Halloween Songs

Songs exclusively celebrating this eve of eves!

Audio

Halloween (Bill Ervin)

TRACK #330:

Halloween by Bill Ervin

So, we’ve reached a true 10-slot on this “Halloweens-til-Halloween” run, but what’s a Halloween playlist to do? We’ve just spent the last 11 days burning out potential 10-slot candidates (and some good ones too) on this ill-advised-if-I-wanna-keep-having-actual-Halloween-songs-to-write about Halloween celebration. So, what do you do, I ask?

Well, you drop the best damn Halloween song you’ve dug up all year, that’s what you do.

And that’s what we did. And this is a true new-find for 2022. This didn’t have to wait in the bullpen for even a season.

And after this many years, and this many songs, the fact that there’s still Halloween songs out there to find – and true Halloween Songs at that – and even true Halloween Songs that are this fun –  is pretty crazy.

Though I will admit, after this year’s exhaustive digging, I’m pretty sure that’s coming to an end. With the exception of 2 very specific hold-outs I have yet to be able to hear, if there’s a Halloween song out there that isn’t already on this playlist, it’s probably in the bullpen at this point, or has been permanently benched.

And I know what you’re thinking, there’s no chance this is a good song. Ole Chef’s Salad up there ain’t instilling a whole lot of confidence in ya. I get it. Cause what the fuck is that, right? Fuckin’ Chef’s Salad? That’s about as Halloweeny as an Easter basket.

I mean, I guess the orange and green is sort of Halloweeny. That 70’s aesthetic might maybe lead one to believe something halfway listenable is laying in wait. But if you don’t like music that’s almost 50 years old, then even that line of thinking is a bust.

But trust me, this one’s a winner. It’s not one of those not really about Halloween Halloween songs either. This is a true blue Halloween jam. And it’s not one of those short and mildly irritating, sung by a weird lady or balding dude for some record that teachers were supposed to play in their classrooms in 1972 songs either. Though in fairness, I usually avoid them, but there’s a few of those that are pretty good, too. Even some classics, and there’s definitely a few waiting for their number to be called.

No, this is a real song, sung by – ok, just some guy no one really heard from otherwise, but still a dude with access to potential mainstream success. It’s a song.

The Chef’s Salad things a bit weird, I’ll give ya that. This appears to have been a compilation album released by producer Wayne Wadhams in an attempt to capture and then market the thriving music scene in Boston and New England during the mid-70’s. Since most of the acts don’t seem to have made any waves following it’s release, I’m not sure Wayne was all that successful to that end.

What he did successfully manage to do however, for some odd reason, was capture one hell of a Halloween song. Now, why Bill Ervin would compose this tune, or why even Wayne thought it was a shinning example of the city’s music scene at the time, is anyone’s guess. I mean, I’m glad they did don’t get me wrong, but it seems like an odd choice for a music sampler LP.

Interesting side note here on this song in regards to it’s placement with Pete Antell’s It’s Halloween.

You may notice it begins the exact same way Pete and Ray’s song began. You may even notice that a lot of songs around here feature this little lick. Even Heavy Metal Halloweener’s Iron Cross used it, much to Mikey’s chagrin. And beyond that, you know this little ditty. You’ve heard it a million times in various places, but what the hell is it?

Well, it’s a tune called Mysterioso Pizzicato, which is sometimes referred to as The Villain’s Theme.

It was a piece of generic sheet music found in The Remick Folio of Moving Picture Music which was published in 1914. This book was used by piano accompanists playing live music during the silent film era. It was meant to indicate the presence of a bad guy, a villain if you will, or some other such sneaky or unscrupulous bastard. And boy, did it.

At almost 120 years old, you still recognize this, that’s how ubiquitous it became over time. Even to the point of cliche, hence Mikey’s chagrin over Iron Cross.

Maybe you’re familiar with this one. Maybe it’s been a long-standing Holiday must for some of ya’ll out there. But I’ve been digging around for just this kind of thing for years, and for whatever reason, it took me this long to find this one. But I’m sure glad I finally did, cause it immediately stood out to me as a tune I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even heard before, much less didn’t have on The Shindig.

So here it is, love it or leave it (either way, we’re definitely keeping it) it’s Halloween by Bill Ervin.

 

Audio

It’s Halloween (Stop Look and Listen)

TRACK #329: 

It’s Halloween (Stop Look and Listen) by Pete Antell

Since everyone’s all Myersed-up right now from Halloween Ends and Fallacy and since over here (a year behind) we’re still yakin’ about Halloween Kills, we thought it’d be a perfect time to drop this addition.

One of the few moments of genuine interest I experienced while watching Halloween Kills last year was the introduction of Big John. A curious tune began to play during the establishing shots of the Myers house. A tune I was unfamiliar with. Even as it played, I couldn’t quite tell if it was a bonafide Halloween oldie I had just never heard before or some new song made to sound old.

I stayed through the whole credits of that dumb movie just to find out the name of that song.

Turns out it was It’s Halloween (Stop Look, and Listen) by Pete Antell, and the answer to that question, evidently, is somewhere right in the middle.

The song was apparently written by musician and band leader Raymond “Dutch” Wolff way back in 1952. According to his daughter, Melora (who provides several bits of interesting history via the YouTube listing where this song debuted) it was a tune he used to sing to the children when they were all young.

However, the song was never actually recorded. At least it hadn’t been until Wolff’s friend, a musician/singer/songwriter and producer named Pete Antell urged him to lay down the track.

So, they all set about recording it, getting the old band back together as it were, with Pete on vocals and Ray himself firing up the sax. They then released the track in 2012 on YouTube, where it stayed, mostly under the radar, for almost 10 years until it magically appeared in David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills.

Then, it blew up. Thousands upon thousands of views and hundreds upon hundreds of comments demanding the song be released later, Pete and company dropped a digital single onto streaming platforms within a couple of weeks.

Curiously though, they changed the name of the song to Stop Look and Listen, It’s Halloween for its official release. I’m not sure why exactly, and I rather prefer it’s original title, but hey, it’s their tune.

Pete is kind enough to pop into his own YouTube comments thread at times, but most of his responses are terse and lack elaboration. Trust me, I read through all 800 and whatever of them just to try to dig up information on this track.

And though I’m sure you’re aware, I’d just like to say here, a YouTube comments section is an awful place to spend any amount of time.

Pro-tip for young YouTubers reading: no one gives a shit why you’re there watching a video, or even that you are. Please refrain from wasting peoples time and bandwidth with the unnecessary and tiresome “Here cause of Halloween Kills.” Yeah, no shit.

Oh, and I’d like to double that sentiment for the even more annoying “POV” prefaced “no one was watching this video until Halloween Kills.” Again, no shit, jackass. And that includes you, nimrod. Just watch the video, thumb it up and move the fuck along. Yikes.

My apologies. I just felt particularly stupefied after wading through that insipid thread for nuggets of information that were few and far between. Back to the tune!

So, though it was recorded only 10 years ago, this number has all the Hallmarks of a jazzy tune written in 1952. It’s a little piece of nostalgia that taps right into the heart of an old time Halloween, cause that’s where it originated. And I doubt I’m in the minority when I say that this, not even this scene, but exclusively this song, is the best thing Halloween Kills has to offer.

So we’ve peppered it with some H43 samples and used the original title here, as it is listed in the film, cause old or not, you got a bonafide inclusive Halloween track on your hands now.

Lead in by hometown hero Willy the Kid, on WURG, Haddonfield’s home for rock, which makes a sneeze and you’d miss it appearance there in Kills. You can expect to hear a little more Willy next year, cause you know there’s nothing we like more around here than Horror movie DJs. And Halloween Ends put Willie right in the drivers seat, as he opened up that whole shitshow with the Halloween monster party playlist staple and Shindig bullpenner Midnight Monster Hop by Jack and Jim. Which, true to the precedent set by its predecessor, is the single best part of that whole movie.

We got kind of a Halloween thing happening here right now, so we’ll just have to leave that ditty in the pen for one more year.

Until then, stop look and listen…it’s almost Halloween!

 

Audio

Halloween (Fallacy)

TRACK #328:

Halloween by Fallacy

For our third and final Heavy Metal Halloween melter from 1986, we’re coming back stateside with this rare and low-fi demo from Las Vegas’ Fallacy.

It’s not uncommon for heavy metal bands to write a song about Halloween. Indeed, The Shindig is littered with them. It’s also not uncommon for those bands to just go ahead and name that song “Halloween.” Fallacy’s tune will bring the grand total of literal Halloween heavy metal tracks to 9. And don’t worry, cause there’s more in the bullpen.

What’s also not uncommon, but certainly less not uncommon, if for those bands to directly tapped into John Carpenter’s classic theme. Wasted, Fondlecorpse, and Warhammer are all culprits, and you can add Fallacy to the pile, cause they bring that sinister 5/4 theme right out the gate. They veer off ultimately, but even a lick is good enough for us.

Fallacy wasn’t long for the world, and not much info is floating around for them except some posts trying to clear up the (no surprise here) common confusion of them with a band named Fallacy from Michigan. In addition to the rare cassette-only 1986 demo Fall and Remain (which can be heard in poor quality on YouTube) they appeared to have only have one other release. It’s a live cassette of show from the same year which features these and a few other tunes. Check out this dope flyer. I’m not sure if that tape is from this show, but who cares:That’s metal as fuck, and 6 buck? Not bad for a night of thrash.

It’s a shame they never got a clean album recorded, cause Fall and Remain rips. I’ll say the vocals could be stronger, but the band (particularly the drummer) are just mowing these songs down. I certainly wouldn’t mind having a cleaner cut of this song, that’s for sure. I eq’ed some of the wildly excessive bass outta that YouTube copy, but I’m no mixing engineer, and it’s still a pretty ragged recording. My apologies. If i ever run across a better rip, I’ll definitely update the playlist.

Since the boys from Fallacy seem to be directly referencing Halloween 2 here, and that one never got a proper Heavy Metal Halloween tune of it’s own, we’re headed back to Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween Night of 1978, for more of the night he came home.

So grab a service revolver and buck 6 shots…and then for sure tell everyone that excessively for the rest of the night, so much so that reporters can overhear you and then immediately jam that information into radio news updates about the ongoing search for Michael Myers.

Here’s Fallacy with Halloween!

 

Audio

Halloween Night (Fortress)

TRACK #327:

Halloween Night by Fortress

It’s time to feel the steel with our second Samhain shot, a song that also happens to be from 1986.

This ones hails from traditionally neutral Switzerland, and takes aim at our Hallowed Eve via brute force and a stern warning.  It’s Fortress and their track Halloween Night.

Unfortunately, not much seems to be known about this band, and the tune comes from their lone release, the 4-track EP Take the Night.

So little is this band discussed that only 1 image of the album even appears to appear online. It’s pretty low rez and it’s the album cover you see above, which I snatched from discogs.

Where did Fortess come from? Where have Fortress gone? Why are there so many other fuckin bands named Fortress? Seriously.

Encyclopedia Metallum lists 20 bands in total with the name Fortress. Are you kidding me? It took me 5 minutes just to determine which Fortress was this Fortress, only to discover they didn’t have any damn information about them anyway. Beautiful.

Well, since we don’t know anything about Fortress, we’re just gonna talk about this now I guess, because…fuckin’ Fortress? Really? That’s the band name that’s getting into double digits? It’s not even a good band name! I mean, it’s alright, but it don’t sound nearly as tough as all these dudes seem to thinks it sounds.

It’s 1 word with 2 syllables, and that’s always a solid move for a band name. Straight to the point and harsh. Slayer, Vemon, Krokus, it just works. So I’ll give them that. But while it does have the upfront punch of “Fort,” that double S at on the back end really weakens up the whole affair.

So why are so many groups clamoring for this name? Cause it’s strong and keeps out invaders? Cause it can’t be penetrated? What’s the allure? Cause it can’t be the phonetics of this thing.

I’m not sure, but for 20 bands, spanning 3 decades, Fortress connected. And from all across the globe too! Hungary, Bavaria, Poland, Australia, even the Netherlands, all have Fortresses. Hell, the US accounts for almost half of them with 8 different Fortresses!

You wanna tell me one or two, sure. Bands unwittingly named each other the same shit all the time, particularly in the days before the internet.

But the The Metal Archives at Encylopedia Metallum have been around since 2002, people. Almost half the bands using this name came into existence after 2006. What?

Any band naming themselves post-2002 has no fuckin’ excuse. You come up with a some generic-ass nonsense like Fortress, you cross reference that shit with The Metal Archives, see if anyone else has already used it. Chances are they have, because you’re not that creative and Metal’s been around for over 40 fuckin’ years.

Maybe one other band used it 25 years ago and no one’s ever heard them. Fine, keep Fortress. Wait, there’s 17 other bands named fucking Fortress? Put that one back on the shelf, fellas. The world doesn’t need another Fortress. It’s not that great of a band name to begin with.

The first instances of Fortress seem to appear in 1980, with one glamy lookin outfit from LA (unsurprisingly) and another in Kansas. Germany pumped one out shortly after in 1981, and then our boys from Switzerland appear in tandem with another LA band in 1983.

Now, those 2 LA acts need to check the flyers outside the Rainbow Room or some shit and get their acts together. You’re probably using the same goddamn rehearsal space on Cahuenga, for christ sakes. The rest of ya’ll early 80’s guys, I’ll cut some slack. You late 80’s Johnny-Come-Latelys have a little more latitude but not a lot, and any of you clowns from the 90’s shoulda better known better. After that, you got high speed cable internet and a fuckin’ google search bar. Use that shit. Acting like you got a real unique one on your hands and not looking that shit up is just arrogant.

However, since our boys here were pretty early adopters and all the way over in the Swiss Alps just shredding up avalanches like they were in goddamn Blood Tracks, we’re gonna let them off the easiest. They’re the the only ones with a Halloween song anyway, so they’re clearly the only one’s deserving.

But seriously, no more fuckin Fortresses, alright everybody?

 

Audio

Night of the Hallowe’en

TRACK #326:

Night of the Hallowe’en by Touched

We’re gonna leave the 80’s behind and set a course for an old timey Halloween. But before we do, we’re gonna take a right turn outta the discotheque, head down Mundhra Road toward High Pike Farm and make a quick stop at The Quarry. Cause we’re lookin for a little rock over here and they got all the rock we need. So, here comes a triple-barreled blast of 80’s Halloween Metal to power our trip even further back in time.

This first shot is coming at you from all the way across the pound, with the UK metal molesters, Touched, and their 1986 album Death Row.

The glam-rock stylings of Twisted Sister team up with the NWOBHM sound of early Maiden to produce the sufficiently heavy but not necessarily intimidating, Night of the Hallowe’en.

There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of info floating around about Touched, but I will say, it’s an odd band name. Not necessarily tough, now is it? Certainly not in a metal context.

I suppose they could mean like “touched,”like you might say of someone who is particularly imbecilic or perhaps even crazy. That’s sort of tough-er I suppose, but not terribly. Just kind of offensive, really. Unless they’re directing that toward themselves, I guess.

Or, they could mean this in like a “you got touched” way. But not in the good way that you’d want to be touched, but in the bad way that no one wants to be touched. But thats weird right? To name your band that? Fuckin-A right it is.

Which I guess just leaves “touched” in the good way. And that could either be physically or emotionally. Like perhaps one feels after they watch We Bough a Zoo, or Mac and Me.

But that’s decidedly not tough. In fact,  it might just be the opposite of tough.

The physical (and let’s just assume sexual) connotation of “touched” is the only thing that’s really left, and even that don’t make sense as a band name. But, hey, Touched it is I guess.

And that’s before we even get into this song’s title. Cause it’s not Night of Hallowe’en, It’s Night of THE Hallowe’en.

That’s weird. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone put a “the” in front of Halloween. Personally, I kinda like it. It’s makes Halloween itself sound like a monster that’s gonna get ya, or an evil entity unto itself that you better watch the fuck out for.

But I had to double check the album sleeve on that one, cause dude doesn’t even say that shit in the song! And I think that would be cool. But nope, just the title. Odd move.

So, it looks like we gotta whole lotta question here with Touched and not a whole lotta answers. We’re just gonna have to leave it at that I suppose. At least for now.

But that’s ok, cause we’ve just arrive at The Quarry, so let’s wake the neighbors, and get Touched by The Hallowe’en!


Note: I realize the audio on this one’s a bit greasy. There’s 2 versions on YouTube right now (already not a great place to get the song) one that’s real low quality and another that skips a couple times. I caught and corrected one but missed the other completely. However, I have this LP en route to The Halloween Hole as we speak, so I’ll update the track here, and even give YouTubers a better option after the season wraps. So if you dig this tune, stay tuned!

Audio

Halloween (Dance Version)


TRACK #325:

Halloween by Run feat. Michael Heart

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.

 

 

 

Audio

Halloween (Scary Thieves)

TRACK #324:

Halloween by Scary Thieves

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.

The Shindig is here…and it awaits you all…

Well, maybe not all.

 

Audio

Halloween City

TRACK #323:

Halloween City by Special Du Jour

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.

 

Audio

Every Night is Halloween

TRACK #322:

Every Night is Halloween by Industrials

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.

Audio

Everyday (Is Halloween)

TRACK #321:

Everyday (Is Halloween) by Ministry

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.

Cause honestly, around here, it kinda is.

 

Audio

Halloween (Larry’s Rebels)

TRACK #320:

Halloween by Larry’s Rebels

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 Rebels didn’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 Rebels have 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.

 

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Halloween

TRACK #310:

Halloween by Seducer

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 Seducer though. 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.

 

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Wizard’s Crown

TRACK #309:

Wizard’s Crown by Blind Guardian

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.

 

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The Halloween That Wasn’t

TRACK #300:

The Halloween That Wasn’t by Acid Witch

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 from The 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’s Don’t Metal With Evil for the cover of the single. We’ve always thought of Acid Witch as 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.

Don’t stop the fight!

 

Audio

Disco Halloween

TRACK #291:

Disco Halloween by Forbidden Fruits

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 outfit Forbidden 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.

 

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Halloween

TRACK #290:

Halloween by Denise Jannah

This smooth operator of a Halloween track, from Dutch jazz-vocalist Denise Jannah, might not immediately strike you as a banger, but its infectious groove, spooky accompaniment and festive lyrics are sure to win you over in the end.

I love the mood of this record, no doubt aided by this it’s laid back clarinet and spooky organ. There’s some other instrument in there pops up later in the song that’s also spooky, but I’m not enough of a musical scholar to able to properly identify it. Perhaps it’s another organ of some kind. All’s I knows is it’s spookyish too.

Now, when it comes to Halloween tunes, you’re basically only really getting 2 types.

First, you got the explicitly and undeniably festive songs of the season, draped in all the imagery of autumn and unashamedly so. These song can go about their pumpkining and tricking in either a fun, spooky or horrific manner, but the end result in always the same – literal Halloweenery.

Now the second kind of song may appear literal at first glance, but they’re using the imagery and traditions of Halloween to tell a different tale. Think Siouxsie and the Banshee’s Halloween, or  Otis Reading’s Trick or Treat.

Such is the case with Denise Jannah’s Halloween, which finds her confronting a lover who is duplicitous! She likens their deceptions to the mumming on our favorite holiday. She even goes so far as to just call this dude “Halloween.” 

Ouch. That’s a pretty serious accusation, and one that I’m not sure how to take. I don’t know how comfortable I am with “Halloween” just getting tossed around as some pejorative. I’m not even sure how effective it is.

For instance, would you say to a friend whom you have just discovered is a liar…

“Wait, you told the boss I took a shit on his desk? But you’re the one who dared me to do it! You know what bruh, you’re Halloween.” 

Then this dude for sure is gonna be like…

“I’m sorry, did you just call me ‘Halloween?”

Then you’ll have to be all…

”Yeah. Ya know, cause like people wear masks and shit on Halloween to disguise their identities. And that’s what’s you did to me bro! You disguised your ass as my friend! So just stay the fuck away from me, alright?!”

To which any reasonable person should respond…

“Yeah, well I definitely don’t want to associate with anyone that uses dumb ass roundabout insults, so no problem guy.”

But hey, I get it. Music is art and art is figurative and all of that. Don’t be so literal, man. Sure sure. But don’t start taking Halloween’s name in vain either!

We’ve had a bit of fun her at Denise Jannah’s expense, but seriously, I found this song last year and I absolutely love it, and I’m glad to be able to add this spooky little number to the playlist this year and I hope ya’ll like it to.

Halloween, it’s in your heart and your dreams!

 

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Jack O’Lantern

TRACK #281:

Jack O’Lantern by Babe Ruth

Welcome back…anybody…to another swinging season on The Shindig. Hope you’re all ready for another macabre month of cuts to carve your pumpkin to, ’cause here it comes.

And speaking of orange gourds with grins, we’re gonna kick off 2021 with a song called Jack O’Lantern from 70’s British rockers, Babe Ruth.

While it does speak of Halloween, the song itself isn’t about actual Jack-O-Lanterns, but rather a fella named Jack who happens to have a very seasonal nickname, and a very felonious game.

You see, one Halloween, Jack dressed up in his dad’s clothes and went peeping through the windows of all the young girls around town. The squealers saw him and called the cozzers. But, alas! Jack’s father was the one who ended up in cuffs for the dirty deed. Clever girl.

Babe Ruth make this rhythmic entreaty for Jack to change his ways and spare his Mother some shame. Yeah, ya pervert! It’s not bad enough you goin’ around peepin’, but you gotta frame your own father while you’re doin it? That’s pretty low bruh.

Now granted, we don’t know much about Jack’s father. Maybe he was a real pervert too, and the whole thing wasn’t terribly out of character for him, thus leading to his swift arrest. Maybe Jack, as the old anti-marijuana ad of my youth once proclaimed, learn it from watching dear old dad.

We also don’t have much in the way of information here regarding their relationship. Maybe Jack’s dad was a just a dick, and a little pay back from Jack was just what the doctor ordered. We may never know.

What we do know is that Babe Ruth never became a big hit over here in the States. They saw a modicum of success in the beginning, ultimately finding their niche in certain prog rock circles. However, not experiencing much airplay, they never quite gained the kind of longevity some of their contemporaries have enjoyed.

Based on this tune alone, I’m a little surprised, cause this is a rocker, for sure. But listening through their catalog, it isn’t totally shocking. Despite some solid compositions, exceptional musicianship, and the undeniable vocal sex-swagger of lead singer Janita Haan, Babe Ruth lacks a certainly something we’ve come to associate with the more popular acts of the era. I’m not sure whether to say their music isn’t rockin’ enough, or that it’s just not catchy enough, but there’s definitely an X factor missing here which has almost certainly led to their relative obscurity.

Either way, your band throws down with a jammer called Jack O’Lantern and say “Halloween” a bunch, then your wider acclaim is a non-starter for us here in The Hole. Onto the Shindig you shall go!

Happy October 1st everybody. Let’s commence to rockin’ your pumpkins off with Jack O’Lantern!

Here’s to 2021!

 

 

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Happy Halloweird: The Playlist

Halloween 2020 may be behind us now, but it’s weirdness will forever remain.

Here’s all the tunes from our 2020 Halloween episode of Shindig Radio, Happy Halloweird, condensed into one, easy to listen to and bullshit free playlist. Enjoy everyone!

 

 

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Hardrock Halloween

TRACK #280:

Hardrock Halloween by Acid Witch

We began our season with Acid Witch, so it’s seems only appropriate that all this high octane motor-metal now culminates in a Halloween Song from none other than Motorcity’s own Lords of Halloween.

It’s a full-throttled driving tune detailing one ill-fated night for several youths in Detroit. A Halloween night, as it happens, back in 1988. There, the paths of a few mischief causing trick-or-treaters collided with the Black Trans-Am of some hard rocking teens leaving Harpo’s, all laced up on LSD and looking for kicks.

It doesn’t end well for anyone on this hallowed eve. For on this night, they will find, the chill of death walks behind…

…in a twisted tale of All Hallo’s havoc Acid Witch calls…

Hardrock Halloween.

 

Thank you all for joining us this year. 2020 has been a strange one we hope that having the playlist to bump in October has made it feel a bit more like old Halloween times.

Watch out for more mini-playlists and videos throughout the year, keep the Creep Phone on speed dial and stay tuned for new episodes of Shindig Radio!

From all of us at Halloween Shindig, we hope you all have a very Happy, and a very weird, Halloween.

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Episode 16: Happy Halloweird

Shindig Radio is back and we’re celebrating the weirdest year in recent memory by loading your pumpkin with the weirdest Halloween songs you can imagine.

You’ll hear holiday classics from the likes of The Shaggs, Jan Terri, Butch Patrick, The Ghostbusters and more!

And for the first time ever, Shindig Radio is picking up The Creep Phone to listen to your calls!

Join Mikey Rotella, Paul Lynde, Graham C. Schofield, Salsa’s Kamar de los Reyes, Matt Mastrella, The Old Gray Goose, Joe Piscapo and Jeff Baloney for the weirdest Halloween Special since Pinky Tuscadero sang Disco Baby with KISS!

So put on your masks, grab a fistful of pumpkin boys and get ready for some football, cause anything can happen on a Halloween episode of Shindig Radio, and this one’s a disaster!

It’s…

Happy Halloweird!