Several years ago when Halloween made their Shindig debut on Halloween with their song Halloween, we immediately bestowed upon them All-Star status. This was very premature, because at that point, it was their only contribution.
I knew then that they would have multiple appearances. I have an auxiliary playlist called The Shindig Bullpen for all the planned additions that have yet to make their way onto the blog. They’re all there, but the move was still premature.
Tonight’s track, however, finally makes Halloween The Shindig All-Stars they were born to be.
Since they already had a song called Halloween, I’m sure they were pretty disappointed. Now, they probably could have gone the Danzig route and just made a song called Halloween II, but Halloween opted to tag the word “Night” on there, and call it a day. It’s a solid move.
And since we were just dealing with Dr. Crowley and his Anti-Halloween Machine, we thought we’d check in with Angela Harris, who’s own Anti-Halloween machine, a religious group called HARVEST, is responsible for all the mayhem in 2014’s nostalgia stuffed The WNUF Halloween Special.
Her alarmist petitions seem particularly in contrast to Halloween’s somewhat reassuring song, where they tell you everything’s all right, Halloween’s just a fun night out at the Heavy Metal Horror Show. Nothing to worry about here.
Mrs. Harris, well, she doesn’t exactly concur.
Here’s Halloween, once again singing about Halloween and taking their rightful place on the Shindig All-Star team, with Halloween Night.
Ok, that Rosemary’s Baby stuff was a little heavy, so to lighten things up a bit, we’re gonna go in the complete opposite direction…or are we?
The Real Ghostbusters fought a fair share of spooks over their 7 season run. So, it should come as no surprise that they had a few different Halloween encounters.
Here, this Franken-headed fuck-face named Dr. Crowley wants to end Halloween forever. He even has his own cheeseball coalition of concerned buttinskis called Citizens United Against Halloween. What a dork. He then tries to enlist The Ghostbusters to provide the assist, but the GB’s ain’t down with that shit.
In fact, they’re so not down with that shit, they show up for a school assembly and bust out this rockin’ Halloween track just to show you what’s up.
Now, I know I’m a bit paranoid, and doing this blog over the years has certainly put me in a weird spot mentally over the nature of Halloween, it’s origins and all the media surrounding it. But, I gotta be honest here, I get a weird vibe from this. Like a Halloween 3 vibe. And that’s weird.
Maybe it’s all the Stonehenge and Celtic imagery, or maybe it’s the extolling of “old magic,” but it seems pretty bizarre. Because, I mean, why the fuck are some cartoon ghost police talking to kids about old magic anyway?
It’s weird, right? What are they saying, and why? And to kids? And is that weird? I dunno, but it sure makes me feel a little weird.
Doesn’t stop me from rocking out though, ’cause this is a Halloween jammer, for sure. You got the whole gang singing, with assembly attendees dancing in costume and Egon here rocking out on a modified Poly-800 while Slimer and his buddies turn into these weird Irish-green Jack-Lantern sperms. It’s all very festive…and probably totally weird.
We wrap it up in the same fashion the show does, with that Halloween prick Dr. Crowley firing up his Electronic, Positronic, Anti-Halloween Machine and…ending Halloween forever, Or opening up The Halloween Door?
Main Title (Rosemary’s Baby)by Krzysztof Komeda and Mia Farrow
Fading us out of our witch/spell/magick block is the melancholic and eerie theme from a tale of perhaps the worst witches cinema may have yet seen. Witches so powerful, many have suggested their influence seeped through the silver screen and into our reality.
I know it’s certainly not the type of film we tend to champion around here, and I doubt it would be any Diggers favorite pick (with the exception of one particularly beautiful & faithful reader) Rosemary’s Baby is widely considered one of the finest examples the horror genre has to offer.
And rightfully so, as it’s a fine piece of film-making, in any genre, with a star-making and brilliant performance from Mia Farrow and a supporting cast that provides the best kind of support.
Additionally, Rosemary’s Babyis as much a critique on society of the mid 60′ and men’s abuse and control of women within that society, as it is a critique on American moral and spiritual unraveling and the burgeoning Satanic scene.
Some even say it’s also cursed.
Let’s begin at the beginning…
The film’s source material, Ira Levin’s novel of the same name, was published 1968. It is set in New York City of 1965/1966, or more appropriately, June of 1966,…6/66.
Pitched at a point in history which saw not only the birth of Anton Lavey’s Church of Satan, but when Time Magazine had just famously wondered “Is God Dead?” in an issue Rosemary can be seen reading in the film.
As with any literary success, Hollywood wasn’t far behind. Initially the book was optioned to Alfred Hitchcock, who reportedly turned down the offer. In swooped everyone’s favorite schlockster William Castle, who morgaged his home and purchased the rights for 100,000 with the intent to direct. It was to be his first A-List horror picture, and he was rightly stoked.
He brought the script to Paramount Pictures, but famous executive Robert Evans had other ideas though. There wasn’t any chance in hell he was letting the inventor of “Emergo” and “Percepto” helm the biggest horror property in Hollywood. No, Castle could produce but a young European auteur named Roman Polanski would be brought in to class up the act.
And the the success train kept rolling. Lauded upon release and a blockbuster success, Castle and Evan’s had helped Polanski hit a culture nerve with his first American feature. Not bad.
But then, that’s when the weird shit started happening.
The first victim of Rosemary’s Curse was none other than the composer of tonight’s selection, Jazz musician Krzysztof Komeda. While drinking at a party in Los Angeles shortly after the film premiered, Kryzsztof was “accidentally” shoved of a rocky cliff by author Marek Hłasko. He sustained head injuries that led him into a coma he never awoke from. He died the following April in Poland. He was 37 years old. Fans will no doubt mark the similarity of his fate to that of Edward Hutchins in the film.
Next, though much less severe, was producer William Castle. His kidney’s failed soon after the release, and he was reported to have hallucinated scenes from the film while in the hospital, at one point shouting “Rosemary, for God Sakes put down the knife!”
Most tragic however, and perhaps in need of no further explanation, was the fate of Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate and their then-unborn son at the hands of the Manson Family.
Sharon, who had desperately fought to play Rosemary, was said to have often been lingering around the set, and even eerily appears in the background at Rosemary’s party.
Other strange coincidences can be traced all throughout this tale, such as this bizarre linage of synchronicity:
The words “Healter Skelter” (sic) were scrawled on the scene of the crime at Roman and Sharon’s home on 10050 Cielo Drive. The song Helter Skelter by The Beatles was featured on The White Album, which was mostly written while at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. Also in attendance at that time were Donovan, Prudence Farrow (inspiration for the song Dear Prudence) and Rosemary herself, Mia Farrow. On December 8th, 1980, John Lennon was shot in New York City, in the archway of The Dakota Apartments, which will no doubt look familiar to any Rosemary’s Baby fan.
And lastly, I wouldn’t be the first paranoid observer to suggest the strange similarity between Rosemary and Guy’s tale and Polanski’s own career trajectory. Did Roman, like Guy, make some unholy, sacrificial pact for success and legal invulnerability? Only Roman knows for sure. Strange that “Roman” is also Steven Marcato’s false name.
Tonight, The Shindig presents that sweet sort of haunting theme, composed by Krzysztof Komeda. Even more appropriately, Mia Farrow herself provides the quiet vocal accompaniment.
The strange legacy of Rosemary’s Baby, all the players and the true nature of their interconnected fates, may forever remain a mystery. Whatever transpired, whatever it means, whomever or whatever was responsible…beware…because, there’s only one thing we can say for sure…
Since Christopher Lee’s over here talking about The Salem Witch Trial, let’s follow that up with a song about The Salem Witch Trial, aptly titled The Salem Witch Trial.
This rockin’ piece of obscure psychedelia comes from none other than Kiriae Crucible, a band (or hell, even just a lone dude) that I can seem to find absolutely no information about at all.
Any web search for Kiriae Crucible will undoubtedly return this song, an seemingly only this song, the various compilations that contain this song, or places in which you can hear…this song.
Well, Halloween Shindig now proudly joins the ranks of places at which you can also hear this song but find no other information regarding Kiriae Crucible. If you were led here looking for such information (though I sincerely doubt it) then I apologize for being just another repository with absolutely nothing new to offer.
I will say this, though. The 45 above is curiously adorned with the name “Erickson,” which might lead you (as it did me) to wonder if it was not penned (and perhaps even performed) by Halloween hero, Shindigger and all around way-out-cat Roky Erickson.
Beats me though, as a cross-reference of the 2 also returned no results for me.
Bummer.
Anyway, if you do happen to be reading this and actually have information regarding Kiriae Crucible or this song, please leave a comment below or forward said info to ed@halloweenshindig.com. Thanking you in advance, your assistance is greatly appreciated.
For everyone else, just sit back and enjoy this random-ass song about The Salem Witch Trial by a random-ass band (or dude) known simply as Kiriae Crucible, a name which I’m still not even sure how to pronounce exactly.
Here’s another classic example of referencing a horror classic without actually talking about the movie at all, from Shindig All-Stars and referential magicians, The Misfits.
Sure, it might be called a Horror Hotel, but God knows what Danzig’s actually talking about here, because it’s not the 1963 Christopher Lee film.
What we do know is that it’s definitely about a hotel and some bad shit’s going down there, maybe even some horror. Particularly in Room 21, where all the underworld scum seem to congregate. Can’t say I know of any specific Room 21s from horror lore, but I’d be open to suggestions about what other references Glenn might be bandying about. Though I’ll wager it’s probably used simply because “Room 36” doesn’t rhyme with “scum.”
But that was sort of Glenn’s deal. Name a song after a classic movie and then whip up some lyrics that sort of jive with the mood that title conjured. Unless of course you’re talking about Return of the Fly, which basically reads like a Videohound entry of the film of the same name, right down to listing of its actors and characters.
None of that really matters though, does it? I mean, at least not where The Misfits are concerned. Personally, I rather like that these songs are less overt in their referential nature. Something like Blitzkid’sCandyman lacks any of that artistic (?) subtlety, opting to bludgeon you with lyrics so simple and childlike, it sort of takes something away.
You get none of that from Danzig and Co., and as such are gifted that wonderful space of ambiguity and interpretation.
Plus, it give us the opportunity to cram that space with plenty of samples from the song’s namesakes. Couldn’t do that if they just named the song Room 21, now could we?
Here’s a Halloween staple the blog has managed to avoid for, oh I don’t know, 5 years or so. Which is odd, considering it’s an original member of the very first Shindig CD from 2002.
Perhaps Rock ‘N Roll’s first Shock Rocker, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins used to be just plain, old fashioned Blues singer Jay Hawkins. In fact, I Put a Spell On You was originally written and recorded as a love song. It was producer Arnold Maxin at Colombia Records who can take the initial credit for creeping things up, deciding the song needed a darker tone. He proceeded to get everyone shit hammered drunk during the session and Hawkins has stated he has no memory of even recording that 1956 version. Man, that’s a little bizarre. Is some more music industry warlocking afoot?
Famous Cleveland DJ Alan Freed can probably be blamed for the rest, offering Jay $300 dollars to emerge from a coffin on stage. Jay didn’t like the idea, reportedly saying “No black dude gets in a coffin alive…they don’t expect to get out!” But alive he went, and out he came just fine, with all the voodoo accoutre ma that came to define his on-stage persona. Jay Hawkins was now officially Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and the rest was history.
Or was it?
Despite being edited by Colombia Records, many stations banned I Put a Spell On You for what was perceived at the time as overt sexuality. This was 1956 after all. And despite ultimately selling over a million copies, the record failed to break onto the billboard charts. The song itself would be a bigger hit for just about every other singer that covered it than it was for Hawkins himself, with white artists making the charts on it’s back only 10 years later. This was 1956 after all.
When coupled with friction Jay found with the NAACP regarding his “racially stereotypical” appearance, one can understand and appreciate Hawkins satirical album “Black Music for White People,” which should probably be in the running for one of the greatest album titles of all time. Though many found it to be the opposite, it could be argued that Jay’s reticence to conform to an acceptably “white” appearance was itself in fact transgressive and confrontational to the white audiences that reveled in his performances. Stereotyping and the NAACP be damned, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins wasn’t gonna whitewash his act for anyone.
Still, Jay harbored bitterness toward the fact that these schlocky gimmicks were what ultimately brought him notoriety, and often blamed them for why people wouldn’t take him seriously as a vocalist. He would re-record this track on several occasions over his long career, each time shifting the tempo and either dialing back or amping up his vocals. But, it is the 1956 version (honestly, not even the most outrageous and oft-heard version) that we include here on the playlist.
However Hawkins felt about his fame, or whether or not he received it for the right reasons, he remains a massive influence on not only Shock Rock, but on hundreds of artists, not the least of which being Shindiggers like Alice Cooper, The Cramps, Nick Cave, The Misfits and Screaming Lord Sutch. And not simply for his outlandish stage persona or appearance, but for his unique talent and that wholly original and genre-defining (and defying) style.
Jay Hawkins died following an aneurysm on Feb. 12th, 2000, exactly 44 years,…to the day…that he recorded this version of I Put a Spell On You. Ya know, that strange drunken session he couldn’t remember…
Speaking of Seasons of the Witch, here’s a song tailor made for the occasion.
Many years ago, while discussing the film Highway to Hell, I stated that simply naming your film after a preexisting song does not automatically quality that song to be a Title Track.
I said this because the song Highway to Hell only appears in the trailer for the film, and not in the actual movie, something I think is important. And while I don’t think that makes it a true Title Track, it’s definitely enough scratch to get a seat at the table.
Though George A. Romero may well have named his film after the Donovan song, he utilizes it to great effect during a montage of noob-witch Jan White procuring magickal supplies from her local witch shop.
You know, that weird store you have right around the corner with the creepy eyeball sign, filled with crucibles, bejeweled daggers and strange smelling shit?
Oh, you don’t have one of those in your town? Well thankfully Jan does, cause she’s gonna need to gear up if she wants her dick spell to work on the young Professors she’s been eying.
I don’t, however, recommend playing with Black Magick. I’ve yet to see one film where that works out in anyone’s favor.
Although, in fairness, it doesn’t not work out for Jan, now that I think about it. She might accidentally kill her husband, but that guy was kind of a douche, and she didn’t really like him anyway. So, I guess you can play with Black Magick and have everything turn out ok.
I still wouldn’t recommend it, though, cause that’s pretty rare.
Here’s Donovan’s classic Halloween witch hit, elevated to Title Track status by George A. Romero.
Here’s another spooky number about spooks from famous Jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, only this time, it’s a Halloween song to boot. Double bonus.
This one’s a kinda weird honestly, and the jazz structure can be a bit of a turn-off if that’s not your bag. Additionally, it will all break down about halfway through into a formless sort of scat, where ghostly sounds and spooky noises take the place of actual lyrics.
I like this part. It’s funny to me. I laugh every time I hear these grown adults goofing around and making silly noises.
You may not have the same reaction, and I would understand, but there’s no disputing, it’s a Shindigger for sure.
Welcome back Weeners! It’s been a while. Well, that is unless you happen to be reading this in 2021 or something and just moved on to the very next post. Chances are you’re not reading this at all though, so that really doesn’t matter that much.
Anyway, the Season of the Witch is upon us once again!
And here to kick off the march to Halloween is Louis Armstrong with some words of warning to all of us this holiday season.
He’s serving up one swinging haunted boogie that just gets my foot tapping. Seriously, I love this song. It’s got a great spooky vibe and some really fun word play, all delivered with Louis’ famous throaty growl.
Now, if you’re finding it a bit difficult to enjoy a song from 1954 where a black man repeatedly belts out a popular racial epithet, I’m not exactly sure how to assuage your feelings of unease.
All I will say, is that apparently Louis didn’t have a problem with it, and I’ll wager that slur was actually used toward him directly, perhaps even many times, during his life in early 20th century America. That’s good enough for me.
It’s perhaps a bit easier to understand in context. Back then, the word “spook” found much more association with ghosts and horror than it does now, no doubt because of it’s offensive application.
This was in part because of The Midnight Spook Show, a precursor to the Midnight Movies and Horror Hosts of the 60’s and 70’s. But we’ll talk about that more a little further down the road.
Though this blog is Halloween Shindig, we’ve been known to take brief holiday detours once Christmas rolls around. Particularly for a film that is near and dear to our hearts….
Primarily this is because Halloween Shindig is a music blog and one of our favorite things about Silent Night, Deadly Night is its unique and original Christmas soundtrack.
5 years ago, when this blog was in its infancy, we posted 2 songs and several crummy gifs (now revamped) from the film. We also asked if anyone knew where we could find the rest of this bizarre music. Of course no one did, because no one knew and no one reads this blog.
However, Death Waltz Records apparently heard our Christmas prayers.
A few years back, they released a double-album featuring not only the unreleased soundtrack by Morgan Ames but also the erratic and beautifully atonal synth score from Perry Botkin. Double bonus.
We thought, it being Christmas and all, that this was a perfect time to roll out a second Super Soundtrack, and give the entire OST and score a little extra Shindig magic.
This Super Soundtrack comes complete with all the original Morgan Ames tracks from the film (plus a bonus track!) and the majority of the Perry Botkin score, all arranged chronologically with tons of great samples to wrap it up in a naughty Christmas bow. We hope you enjoy this gift as much as we do.
So grab a carton of milk and relax under a tiger painting to this festive audio offering.
A few notes here on this amazing album:
This soundtrack is nuts.
What I imagine happened was that either the producers didn’t have the budget to shell out for actual Christmas music or no one was willing to give them the rights to use that music in such a context. Or the 3rd option that they just wanted to have an amazing soundtrack filled with new and interesting Christmas music.
Whatever the reason, what emerged was an absolute gem of an album, both as a Soundtrack and just a good-ole-fashioned Christmas album. Some of these tracks sound so legit you’d almost believe they were actual, pre-existing Christmas songs: specifically, the festive carol Christmas Fever and the subtly unnerving Santa’s Watching, a tune which characters even reference during the movie, adding to its legitimacy.
The original title for Silent Night, Deadly Night was Slay Ride, which is a pretty outstanding title on its own. It was pitched, backed, filmed and even edited with this title, only changing in the last minute for reasons unbeknownst to this blog.
As such, Morgan Ames whipped up one hell of an (almost) Title Track for that movie which, unfortunately, is not featured in the final cut, despite being listed in the credits. For years this drove me nuts. “Slayrider? What fucking song is that?! I need to hear this song immediately! What is this nonsense!?”
The silver lining, of course, is that it exists, someone found it and then decided it was a good idea to finally release it. They were right, because it’s an awesome song. A song I wish was actually featured in the movie, however out of place it may have been there.
Also, the official Death Waltz release contains 2 other songs that I decided to omit from the Super Soundtrack, I Want To Sing You a Love Song and Christmas Party.
These songs aren’t particularly memorable nor are they featured in the film (or even listed in the credits) and so are extraneous in my estimation. I apologize if you really like them. My guess is, you won’t lose any sleep over it.
In closing, I’d just like to say that I really can’t properly express how stoked I was when this album was released. I honestly never thought it would happen. And not just to finally have access to full versions of Christmas Flu or It Must Be Christmas, or to finally hear (and be overcome with Christmas joy over) Slayrider, but because Perry Botkin’s score is absolutely bonkers. It really is as unsettled and layered as Billy’s psyche and works perfectly to express that unbalanced nature.
I love it, and I hope you will love this blending of the many sounds of Silent Night, Deadly Night.
Merry Christmas!
No Halloween on Halloween Shindig would be complete without a Halloween Song called Halloween. This year it’s from Belgian metalers Ostrogoth.
If you’ve never heard of them, don’t feel down, I’m pretty sure unless you were a serious hesher in 1985, you probably haven’t. And if they didn’t have a song called Halloween, I probably wouldn’t either.
Wading in the dregs of 80’s euro-metal stands a band named after a sect of the East Germanic Goths, partially responsible for the fall of the Western Roman Empire! Do these guys know how to party, or what!?
Partiers or not, they know how to Halloween. And they’re Halloweening hard here with a song so spooky it even features a creepy Devil voice.
Loaded with clips from Halloween 4, cause we haven’t tapped that keg yet, and because Don LaFontaine absolutely kills on this trailer.
I’ve seen Halloween 4. I don’t much care for Halloween 4, but every time I hear Don’s voiceover, I forget how much I don’t actually care for Halloween 4 and almost throw it on.
When they wanted to provide some damage control from the consumer fallout of Halloween III…they weren’t fuckin’ around.
“Ever since that night, no one…has forgotten his name…and Halloween…has never been the same.”
As influential and essential as Alan Howarth may have ultimately been to that “Carpenter” sound, nothing proves John’s singular mastery like his score from 1978’s Halloween.
Everyone knows the iconic theme. Hell, people that haven’t even seen the movie recognize it’s repetitious, modulating sound.
However, John’s score is more than just that simple and oh-so-effective opening number. The entire sonic landscape of Halloween is synthy and unnerving, with buzzes and stabs that have become icons in and of themselves.
So we’d be remiss, particularly since our block of synthetic horror themes has bleed into Halloween, to leave out the man himself and one of his lesser heard arrangements from that classic seasonal favorite.
So, tingling your 31st spine is Shindig All-Star John Carpenter with the haunting and memorable and succinct, Laurie’s Theme.
Chariots of the Pumpkinsby John Carpenter and Alan Howarth
Speaking of perfect ways to start of an October 31st, lets move to this selection from the (unjustly) lesser-lauded Halloween 3, a film so damn Halloweeny, it practically out-Halloweens every other film in a series called Halloween. No small feat.
When John and Michael parted ways in 1978, the money guys weren’t content to just let that be the end of the Myers tale. John didn’t want any part of a sequel though, and declined to direct, being more creatively inspired to explore new stories, like The Fog. Allegedly, he only agreed to pen the script so he could recoup some money following the original, from which he claims he never saw much in the way of profit. Additionally, he co-produced the sequel and provided some scoring, no doubt assisting in that aim.
By the time the inevitable Halloween III rolled around, John finally got his wish, and they produced a Halloween-themed film, completely separate from Michael Myers. But it seems it was just a little too little, too late. Needless to say, the fans were not pleased.
However, Halloween III is superior to just about every other sequel in the rather disappointing and hum-drum franchise that is Halloween. And of the many things it has going for it, it’s score stands proudly among them.
A collaboration again between Carpenter and long-time musical partner Alan Howarth, this score honestly feels more Carpenter-esque (in my estimation) than the one they provided for Halloween 2. Perhaps Howarth is more instrumental to that sound we call “Carpenter’s” than he’s given due credit for.
This is an 80’s, synth-drenched sound that just reverberates “horror.” And if October 31st sounds like anything, Chariots of Pumpkins might be a perfect descriptor.
Phantasm (Intro and Main Title)by Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave
With so many great horror scores from the 70’s and early 80’s, you might be hard-pressed to pick a favorite. Maybe Carpenter’sHalloween Theme is your choice. Perhaps it’s Michael Oldfield’sTubular Bells. Would you select Charles Bernstein’s theme from A Nightmare Elm Street? Maybe even Wendy Carlos’ work on The Shining? Or is it something from Goblin?
All great choices, without question.
However, I don’t think any horror fan would fault you if your selection was this opening number, from Don Coscarelli’s 1979 classic Phastasm, performed by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave.
This entire score is great, fashioned as it is with a veritable dream-list of vintage electronic gear. Frequencies from an ARP Odyssey to a Moog Model D, to a Mellotron and even a Fender Rhodes buzz all over this thing, and it simply oozes a warm, green slime of 70’s electric creepiness.
Spooky, unsettling and perfectly matched for Phantasm’s eerie, fever-dream otherness, it ticks every box you could want for a Horror Theme.
On top of that, it’s Halloweeny as all get out, and I can’t think of a more fitting track to start off this October 31st.
I don’t know if I could ever actually pick a favorite horror theme, but if I was in a pinch and hard-pressed to give a knee-jerk answer, I might very well just pick this one.
No Goblin block (or indeed even any brief conversation about Goblin) exists without a mention of perhaps their most famous of all arrangements, that from Argento’s Ballerina-Witch-epic, Suspiria.
This spooky, ethereal and very Italian supernatural shocker is classic horror business.
It has captivated and inspired fans and other filmmakers since its release in 1977. Not the least of whom being John Carpenter, who’s own classic horror offering, Halloween, has hallmarks of Argento’s masterpiece all over it.
And not the least of that being John’s score, which takes much inspiration from Goblin’s kinetic and prominent sounds.
Presented here at number 176 and rounding out our Goblin-Fest is the title theme from Suspiria.
Next up from Goblin is a track that technically isn’t a even a Goblin song at all, but a song performed by the 3 Godfathers Claudio Simonetti, Massimo Morante and Fabio Pignatelli specifically (and individually): the theme from Tenebre.
Goblin had long since called it quits by the time Dario Argento got around to tapping them again to score another horror picture.
And though they buried their hatchets (at least enough to work on this score) they choose to be credited here individually, rather than as a group. Bad blood runs deep.
But you can’t fool us. This sound is unmistakable, and we all recognize it for what it is – the sound of Goblin!
When George Romero’s highly anticipated sequel to Night of the Living Dead hit Europe, Dario Argento recut it as Zombi. This is why sometimes you’ll see Fulci’s Zombi titledZombi 2. Which can get get a little extra confusing by the time you get to Zombi 3 and 4…
but I digress.
Dawn of the Dead’s soundtrack features a bevy of strange, incidental musical arrangements (like Track #89 The Gonk) but the actual score was composed by frequent Argento collaborators Goblin. And though it plays more prominently in Dario’s European cut, some of the tracks ring out through all versions of the film.
Most especially this tune, L’alba Dei Morti Viventi, which roughly translates to “Dawn of the Living Dead.” Seems appropriate.
Here’s Goblin again, at the top of their game, the height of their popularity and firing on all cylinders,… just before breaking up entirely. At least for little while anyway.
Despite being represented on the original Halloween Shindig mix CD back in ‘02, or their standing as the Horror Themes icon since this site launched, Italian Prog outfit Goblin has yet to see any action in 170 tracks. What gives?
Well, they’ve always just kinda gotten shuffled around. Maybe it didn’t felt like quite the right moment, or maybe some other song seemed better to load up next. “Yeah, we’ll get to them later” always seemed like the move.
Whatever the reason, we’re correcting that this year with a solid block of voltage-controlled chaos from Claudio Simonetti, Massimo Morante and Fabio Pignatelli.
Let’s begin at the beginning. First up from the boys is from their first foray into the world of horror scoring, Dario Argento’s Profondo Rosso. And when it comes to Italian horror scores, this ones a doozy.
Originally named Cherry Five, Goblin actually changed their name to Goblin specifically for this soundtrack. See, they had a debut album due out as Cherry Five, and they didn’t want any confusion regarding their output.
That was until this song blew up all over Italy.
Profondo Rosso, much (I’m sure) to everyone’s surprise, was a legitimate #1 hit in Italy in 1975, spending 5 weeks in the top slot. Not bad for the bands first stab at scoring. Particularly considering they stepped in last minute,…almost literally.
Original composer Giorgio Gaslini was either fired or quit (depending on which Wikipedia article you believe) and Goblin was asked to fill his shoes. Supposedly Dario’s original choice, Pink Floyd, turned down the offer.
Dunno if I believe that either. Nor is it disappointing to hear, as I believe Goblin performed the tasked exceptionally and I’m not sure how well Roger and the guys from Floyd would have fared.
But I digress.
Argento supposedly gave Goblin a night to write the new score and then the following day to record it. I’m not sure how true that is, but it sounds cool and I want that to be the story, so I’m choosing to believe it. Because to bust out the score for a horror movie, particulary this score, on-the-fly mind you, and have it reach number #1 on the charts is absolutely insane.
Here’s the song that put Goblin on the map, in more ways than one, and (with help from Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells) shaped the sound of horror to come.
This is Stevie Wayne here, your night light, on fabulous 1340 Shindig Radio, spinning the tunes for you all October long.
Halloween is just around the corner now, and I’ve got a solid block of spooky synth songs to shake your Samhain soiree. No singin’, just the smooth buzz of oscillating vibrations to give you and your guests the shivers.
This first one goes out to the men on the Seagrass. Watch out for that fog bank you’ll say isn’t there until all of a sudden it is. It’s filled with ghost pirates, and Garfield won’t be there to bail you out.
Unil then, keep it here on Shindig Radio, and we’ll take you right into the witching hour.
Born from the same scuzzy streets, Foodland chipped ham and shitty, 3-story apartment building in “downtown” Monessen, Pennsylvania that also gave birth to Halloween Shindig, The Krypt-Keeper 5 and this playlist go together like apples and caramel.
A band of bored FX students joined forces in the winter of 2005 to cut a Christmas album. Deck My Balls: Seasons Beatings from The Krypt-Keeper 5 was a substantial, 28-track package of punk covers, originals, re-workings and Christmas classics.
Featuring the vocal stylings and ivory work of a man you may be familiar with; sculptor, mask-dork, punch-technician and friend of The Shindig, Mikey Rotella.
Rhythming it up behind him were bassist and 4th Keeper Chuck Hendershot (aka Klaus Satan Von Chudberg), Timmy “Tiny Timminy Grinch” Estes slinging a six-string, and Todd Russell Parker McCulloch filling in with drum fills, guitar licks and just about anything else required.
They even played a couple of shows which, for any of the poor souls trapped in the Monongahela Valley, was probably the freshest air they’d ever breathed. Unfortunately, The Shindig never got to see them perform live, as it had moved on to the good life out in California’s beautiful San Fernando Valley by 2005. However, we can all pretend like we were there thanks to the miracle of modern video.
Yeah, that’s great an all, but the last time I checked this was Halloween Shindig. Why the fuck are we sitting here, 3 days before Halloween, talking about a goddamn Christmas album?
Well, that’s because buried deep within this seasonal offering is another kind of festive shanty, and it’s the 5’s take on a Halloween Classic, The Monster Mash.
And when Monessen’s own sons, The Krypt-Keeper 5, take on All-Star Boris Pickett’s seminal Halloween hit, there’s nothing but room for them on Halloween Shindig.
So, c’mon Weeners! Join Dracula, his son….and the wolfmaaan…for this take on the timeless graveyard smash.
