Our next stop on Satan’s Cannonball comes from a picture you could argue isn’t exactly a horror picture. I dunno though. Being rundown, raped and murdered by freaky, gakked out bikers sounds pretty goddamn horrific to me. But hey, everybody’s got different ideas of a good time. Either way, when you’re throwin’ me a tune which sounds as at-odds with its subject matter as this one does, The Shindig takes note.
From Al Adamson’s 60’s biker freak-out Satan’s Sadists comes our 318th track, Satan (Theme).
Starring the incomparable Russ Tamblyn as Anchor, leader of the biker gang “The Satans” with such fantastic biker members as Willie, Muscle, Firewater and Acid. The latter of which is played by none other the the films writer, and director of such classics as Without Warning, Satan’s Cheerleaders, Wacko, and The Uninvited, Mr. Greydon Clark.
It’s a 60’s biker explotation picture, so if you’re familiar, you know what you’re getting into and whether that’s frying your bacon or not. Again, it’s not explicitly horror in tone or vibe, but exploitation veers so close sometimes, and this song is just too awesome too ignore. And c’mon, we need a little more Satan around these parts.
Speaking of Phantoms, we have another Phantom that made his debut on Ep. 19 of Shindig Radio, and that’s the infamous Eric!
Yeah, Eric. You know Eric, right? He’s just like Jason or Freddy except his generic and innocuous name still sounds generic and innocuous cause no one knows who the fuck he is. But he got a subtitle, all about his revenge, which you didn’t even know he needed cause you’ve never seen him before in your whole goddamn life.
Yeah, it’s weird, but it’s The Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge, coming to you direct from the old (and way awesomer) Sherman Oaks Gallery.
Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge is a fairly late-in-game, but still pretty fun, slashery take on the Phantom storyline featuring an all-star (if you’re The Shindig, anyway) cast.
You got Death Spa’s Ken Foree, Action U.S.A.’s Gregory Scott Cummings, Pee-Wee’s Morgan Fairchild and a pre-weasel Pauly Shore all doing their damnedest to try and turn this business into a legitimate franchise. It didn’t quite work out that way for them, but it’s totally worth watching anyway. Maybe even more so.
However, there’s still the matter of this song, from LA punk legends The Vandals, to contend with and reconcile.
See, if there was ever a contender for “Almost a Title Track” then it was certainly this one, and we definitely should not have included it on Title Tracks Pt. 5. But I hadn’t really considered theoption of a Not Quite Title Tracks episode until after the fact. So, Eric just snuck on in, without paying his dues, just like he tried to do with the horror franchises, giving himself a subtitle like he was a somebody. The balls on this guy.
Cause, let’s face it, this track is flagrant two-time offender.
First, you got all these extra words, a Title Track faux pas from the jump. And it’s not just a simple addition either, it’s now a whole goddamn sentence, with punctuation no less!
And sometimes we’ll look the other way; He’s Rockula, The Toxic Avenger Theme, maybe even Midnight Again (but not fuckin’ likely, not after Eric’s transgression) but this one’s asking a bit too much.
Now, if that was all, then maybe all could be forgiven. But that’s not all, because this song title doesn’t isn’t even the name of the movie. Now they say, at one point in the chorus, is there a Phantom of the Mall, but when it came to titling the track, they went ahead with Is There a Phantom IN the Mall?
And baby, that’s just not the title of this movie.
Call me a nitpicker. Call me a hair-splitter. Call me an imbecile for devoting so many pseudo-serious words in a comedically aggressive tone to one of the most inane topics for a full 10 years of my life.
That’s fair. You call me whatever you’d like. But facts is facts, Jack.
And while this is a shinning example of everything a Title Track could and should be in almost every sense of the word, it just ain’t a Title Track where it counts…the Title itself.
Later Eric. You almost had it.
All that being said, this a great Referentially Inclusive Almost Title Track that 100% deserves to be here today.
So go grab a hotdog on a stick and maybe even a gun, cause you’re at The Chopping Mall, and there’s a Phantom in there too, and his name is Eric, and he’s lookin for some revenge. Are you a phony security guard with an ostentatious dangly earring? Did you burn down his house just so you could put up the coolest mall the 80’s had to offer? Boy, I sure hope not.
Since last year’s countdown got cut a little short, we ended up with a couple Shindig debuts on Title Tracks Pt. 5. Let’s take a moment here to get some of those guys on the official roster, shall we?
First up is this banger from The Waters.
Now, I’m not 100% sure The Waters listed in the credits of Phantom of the Ritz are actually THE Waters. Ya know, like how it’s not really Ray Stevens or Paul Williams.
But if this really is THE Waters, then they were a family band from LA that mostly worked as backup singers to the stars. Oren Waters specifically sang for the likes of Michael Jackson, John Fogerty, Paul Simon, Neil Diamond and has personally been featured on over 100 platinum albums. Wild.
He’s even responsible for the vocals on the The Jefferson’s theme song, Movin’ On Up! I guess imagining they are The Waters from Phantom of the Ritz isn’t so out of the question after all.
Additionally, Oren and his sisters Maxine and Julia, all appear in the 2013 Academy Award winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, which shines a light on all the great backup singers and musicians responsible for so many famous hits over the years.
Unfortunately, they were more like 20 miles from stardom when the recorded the Title Track to this turkey.
Phantom of the Ritz is not entirely unenjoyable but it is definitely missable. That is, unless you’re this guy, who’s all about Phantom of the Opera interpretations. His write-up actually made me reconsider my stance on the film. He’s into it. Maybe I need to rewatch this thing.
However you feel about this Phantom, I think it’s clear that he doesn’t deserve a Title Track of this caliber, cause it jams, and The Waters, professionals that they are, absolutely belt it.
Here’s it is, Graham’s pick for Title Track of the year: 2022, he’s the Phantom of the Ritz!
When it comes to moments that embody the 3 principle of The Shindig – Halloween, Horror and Music – nothing quite combines them all like Angela’s dance from the original Night of the Demons. Set as it is on Halloween and to Bauhaus’ Stigmata Martyr, you can read me drool over this classic moment here.
So, when Brain Trenchard-Smith and company we’re asked to navigate a trip back up to Hull House and hey, why don’t you bring Amelia Kinkade along with you while you’re at it – fans assuredly wondered if Angela would dance on r again.
The answer was “yes.” And an empathic “yes” at that, as they upped the ante in a few ways, as a sequel is wont to do.
First and foremost, they gave Angela a larger crowd. Secondly, they put her up on a table in front of a banner that says “Happy Halloween.” Thirdly, they gave her a dance partner in the form of beautiful, genre staple, Zoe Trilling. And lastly, they slapped a Morbid Angelsong on that motherfucker.
This dance however, is a microcosm of the film itself, at least in relation to the original Night of the Demons. Bigger doesn’t always mean better.
As a result, this dance (this scene…this movie) is less elegant, less important, less interesting, less sexy, less creepy and above all, less memorable.
But that won’t stop Morbid Angel from making the playlist. No way. Cause when you’re the backing track to any Angela dance sequence, you’re in.
Well, I shouldn’t say that, cause that song from Part 3 is absolutely atrocious and will never grace this playlist. I’m not even sure what the producers were thinking with that one. Was that the only song they could actually get the rights to play? Was it on some generic, royalty free CD they just had lying around the editing bay? Had they never seen the other 2 Night of the Demons films? It’s almost laughable how at odds it is with the other 2 Angela tracks.
Then, there’s still the matter of the dance from the remake to consider, which despite my hesitance, has a couple compelling things going for it:
It still happens on Halloween.
Though played by Shannon Elizabeth, it’s still technically Angela and
It’s set to a Type O Negative song. A song which is already under yearly consideration for being a Halloween song in its own right.
However, despite all of that, and the fact that I’ve already included 45 Grave’s Title Track Night of the Demons from the very same film, I still don’t think Type O is making the cut. At least not this year. Sorry gang.
We’re not quite outta the old country just yet folks, cause here comes Mr. Italy himself, Dario Argento.
We’ve no doubt got some Dario fans with us today, and our next song indulges in his mid-career tendency to load his soundtracks with rocking 80’s metal.
This one hails from 1987’s Opera, which (for my money, anyway) is probably Argento’s last hurrah. His 12 year, 6 film run from Deep Red to Opera is one gnarly lineup. Those two, plus Suspira, Inferno, Tenebre, and Phenomena all make up the bulk of what Dario is best known for and it’s a hell of a run.
After that, it’s a hit or miss affair for me with Argento. No matter, because that Cal Ripken-like streak is more than enough for this fan. Anything after that is dude playing with house money as far as I’m concerned.
You add his early 70’s giallos like Four Flies on Grey Velvet and his rookie outing, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (a personal favorite) and the guy’s a monster. Hell, any 3 of those films is enough to put you at the top of the heap. Quite frankly Suspira alone gets the job done just fine.
But Opera is where the run comes to its end. It’s truly the last time I feel like you’re watching something wholly Dario, and it’s quite good. It’s got plenty of Dario’s trademark stylistic flare, one rockin’ soundtrack and some seriously gnarly kills.
Chief among them is the one he affords to his former lover, Ms. Daria Niccolodi. Her bullet through the peephole demise is as artistically rendered a murder as Dario (or anyone for that matter) has put to screen.
And that gif cuts out the coolest part! Oh well.
With so many good songs though, it was tough to choose just one to include, but this shredder from Swedish metal band Norden Light is probably my favorite.
Played just after costume designer Giulia gets a clothes smoother tossed into her back, but just before she can reveal the true identity of the killer, all while poor Betty has to watch with eyes pinned back…literally.
From their lone LP, Shadows from the Wilderness, here’s Norden Light assuring us all there is No Escape.
Living After Death by Al Festa & Maurizio Cerantola
Since we’re talking about the Zombie series, let’s jump to this “Almost a Title Track” from Claudio Fragasso’s Zombie 4: After Death.
Claudio’s directorial effort never quite hits those moments of gonzo joy on display in Zombie 3, but it’s certainly not the worst thing to carry the “Zombie” moniker. And it does have it’s predecessor licked in one very important department; and that’s the opening credit number.
If you thought Clue in the Crew were 80’s up wait til you get a load of Metropole keyboardist Al Festa and singer Maurizio Cerantola’s Living After Death.
IMDb, surprisingly, has a fair amount of information about Signore Cerantola. Seems he was in a Led Zeppelin tribute band called Custard Pie. Then after that, he fronted 2 separate Whitesnake cover bands, one of which was fantastically named Cover-Dale.
Well he’s got the pipes, that’s for sure, as he belts it out here on the kind of song you just wish was a true Title Track. All the hallmarks of the finest are on display. It’s was right there fellas, starrin’ ya in the gullet, all you had to do was grab it.
But alas, their synthy banger will need to be relegated to an Almost Title Tracks episode of Shindig Radio in the future.
As for Zombie 4…that 2nd “Hey, let’s just take a movie that’s not really a sequel to Zombie and call it one anyway” installment…what’s the old chestnut? Zombie 4 makes Zombie 3 look like Zombie 2? Perhaps that’s applicable.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Blue Heart sets ‘em up and the Shindig knocks ‘em down.
Here’s the somehow even more 80’s rocker Living After Death.
Let’s keep the Italian horror train rolling along with this little number, straight off of Blue Heart’s turntable, Clue in the Crew’s rocking Zombie-Bird Winnebago Attack/Sweet Song, The Sound of Fear.
The Lucio Fulci/Bruno Mattei/Claudio Fragasso mega-team up Zombie 3 delivers just about everything you’d expect outta that unholy and contentious alliance: Italian weirdness, synthy goodness, nonsensical plotting , machete-wielding, decapitated-head-flying zombie madness and generous amounts flagrant intellectual theft.
I mean, let’s start with that poster art alone. It’s straight up the Force: Five fist mixed with Freddy’s eyes from Dream Warriors and the lady’s face from the Absurd poster. If Stay The Night didn’t indicate the kind of shameless theft that’s rampant in Italian cinema, or just what kind is in store from Zombie 3, then this pilfery collage passed off as “promotional material” ought to give you an idea.
What was marketed as the second sequel to Romero’s Dawn of the Dead actually plays out more like Italy’s answer to Return of the Living Dead and I honestly don’t have 1 single problem with that.
You throw in radio DJ Blue Heart, straight rockin’ the Jose Canseco shades, pushing his ecological agenda alongside the hottest Phillipino tunes 1988 had to offer, and the Shindig is in Paradiso.
Here’s Clue in the Crew’s referentially inclusive, 80’ser-than-shit hit, The Sound of Fear.
Attentive Shindiggers will not doubt recognize this album cover, as we’ve long used this image from Luigi Cozzi’s Paganini Horror as a banner here on Halloween Shindig cause c’mon, look at that thing!
However, we have never taken a moment to talk about that film or add any of the songs from its soundtrack. So this year, we’re gonna change all that.
What’s most interesting about that poster image is that it existed before the story for Paganini Horrorwas even written. It’s almost assuredly why those two actors and that awesome skeleton man never shows up in the picture.
Looking to piggyback on the imminent success of Paganini, a biopic about the legendary Violinist being helmed by actor Klaus Kinski, our producers thought “Hey! We slap the word “horror”on that shit and I think we got a winner.”
Well, they were wrong. On both accounts.
Not only was Kinski’s Paganini not a hit, but the horror iteration became a mish mash of chefs spoiling the pot. The resulting film found little success with audiences.
Horror historian Louis Paul even noted
“Nobody likes Paganini Horror, Cozzi included.”
Well, i kinda like Paganini Horror. I don’t love it, but it looks real nice, there’s a dude with a switchblade violin, Donald Pleasence gets real weird…and then there this song: there’s Stay The Night.
Now, when it comes to blatant, shameless and completely unapologetic rip-offs, I don’t know if you can pull a bigger offender than Stay The Night.
And I mean seriously. Gangster Rock may sound like China Groove, but it’s a different song. Stay The Night, the other hand, is 100% You Give Love a Bad Name.
I have to imagine that neither John Bon Jovi nor Richie Sambora have ever heard this song. That’s conceivable. Paganini Horror wasn’t busting blocks. But I have to assume that someone…anyone…who even knew them remotely, heard this song and was like “Yo, John…you gotta hear this fuckin’ thing.”
One might then assume a lawsuit of some sort would have arisen, but nothing seems to have come from it. So, I’ll just say they’ve never heard it. Or maybe they just shrugged it off like good sports, cause much like the film, I doubt this song was padding anyone’s bank account either.
The fact still remains, that unless you’ve never once heard You Give Love a Bad Name, Stay the Night is one of the most overt rip-off’s of all time.
But maybe that’s part of the joke, as their producer certainly leans into what unoriginal, rehashed bullshit the band is pumping out these days. Boy, I’ll say.
Since Switchblade Violin Man never makes good with an actual Title Track, here’s the best song Paganini Horror…a movie specifically about a band…making a video…for their new song…called Paganini Horror…which is also spray painted on the set…sigh…is cranking out.
Speaking of bizarre skin-flicks disguised as Disco Dracula films, let’s talk about Dracula Blows His Cool, a German sex comedy with a surprisingly interesting soundtrack.
When smut photographer and “Dracula” descendant Stan decides just shooting nudie pictures in his old family castle isn’t quite enough to keep it from being repossessed, he does what any self respecting Bavarian in 1979 would do. He opens a disco!
What ensues is a bevy of silly sex gags, tons of mistaken identity hi-jinx and some funny English dubbing. While certainly not even approaching good, there’s less amusing ways you could spend an hour and 20 minutes, if you like this sort of 70’s sex trash. I mean, check this out:
It’s at least worth a viewing.
Additionally, the film is filled with tons of fun (read: appropriately ludicrous if you have a horror-themed music blog) songs.
Most notable of course, and submitted for your approval this evening, is the 1979 hit Rock Me Dracula, performed by Mokka.
Mokka is an iteration from the brief musical career of Italian twins Nadia and Antonella Cocconcelli. Nadia and Antonella even appear in the film performing the tune. Or at least they appear dancing around with garden hoses and lip syncing to it poorly, anyway. But hey, we’ll take it!
Though played several times throughout the film, it is not included on the official Gerhard Heinz soundtrack for Dracula Blows His Cool, which has several potential Shindig inclusions like Graf Dracula and Disco Strip. Both of those songs are pretty great and may find their way into the playlist in their own right.
For now though, we’ll only indulge in the perfectly appropriate and extra referentialRock Me Dracula, from Mokka.
Shindig Radio personality Graham C. Schofield doesn’t much care for disco music. And as you know, we’re currently knee deep in a Monster Disco Block.
So it may shock you to hear he’s actually responsible for our next tune, another vampire related rug cutter from the 70’s monster comedy, Love At First Bite, starring George Hamilton.
See, last Halloween, Graham bestowed upon The Hole this fresh piece of vinyl soundtrack goodness, and there was much rejoicing.
And if he didn’t think one of these fuckers was gonna find its way onto the playlist this year, he’s out of his mind.
Now, perhaps he did. Perhaps he was even ok with the idea. But what he probably didn’t know was that I already had a few disco-diggers waiting in the dugout, and that this specific gift was the catalyst for me diggin’ up a couple more and making a whole block out of the affair.
So, if you need a scapegoat for any ire you’re experiencing at the hands of a solid week filled with goofball monster disco bullshit, he’s your guy. I’m sure he sympathizes.
As for Love At First Bite, give it a go. It’s a surprisingly measured and effective vampire comedy with a fine and funny Dracula performance from George Hamilton.
It is alleged to have ripped off the plot of 1971’s Guess What Happened to Count Dracula? almost to the T, but as of the time of writing, I have not seen that film and can make no assessment.
What I can say is that it was one of 5 Dracula movies released in 1979. You have, of course, John Badham’s classic starring Frank Langella, Donald Pleaseance and Sir Laurence Oliver. Not to be outdone, you got Werner Herzog’s chilling Nosferatu, starring the unearthly Klaus Kinski. And then, no doubt attempting to a capitalize on the success of Love at First Bite, is Germany’s DiscoDracula film Dracula Blows His Cool, but more on that one in a bit.
Because we can’t talk about Disco Draculas without talking about the other Dracula film from 1979.
Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula, is perhaps the Disco Dracula movie, drenched as it is, almost front to back, in so much Disco it actually gets a little hard to watch. It’s practically an hour and 20 minute Disco music video.
It even features the tune Love Is Just a Heartbeat Away (Nocturna’s Theme) from I WillSurvive Disco Superstar, Gloria Gaynor. How they managed to pull her for this weird-ass, low budget monster picture is probably a miracle. She was apparently talked into providing the track by her then manager and future husband. Apparently she’s not too proud of that song in the slightest. We’ll spare you that tune, inclusive and semi-referential though it be, as it’s a fairly standard (albeit pretty decent) Disco tune, with no fun Draculaness.
When it’s not indulging in overly long bouts of dancing to repetitive beats and string synthesizers, Nocturna’s a totally bizarre quasi-skin flick with some weird vampire lore.
See, for Dracula’s granddaughter (played by belly dancer and screenwriter Nia Bonet), the power of disco music slowly changes her into a human or some such nonsense.
It even features a scene with a governing vampire assembly and a new, designer form of blood that the vampires can snort. It was 1979, after all.
Also on tap is actual Dracula John Caradine (even wearing his costume from 1945’s House of Dracula) and Lily Munster herself, Ms. Yvonne DeCarlo. Bonus!
If you’re into bizarre shit and love the idea Disco Draculas, definitely give it a watch. It’s worth it for Nia Bonet’s positively otherworldly performance. Plus, you get to see shit like this:
Outstanding.
But enough about Nocturna, we’re here for Fly By Night from soul singer Pat Hodges, dammit!
Now, out of the box, this fucker is a 12 and a half minute song. Talk about goin’ hard. That’s indulgent, even for Disco.
So, we’ve enlisted the help of our Shindig Audio Magicians to make this one a bit more manageable, with a totally unique Shindig Special Edition version. Not gonna lie though, it hurt a little. Despite the length of Fly By Night, I’m all about how long and epic its Disco is. It pained me to snip out resonant filter sweeps or Simmons drum hits, but it had to be done.
If we’re not gonna use the full length, 12 minute version of Helloween’sHalloween, you better believe Fly By Night ain’t getting no special dispensation.
Without any further ado, though somewhat truncated, here’s Pat Hodges singing Fly By Night!
The Toxic Avenger Theme by Scott Casey is pretty damn Toxie, there’s no doubt about that. But for my money, nothing says “The Toxic Avenger” like Sandy Farnia’s leg warmin, synth-bassin, aerobicidin Body Talk.
Setting the stage for perhaps Troma’s most Tromatic and beloved film of all time – Lloyd Kaufman’s 1984 mold-breaking indie slasher, The Toxic Avenger.
While it’s certainly not out of place among the films featured on The Shindig, can The Toxic Avenger truly be considered a horror movie?
Well, being that it was Lloyd’s attempt to capitalize on the slasher craze of the early 80’s and that it started its life as The Health Club Horror, I think we definitely can. Toxie stalking his tormentors alone – one by one for his own horrific revenge – is the stuff of 80’s horror. Factor in his monstrous appearance and it’s Jaws-like slow reveal, and I think we’re looking at some genuine horror people.
All the humor and goofiness aside, Lloyd did something truly interesting and different with The Toxic Avenger. He made the slasher the hero (and a superhero at that) and simultaneously flipped both genre’s on their heads. He gave audiences a legitimate reason to root for the killer: an avenger for the common man, a slasher with a cause, a superhero that wasn’t affair to get his hands dirty.
Made a shoe-string budget and defining “reel” independence, this film gave a fledgling studio it’s mascot and craved their name into the history of cinema.
There’s just no denying the impact of The Toxic Avenger: the first superhero from New Jersey.
It had been a long time since I had sat down and watched Toxie’s back-to-back shot sequels, and I had completely forgotten about this tailor made tune sung by Scott Casey.
This one slightly jukes my (admittedly somewhat rigid) definition of a Title Track by being featured in the sequel and having the word “theme” tacked on the end, but I don’t think there’s any other word for this song.
It explicitly describes, in very detailed fashion, the events of the first film. And Scott enthusiastically chants the title over and over again, making for a textbook Title Track under any other circumstances.
So we’ll overlook the fact that it’s from Toxie’s second outing, and that it has the word theme slapped on there, and simply bask in the relentless 80’s power-synth-rock awesomeness of The Toxic Avenger Theme. Just listen to those falsettos! When Lloyd decided to give Toxie his own theme, he definitely didn’t skimp.
As I stated in an episode of Shindig Radio that you readers have yet to hear, most people seem to refer to our next song as “The Dead Are After Me.”
And once that chorus hits the first time, there’ll be no doubt in your mind why.
However, it is my assertion that this song, composed and performed by George Edward Ott, is actually a Title Track, despite its chorus.
See, the film itself only ever credits this tune as “Title Song” and George Edward does say the phrase “Raiders of the Living Dead.”
Says the title?
Claims it’s a title song?
Good enough for me, internet be damned.
Now, if George Edward Otthimself reaches out to me and says…
“No, ya moron. Listen to that chorus! Obviously the title of the song is “The Dead Are Are After Me.” What kind of idiot are you?
…then I’ll stand down. But until that day, I’m holding fast. This is a Title Track.
Either way, it’s a great little lo-fi piece of analog rock accompaniment that definitely belongs on this playlist, under any name.
As for the film, it’s a crack up. Featuring Flick from A Christmas Story as a industrious young inventor who accidentally turns his Grandfather’s laserdisc player into a death ray. Score.
There’s this Doctor on some prison island, and he’s turning dead convicts into Zombies, as ya do. That gets a little hairy and they’re running amuck. Then a reporter and a local librarian (yeah, it’s that kinda movie) get webbed up in this zombie business, but eventually they team up with Gramps and his recurve bow and Flick with his laser ray to save the day.
Top all that off with a Title Track like this, and you got yourself a kind of a winner.
If you’re a Shindig Radio fan, you’re no doubt familiar with our next tune, which we clowned around on pretty heavily during Title Tracks Part 4 last season.
It’s Teenage Exorcist, the Title Track which says the name of the film incessantly, while never really talking about the film at all. Even the title doesn’t make any sense. There’s an exorcist, but he’s hardly a teenager, played by 66 year old Count Yorga thespian, Robert Quarry.
Additionally, I’m not sure anyone appearing in the film is even in their 20’s, much less a teenager. Brinke Steven, whom the exorcism is performed on, was 37 at the time. Pizza delivery “boy” Eddie Deezen was 34. So much for that, I suppose.
Though, to clarify our “uninformed” query from that episode, this box art here to your right seems to suggest that, yes, someone (at least someone in marketing anyway) did in fact consider Deezen to be the “teenage” exorcist. Ok then.
Whomever this song is about, it’s a fun tune which, as Mikey and Graham so easily illustrated, can perfectly accommodate any 5 syllable movie title.
So try it out with your favorite 5 syllable movie title while we rock a little closer to Halloween 2021!
Since we’re talking about 80’s Monster comedies, and that subject is near and dear to my heart, let’s keep that theme running with our next track.
Way back in 2013, when the Halloween Shindig blog was in it’s infancy, we dropped Maria Vidal’sHands Off from the film Once Bitten. It’s a prominent feature in the film, which plays during the very memorable 3-way dance-off between Lauren Hutton, Kim Coppins and a young Jim Carrey.
Now, why it’s taken 8 years to get that same film’s Title Track in the rotation is anyone guess, particularly since it’s been in the bullpen since before The Shindig ever made its way to the internet. For shame.
This one comes from the relatively unknown synth-pop band out of Boston called 3 Speed. They were pretty much a local act until they’re manager randomly sent a demo tape off to MGM. So impressed, the studio immediately flew the band out to do some recording for a new film.
They enjoyed some moderate success after this tune too, opening for the likes of Pat Benatar, but they were never offered a full-on record deal. Mostly, they just appeared on film soundtracks. Their song Cry can be heard in the Linda Blair’s awesome crossbow ladened revenge actioner, Savage Streets. Packed among all the tunes in bizarro 80’s sci-fi musical Voyage of the Rock Aliens is their song Back on the Streets. And Wind Me Up is featured in 1986’s BMX freakout, Rad – a movie I love that I’ll probably have to crowbar into an Action Distractions episode at some point.
But for now, let’s keep this spooky with 3 Speedand their synth pop title tracks Once Bitten.
So, yesterday I talked about how Child’s Play and My Mom’s a Werewolf both contain the same song by D.B. Night. Now that’s a rather obscure track to be featured on either soundtrack, to be sure. But both? That’s even more bizarre.
On the surface, Child’s Play and My Mom’s a Werewolf don’t have much else in common. Although only 6 months separate their releases, they’re both produced, written and directed by completely different people.
However, if you dig a bit deeper, a common name appears, and it’s music supervisor David Chackler.
And Chackler’s no slouch, as he’s responsible for uniting Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks with Fleetwood Mac, bringing Queen to the United States and recording 2 Live Crew.
In the early 80’s David began working as a music supervisor in Hollywood. And if you take a browse through his storied filmography, a lot of Shindiggery starts making a lot more sense.
First and foremost, he was the music supervisor for Quiet Cool in 1986. Then in 1987, he provided that same duty for Dream Warriors, which draws an immediately line from the replacement of Dokken’sInto The Fire with an instrumental version of Joe Lamont’sQuiet Cool for the opening credits of Dream Warriors’ home video release. Pretty nifty.
Now flashback to 1985 and you’ll see David was the music supervisor for Tom Holland’s original horror hit, Fright Night. That film features one of the greatest title tracks of all time by the J. Geils Band. But do you know who actually wrote that song? Why it was Joe Lamont.
Sidestepping Joe Lamont for a moment, consider that David Chackler was the also supervisor on 1986’s rap classic Knights of the City. That movie, if you’re not familiar, features an awesome jail cell performance from Kurtis Blow and The Fat Boys. Well, guess what? David Chackler was also the music supervisor on A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4 and is directly responsible for TheFat Boys doing Are You Ready for Freddy. That alone makes this guy a Shindig legend, you ask me.
And speaking of The Dream Master, guess who also shows up on that soundtrack? Yep, it’s Joe Lamont, writing and performing a song called Pride and Joy.
And, since it’s what we’re here talking about, is Joe Lamont featured in My Mom’s a Werewolf? You bet he is, singing (as it happens) a version of his very own Fright Night!
I’m sorry, what?! And it’s playing a during a Halloween party? Get right outta town. I need to hunt down this version of that tune, pronto. Though I must say, my initial surface search proved fruitless. When (and if) I find it though, you’ll definitely be the first to know.
Considering all of this, it perhaps comes as less of a surprise that both Child’s Play and My Mom’s a Werewolf each feature the song I’m Hangin’ by 80’s heavy-hitters D.B. Night. David Chackler makes it happen.
And then, connecting these 2 films even further is our next Shindigger, You Bring Out the Werewolf in Me, written and performed by Simon Stokes, whom some of you may know as the guy behind The Chucky Song. Yep, same the track unceremoniously axed from…Child’s Play.
Filling the same role here, Simon’s light hearted track plays over the end credits in much the same way The Chucky Song should have. I guess the producers all felt it was more appropriate at the end of something like My Mom’s a Werewolf, and I can’t say I disagree.
Here’s Simon getting straight beastly with You Bring Out the Werewolf In Me!
Was there a bigger band in the 80’s than D.B. Night?
Yeah. All of them. Who the hell is D.B. Night?
I dunno, ’cause I couldn’t find fuck-all about them on the internet, but they do appear on 2 separate horror related soundtracks!
And it’s the same the tune too – a little piece of power-pop called I’m Hangin’, which shows up not only in the original Child’s Play but also in My Mom’s a Werewolf.
Apparently D.B. Nightonly had 1 album to their credit, the eponymous 4 track EP which thankfully contains I’m Hangin’. Here’s that EP in all its glory, hangin’ (as it were) in the Halloween Hole.
What I can tell you (other than that this EP cost next to nothing to have shipped to my door and is 100% responsible for the following information) is that D.B. Nightis the brain child of guitarist/vocalist combo of Bobby Boyle and Debbie Darnell. B.B. and D.D.? I guess that gets ya the D.B. anyway. The Night? Well, why not, it was 1983.
Back that up with the competent Bass work of Jim Bates and the impeccable timing of Dave Slap on drums and you’ve got yourself an engine room. Why Dave Slap isn’t on bass is anyone’s guess, as that might seem more appropriate. But hey, you can slap the drums too, so it’s not as out of place as it might seem.
Now, if you’re a big Child’s Play fan, you might be saying to yourself,
“Look, fellas. I’ve seen that movie 7 ways from Sunday, and I’ve never once heard no I’m Hangin’ by no D.B. whoever the fuck.”
And you wouldn’t be wrong.
Child’s Playhas a fairly rare and strange soundtrack, in that it’s filled with a bunch of songs that are barely in the movie. I’m Hangin’ can be heard, if ever so slightly (and ever so briefly) as Chris Sarandon is getting choked-out by Chucky in his car. It plays for about 2 beats right as Chris is burning Chucky with the cigarette lighter. Trust me. I trawled the movie looking for this song, and it’s there, but man, it might as well not be.
As such, I’m gonna file this one under My Mom’s a Werewolf, as this song can be very clearly heard (also in a car, no less) as Suzanne Stokely is driving around town. She even sings along with it, which is always a nice bonus for this kinda thing.
So kick back in bask in some obscure 80’s power-pop courtesy of D.B. Night, Dave Slap and all.
With that bit of seasonal tabling setting out of the way, let’s move onto a straight up banger from Buddy Miles.
Buddy has quite storied musical career. He began early, playing in his dad’s band The Bebops. Then, as a teenager no less, he performed with acts such as Wilson Pickett and the Delfonics. Eventually Buddy teamed up with Mike Bloomfield to form Electric Flag and later became a founding member of Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys. Solid repertoire.
What’s more? Buddy is actually the lead singer of The California Raisins. Yep, Will Vinton’s iconically 80’s claymation spokes-band. That’s this guy. Well, I guess.
See, all of this info leads me to believe that Children of the Night, which sounds almost nothing like anything Buddy had been involved with up to that point, is sung by a totally different Buddy Miles altogether.
But apparently, no. After a bit of cross referencing, it seems that they are in fact the same Buddy Miles. Not shocking, given Buddy’s numerous musical projects, but if some new info came to light disputing that claim, I think I’d believe it.
But I’ll only I say “think” because Buddy here, whichever Buddy it may be, is straight belting it. And OG Buddy Miles can fuckin’ belt it. So yeah, maybe this really is that Buddy Miles, cause this tune is a stone cold jam.
You can find it playing during Cheryl’s dance at The Club 69 in Larry Cohen and William Lustig’s more than worthy follow-up, Maniac Cop 2.
Now, I never went to any in a strip clubs in 1990. At least none that I remember anyway, so I can’t confirm if this is the sort of thing they would have been playing. It certainly isn’t anything close to something I’ve heard in a strip club, but maybe that’s how they got down 30 years ago. I dunno. Or maybe I’m just goin to the wrong damn strip clubs, cause if I went to one that was bumpin tracks from the Maniac Cop 2 soundtrack, I’d pull up a stool and open a fuckin’ tab, real quick.
So let’s do just that, and maybe even hit the buffet, as we join Buddy and his new fiends, the Children of the Night, for a little October striptease.
If you’re here reading this, the chances are pretty good that you love ‘em too.
But for as influential and important as they are to Heavy Metal, they aren’t intrinsically tied to Halloween or Horror, at least not in my mind anyway.
Sure, I could throw on band anthem Black Sabbath, say it’s referential, add some samples and call it a day. But the fact of the matter is, that song’s not really about that movie at all. Besides, for as much as I like that tune, it’s a bit laborious for a party playlist.
Or, following a natural progression, I could tap Ozzy Osbourne himself and select generic Halloween Playlist mainstay Bark at the Moon, but I won’t.
Despite the monstrous nature of the song, and of course, Greg Canom’s fantastic prosthetic work for Ozzy’s wolf-like transformation, I’ve never really associated that song with Halloween.
It’s certainly a song you hear a lot around Halloween, but I dunno, doesn’t feel Halloweeny to me.
I think, more to the point though, it’s an Ozzy song I don’t care for that much. It’s a good enough tune, don’t get me wrong. I won’t change it if it comes on the radio, but it’s not one of my favorites from the man.
But, if you’re Halloween Shindig, you’ve gotta have a more suitable solution to the problem, right? Surely Ozzy’s songs have been all over the movies, Horror movies to boot.
Well, not exactly. Strangely enough, Ozzy hasn’t really been tapped that often by the pictures. And the first time he was ever included on any soundtrack at all happened to be the same year this song was released. Coincidence? Knowing record execs, probably not.
That year was 1986.
That film was The Wraith.
And that song was Secret Loser.
From Ozzy’s 4th solo album, Ultimate Sin, comes this 4-on-the-floor, pedal-to-the-metal Rock ‘N Roll race car rumbler that kicks the tires and lights the fires.
Now, you could argue that The Wraith isn’t exactly a horror film, so this song doesn’t exactly qualify. And, to a certain extent, I’d agree. The Wraith doesn’t exactly feel like a typical horror movie.
But let’s check the facts.
A guy is killed and then returns from the dead as a ghost to enact deadly revenge on the people responsible for his murder. Sounds like a horror movie to me gang. In fact, it even sounds strangely familiar
I often like to argue that The Wraith was ripped off almost wholesale by a much more celebrated gothic-horror film of some report, known as The Crow. There’s even a character named Skank in both films. Coincidence? How bout the fact that The Wraith has a Gutterboy and The Crowhas a Funboy? Ok, that ones a stretch, but still kinda weird in context.
You could come at me with the fact that The Crow is based on a graphic novel by James O’Barr and that’s where those names and plot come from. You’d be right, but that comic was also published 3 years after this movie released and maybe James O’Barr was a big Charlie Sheen fan, I dunno. I’m just saying, smells a little Wraith-like to me.
All I’m really saying is, if I threw a My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult, or Nine Inch Nails song on here song from The Crow, there wouldn’t be any question. And since The Wraith is basically a more fun, 80’s, racecar version of The Crow, …with Sheryiln Fenn, Clint Howard and Randy Quaid mind you…it’s a perfectly reasonable addition.
So keep that in mind while listening to this much cooler song, from this much cooler movie.
As mentioned a few tracks back, the body jumping, insectoid alien creature from The Hidden has a penchant for loud music.
He’s also rude as shit.
He blast his loud ass music all over the place – on the sidewalk, at a nice family restaurant and from whatever stolen car he’s just peeled out in. He even beats the hell out of a poor record store clerk in order to steal a boom box. What can I say, the thing knows what it wants.
As such, The Hidden soundtrack is loaded with some pulse poundin’ tunes. My favorite of the bunch is On Your Feet. You can hear this one early on in the film, while the Hank Jennings form of the alien is recklessly tearing ass around Downtown L.A., killing cops and blasting through roadblocks. It’s a hell of a tune, and right up ole Shindig alley. And when you’re me, the first thing you think of when hearing a song of this nature, in a movie of this nature is “Who the hell is this, does it exist outside of this movie, and where can I fit it on the playlist?”
Well, it’s Shok Paris. Yes it does. And, apparently, right after a double-shot of W.A.S.P.
Now, Shok Paris was a band I was a little shoked to see in the credits of The Hidden. I’m no authority on music by any means, let’s get that out of the way. Sure, I have this blog here, and I can probably answer a few questions regarding the specific 277 songs that have preceded this one, but no expert does that make me, not even on those 277 songs.
You could certainly say I’m a guy who likes himself some 80’s metal. But again, I’m no scholar on that matter, either. I’ve heard of some bands, and I’m familiar with some of the ones that have had songs like this in movies like this. But there’s a metric fuck-ton of 80’s metal, of varying varieties, and I’m not up on all of them, Shok Paris included. My apologies, Lou Kiss.
So, I couldn’t tell you how familiar everyone else is, and how familiar I should have been with Shok Paris. But, what I can tell you however, is how familiar I am with them now.
Shok Pariswas a local Cleveland group who eschewed the typically cover-band trap and launch directly into writing original songs. In 1984, they released their 1st record, Go For the Throat. However, it was their 1986 album, Steel and Starlight, that produced the 2 songs used in The Hidden, a move which afforded the band perhaps it’s widest exposure.
After opening for such acts a Savatage, and fellow Shindigger’s Lizzy Borden, Shok Paris hung it up in 1989. Which, given the musical landscape’s shifting terrain, probably wasn’t the worst idea they could have had.
So here’s to Shok Paris, for tearing it up on The Hidden with On Your Feet!
