Last year, Nine Kinds of Pie presented seven Halloween mixes. This year, it’ll be just one new Halloween mix. (Feel free to check out the old ones, though. They’re still up on the blog!) The theme this year is all instrumental. Henry Mancini, Combustible Edison, Big Lazy, and others present some (mostly) spooky tunes without words. Enjoy!
“You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone”
The theme to the classic television program, The Twilight Zone (1959-1964). Though this is the familiar theme, it wasn’t used on the first season (1959-1960) — that year used a theme by Bernard Herrmann (best-known for his Alfred Hitchcock scores). Below, the opening for the 1963 season:
And here is the original opening, with the Herrmann theme:
From Esquivel’s Exploring New Sounds in Stereo. The tune itself (by Miklós Rózsa) is the theme to Hitchcock’s 1945 film, which included a dream sequence designed by Salvador Dalí:
Luscious Jackson’s Vivian Trimble + the Breeders’ Josephine Wiggs = Dusty Trails, who put out just one LP. It’s a fine record, reminiscent of a particularly good soundtrack. Bonus: one of the songs includes vocals by Emmylou Harris.
Best known for his disco hit, “A Fifth of Beethoven” (1976), Walter Murphy composed a lot of film library music, including this track, which appears on Cinemaphonic: Electro Soul (a collection of such music by Murphy and others).
This is the only cover of Metallica that uses a toy piano — or, at the very least, it’s the only such cover I’ve ever heard. It appears on Twink‘s Supercute!
I’m sharing the abbreviated version used in The Exorcist, but you might want to check out the full version of “Tubular Bells, Part I.” This blog limits the file size to 20MB, and the full 25:33 track is 37MB. So, I’m unable to share the longer version here — even though that’s the version I’ve used on the iTunes version of this mix. On the original recording, Oldfield played all of the instruments himself. Below, a trio of videos in which he (on bass guitar, initially) performs it live with Steve Hillage, Pierre Moerlen, Mick Taylor, and others.
16) Paranoid Android UMASS Front Percussion Ensemble (2004) 5:02
After the dissonant conclusion of the previous track, here’s something a bit more gentle — music for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! This recording appears on Guaraldi‘s Oh Good Grief!
As promised, it’s the seventh and final Halloween mix! Ella Fitzgerald, the Doors, Talking Heads, Snob Scrilla, Flogging Molly, the National, and many others. Hope you’ve enjoyed these mixes. Happy Halloween!
The theme to the television sitcom (1964-1972) about a witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), her husband Darrin (Dick York, initially, and later Dick Sargent), and her mother Endora (Agnes Moorehead).
Led by Adam Dubberly, the Mudbloods were easily one of the most musically talented of the wizard rock groups. Though they’ve disbanded, their music lives on — in this track, from the EP A War Amidst Pop Songs.
Canadian power-poppers Sloan are not very well known down here in the States. That should change. If you’re looking for an introduction to the band (and you should be), try A-Sides Win: 1992-2005. The track featured here is from Parallel Play. Below, the video for the song.
Sobule is best known for her hit “I Kissed a Girl” — not the Katy Perry song, and indeed a song that’s much more interesting than the Katy Perry song. If you’d like to hear some more strong examples of her work, I recommend “Claire” (off of Pink Pearl, 2000) and “Underdog Victorious” (off of the album of the same name, 2004).
From the fantastic live album (and concert film) Stop Making Sense. The song originally appears on the Heads‘ Speaking in Tongues (1983). Below, the trailer for Stop Making Sense, followed by David Byrne interviewing himself.
Written for Henry Selick’s film adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s Coraline, “Careful What You Pack” and other TMBG songs were ultimately rejected. Only TMBG’s “Other Father Song” (below) remains on the soundtrack. This particular song (“Careful What You Pack”) can be found on TMBG’s The Else.
Benefit record (which has the added benefit of mocking the “Do they Know It’s Christmas?” benefit record) starring … in alphabetical order … Arcade Fire’s Win & Regine, Beck, Buck 65, David Cross, Devendra Banhart, Dessert’s Liane Balaban, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Feist, Gino Washington, Les Savy Fav’s Syd Butler, Islands’ J’aime, Malcolm Mclaren, Nardwuar The Human Serviette, Peaches, Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello, Redd Kross’ Steve Mcdonald, Rilo Kiley’s Jenny & Blake, Roky Erickson, Sloan’s Chris Murphy, Smoosh’s Asya & Chloe, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Sparks’ Russell Mael, Subtitle, Sum 41′s Stevo, Tagaq, That Dog’s Anna Waronker, Joey Waronker, Wolf Parade’s Dan & Spencer, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O. All proceeds go to UNICEF.
Appears on Tears for Fears‘ album The Hurting, a record that (in my recollection at least) was overshadowed by the even greater success of the band’s next album, Songs from the Big Chair (“Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”). Below, Tears for Fears perform “Mad World” on Top of the Pops in 1982.
Welcome to the sixth Halloween mix. Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; Curtis Mayfield; Charlie Daniels; Billy Bragg; Van Halen; Donovan; and, of course, many more…!
The vocalese trio from their Hottest New Group in Jazz LP. If you like vocalese, then — well, then you probably already have all of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross‘s recordings.
From Bragg‘s Workers Playtime, which includes “The Great Leap Forward” and “The Short Answer.” A great record.
4. Crazy as She Goes The Legion of Doom [Gnarls Barkley vs. The Raconteurs] (2006) 3:19
Very catchy mash-up of Gnarls Barkley‘s “Crazy” and the Raconteurs‘ “Steady as She Goes” — with a little Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (“The Message”) added, to taste. Nice.
From Joel‘s hit album, The Stranger… which had many other hits — “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” “Just the Way You Are,” and “She’s Always a Woman.” Below, an energetic Joel performs the song in… 1981? His attire suggests 1981 or thereabouts.
Featuring a vocal turn by Jack White, the Electric Six warns us about the dangers of high voltage. On the dance floor. There’s a really campy video for the song, which may be NSFW — well, depending on where you work.
When I was a student at Choate, I did my own radio show once a week, in the evening — Saturday nights, perhaps? I don’t remember. I do remember that my one regular listener called himself “Mr. Skittles” (after the candy, presumably) and would always call to request this specific song. So, Mr. Skittles, this song goes out to you — the Charlie Daniels Band‘s top 40 hit from 1980.
The band recorded for so many different record labels that there’s unlikely ever to be a great compilation of the Fleshtones‘ over-30-year career. Indeed, many albums are out of print and have yet to be released via any on-line music service. The Fleshtones vs. Reality is one such album — and the source for this particular song, a tune that gives conclusive proof that garage-rockers also listen to Judy Garland. (In this tune, you’ll hear some quotes from her “The Trolley Song.”)
It may be the end of the track, but it’s not the end of the Halloween mixes. One more mix still to come. Stay tuned!
And… here’s the fifth of seven Halloween mixes. They Might Be Giants, Tom Jones, Undertones, Flaming Lips, the Archies, and more! It’s a very busy week, but I’m going to do my utmost to get these all up prior to the 31st.
From Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, it’s They Might Be Giants performing the film’s theme song. Nice echo of John Barry’s James Bond music, with Robin “Goldie” Goldwasser’s vocal evoking the great Shirley Bassey.
Yes, I know that this (and some of the other songs here) are only loosely Halloween-y, but I’m choosing to interpret “walking into spider webs” as apt for October 31st. As you probably already know, this is from No Doubt‘s smash hit record Tragic Kingdom.
This song has been recorded many, many times — with many lyrical variants. The first may be Fess Williams’ “Gamblers’ Blues” (1927) and the first under a version of the famous title is Louis Armstrong and His Hot Fives’ “St. James Infirmary” (1928). Rob Walker‘s “Name That Tune” (14 June 2005) provides a fascinating history of the song. Sarah Vowell’s “The Magical Mystery Tour” (6 Oct. 1999) offers her own reflections on the song, and Pre-War Blues’ “So Young, So Cold, So Fair: The Saint James Infirmary Blues” (10 July 2008) gathers together over 100 versions of the song. Check it out!
From the Undertones‘ classic self-titled debut, the record that includes “Teenage Kicks.” This track is also on the fine compilation, The Very Best of the Undertones. Recommended for fans of Buzzocks, early Clash, and classic punk.
Studio musicians, with Ron Dante on vocals, performing as the Archies (of the animated cartoon series based on Bob Montana’s comic books). This was their big hit single. Here’s the introduction to The Archies (TV show).
Character actor & musician Sheb Wooley‘s big pop hit — #1 in 1958! Wooley also starred on the TV series Rawhide (1959-1966) with Clint Eastwood. He had some hit songs on the country charts, too.
And now, it’s part IV of my Halloween mix series — to be followed in short order by V through VII! Judas Priest, Belle & Sebastian, Old 97′s, the Puppini Sisters, Sammy Davis Jr., Echo & the Bunnymen, and more! Enjoy!
2. Night Comes In June Tabor & The Oyster Band (1990) 4:54
A cover of the Richard Thompson song, from the excellent album Freedom and Rain. The album also features covers of Billy Bragg, the Pogues, and the Velvet Underground. A great record.
The Sly Fox (born Eugene Fox, 1928-2000) sings about what the hoo doo say. After a brief recording career in the early 1950s, Fox left music for education. He became a teacher, and did not return to the recording scene.
Slo Leak are an all-star band of studio musicians & producers — “all-star” in the sense that members of the band have worked with many stars, from Aerosmith to Rufus Wainwright. This track is on the group’s first album, When the Clock Strikes 12.
Appears on Sandinista, the Clash‘s triple-album of a wide array of styles — punk, rap, R&B, reggae, & dub. If not as strong as the group’s previous album (the brilliant London Calling), this record does have some great songs, including “The Magnificent Seven,” “Charlie Don’t Surf,” and “Police on My Back.”
The Puppini Sisters cover the song that was a big hit for Classics IV in 1968. This recording appears on the Puppini Sisters’ second album, The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo. Their new record, Christmas with the Puppini Sisters, is just out.
Brenton Wood (born Alfred Jesse Smith, 1941) had two hit singles in 1967: this one, and “Gimme Little Sign.” My recording of this song comes from the collection Beg, Scream & Shout! The Big Ol’ Box of ’60s Soul, but I’m sure it’s on many other compilations, too.
Reeves‘ cover of Van Morrison’s song appeared on her first solo record. (She split with the Vandellas in 1972.)
16. The Candy Man Sammy Davis Jr. & Mike Curb Congregation (1972) 3:13
“The Candy Man” originally appeared in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971), but this is the best known recording of the tune, and a #1 hit record for Sammy Davis Jr. Below, Davis performs the song:
The star of many cowboy movies and the father of the late John Ritter, Tex Ritter had a successful career as a country singer. This particular song wasn’t one of his hits, but it’s a good one!
The commercial jingle for Hershey’s chocolate. I wasn’t able to find this particular commercial on YouTube, but here’s one from (I think) the early 1980s. Note its attempts to represent a “diverse” American population.
From Whitehurst‘s final album, begun as an attempt to sharpen up his songwriting chops after what he’d hoped were successful treatments for his cancer. Unfortunately, Very Tiny Songs proved to be his last record. Logan Whitehurst died in December 2006 at the age of 29. But he left behind a remarkable body of delightful, original work. Some of my favorites are “Happy Noodle vs. Sad Noodle,” “Me and the Snowman,” “Internal Banana Farm,” and “Farkle!” (of which there are several versions). If you enjoy They Might Be Giants or Parry Gripp, then Logan Whitehurst may well appeal to you, too.
From Bill Morrissey‘s Night Train, which does not include the jazz standard of the same name but does feature a great duet — “Love Arrives” — with David Johansen.
That’s all for now. It’s going to be a busy week, but I will do my utmost to post volumes five, six, and seven of the Halloween mixes before the 31st.
Welcome to the third Halloween Mix! Some more by artists from previous Halloween mixes (the Clash, Robyn Hitchcock, Squirrel Nut Zippers, They Might Be Giants), plus plenty that appear here for the first time: Laurie Anderson, Cozy Cole, Garbage, Hoodoo Gurus, Rockwell, Spike Jones, Swan Dive, and many more.
Panic! at the Disco cover “This Is Halloween,” on the “Special Edition” CD of the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. A confession: I’m very obsessive-compulsive about mix-making and had original started this mix with AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” (from Back in Black), but decided that this track might make a better opening. Since this is an on-line mix, of course, you should feel free to cue up your own copy of AC/DC if you’d prefer the mix that way. After all, I’ll never know!
Yes, this is the song sampled by M.I.A. for “Paper Planes. ” It’s from the last proper Clash album, Combat Rock (1982), which included the big hit “Rock the Casbah” and the smaller hit “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” I say “the last proper Clash album” because, although there was Cut the Crap (1985), Mick Jones had departed the band at that point and Joe Strummer himself (who is on the album) largely disowned the record.
The voice of Tony the Tiger (that’s him saying “They’re grrrreat!” in the Frosted Flakes commercials), Thurl Ravenscroft (1914-2005) gave his best remembered performance as the singing voice of the Grinch, in the 1966 animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! However, the credits list only Boris Karloff (the Grinch’s speaking voice) and not Mr. Ravenscroft. In a DVD extra to a recent reissue of the TV special, Ravenscroft says that Seuss apoogized for the omission — and that Ravenscroft has no hard feelings about the matter. To learn more about Ravenscroft, I highly recommend Brian E. Jacob’s website All Things Thurl.
After a decade-long hiatus, John Fogerty released Centerfield in 1985, following that up swiftly with Eye of the Zombie in 1986. Though the latter album did not sell as well as its predecessor, Centerfield was a huge hit — “Old Man Down the Road,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Girls” and “Centerfield” all charted. And Eye of the Zombie has its pleasures, such as the title track — the video to which is below.
Camper Van Beethoven cover Hank Williams. This track first appeared on the band’s album of odds and ends, Camper Vantiquities (1993), but was recorded during the sessions for Vampire Can Mating Oven (1987).
From Hitchcock‘s Fegmania!, his fourth album. Other standout tracks on this record include “The Man with the Lightbulb Head,” “Egyptian Cream,” and “Heaven.”
“Where your eyes don’t go a filthy scarecrow waves its broomstick arms and does a parody of each unconscious thing you do.” From TMBG‘s second album, Lincoln. I first saw TMBG in Rochester New York, during the tour for this record. At that time, the band was John Flansburgh, John Linnell, and a drum machine. At one point, when the electronics failed, I remember Flansburgh trying to fix it, while Linnell entertained us with a solo performance of “Why Does the Sun Shine?”
The first track from Black Sabbath‘s second record. Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass guitar, and Bill Ward on drums. Below, the band’s music video for this song.
From St. Elsewhere, the debut album of Gnarls Barkley (Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo), featuring the hit single “Crazy.” I’m very much looking forward to Cee-Lo‘s new solo record, The Lady Killer, due out November 9th.
The Zippers‘ follow-up to Hot ventured a little further afield musically than its predecessor, and did not do as well commercially. But Perennial Favorites included a lot of great songs, including this tribute to songwriter Stephen Foster.
From You’re Beautiful, the first album by Nashville-based duo of Bill DeMain and Molly Felder, a.k.a. Swan Dive. I highly recommend the record and, indeed, Swan Dive in general. I’ve not been keeping up with their career as closely as I should (I don’t have the latest couple of CDs), but I enjoy all the Swan Dive CDs I have.
From Strange Angels (1989), Anderson’s most accessible record and one of her best. In my humble opinion, the two greatest Laurie Anderson records are Strange Angels and Big Science (1982).
24. Run Devil Run Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins (2006) 1:07
Jenny Lewis recorded Rabbit Fur Coat with the Watson Twins. You’ll also know her as the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, and for her other work — her solo record, and Jenny & Johnny, her new album with Jonathan Rice.
This is the recording that Moby samples on “Run On” (from his 1999 album Play). Many other artists have recorded the song, including the Blind Boys of Alabama (on Spirit of the Century), and Johnny Cash (as “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” on American V: A Hundred Highways).
That’ll be all for this week. Next week, it’s Halloween Mix IV, followed closely by Halloween Mixes V, VI, and VII. Enjoy!
On last week’s mix, I felt obliged to include many of the songs people expect on a Halloween mix. You’ll hear more such songs in the coming weeks (“Zombie Jamboree,” included on this mix, is one). But you’ll also hear other songs, such as Roybn Hitchcock’s “The Devil’s Coachman,” Eyeball Skeleton’s “Eyeball Skeleton,” and the Boswell Sisters’ “Heebie Jeebies” Indeed, this may be the only Halloween mix you hear that has both the Boswell Sisters and the Clash. And it begins with the maniacal cackle of the late Joe Strummer.
Released only as a single (and not on an album), this song reflects the Clash‘s immersion in the then new genre of American rap music. And it’s one of the reasons that the Clash are the greatest punk band of all time: they did punk very well, but also rock-n-roll, reggae, dance, and hip-hop. Their musical curiosity makes their albums consistently interesting and — in the case of London Calling (1979) — even outstanding. In the video below, they are performing “This Is Radio Clash” on the Tom Snyder Show, circa 1981.
During the 1990s swing revival, the Squirrel Nut Zippers reached back before the swing bands of the late 1930s and 1940s (the groups that inspired most of their contemporaries) to hot jazz of the 1920s. This was the group’s biggest hit. Here they are performing it on David Letterman’s show:
Asked which singer most influenced her, Ella Fitzgerald would invariably reply, “Connee Boswell.” Though today overshadowed by the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters — Connie, Martha, and Vet — did close-harmony jazz singing a full decade before the Andrews Sisters. Indeed, LaVerne, Maxene and Patty Andrews modeled their group on the Boswells’ group. Below, the Boswell Sisters sing the “Heebie Jeebies” in The Big Broadcast (1932).
This song, a favorite of college a cappella groups, was first recorded by “The Charmer.” This young calypso singer went on to have a much better-recognized career, leading the Nation of Islam. The Charmer’s real name was (and is) Louis Farrakhan.
“Keats and Yeats are on your side, but weird old Wilde is on mine.” As a teen-ager, I was a Smiths fan, but I didn’t fully appreciate Morrissey’s mischievous sense of humor until much later. Below, the Smiths perform “Cemetery Gates” at the National Ballroom in Kilburn, 1986.
6. The Cemetery Architecture In Helsinki (2005) 2:02
The Australian band — named for buildings in the capital of Finland — included this song on the album In Case We Die.
Joe Pernice, Bob Pernice, and the rest of the band perform a song from Yours, Mine and Ours. This was the first Pernice song I heard, though this wasn’t the group’s first album (that was Overcome by Happiness, released in 1998). Below, the Pernice Brothers performing this song in Paris, May 2010.
I’d guess that Dinah Washington is best known for her pop hit “What a Difference a Day Makes” (1959), but she recorded in many styles, including blues, jazz, and R&B. She made many great records in her short but troubled life (she married eight times, and died of an overdose at age 39). If you’re unfamiliar with her work, I highly recommend the 2-CD collection First Issue: Dinah Washington. This particular track does not appear on that album. The recording you hear here comes from disc 2 of The Best of Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour.
Earlier this year, Beck’s Record Club did a great cover of the above INXS song. But our Beck song for this particular mix comes from his Grammy-winning record Odelay. Below, the video:
“The universe is based on sullen entropy. It falls apart as it goes on.” From Hitchcock‘s Queen Elvis — which, incidentally, does not include the song “Queen Elvis.” That’s on Eye (1990).
From the 2004 2-CD issue of The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads. Originally released in 1982 with a 1977 Massachusetts recording of “Psycho Killer,” The Name of This Band… in its new version also includes a 1981 Tokyo recording of the song. Below, David Byrne and boom box perform the song at the beginning of Jonathan Demme’s brilliant Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense (1984).
Punk + rockabilly = psychobilly, a musical genre that the Cramps helped create. At the time this song was recorded, the Cramps were the late Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser, 1946-2009) on vocals, Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace) on lead guitar, Kid Congo (Brian Tristan) on guitar, and Nick Knox (Nicholas Stephanoff) on drums. Below, here’s that lineup, performing at the Mudd Club, NYC, 1981.
15. Jack the Ripper Pilchard [The Hives vs. Screaming Lord Sutch] (2006) 3:34
Pilchard mashes the Hives’ “Hate to Say I Told You So” (2000) with Screaming Lord Sutch‘s “Jack the Ripper” (1963). David Edward Sutch (1940-1999) was a musician and politician. Under his pseudonym Screaming Lord Sutch, he released horror-themed singles and LPs and he ran for office. In the 1960s, he ran for Parliament as a member of the National Teenage Party. In 1983, he founded the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, and ran for Parliament many times. Sutch suffered from depression and took his own life in 1999. Sweedish garage rockers the Hives are best known for their hits “Hate to Say I Told You So” (2000) and “Tick Tick Boom” (2007). And for their black-and-white outfits, which they change with each tour. They wore suits with ascots for Veni Vidi Vicious (on which “Hate to Say I Told You So” appeared) and schoolboy outfits for The Black and White Album (on which “Tick Tick Boom” appeared).
A #11 pop hit, this song was also the Electric Prunes‘ biggest hit. You can find it as the opening track on the fantastic collection Nuggets. Below, the Electric Prunes perform the song on The Mike Douglas Show. Afterward, Douglas talks to the band, and Barbara Feldon learns to play the drums, accompanying the band on “Get me to the World on Time.”
The single version of the track released (in a different, longer version) on the band‘s Tonight (2009). And, yes, the band is named for the archduke whose assassination lead to the First World War. Below, a long version of the song, live from the iTunes Music Festival, 2009.
The first single (and a #1 hit in both the US and UK) that appears on the American edition of the Stones‘ fourth album Aftermath, which also includes “Under My Thumb” and “Lady Jane.” In the UK, it appeared only as a single. Below, the Stones lip synch the song on a British TV show, 1965.
The Strangeloves were not the Australian brothers Miles, Niles and Giles Strange, as their publicity materials claimed. They were the creation of New York songwriter-producers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer. They also were not a one-hit wonder. They were a three-hit wonder. ”I Want Candy,” “Cara-Lin,” and “Night Time” were all top 40 hits in 1965. Though it didn’t quite make the top 40 of the pop charts, Bow Wow Wow‘s cover of “I Want Candy” (1982) was a club hit. Below: the Strangeloves and lots of dancers on TV, c. 1965.
As of this writing, Marcy Playground is a one-hit wonder. But, who knows? Perhaps they will yet get another hit. After “Radar Love” hit in 1973, Golden Earring was a one-hit wonder until “Twilight Zone” hit in 1982.
Featuring the voice of Marilyn Sokol, this song appeared on Sesame Street and on the album Sesame Street Monsters in 1975. According to the MuppetWiki on the song, the song was removed from rotation when a mother complained that the song’s verse “If I make friends with a friendly monster, / I’ll let him bounce me on his knee. / I’ll let him do whatever he wants ta, / Especially if he’s bigger than me” could be “interpreted in an unwholesome way.”
Eight-year old J.J. Brown, ten-year old Charlie Brown and their dad — the trio known as Eyeball Skeleton — released #1 (on which this song appears) in 2005. Are Eyeball Skeleton still a going concern? The band’s static MySpace page suggests not.
Frank Zappa gave the Persuasions their big break, producing their first album, A Cappella (1970). They, in turn, paid tribute to him on Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa (2000). This track is not from that album, but from Sunday Morning Soul (also released 2000). After over 40 years, the Persuasions — featuring three original members — are still going strong.
And that’s it for this week. Stop by again next week for a third Halloween mix.
Welcome to the first of seven Halloween mixes. Yes, you heard me correctly: seven. I’ll be posting one per week until the week of October 25th, when three mixes will appear. This first mix includes a lot of the songs you’d expect, with a few you might not. Enjoy!
From Bach: Great Organ Favorites, as recorded by E. Power Biggs (1906-1977).
2. Monster Mash Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers (1962) 3:14
This was the biggest hit for Bobby “Boris” Picket (1938-2007), featuring his vocal impersonations of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. In addition to being a #1 hit single and selling millions of copies, it’s probably the pop song most associated with Halloween. Below, a clip of Pickett lip-synching to his hit, sometime in the mid-1960s.
3. The Time Warp Riff Raff, Columbia, Magenta, Narrator, & the Transylvanians (1975) 3:20
From the film of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, featuring the vocal talents of Richard O’Brien (Riff Raff), Nell Campbell (Columbia), Patricia Quinn (Magenta), Charles Gray (Narrator), and others. In the video below, you’ll also see Susan Sarandon (Janet) and Barry Bostwick (Brad).
Accompanied by Vincent Price‘s monologue, the title track from one of the biggest-selling albums of all-time. If you grew up in the 1980s, you’ll remember the videos. Heck, even if you didn’t grow up then, you might know them: “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” and of course… “Thriller.”
The late Mr. Zevon‘s biggest hit — actually, I think it was his only hit. A great song, and a much better use of the music from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” First appeared on the album Excitable Boy.
Here’s a clip of Hawkins hamming it up, dressed in a cape, carrying a skull in one hand, and with a… is that a bone or a bleached white mustache below his nose there? No idea.
“What’s up with what’s going down?” Produced by Butch Vig (producer of Nirvana, & member of Garbage), L7‘s Bricks Are Heavy was also the band’s best-selling record, featuring L7′s best-known single — “Pretend We’re Dead.”
From the band’s final album featuring lead vocalist Bon Scott (1946-1980), this song has one of the catchiest guitar riffs in the AC/DC canon… or in any band’s canon, for that matter.
Featuring the late great Randy Rhoads (1956-1982) on lead guitar, Blizzard of Ozz launched Osbourne‘s solo career — thanks in no small part to this song, one of Ozzy’s biggest hits. The recording you hear here is not quite the original version, but it’s as close as you can get these days. When the bass player and drummer sued Ozzy for unpaid royalties on this song, he had others re-record their parts and all subsequent copies of the song feature the more recently recorded bass and drums. The vocals and Rhoads’ guitar are, of course, the originals.
A #1 hit in 1973 (and the group‘s biggest hit), “Frankenstein” appears on They Only Come Out at Night and on countless hit collections, soundtracks, etc.
Yes, I know that the word “Cemetery” is misspelled, but that’s the way the Ramones spell it. And they spell it that way because it’s the theme song to the film based on Stephen King’s novel Pet Semetary, a movie I recall seeing in a movie theatre in Rochester, New York, in 1989. All I really remember about the movie is that Fred Gwynne is in it, living in a rural area on a road where eighteen-wheelers pass by at very high speeds, and that someone is struck by one of these eighteen-wheelers. ’Cause, see, there’s also this cemetery where you can bury the dead, and then they come back to life again… only not quite like they were before….
A great Australian band, the Hoodoo Gurus gained a following on U.S. college rock radio in the 1980s. Mars Needs Guitars! (which includes this song) is a great rock-n-roll record — which, back in the day, I bought on cassette. The album also includes the better-known songs “Bittersweet” and “Poison Pen.”
If asked to name a favorite band, They Might Be Giants would be my answer. This song comes from Apollo 18, the group’s fourth album — though, then, they were not so much a group as a duo. On their next album, the pair that had (on its first record) mocked itself as a “Rhythm Section Want Ad” added a full backing band.
From the band‘s pop-goth epic, Disintegration. If I remember correctly, “Lullaby” was actually the first single off of the record. Or perhaps it was “Fascination Street”? Well, whichever it was, the album’s big hit was “Love Song.” But this song’s a good one, too.
Mp3s are for sampling purposes. If you like what you hear, please go and buy it. Go to the artists' concerts. Tell your friends about them. If you represent an artist or a label and would prefer that I remove a link to an mp3, please email me: philnel at gmail dot com.
Last year, Nine Kinds of Pie presented seven Halloween mixes. This year, it’ll be just one new Halloween mix. (Feel free to check out the old ones, though. They’re still up on the blog!) The theme this year is all instrumental. Henry Mancini, Combustible Edison, Big Lazy, and others present some (mostly) spooky tunes without words. Enjoy!
As promised, it’s the seventh and final 
Welcome to the third Halloween Mix! Some more by artists from 
On 
Welcome to the first of seven 
