it on the show, The Halloween Hole is like being inside a giant Halloween candy bag. If anyone is living the ethos of “Everyday is Halloween,” you could argue it’s me. So, I should just shut the fuck up, right? Well, maybe that’s true too.
I’d argue it just means that if I, there very person who has created this place and surrounds themselves with Halloween…every day, is telling you to take it easy with the “Everyday is Halloween” bullshit, then it’s gotten a little out of hand.
Whichever the case may be, Halloween is a special time of year. And it falls on the very last day of the month, perfectly positioning October to be be a full-on, 31-day countdown celebration of all things spooky and monstrous. However, I didn’t wanna blow all the Halloween songs I have left on a 31 day binge, so I tightened that up a bit, my apologies.
And though I’m aware that this song isn’t even really about Halloween at all, and speaks to a completely different ideology than the current wave of dildo Horror fans declaring other people just don’t like Horror as much as they do, it seemed like the most appropriate song to ring in the occasion. Particularly since I have avoided adding it to this playlist for literally 19 years now.
So, as halloweenshindig.com turns 10 years old, let us for once (and only once) proudly exclaim…Everyday Is Halloween.
Back on Shindig Radio Episode 19, Mikey asked what kinda musical acts came outta New Zealand.
I don’t think anybody had an answer for him at the time, and despite having already had this song waiting in the bullpen, Larry’s Rebelsdidn’t immediately jump out to me as the prime example in that moment. That’s mostly because I didn’t know they were from New Zealand at the time. What’s more, I’m still not sure that even if I had, they would have been a solid pull to smash on the table in that moment.
But here we are talking about New Zealand’s own, Larry’s Rebels.
Why? Well, because we’re in the 10 slot and they have a song called Halloween, why else!?
What’s the problem? Don’t these guys look like they can deliver the goods? Weird dudes with solid-colored suits and mod haircuts know what the fuck’s up with Halloween, right? Oh, you don’t trust me?
Hell, I wouldn’t blame ya. While I personally approve of every song on this list (in some way or another anyway) I’ve been known to drop a few duds on ya. And sure, not everyone’s gonna like the same stuff, and The Shindig offers (if nothing else) a wide variety of musical styling, but definitely nobody wanted It’s Only Halloween, probably nobody wanted Born of Halloween and I’m sure there was more than a few groans with Lep in the Hood. Not to mention countless other questionable tunes that deserve to be on The Shindig but maybe not in your ears.
I’ll accept that. But I’ve got a pretty good batting average here, no? Eh, probably depends on what you personally like and that’s always a little tricky.
But hey, maybe you like 60’s psychedelic rock. If you do, then Larry’s Rebelshave just the Halloween Song for you.
If not, just give it a day. Tomorrow’s gonna sound a little different. Not sayin’ you’ll like that either, but it’s different than this, that much I can guarantee.
If you have a playlist where every 10th track is a Halloween Song, and you start a 31 song countdown on October 1st, it’s mathematically impossible to get that song to actually fall on Halloween. Well, without skipping a day of course, or not doing 31 songs.
Originally, this song was slated post last year on Oct. 30th and I had a whole spiel about math and tactics that unfortunately no longer applies, as this cleanup act from 2021 has shifted everything earlier.
No matter anymore I suppose, so I’ll just delete all that bullshit and talk about Seducer, a band that managed to miss out on our Heavy Metal Halloween in 2018. I should drop them onto that playlist though for sure.
As I’ve said in the past, these 80’s metal “Halloween” tracks are just falling off of pumpkin trucks it seems and I find new ones all the time. Hell, I think there’s a bunch more in the bullpen at this point, although I know several are “Something” Halloween, or Halloween Something. Impressive still, no doubt.
Not Seducerthough. Nope, they’re comin’ correct with this dinger from 1985’s Caught in the Act.
Accidents, departures and record company troubles ultimately lead Seducer to pack it up before they could turn their early career momentum into full blown notoriety.
They are still well regarded by fans of British New Wave Metal, and they’ll forever live on, however dubious the honor may be, as Heavy Metal Halloween Shindig heroes.
Lead in here with a little clip from 1964’s Witchcraft, starring Lon Chaney. That’s a fun one, if you’re into the style and era. I’m pretty sure Tubi’s got it right now, if you’re lookin’ for something festive for the evening.
Witchcraft is extra cool because of this fresh gimmickry: The Witch Deflector!
Here’s what the actual device looked like, and it’s pretty dope. One just went recently on eBay for a cool 100 buck, if you’re interested in holding it in your hands at all times.
Man, I wish they still did stuff like this at theaters. Honestly though, I’ll bet it would be something lame now even if they did.
Oh yeah, the song. Here’s Seducer!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go start a Doom Metal band called Witch Deflector.
Here’s a song that’s been kicking around the bullpen for a while now, just waiting for some poor rookie left hander to get taken deep back to back in the 2nd.
Now, I’m not entirely sure that’s happened here, but in the middle of a metal run to Halloween seemed as good a time to drop this Halloween track from Blind Guardian.
Ah, Blind Guardian: the sorta band that’ll get you laughed outta the room in some circles and a get you fat lip for saying a disparaging word in the other.
However, before this operatic and somewhat silly German metal outfit went clean off the D&D deep end, they meted out some pretty by the numbers, if not exacting, speed metal.
And their first album, at least their first album as Blind Guardian (their original name was Lucifer’s Heritage…yeesh) feels largely indebted to their German power metal brothers, Helloween.
And much like Helloween, they’ve got a song about Halloween! Well, they say Halloween a lot , anyway. Additionally, the song was originally titled Halloween (The Wizard’s Crown) back on their old Lucifer’s Heritage Demo. So, what gives?
Well, when it came time to re-record the track for their proper debut, Battalions of Fear, they dropped the “Halloween,” kicked the parenthetical to the curb, and sent that “the” packing. A choice no doubt in an effort to differentiate their track from Helloween’s famous and similarly titled tune. A shame, really.
But, no matter. These are small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Besides, when your chorus is just you shouting “Halloween” along with the song’s title, it’s water under the bridge really, and The Shindig is happy to have you, “Halloween” or not. You ain’t lockin’ down no 10-slot pullin’ that kinda bullshit, make no mistake, but you can bring up the rear, no problem.
This move (aside from relegating them to a 9er) did keep Blind Guardian out of the rotation for Shindig Radio’s Heavy Metal Halloween. Sure, I could have used the demo and even could have added it here, but frankly, I like the studio version more, titles be damned.
So, if you don’t like Blind Guardian, maybe give their early stuff a go. It’s certainly a little less over-the-top nerds in their Mom’s basement rolling 26-sided die.
So, here they are, on Halloween as it were, taking the crown from Thelemic Wizard Aliester Crowley. Or maybe Crowley’s taking the crown from some other wizard. I dunno, it’s a little unclear with these wizard dust ups. I just know, that allegedly anyway, it’s supposed to be about Aliester Crowley, in some regard. Which is always just a little creepy.
Well The Shindig has hit 300 tracks, and we’re gonna ring in the occasion with Shindig All-Stars and Halloween heroes, Acid Witch.
Cause in pure Acid Witch fashion, they surprise-dropped another Halloween banger right as I was wrapping up last years countdown. C’mon fellas, give a guy a heads up!
What’s more? They even used the same damn sample fromThe Halloween That Almost Wasn’t that we used on our Happy Halloweird episode of Shindig Radio. Do these guys know how to party or what!? What can I say, pure Halloween minds think alike, I guess.
What’s more? They totally spoof Halloween’sDon’t Metal With Evil for the cover of the single. We’ve always thought of Acid Witchas the rightful heirs to the throne of Motor City’s Halloween ambassadors, and they now seem to be fully taking up that mantle.
So, while it’s not an explicitly “Halloween” titled song, as is the tradition (the great ones of those are starting to dry up at this point) it’s certainly Halloween enough for the big 300 slot, by a long shot.
And though I would have loved to have closed out Halloween 2020 with this virus-infused pandemic face melter, I think a year out is no big stretch, particularly seeing as how we’re still knee deep in all manner corona-nonsense.
So here’s to 300 songs and to 2021 being perhaps The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t.
And to Acid Witch, a band I wholeheartedly love, that keeps pumpin’ out new Halloween Metal for all the Pumpkinhead-bangers of the world. You’re doin the dark lords work, gentlemen.
We’re gonna kick off a long overdue disco block here with the somewhat appropriate Disco Halloween from a band called Forbidden Fruits.
I say somewhat because this song neither sounds very Halloweeny, nor even seems to have much to do with Halloween. I’m not sure, cause I can’t really tell what any of the lyrics are. They don’t sound too spooky, I’ll say that.
As is the case with many bands on this playlist, I had never heard of Italo-Disco outfitForbidden Fruits and I probably wouldn’t have ever heard of them had they not created a song called Disco Halloween.
But apparently no one else would have either, as it appears to be the only song ever released by Forbidden Fruits. I couldn’t dig up any real info on this band. This led me to believe, like many similar singles, that it was released by other artists as a one-off under a different moniker.
As you can see, the name Jimmy McFoy is splashed up there on that LP. This led me to then believe that he’s a somebody. And hell, maybe he is, but he’s definitely a somebody I couldn’t find much info about either. It seems as though he was a somewhat prominent singer in the Italo-Disco scene from in the early to mid 80’s. He even had semi-notable hit with Hi Girl in 1985.
Italo-Disco, for those readers that are still reading this and aren’t familiar with the term, was a form of electronic music that originated in Italy in the early 80’s. It made heavy use of drum machines and synthesizers and even the occasional vocoder. For some reason, despite being Italo, more often than not the singing would be in English. Like Disco itself, it didn’t last too long, and quickly splintered off into other Italo-centric subgenre’s like Italo-House, Italo-Dance and Eurobeat.
Now, looking further into the matter and Jimmy McFoy himself, I saw the name listed as a pseudonym for Antoine Van Bladel, and boy if that guy don’t have a bunch of stuff listed on his discografia. Among the long list you’ll find all of Jimmy McFoy’s releases, and some from the hilariously named Paul Paul, Tommy Bow,Videovision, Manhattan Claude, Johnny Game and indeed…Forbidden Fruits. He even had one under a band called Bank of America. Seriously? Bank of America? This dude released a record as Bank of America? I dunno, maybe it means something different in Italo.
So, what’s the deal, Jimbo? You singing on this tune? You produce it? You write this fucker? You bringing up the rear? What’s the deal, Jimmy?
We may never know. Whoever’s behind this one, when you bust down a track called Disco Halloween, and it’s half way listenable, you’re getting scooped up. Such is The Shindig. Which side of the halfway you’ll lean is certainly open for debate. For my money, despite be largely unfestive, it’s got a pretty fun beat, and hey, they say Halloween a bunch, so, we’re game.
Like most disco songs though, it’s overly long and doesn’t say a whole lot other than the title over and over. Which, if you’re cutting a rug at the local discotheque in the mid 80’s, is all you can really ask for. However this is 2021, and we’re definitely not coke-stepping the night away at the Starship Discovery, so I opted to use a truncated version so as not wear out any goodwill the song my have with listeners early on.
Now, the question remains, if you’re not getting terribly spooky, why Halloween? Eh, who knows? Maybe it’s like Christmas, where it makes good financial sense and ensures a certain amount of longevity attaching your name and song to an annual event. Hell, it got Forbidden Fruits roped up in The Shindig, which I’m sure was exactly what Antoine Van Bladel was hoping for all along.
Here’s what the actual device looked like, and it’s pretty dope. One just went recently on eBay for a cool 100 buck, if you’re interested in holding it in your hands at all times.
