The Friday series was no doubt long in the tooth and well past it’s prime by Part 8, but Jason Takes Manhattan still remains totally 80’s and appropriate when compared to subsequent installments.
Attempting to take the series in a fresh direction and shake the claustrophobic confines of Crystal Lake, the producers thought Jason should get into the Muppet spirit and take Manhattan. This isn’t a necessarily meritless approach, except for the fact that rather than New York, the action takes place on a much more claustrophobic cruise ship on it’s the way too Manhattan.
So much for that.
Despite being a highly derided entry for this very reason, I’d argue it’s actually the film’s saving grace. Thank God this whole thing doesn’t take place in Manhattan. I know it was the draw card, but it’s really where the film starts to fall apart for me.
Because it’s just weird seeing Jason takin’ it to the streets. Perhaps funny, I guess, but only for a gag or two, and then what? The movie isn’t quite sure it wants to be a full-on parody yet, and as such it has a bit of a Jason Lives vibe to it; not totally embracing its sillier parts, yet not committed to being a fully horrific affair either.
Jason Takes Manhattan does have a meaner streak than Jason Lives though, and sharper teeth. It’s self aware, but not all neutered like Part 6. So it’s got that going for it.
I would say Jason X, for all it’s millennial sensibilities and glossy lameness, navigates this sort of self conscious ground much more deftly. As such, I think it’s delivers a much more self assured spin on this series than either Jason Lives or TakesManhattan. Even has some solid kills, and before Jason gets all Mechagodzilla meets Robocop, he looks pretty dope. But it’s still hard to get behind that movie.
That being said, Jason Takes Manhattan is still a Paramount Friday that’s 80’s to the max with Kane Hodder just giving it his all. So, for my money, its in a different sphere of Friday than everything after.
Of the Paramount 8 however, I do feel it might be least of the bunch. Depends on what day you catch me. I recently rewatched Part 6 this passed Friday the 13th and found myself more irritated with it than usual. Part 8’s pulling ahead of it for me at this particular moment.
But hey, what the hell are we here for? Not my unsolicited bullshit. We’re here for some music, and Part 8 ain’t coming up broke, depending on your musical proclivities. If you can get down on cheeseball 80’s Power-Ballad-lite Pop Rock, than Metropolis here has got you covered.
I actually wanted to include the song J.J. puts on right before Jason steals her pink flying V and smashes her head in, but apparently that’s not a real song, just some composite that was put together from 2 other songs. Bummer, cause that one rocks, Lita Ford style. Oh well.
Here’s Metropolis kicking off Friday the 13th Part 8 with The Darkest Side of the Night!
C’mon, ya’ll didn’t think we were gonna make it all the way through 2019 and not give ya a Freddy/Jason double header, did ya?
Naw, it’s tradition ’round here and this year we’re reaching back into The Dream Master’s bag!
And the treat we’ve pulled out is this 80’s Pop Rock classic that has much longer legs as a real standing hit than any association with Mr. Big Time.
However, associated it is and onto the Shindig it goes!
In the very ridiculous and very Karate Kid-inspired training montage from A Nightmare on Elm Street Pt. 4, you will here this Jack FM favorite.
The Dream Warrior Kristen Parker (who was here recast with theme song singer and Shindig inductee Tuesday Knight) is trying to piece a normal life back together. Part of that puzzle is her boyfriend Rick, who’s not too fond of her old “spooky” buddies Kincaid and Joey.
Sport-o Rick suits up early on to assure us that, if push comes to shove, Freddy ain’t getting to him without a fight.
He throws on one of Myagi’s spare headbands, hits the bag and flails a pair of nunchucks around to this not-particularly-tough but particularly-whiny popper from Wayne New Jersey’s own Dramarama.
Later, his sister Alice picks up the same nunchucks and Neo’s that shit with the quickness, also while listening to Anything, Anything.
If you think Rick looks kind of familiar, that’s because he plays nerdy shut-in lightweight Calvin in Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama! How’s that for timing?
So come on! Verbally berate your girlfriend and try to buy her off while being totally self absorbed and not understanding at all why she’s not at all interested in marrying your needy asss. Hey, maybe even try to beat up her dad! That’s a good move. You can use some of Rick’s bitchin’ Taekwonkido!
As I’m sure anyone reading this is probably well aware, the steaming horror platform Shudder has been airing new episodes of Greg Nicotero’s Creepshow revival.
And while the response seems to be pretty positive, with some even claiming the show “nails” the vibe and spirit of Creepshow, I would respectfully like to disagree. That show isn’t nailing anything for me except the coffin lid on the belief that “sometimes…dead is better.”
That isn’t to suggest it’s not worth watching. It’s a new, and weekly, horror anthology from Greg Nicotero and a pile of other guys directly involved with the original Creepshow. That’s definitely a commendable and worthwhile effort.
But Creepshow, it is not.
I do appear to be in the minority on this one though, so maybe I’m just an old, purest curmudgeon.
Whatever your impression of the show may be, I’d like to hope we can all agree that an area where it’s coming up disappointingly short, is its score.
I mean no disrespect to the team of composers creating music for these new installments, because they’ve produced some interesting and creepy arrangements that definitely sound good. They just don’t sound like Creepshow.
Because Creepshow has a very specific sound. And that sound is the sound of the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5.
Created by Dave Smith and released in 1978, The Prophet 5 was the first completely programmable polyphonic (5 individual and articulated notes simultaneously) that featured a microprocessor for scanning knob positions, allowing for the storing and recalling of sounds; a technological revolution for the fledgling Synthesizer.
And composer John Harrison made extensive use of those novel and stock Prophet 5 presets.
So much so that the Creepshowscore practically plays like a demo track for this breakthrough instrument.
The American made Prophet 5 then became indelibly stabbed into the heart of American Horror.
The bulk of Carpenter’s scores with Alan Howarth, from Escape from New York to Halloween 3 to Christine, all feature prominent use of the board, albeit with Alan’s own programming.
Tim Krog’s score for The Boogeyman, Wakeman’s for The Burning, Brad Fidel’s for The Terminator, Jay Chattaway’s for Maniac, and probably a dozens of others, are all smeared Sequential’s sonic signature. It’s the sound of horror
The Prophet 5 and its big brother the Prophet 10 (essentially just 2 Prophet 5’s strapped together in the same enclosure) became as ubiquitous as the MiniMoog, but with a sound all its own.
It saddens me that these new composers have yet to muster much what John Harrison accomplished with just a Steinway Piano and a Prophet 5; pure 80’s synthy horror. Creepshow.
But maybe they’re not trying to. And maybe that’s the problem. Or at least my problem with it. I think they’re fine horror scores. But, to me, if you’re trying to capture the spirit of Creepshow, at least a third of that vibe lies in the score, and if you’re not trying to capture that, you’re fighting a losing battling.
And it wouldn’t be hard to do. Vintage Prophet 5’s may be expensive, but nothing outside the realm of this production or any professional composers. Hell, you could easily just rent one in here in Los Angeles, if that was a concern.
But even then, assuming you couldn’t get your hands on an original Prophet 5, modern equivalents like the Prophet 6, or a Prophet REV2 or the older but still attainable Prophet 600, would all get you right in that ballpark. A Polysix, a Trident, hell, a 300 dollar Kawai K3, could all to get ya some Creepshowy sounding stuff.
Or shit, even if you just used a laptop. There are several software recreations of the Prophet 5 (including Uhe’s excellent Repro5) which would get you so close to the mark, you’d be Creepshowing out in no time.
Seriously, with just a few clicks: Preset 2-1: Unison Glide with Resonance or any recreation of that and you’re all over Richard Watches Them Drown from Something To Tide You Over. It’s seriously that easy. No programing necessary. It’s a fuckin preset. They practically all were. The thing just sounds like Creepshow straight from the factory. It’s nuts.
So, I’m a rambling nerd right now, and I get that, but I don’t get why this show sounds the way it does. Particularly considering John Harrison – the man himself! – is involved. He’s right there, on set, directing some of these stories.
That is, unless they’re consciously tying to make it sound different. So, I have to conclude that this is the case. And it boggles my mind why you wouldn’t want it to sound like that. It’s so iconic, so 80’s, so exactly the thing they’re trying to evoke.
Now, with all that being vented, if you’re finding yourself a little disillusioned by the new music as well, let John Harrison and The Creepshow Welcome You.
We haven’t had a good Horror Theme here in a spell and it’s also been a while since we’ve had a visit Shindig All-Star Danny Elfman.
So, we’ll take care of both here with this addition that’s been waiting too long in the attic to pop out and scare us all.
What can we say about Beetlejuice that hasn’t been said? If you’re reading this, chances are we don’t need to tell you how great this film is, but I’m sure I’ll tack on at least a couple sentences below this that will do just that. So, who am I kidding exactly?
Arguably Tim Burton’s finest contribution to the world, everything from it’s off-beat story, wonderful production design, inspired special FX and iconic titular performance from Michael Keaton all coalesce to make this a bona fide horror comedy classic that has truly stood the test of time. I’m still shocked to see how much Beetlejuiceshit I see around on Halloween. Hell, I just saw one of those obnoxious inflatable lawn decorations in a store that was a sandworm! It was the first one I ever even remotely considered putting on the front lawn.
And that is to say nothing of Danny Elfman’s amazing score, which fits this film like a black and white striped suit.
So grab a sheet, you’re handbook for the recently deceased and let’s scare the hell out of the Deetz’s!
Santa Monica Blvd. Boyby Linnea Quigley and The Skirts
About an hour into Nightmare Sisters, we get something much more interesting, appropriate and better than anything Haunted Garage has to offer, no disrespect to Dukey intended.
That’s when Linnea Quigley’s succubus-possessed Melody grabs a mic and puts on a show.
Yep, that’s right. Linnea Quigley herself sings this inclusive track and permanently seals her fate upon The Shindig.
When a Scream Queen (particularly one as beloved by this blog as Linnea Quigley) sings an inclusive (or hell, non-inclusive….more on that later) it would be a crime against the holiday not to include that upon our Hallowed list.
Linnea seems to be detailing a problem in which a boy she’s been seeing has left her for another person. A boy, in fact. A Santa Monica Blvd. Boy, even.
This boggles my mind. Not that this boy might leave Linnea for another boy. That’s fine. Do you’re thing, pal. Sexuality can be a tricky and grey spectrum which can defy all conventional categorization. No judgements here, friend. In fact, I’d like to extended a gracious “thank you” for freeing Linnea so that she might pursue a more meaningful physical relationship with say, oh i don’t know, me.
No. What boggles my mind is that he would leave her at all. This boy is obviously confused and looking for love in a place other than the vicinity of Linnea Quigley. Ok, don’t get that, but fine.
If I may, Linnea. I’d like to politely suggest that, rather than feeling forlorn over this dear confused chap, you could move onto one of the,.. shit, I’ll conservatively say tens of thousands of other boys that will not only not leave you for some other boy, but not leave you at all for any other person period. Just a friendly recommendation.
All kidding aside (seriously though Linnea, I can be reached at ed@halloweenshindig.com) it is our utmost pleasure to officially add Linnea Quigley to the roster of performers on Halloween Shindig, with her upbeat and inclusive track Santa Monica Blvd. Boy!
Right on the heels of Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, David DeCoteau grabbed up Linnea, Brinke, Michelle and most of the crew, then ran across town to began shooting this sister film. 4 days later they had Nightmare Sisters in the can.
Another silly and scandalous horror/nudie/sex comedy from DeCoteau and company, Nightmare Sisters is a fun flick that would make a great double-feature with Bowl-O-Rama.
We mentioned Dukey Flyswatter in our last post, as he provides the voice of old Uncle Impy. Dukey also appears here, in his human form, as the opportunistic mystic Omar.
Dukey Flyswatter, however, is just the stage name of actor/singer/writer Michael Sonye, who also happens to be the lead singer of L.A. splatterpunk outfit Haunted Garage.
As such, Haunted Garage provides 4 different tracks for Nightmare Sistersand our selection this evening, Sorority Sister Succubus acts as an introductory track, running over the film’s opening credits.
What better way to follow up a David DeCoteau sorority flick without a title track, than with another David DeCoteau sorority flick with an almost title track about sorority sisters from a movie called something else?
If ever a movie was crying out for a Title Track, it might be David DeCoteau’s 1988 cheeseball classic Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama.
Unfortunately, we’re not that lucky.
However, we do get the superbly 80’s and synthed-out pop number Here In Darkness.
Could this have been a Title Track? Eh, maybe. That’s a hard Title to squeeze into any melodic structure, much less this one, which is pretty tight. Additionally, and probably more applicable, the film was originally (and more lamely) titled The Imp.
Legend has it (read: IMDb trivia) that Charlie Band himself held a contest at Empire Pictures to retitle the movie. Bitchin’ Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama was chosen. However, the MPAA, purveyors of quality changes the industry over, decided “bitchin,” (despite is non-derogatory use) wasn’t stickin’ around. Plain old Sorority Babes it is.
Which is fine by me, as the Sorority Babes themselves aren’t all that bitchin’ to begin with. Now, B&E babe Linnea Quigley’s Spider, on the other hand, is plenty bitchin for the lot of them.
But anytime you get Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer and Linnea Quigley tag teaming on a sumbitch, you’re in for the goods, full stop.
Now throw in Stoogie from Night of the Demons, Valerie from Slumber Party Massacre, career Bum and literal dude that’s basically been in everything Buck Flower, plus a Dukey Flyswatter voiced puppet Imp with attitude to spare and you’ve got all the makings for a late night, low budget cult classic in waiting.
So grab a brewski, a bowling trophy and a Tri Beta paddle and join them all Here In Darkness!
Since I basically read the write up for this song on Episode 10 of Shindig Radio, I’ll spare you all the tedium of posting a direct transcript.
The short version is that Transylvania 6-5000 gives you 2 different Title Tracks and hey, isn’t that swell.
The other Title Track, which plays as a Sweet Song during the end credits, is a direct spoof of Glenn Miller’s Pennsylvania 6-5000 and its serves a nice coda to the film.
And despite how I may feel about that film, which is not terribly positive, I love this Title Track which plays right at the beginning of our ill-fated adventure.
Paul Chiten delivers the goods here with a very referential and appropriately 80’s pop theme the fits the movie quite nicely.
One thing I failed to mention during the show, is that the film actually apes it’s title from a 1963 Bugs Bunny short. This may make the allusion to Glenn Miller’s 1940 big band hit a little bit more understandable; 23 years on verses 45.
Another thing I’d like to address here is, on the show Kyle and myself answer Mikey’s question about the nature of the 6-5000 incorrectly. We both quickly state it is the hotel’s address, when in fact it is the hotel’s telephone number, PEnnsylvania 6-5000, in accordance with the old telephone exchange system. What can I say? Research is not our strong suit and confident misinformation flows freely. C’est la vie, it would seem. Je suis désolé, mon Mikey!
And with all that said, we’ll just follow the best thing about Transylvania 6-5000, with the 2nd best thing about Transylvania 6-5000.
Some of you may be familiar with 2 time Face/Off contestant and Shindig Radio personality Graham C. Schofield. What you may not know, however, is that he is also a massive Frank Zappa fan.
What you may also not know is that I have known him for over 13 years. In all of those 13 years I have been compiling, in various forms, the playlist you’ve come to know as Halloween Shindig.
In fact, the first Halloween I ever spent with him took place in my old backyard in Van Nuys, CA. At this Halloween gathering, an older version of The Shindig was playing to everyone’s delight.
So why, you might ask, did it take until a random pool gathering in 2019 for Graham to casually mention that Frank Zappa had a Halloween song?
It’s a solid question, and one I’m not sure he provided a satisfactory answer to when pressed. Probably something about plants.
Whatever the reason, late is definitely better than never, as we can now add Frank Zappa to the list of very famous and accomplished musicians that can stand proudly among the greats of true Halloweendom here on the Playlist.
While we all might clearly know (or can at least quickly gather) what Frank is actually talking about here, on the surface, Goblin Girl offers a fun and festive groove that tips its hat to the Eve of All Saints. All clear over here, kid.
So take a moment to bop along with Frank and the gang and their Goblin Girl.
She’s black and green,…cause it’s Halloween!
Interesting festive side note: This album was originally release in October of 1981 on Barking Pumpkin Records!
Are you into D&D, community college theater or weird masquerade sex-parties that feature no sex?
Yeah, I didn’t thi…
Wait, what? You are? Oh…all right then.
I still don’t think I should recommend 1983’s Skullduggery though, even if you have the added perquisite love for low-rent, bizarro horror movies produced by alien-people making lots of real confusing decisions.
I’m pleased to report it does feature a surprise reference to Halloween though, as you will hear attached to our next sonf, which is a totally out of left center Title Track that caught me right off guard. Skullduggery coming hard right out of the gate, huh? If only the film followed through on such a promise.
On the 1st part of Shindig Radio’s Title Tracks retrospective, we did a fair amount of clowning on this Scooby-Doo theme of a song which sounds dated even for its time. Mikey likened it to a 70’s television drama, ala Fantasy Island, and we think you’ll agree.
Despite a couple laughs had at its expense, I rather enjoy this Title Track. It’s got a good beat and is suitably mysterious, much like the plot of its namesake, Skullduggery.
Speaking of the film, you can soft pass on Skullduggery, unless you’re feeling hard pressed for something you haven’t seen before and aren’t too protective of your free time.
I will say, if you do decide to watch the film, you’ll hear this song featured prominently over its “we couldn’t really figure out how to not make this just a plain blue screen” credit sequence, which perfectly informs the next 90 minutes or so you’ll be spending with Skullduggery.
Personally, I recommend spending at least 2 minutes with it, which is just enough time to enjoy this weirdo Title Track.
And now, we have our first track to make its debut on Shindig Radio before being added to the playlist, and what a perfect song for that honor.
An 80’s disco Title Track for the slasher classic Prom Night, composer Paul Zaza cranked out a doozy with this one. Perfectly capturing the mood of the film and the vibe of its era, Prom Night is, at least sonically anyway, a fantastic Title Track.
Featured during the film’s climactic Prom sequence, it’s catchy, danceable and more importantly (like any good Title Track) it repeats the title ad nauseam.
Though, as noted by The Shindig Radio crew, that’s about where any references to either this movie or even an actual Prom, end. Which is a shame, as just a little bit could have gone a long way to taking this from just a passing Title Track to something really great.
No matter, because despite how Graham Schofield may feel about this cut, it’s unused sister Title Track or dancing disco bullshit in general, I think this song boogies.
Allegedly, this sequence was shot with a bunch of popular disco tunes playing in the background. Once the producers realized it might cost them a small fortune to secure the rights to such recognizable hits, they tasked Paul Zaza with recreating reasonable facsimiles as replacements.
Unfortunately, he only had about a week to do it.
Given the tight timeline, I think Paul knocked this one out of the park, creating a disco slasher Title Track for the ages.
Just remember, it’s not who you go with, it’s who takes you home.
On the surface it might seem like The Monster Club and Halloween Shindig would go hand in hand; a horror anthology starring such genre vets as Vincent Price, John Carradine, Donald Pleasence and Britt Ekland, that has tons of fun monsters and masks plus numerous monster related musical numbers? It’s a no brainer, right?
And it’s true, we love The Monster Club. It’s kinda like Night Train to Terror, only it’s coherent and cuts back to different and actual songs. It has a fun premise, with 3 solid monster vignettes and a spooky, synthy score.
So what’s the problem? Where’s the “but” that has kept this blog for talking about it for 7 years now?
That, dear readers, is my own prejudice against those same monster related songs. I kinda hate them. I don’t want to, but I kinda do. I want to love them. I want to include them all and have wanted to since the beginning. But I’m just not a huge fan.
I’ve tried, over the years, to warm up to them but the love just never seems to flows out of me. They have this late 70’s/early 80’s British new wave, pseudo-reggae, Clash meets The Police vibe that neither suits the movie, the songs or me, despite their monstrous leanings.
Because I think it needs to be represented and because I do quite enjoy the film, Halloween Shindig has decided to include the tune I’ve warmed up to the most. Performed on camera by The Pretty Things, it also happens to be (perhaps not so incidentally) the film’s Title Track.
After discussing over 30 different Title Tracks across 6 or so hours on the podcast, how did we not mention this one? Well, as we noted, there’s a mountain of Title Tracks and we had to keep some in our pocket, no? Leave a few surprises for the blog still, right? And we may even have a few more up our sleeve this year.
Additionally, this seemed like an appropriate way to kick off the season and usher in a monster block of Monster Songs, which have been sorely under represented as of late.
Lead in here with Vincent Price’s overly long (and overly awesome) laundry list of solid reasons the Human Race deserves to be represented in a club full of horrible monsters.
It’s good to have you back. Hopefully you’ve been listening to the podcast we’ve been producing over the last year and it hasn’t been too long since you’ve last visited the ole ‘Dig here. Either way, you’re here now and we appreciate that.
Speaking of last year, our 1st track of 2019 was supposed to be the last track of 2018. Seems I was too busy handing out candy and futzing with malfunctioning fog machines to remember to post the last track. Oh well, at least it was for a good and truly Halloweeny cause.
Well, last year’s lost is this year’s gain, as rather than ending the season with a song called Halloween, we’re gonna start the season with one; a Shindig first!
And we got a doozy for ya in the form of another good ole fashioned 80’s Metal Halloween headbanger we’re so fond of over here.
This time, it came from deep in the heart of Texas. The band? Ripper!
Formed in 1977, they had a flare for the theatrical, taking cues from Alice Cooper and KISS with their ghastly appearance and spooky names. They even toss in some sinister horror synths on ya, just for ambiance! Though, admittedly, I think this is one of the few songs where they don’t utilize any de-tuned saw waves. Bummer.
Rippers’sHalloween comes from what is essentially the bands only album …And The Dead ShallRise, which is definitely worth checking out in its entirety.
Spruced up here with some cuts from 1988’s Halloween hoot Hollow Gate, for a little extra festive flare. Listen to local nutcake Mark Walters taunt his grandmother and cause some costumed havoc as you ring in the new season.
So let’s let ‘er rip, and let’s let Ripper lead the way.
He may just be using the whole Frankenstein motif as a metaphor for teenage alienation, but Alice Cooper crams enough monster imagery in this cut to make that mostly irrelevant.
Add to that the songs inclusion within Jason Livesand you’ve got a double-decker monster song sandwich of Shindigging proportions.
Particularly considering the scene, which is one of the more badass moments from Friday 6.
Jason has stowed away on an RV and proceeds to cause a straight up ruckus, imprinting Nikki’s face through a wall and stabbing Cort in the neck. He then allows the motor home to completely upend itself before blasting out of the top in straight Boss Voorhees fashion.
All of this of course is set to Cooper’s Teenage Frankenstein, where Cort emphatically cranks the volume on the fiddle and shouts like an idiot while his motor-Rome burns all to hell.
Here’s Alice Cooper, reinforcing his All-Star status with Teenage Frankenstein.
Dokken may be best known around these parts for their Elm Street power ballad Dream Warriors, but not only was this “B-Side” cut first, it appears first in Dream Warriors (during the opening credit sequence) and it reached a slot higher on the modern rock charts. That technically makes this their more popular hit. B-Side my ass.
For Freddy nerds however, the plot thickens.
When it came time to release the film on VHS, producer and New Line exec Bob Shaye didn’t really feel like paying royalties on Into the Fire, with which the theatrical prints of the film were screened.
Perhaps being a standing hit unrelated to the film it had a different deal than the Title Track did. Maybe it was just gonna cost too much to keep it in the film. I’m not sure exactly.
What I do know is that Bob had it replaced with an instrumental version of the Joe Lamont (a shindigger himself) track Quiet Cool (a title track even!) from the film Quiet Cool, which New Line also owned. Problem solved, right?
I guess.
That is until Digital Video Discs became a thing and everyone scrambled to re-release everything everyone already owned. When it came time for The Elm Street franchise to get the digital treatment, New Line opted to keep it real and release the theatrical version of the film, Into The Fire and all.
By then however, a generation of Freddy fans, who may not have ever seen the theatrical version (much less remember it) had now grown up watching their worn out VHS copies of Dream Warriors not hearing Into The Fire during the credits at all.
They were a little upset.
A glance through some Elm Street message boards or even YouTube comments will greet you with plenty of fans that actually prefer the Quiet Cool version. Some fans even think they replaced the original song withInto the Fire just for the DVD, not knowing that was the original track. Those fans tend to be even more upset.
That’s what familiarity and nostalgia will get you, because anyone who thinks the Quiet Cool version is superior is outta their mind, you ask me. I can see that making you miss the VHS version, but that’s where I’ll have to draw the line, because Into the Fire rules. Yeah, maybe it’s a little on the intense side for a sequence where Patricia Arquette is just mocking up 1428 Elm in paper mache, but when her mom busts in and tells her she’ll wake up the neighborhood, it seems a bit strange that she’s referring to a mellow instrumental.
Whichever version of Dream Warriorsyou prefer, there’s no denying that Dokken’sInto the Fire is a certified Shindigger.
So grab a spoonful of Maxwell house instant coffee, chase that shit with a shot of Diet Coke and crank this tune, cause Freddy’s waiting for you on the other side of that pillow, and he’s still pretty pissed about that whole “your parents burnt him alive” thing.
A Nightmare On My Street (Extended Mix)by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
I think it’s a testament to Freddy’s legacy and iconography that this Monster Rap is more well known than the Referentially Inclusive (and wildly superior) song by The Fat Boys. Seems more people are familiar with Freddy as a pop culture window cling than they are with the films themselves.
That’s not to say I don’t enjoy A Nightmare On My Street. Quite the contrary! I think it’s a great Monster Rap, and all the more so that the song is its own entity outside of the films. But when comparing the 2, I feel it is the clear also-ran, and i wish Are You Ready For Freddy was the more popular cut.
But here we have the DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Princedetailing an evening in which they take to the cinema with Ready Rock C and some honeys. There, they enjoy a new (and generic) Elm Street film, only to find themselves tormented by Freddy in the real world once the film ends. Shades of New Nightmare, or simply imagery from the original? Only Wes Craven knows for sure.
Though recorded in ’87, this single was released in August of ’88, right when Elm Street 4: The Dream Master was about to hit theaters. And while it’s more probable the the trio was seeing Dream Warriorsat that time, the song seems similar in tone and even references Freddy’s Revenge. So who knows which Elm Street they did in fact see that night. Either way, it was def.
Speaking of The Dream Master, the producers actually considered including this song on the soundtrack, but ultimately could not come to an agreement with Misters Jeff & Fresh. New Line decided instead to just sue Jive/RCA Records for copyright infringement. How’s that for a 180? Apparently there was a music video that was pulled from MTV as a result. Bet that was pretty def too. Unfortunately, that video seems to be lost forever, as it has yet to resurface on the Internet. It’ll be a pretty def day when someone find some forgotten copy and posts it.
Adding more intrigue to the mix, there’s even a handful of different versions of this track. The original LP and cassette version ran over 6 minutes long and contained some different lyrics. Now, a 6 minute rap song about a popular horror icon just won’t do for radio play, and the song was not simply trimmed, but altered somewhat. For reals?
Yep, that version we’ve all been listening to for the last 30 years ain’t the original. But, since the Shindig rolls hard on such matters, it has included the original 6 minute LP version for your enjoyment.
What revelations are to be found in this uncut version? Well for one, The Fresh Prince mentions Nancy, and while that could also refer to Dream Warriors, in context It seems more referential to the original. And while the extended lyric of “something about Elm Street was the movie we saw” is more ambiguous than him stating simply (but also a bit ambiguously) “we saw Elm Street,” I think it suggests they indeed done rushed a screening of Wes Craven’s 1984 classic.
What else is revealed? Welp, perhaps most strangely is that a rather innocuous original line about grabbing something cool to quench his thirst was replaced by a completely unnecessary product drop for Coke.
Now, I’ve read about fans being upset about this, but I’m not convinced its the nefarious product placement it may seem.
I guess if you need to shorten the song, the whole bit about coming downstairs, being alone but seeing the TV on is a little expository, so its a good spot for some revision. Moreover, the replacement of “remote” with “coke” actually alleviates the initial false rhyme with choked. It’s not great, but its an improvement.
Is it the marketing arm of Jive records stepping in and forcing a commercial? Naw, probably not, but I will admit, it is a little suspect. But mostly the omitted lyrics just add a little color, honestly. Just some more depth of descriptions to the events.
Because I couldn’t find one online (read: because no sane person really gives a shit or wastes their time on such nonsense) I’ve composed a comparison of the 2 versions for other dorks to look at and find interesting for a half a second.
Lyrics featured in both verisons will be in normal text color.
Lyrics specific to the Single version will be in green.
Lyrics specific to original Extended Mix will be in orange.
[Fresh Prince:]
Now I have a story that I’d like to tell
About this guy you all know him, he had me scared as hell!
He comes to me at night after I crawl into bed
He’s burnt up like a weenie and his name is Fred!
He wears the same hat and sweater every single day
And even if it’s hot, outside he wears it anyway!
He’s gone when I’m awake but he shows up when I’m asleep
I can’t believe that there’s a nightmare – on my street!
It was a Saturday evening if I remember it right
And we had just gotten back off tour last night
So the gang and I thought that it would be groovy
If we summoned up the posse and done rushed the movies
I got Angie, Jeff got Tina
Ready Rock got some girl I’d never seen in my life
That was all right because the lady was chill
Then we dipped to the theater set to ill
[Fresh Prince single:]
We saw Elm Street
And man, it was def!
Buggin! Cold havin a ball
And somethin bout Elm Street was the movie we saw
The way it started was decent, ya know nothing real fancy
Bout this homeboy named Fred and this girl named Nancy
But word, when it was over, I said, “Yo! That was def!”
And everything seemed all right when we left
But when I got home and laid down to sleep
That began the nightmare, on my street!
It was burnin in my room like an oven
My bed soaked with sweat, and man, I was buggin
I checked the clock and it stopped at 12:30
It had melted it was so darn hot, and I was thirsty
I went downstairs to grab some juice or a coke
Flipped the TV off, and then I almost choked
I wanted something cool, to quench my thirst
I thought to myself, “Yo, this heat is the worst!”
But when I got downstairs, I noticed something was wrong
I was home all alone but the TV was on!
I thought nothin of it as I grabbed the remote
I pushed the power button, and
then I almost choked
When I heard this awful voice comin from behind
It said, “You cut off ‘Heavy Metal’ and now you must die!”
Man, I ain’t even wait to see who it was
Broke outside in my drawers and screamed, “So long, cuz!”
Got halfway up the block I calmed down and stopped screamin
Then thought, “Oh, I get it, I must be dreamin”
I strolled back home with a grin on my grill
I figured since this is a dream I might as well get ill
I walked in the house, the Big Bad Fresh Prince
But Freddy killed all that noise real quick
He grabbed me by my neck and said, “Here’s what we’ll do.
We gotta lotta work here, me and you.
The souls of your friends you and I will claim.
You’ve got the body, and I’ve got the brain.”
I said, “Yo Fred, I think you’ve got me all wrong.
I ain’t partners with nobody with nails that long!
Look, I’ll be honest man, this team won’t work.
The girls won’t be on you, Fred your face is all burnt!”
Fred got mad and his head started steamin
But I thought what the hell, I’m only dreamin
I said, “Please leave Fred, so I can get some sleep;
Or gimme a call, and maybe we’ll hang out next week.”
I patted him on the shoulder said, “Thanks for stopping by.”
Then I opened up the door and said, “Take care guy!”
He got mad, drew back his arm, and slashed my shirt
I laughed at first, then thought, “Hold up, that hurt!”
It wasn’t a dream, man, this guy was for real
I said, “Freddy, uh, pal, there’s been an awful mistake here.”
No further words and then I darted upstairs
Crashed through my door then jumped on my bed
Pulled the covers up over my head
And said, “Oh please do somethin with Fred!”
He jumped on my bed, went through the covers with his claws
Tried to get me, but my alarm went off
And then silence! It was a whole new day
I thought, “Huh, I wasn’t scared of him anyway.”
Until I noticed those rips in my sheets
And that was proof that there had been a nightmare, on my street
Oh man, I gotta call Jeff, I gotta call Jeff
Come on, come on
Come on Jeff, answer
Come on, man
[Jazzy Jeff] Hello?
[Fresh Prince] Jeff, this is Prince, man
Jeff, wake up,
Jeff, wake up
[Jazzy Jeff:] What do you want?
[Fresh Prince:] Jeff, wake up, man, listen to me, Jeff
[Jazzy Jeff:] It’s three o’clock in the mornin, what do you want?
[Fresh Prince:] Jeff, Jeff, would you listen to me?
Listen, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep
[Jazzy Jeff:] Man!
[Fresh Prince:] Jeff, listen to me, don’t go to sleep, Jeff
[JJ:] Look, look, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, I’m going to bed
[Freddy:] RRAHHHH!
[JJ:] Ahhhhhh!
[Fresh Prince:] Jeff! Jeff!
[Freddy:] Ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!
[Jazzy Jeff:] Ahhhhhh!
[Fresh Prince:] Jeff!
[Freddy:] RRAHHHH!
[Fresh Prince:] Jeff! Answer me, Jeff!
[Freddy:] I’m your D.J. now, Princey!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!
So there you have it. Far too much copy regarding a silly novelty song about Freddy Krueger. But, I’m not sure The Shindig would have it any other way. Enjoy the extended version of A Nightmare On My Street.
Here’s some certified, all-American, 80-proof ridiculous bullshit from the incomprehensibly titled Freddy’s Greatest Hits.
Greatest Hits? Why, that suggests a larger body of work cultivated and condensed into only “the tracks you wanna hear,” no?
First of all, Freddy doesn’t have any other albums. This is it, folks.
Secondly, even if there were several albums, are these the choice cuts? Are these just the “tracks you wanna hear?” Probably not. They’re the tracks I wanna hear, no doubt, but I don’t speak for anyone else, much less everyone else.
Perhaps there were other Freddy songs. Maybe they had 3 albums worth and just decided these were the best, and released it as a Greatest Hits to spare everyone. If that’s the case, then fuck gang, what did those other songs sound like?
These greatest of hits encompass mostly cheese-ball covers of songs that feature the word “Dream” while Freddy cackles randomly around the melody. However, there are a few original cuts, like this number – perhaps the collection’s most unfathomable offering.
The “Do The Freddy” sticker from my toolbox at work. It’s pretty great.
What is this shit? Do the Freddy? He’s got a fucking dance now? Are you kidding me? This shit is out of control.
Nowadays, whenever I hear that people find it impossible to be scared of this character, I completely understand, and it’s because of shit like this.
Once a master of fear in the hearts of children the world over, Freddy is here reduced to a few dance moves. And not even good ones! Behold…
Pick your feet up
swing your arms up too
Move you head both ways
like you see him do
Then jump 3 feet to the swinging beat
Of The Freddy
What? What kind of fucking dance is this? I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be doing really. And the weirdest part (as you may have thought to yourself) is clearly the “move you head” instruction.
What, exactly, does moving your head both ways actually look like? Is it just shaking your head? Turning and looking in either direction like your crossing a street? It’s too vague.
Moreover, is this Freddy’s signature move? Not “claw at the air” or “scrape your blades on the wall.” Nope, it’s moving your head both ways. Ya know, that thing everyone probably does several times a day. That’s it. That’s Freddy’s big move. You could have written a more appropriate, or hell, even a slightly less vague line with roughly 2 minutes worth of thought.
Also, I think it’s important to note that no one listening to this song has a 3 foot vertical. Fuck, Michael Jordan had a 46 incher, and he’s one of the greatest dunkers of all time.
To put a more comparative and current prospective on it, Russell Westbrook has a 36.5 inch vertical. He can barely complete this dance. And Kevin Durant, at a paltry 33.5″, can’t Do The Freddy at all.
I’d ask “Just who the hell is this for, exactly,” but as you’ll soon hear Mr. Robert England proclaim straight away – “this is for you.”
So, there’s that. Enjoy this song, because it’s for you.
As we’ve often said here on The Shindig, it seemed like everything and everyone was rapping in the late 80’s. If you wanted to lame something up real quick, you made a fuckin’ rap.
Which is apparently exactly what composer Joe Renzetti and songwriter Simon Stokes did in 1988 for Child’s Play. Only problem was that someone above their pay grade said “Yeah, I dunno about this bullshit, fellas.” And like that, the The Chucky Song was shelved.
Now, while that person may have had half a brain, they were also a goddamn communist. How the fuck do you axe this track? In 1988? As a Sweet Song playing over the end credits? I mean, I understand why maybe it makes some logical sense, if you’re attempting to keep up the appearance of a legitimate horror film, but c’mon. This shit is gold, and not just because it’s ridiculous. I mean, it is, but all playing aside, this is a legit song, and not a half bad one.
Sure it’s goofy, but it’s catchy as shit and the lyrical content is on point. There’s tons of direct references, Good Guy Doll phrases, a Chucky voice, kids singing, and they even toss in Charles Lee Ray’s voodoo chant. C’mon! There’s a lot of bad monster raps out there, and this definitely isn’t one of them.
As such, I’m stoked (pun firmly intended) that this escaped. I don’t know how, why, or who’s responsible for this ultimately seeing the light of day, by they deserve the goddamn Noble Peace Prize.
This could easily have never graced the public’s ears. Or worse yet, we could have quiet rumors of it’s existence with no actual proof. But we are a fortunate people, and for that we bestow upon it the highest of honors we can…a spot on The Shindig.
Yeah, I think it’s gonna be another one of those funky ones…
Ghostbusters 2, the definitive statement on Monster Raps, continues its genre dominance here with perhaps its most popular track, Bobby Brown’sOn Our Own.
Featured during a montage of the GBs kicking it into gear and revving up for a final showdown with Vigo the Carpathian.
Total side note here, but if you’ve never heard the skinny on Vigo’s painting, definitely check this out.
This track’s especially relevant in that Bobby Brown actually has a cameo in the film! His excitement at seeing the Ghostbusters emerge from ECTO-1a is a great moment. He asks Egon and Ray if he can get a proton pack for his little brother. Naturally, Egon flat out rejects this ludicrous proposal, while Ray halfheartedly agrees.
“I guess he’s right.” Ray responds.
You guess? Really Ray?
Am I to believe that if Egon hadn’t been there, then Ray would have seriously considered giving Bobby fucking Brown a proton pack? For his kid brother, no less?
I’m not sure if Ray should be allowed to handle such dangerous equipment if he doesn’t know well enough not to just hand it over to random citizens, or fucking children. Maybe dickless Peck was right all along.
Bobby Brown gets in on the action all the same, proton pack or not, serving up a Ghostbusters jam to beat all. Yeah, yeah, you know it.
Whaddaya say we ring in the official appointment with a double dose of Dennis?
It’s difficult to talk about Kevin Tenney’s 1986 debut without mentioning it’s Sweet Song, Bump In the Night, performed by butt-rockers Steel Breeze, who have perhaps the silliest juxtoposition-as-band-name from an era built on such nonsense.
Steel Breeze? Seriously guys? The literal interpretation of that idea is probably the only thing saving it from complete stupidity. Or maybe that makes it worse, I’m not sure. Either way, it’s not even approaching tough. Just the word “breeze” itself is so passive, I don’t care if you throw “murder” in front of it, there’s no coming back. It can’t be toughened up. Though “steel” is a valiant effort, I suppose.
But enough about them though, cause they’re not even featured here, as The Shindig has opted for the similar, though artistically purer form of Bump In the Night from the song’s author, Shindig All-Star Dennis Michael Tenney.
His demo for this tune, while less polished or flashy than the falsetto strewn official from Steel Breeze, is better. Steel Breeze’s cut just feels like they’re trying to show off, and Dennis’ workmanlike approach is much appreciated in contrast.
Gone are Breeze’s unnecessary vocal flourishes, their wussified backing vocals, that flanger heavy intro, and it’s general Foreigner-ness,…not that I have anything against Foreigner. Oh yeah, and Dennis’ solo is way better, you ask me.
Naw, this version just has more heart, and it’s lyrics get the treatment they deserve from the man who penned them.
You’ll hear Dennis croon about how “the stairway’s a dragon,” or “the coat racks a madman” when you turn out the lights. Fair enough I suppose, logical conclusion do get harder to make,…as you lie there awake.
While it’s noThe Beast Inside, what could be? Dennis is just gearing up for that opus here with Bump In the Night and it’s easy to see the seeds of that classic take root.
We were pumped to find this version of the track and allow Dennis stretch his legs a little more and really make The Shindig a place he can call home.
Originally intended for 1986’s Witchboard, here’s Dennis Michael Tenney’s demo for Bump In the Night.
