Pop and Halloween Song of the Week: "[The System Of] Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether"

It's that time of year again. And sometimes it's enough to drive you -- well, you know...

Halloween Song of the Week: "Swamp Witch"

Talk about your creepy country songs.

And for some strange reason, this song seems more timely this October than it was in the past.

Favorite Halloween Songs from Years Past

Repost

1. “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde.

A musical foray into Anne Rice territory.



2. “Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo.

The one video from the 1980s few of my generation have ever heard of. And to think we make fun of Twilight movies.



3. “Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush.

Not only can Kate sing but she really knows how to make an entrance as well.



4. “Spooky” -- Classics IV.

The video is no big deal but the song has always haunted me since I first heard it. Plus how many romantic songs can one associate with Halloween apart from this one?



5. “Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays.

An obscure video which deserves more publicity than it got.



6. “Werewolf” -- Five Man Electrical Band.

I will admit that this video is not exactly very imaginative in a visual sense but the tune was one of my more memorable Halloween songs of my youth.



Plus as a special bonus:

7. “Monster Mash” -- The Monster Club Soundtrack.

“Maestro... Our song.”

Halloween Song of the Week: "Joan Crawford"

One would think that they would play this song more often during October but apparently they don't. At least not in Dallas.

Favorite Halloween Videos from Years Past

Repost

1. “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde.

A musical foray into Anne Rice territory.



2. “Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo.

The one video from the 1980s few of my generation have ever heard of. And to think we make fun of Twilight movies.



3. “Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush.

Not only can Kate sing but she really knows how to make an entrance as well.



4. “Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays.

An obscure video which deserves more publicity than it got.



Plus as a special bonus:

5. “Monster Mash” -- The Monster Club Soundtrack.

“Maestro... Our song.”

Halloween and Pop Song of the Week: "Surfin' Spooks"

Because even a diehard Halloween music fan like myself can only listen to "Monster Mash" so many times.

Halloween and Pop Song of the Week: "Spooky"

Who says that you can't find romance in a Halloween song?

Halloween and Pop Song of the Week: "Werewolf"

From Canada's Five Man Electrical Band, it's one of the few Halloween-themed songs from the 1970s that did not appear on the Dark Shadows soundtrack this year.

Favorite Halloween Videos from Years Past

Repost

1. “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde.

A musical foray into Anne Rice territory.



2. “Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo.

The one video from the 1980s few of my generation have ever heard of. And to think we make fun of Twilight movies.



3. “Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush.

Not only can Kate sing but she really knows how to make an entrance as well.



4. “Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays.

An obscure video which deserves more publicity than it got.



Plus as a special bonus:

5. “Monster Mash” -- The Monster Club Soundtrack.

“Maestro... Our song.”

Halloween and Pop Song of the Week: "Hell"

The Squirrel Nut Zippers may not have talent on loan from God but they definitely have connections with the Other Guy.

Halloween and Pop Song of the Week: "Laurie (Strange Things Happen)"

In honor of the Day of the Dead.

Favorite Halloween Videos from Years Past

Repost

1. “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde.

A musical foray into Anne Rice territory.



2. “Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo.

The one video from the 1980s few of my generation have ever heard of. And to think we make fun of Twilight movies.



3. “Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush.

Not only can Kate sing but she really knows how to make an entrance as well.



4. “Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays.

An obscure video which deserves more publicity than it got.



Plus as a special bonus:

5. “Monster Mash” -- The Monster Club Soundtrack.

“Maestro... Our song.”

Halloween Song of the Week: “Monster Mash”

I don't know who made this clip but (1.) it wasn't me and (2.)whoever it was really likes Young Frankenstein.

Favorite Halloween Videos from Years Past

1. “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde.

A musical foray into Anne Rice territory.



2. “Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo.

The one video from the 1980s few of my generation have ever heard of. And to think we make fun of Twilight movies.



3. “Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush.

Not only can Kate sing but she really knows how to make an entrance as well.



4. “Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays.

An obscure video which deserves more publicity than it got.



Plus as a special bonus:

5. “Monster Mash” -- The Monster Club Soundtrack.

“Maestro... Our song.”

Halloween Song of the Week: “Thriller”

Hey, I meant to start posting Halloween videos earlier in the month. Honest.

I should be posting some more this weekend but in the meantime, there is this golden oldie. Now please don't let Michael Jackson talk you all into believing in the occult, okay?

Halloween Song of the Week: “Swingin' at the Seance”

Oops! I almost forgot about this song. It's from a group called The Moon Rays -- a group I never heard of until last year but worth hearing about for many reasons. This tune is a cover version, of course, but it is a good one.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Halloween Song of the Week: “Haunted House”

From 1964, it's Jumpin' Gene Simmons -- not to confused with the guy from KISS -- singing that old Halloween pop favorite, “Haunted House,” yet another item of pop culture which may or may not have anything to do with the desegregation movement of the mid-1960s. But perhaps I am overthinking things again and it is just a coincidence that this tune about some poor guy trying to keep from being driven out of his own house just happened to come out at the height of the American Civil Rights Movement. Let us all hope so...

Eccentric interpretations aside, I hope you all enjoy the song:

Halloween Song of the Week: “Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man”

There's not a whole lot of Halloween videos out there available for posting but there is this video from one of my favorite groups, Concrete Blonde.

I realize that Concrete Blonde is not to everyone's taste but I'd like to think that this is one of their most memorable songs. Plus the sight of lead singer Johnette Napolitano in nineteenth-century dress is hardly a sight I can easily turn away from.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Halloween Song of the Week: “Ghost of Stephen Foster”

This 1999 tune by the Squirrel Nut Zippers isn't really a conventional Halloween song but then none of the songs I've been posting in this category this year have been conventional Halloween songs. Besides, who in their right mind can resist a video that is such an obvious homage to classic animator Max Fleisher, the man who invented Betty Boop and introduced a certain Popeye the Sailor Man to the world of cartoons?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Halloween Songs of the Week

“Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde
“Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo
“Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man” -- Concrete Blonde
“Ghost of Stephen Foster” -- Squirrel Nut Zippers
“Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush
“Haunted House” -- Jumpin' Gene Simmons
“Hell” -- Squirrel Nut Zippers
“Laurie (Strange Things Happen)” -- Dickey Lee
“Monster Mash” -- Bobby "Boris" Pickett
“Spooky” -- Classics IV
“Surfin' Spooks” -- The Ghastly Ones
“Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays
“Thriller” -- Michael Jackson
“Werewolf” -- Five Man Electrical Band