Rock Until You Drop
TRACK #39:
Rock Until You Drop by Michael Sembello
If you’re a bunch of kids that have to do battle with a gang of famous monsters and you need to resort to smelting down your mom’s fine silverware, jacking the school’s archery equipment, and belt sanding stakes in shop class, then you could probably use a montage.
That oughta free up valuable screen time to cut some business cards, write a letter to the Army Guys, grab a soda and maybe do a spit take when seeing naked pictures Frankenstein accidentally took of your buddy’s hot sister.
And if you do need a montage, then this song oughta fit the bill just fine; a song which instructs you, with gleeful irresponsibility, to be completely reckless in your rocking. Suggested amongst the dangerous activities are “dancing until your feet fall off” and “partying until your brains fall out.” Both of which, I might add, are terrible things to encourage of children. Ah, the 80’s, that wonderful place where no one gave a shit about children or their safety.
From 1987’s horror answer to The Goonies, it’s Michael Sembello’s Rock Until You Drop. Go forth weeners and try this at home.
Bleeding Sockets
Always loved this shot.
THE Evil Dead
The Evil Dead.
Evil Dead
TRACK #38:
Evil Dead by Death
In honor of the trailer that’s mysteriously making everyone forget how mediocre and soulless the last 10 plus years in Remakewood have been, I’m bumpin’ up this track from gore-sicians Death.
In a fitting coincidence, this song is titled Evil Dead, rather than The Evil Dead, which could assist in one’s argument that the song isn’t actually about The Evil Dead, but rather just some run-o-the-mill dead of a generically evil nature.
Lyrically, I think it could go either way. While indeed Chuck Schuldiner doesn’t say anything wholly specific to Sam Raimi’s 1981 trailblazing gorefest, there’s enough material here to make an argument that it is referential. Lines like “Spirits within causing terror,” “All will die tonight” or even quite simply “Covered in blood,” certainly evoke images of The Evil Dead.
But if you told me Chuck wasn’t referring to the film at all, that wouldn’t surprise me either.
Cut in with tons of clips from The Evil Dead (as I am now forced to specify), here’s the ultimate experience in grueling metal.
Listen to this….this is the tape i found downstairs….
Highway To Hell
TRACK #37:
Highway To Hell by AC/DC
It’s time for another Devilish Track, however this particular tune tows a fine line.
It’s featured in the trailer of, so is sort of a de facto title track for 1991’s Highway To Hell. However, simply naming your movie after a song and blasting it exclusively in your trailer doesn’t make that song a title track. I may love My Boyfriend’s Back, but you won’t find that song by The Angel’s on the Shindig.
No, Highway To Hell is Shindigging for a few reasons; namely – I like AC/DC, it’s a good party tune, and there was a horror film named after it. Plus, this bogus Devilish category I concocted to justify Number of The Beast (and Raining Blood, and See You In Hell...and…) And well, that’s good enough for me.
If you’re tuning into this strange, Steve Johnson FX’d horror comedy, look for a young Ben Stiller in a small role as the cook at Pluto’s, Lita Ford as a hitchhiker, and Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler! Yeah, it’s a weird movie.
Riboflavin Flavored Non-Carbonated Polyunsaturated Blood
TRACK #36:
Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood by Don Hinson & The Rigarmorticians
It may sound like Boris Pickett (hell everything did for a while, following the success of The Monster Mash) but this particular novelty installment comes from Vegas DJ Don Hinson and his Rigarmorticians.
I like this novelty track more than most because it’s well written, funny and has an interesting premise. A premise so interesting in fact, I’m fairly sure Charlaine Harris hijacked the whole concept for her Sooki Stackhouse Novels.
An honorable mention goes out to fan-favorites 45 Grave for their cover simply titled “Riboflavin” which does not appear on the Shindig.
Red Right Hand
TRACK #35:
Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
When I was 12 my brother bought me Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads for Christmas, and ever since I’ve been a huge fan.
So it’s always given me great joy to have been able to include them legitimately, without forcing some song or another into one of my categories.
Thanks to Scream, Wes Craven’s self-aware response to 80’s slash, Nick and his Bad Seeds have an undisputed seat at the Shindig Table.
A creepy and atmospheric tune perfectly suited to a horror film, Red Right Hand (a nod itself to Milton’s Paradise Lost) looms over the speakers while Woodsboro closes early for its newly enacted curfew.
In a non-horror related aside, this song can also be heard as Jim Carey stumbles around with a large foam cowboy hat in Dumb and Dumber. And while I love me some Dumb and Dumber, I think the tune is a bit more at home in Scream.
Big gulps, huh? Alright……welp, see ya later.
Witchfinder General
TRACK #34:
Witchfinder General by Witchfinder General
Sometimes bands name songs after horror movies.
Some bands even name whole albums after horror movies.
And sometimes they go full-bore and just name the whole goddamn band after a horror movie.
Such is the case with British doom-smiths Witchfinder General.
What’s more, they even have a band anthem. That’s a triple threat.
Led in and peppered with samples from the band’s 1968 namesake starring Vincent Price.
If you’ve never heard of the film, perhaps you’re familiar with The Conqueror Worm (which has this bad news poster right here) as it was billed in America. Huhwhaa?
The unnecessary title change was in an effort to sell the movie as another in the line of Corman/Price/Poe hits, which it most certainly was not.
It is however an interesting (albeit a little slow) abuse of power tale with a pretty creepy and understated performance from Price and lots of great shots of the English countryside.
If you’re down with movies like Mark of the Devil, The Blood on Satan’s Claw (considered by Tigon Productions to be Witchfinder’s successor) or even The Devils, then Witchfinder General might just have exactly what you’re looking for.
Eye See You
Face to Face
Zorro takes a face to the face.
Franken Rejects
Awesome creature fx from Gabe Bartalos.
That Wonderful Twitch
Punch Yeah
Punch yeah.
Frankenhooker
TRACK #33:
Frankenhooker by The 69 Eyes
If Peter Steele blasted a couple rails, and the rest of Type-O inverted the gloom to tempo ratio, the resulting sound might be akin to Finnish Goth-N-Rollers The 69 Eyes.
From their Angels album comes this patented Shindigger, which makes its home on the playlist because I’m just a huge fan of Frankenhooker.
Though referentially speaking, I felt the song was somewhat lacking, so I kicked up the Frankenhookerness quotient with tons of samples. Enjoy!
Wanna date?
Title Gifs!
Ladies and Gentlemen,…Patty Mullen
Oh, what’s that? You don’t like Oliver Reed, crocodile blocking or 14th century sword-fighting, you say?
Fine,…here’s a gif of Frankenhooker’s tits instead.
We Were Hopping and Bopping to the Crocodile Block
Woa, the Shindig has tons of new followers! Welcome aboard everyone!
As a thank you, here’s a gif of Oliver Reed using a crocodile to defend himself from a sword attack! Enjoy.
The Addams Groove
TRACK #32:
The Addams Groove by Hammer
You knew it was coming. Perhaps you groaned, but you can’t tell me this track wasn’t telegraphed.
As silly as it is (and believe me, it’s pretty fucking silly,) The Addams Groove actually has a pretty positive message hidden underneath it’s thin, ridiculous shell. As Hammer states:
Now is the time to get in your mind
It’s ok to be yourself
Take foolish pride and put it aside
Like the Addamses, yo! They def.
Proper.
So, bust out your old hammer pants, do what you wanna do, say what you wanna say. Hell, maybe even kick and then slap a friend…there the Addams Family.
The Lurch
TRACK #31:
The Lurch by Ted Cassidy
Holy shit! Lurch has a song?!
Yeah, that was my reaction too, and whenever I have such a response, onto the Shindig it goes.
What’s more? This song and it’s accompanying dance were both introduced to the world the day before Halloween in 1965, on ABC’s popular variety show entitled Shindig! Hows that for synchronicity?
This episode also had a guest host, none other than horror icon Boris Karloff himself, who indulges in a strange speak along to The Peppermint Twist.
We’ll also hear him close out the track with Lurch himself from that very program, wishing all you Shindiggers a fond farewell.
Until then, lurch along with Ted Cassidy, who probably says more here in 3 minutes than an entire season’s worth of The Addams Family.