Songs for the Halloween Season 17

We will check out some voodoo songs for today. First up is one by The Lovin' Spoonful called "Voodoo in My Basement." It's kind of a quirky yet spooky tune. Listen to the lyrics.





Next we have Bobby Goldsboro doing one of his best songs ever, "Voodoo Woman." This one's not an eerie song or anything like that, but the narrator is doing his best to stay away from the evil voodoo woman.

Songs for the Halloween Season 16

Keeping on with the witch theme started in the last post, here are a couple more. First is the renown "Black Magic Woman" by Santana. I could have equally gone with Fleetwood Mac's original version but since I already featured two Fleetwood songs previously I want to give another artist a chance in the Halloween revelry.






How about a "Swamp Witch" for today's final selection? The track by Jim Stafford features a creepy tale so listen carefully. If you don't get spooked you're not listening!

Songs for the Halloween Season 15

Halloween is never complete without witches and neither is a list of songs for the holiday without them either. So first we'll hear "The Witch Queen of New Orleans" by Redbone. A smokin's song by a native American band, it's not particularly scary but it does have some 'witching' elements.






Moving right along we revisit The Eagles with their classic, "Witchy Woman." This one is most appropriate for Halloween--music, lyrics & all. And that ending! It will give you a fright if turn up the volume and turn off the lights.

Songs for the Halloween Season 14

The focus of today's selections will be houses. First up is Jumpin' Gene Simmons doing "Haunted House." It's a cute song and not scary, but hey, it is about moving into a haunted house!






Next is another house but this is one that has four doors and squeaky ones at that. The Moody Blues' "House of Four Doors" has some creepy Mellotron, percussion elements and those old scary movie squeaky door effects and makes it a prime cut for Halloween.

Songs for the Halloween Season 13

Today we'll feature another Fleetwood Mac tune, albeit one from the Lindsey Buckingham years. There are plenty of good ones by them. This one, "I'm So Afraid," is a dark-sounding song and the title says it all.






Next up is Dusty Springfield doing her best impression of a late 60's Motown recording artist with the song "Haunted." She's so haunted she cannot eat or sleep. Not a scary song though. The Halloween treat is all in the title and lyrics.

Songs for the Halloween Season 12

Continuing on with soundtrack music, how about two from John Carpenter today? First up is the very familiar theme from "Halloween." I don't think more needs to be said about this one.






The second selection for today takes us a few years earlier to another Carpenter classic, "Assault on Precinct 13." I first heard this on a BBC documentary and just had to find out what it was. It was most likely all recorded with electronic keyboards. Simple yet chilling.

Songs for the Halloween Season 11

How about a couple of soundtrack songs today? Soundtracks can be known for being very spine-tingling and here are a few that could be considered more obscure. First up is Alain Goraguer's "Deshominisation." Perhaps most would not find this song particularly creepy but for me it certainly conjures an atmosphere of suspense and mystery. Must be that wah guitar, clavinet and dark strings.






Next up is one from the Charles Bronson movie, "Citta Violenta." It's a song by Ennio Morricone and again many might not find it to be scary but it does have unsettling elements, especially that intro and the snake-like guitar permeating throughout the song.

Songs for the Halloween Season 10

First up today is a great song by the Alan Parsons Project called "The Voice." I find this song unsettling, from the music to the lyrics themselves. It is a rather prophetic song as it envisions a society where we are being watched all the time, and comes from a concept album addressing the increasing technological dominance over our lives.





The second song today has a connection to the first. It is "One Stage Before" by Al Stewart and was produced by Alan Parsons. The song is in a minor key and the keyboards are what really give this one the atmosphere. The lyrics describe an endless case of déjà vu.

Songs for the Halloween Season 9

Today we'll feature some novelty songs. First up on day 9 is a song by Jimmy Cross called "I Want My Baby Back." The music itself is not particularly unsettling but it's the story in the lyrics that make this one a freaky Halloween pick.






Next up is Bent Bolt & The Nuts doing "Mechanical Man." This one's also not a creepy song but more of a "Monster Mash" type thing about a robot. More silly than scary but great for Halloween.

Songs for the Halloween Season 8

How about some more recent tracks? Like from the 90's?  I say 'tracks' because the second selection for today might receive some scoffs if I referred to it as a song. But I am reserving the right to pick tracks which may not fit the traditional definition of what a song is. But no doubt that today's first pick is a real, actual song. Portishead is a band that has many creepy-sounding songs but I think this one is their creepiest. "Half Day Closing" is a song that makes your hairs stand on end. Everything about this song is just not right.






Here's another from the 90's. This is the one that is not exactly musical but it is great for Halloween. Boards of Canada is considered an 'electronica' band and a lot of their music incorporates lo-fi and/or creepy elements. Much of what you hear in "Color of the Fire" is taken from a Sesame Street segment which has been slowed down and modified just enough to freak many people out. In fact, I have even used this song played backwards on a little scary video I made!

Songs for the Halloween Season 7

Selection #1 today is "Born Under a Bad Sign" by Cream. Not a particularly scary song or any creepy elements even. It's all in the title and lyrics.






Next up is Fairport Convention's "It's Alright Ma, It's Only Witchcraft." Again, not a scary song or any scary elements. It's in the title and lyrics.

Songs for the Halloween Season 6

Today's first selection is "Time of the Season" by The Zombies. I don't know why but I've always associated this song with autumn and Halloween. Probably because of it's minor key, the heavily reverbed clapping and gasping sounds, the delayed subdued vocal and the crazy double-tracked organ playing.  A classic! Too bad the band did not enjoy the success of this song as a band.






There are not too many country songs that I would consider great for Halloween but Porter Wagoner's "Rubber Room" is about as psychedelic as country ever got. The song may start off rather tame but even at the end of the intro you can tell something is awry. Progressively we start to hear an odd organ and then heavily-echoed vocals and a great buildup at the end.

Songs for the Halloween Season 5

First up today is Them's version of "I Put a Spell on You". This is clearly a great Halloween song just based on the title and there are so many great versions to choose from, including Creedence Clearwater Revival's from their debut album. But there is just something about this version that sounds bone-chilling. Maybe it's Van's vocal delivery. Or perhaps the vibes in the background or that sax that sounds as though it's being played in a dark, empty alley. Whatever it is it sure works for me.






How about some Pink Floyd for selection #2? Almost anything from their first couple of albums could qualify. Even though some of the early tracks had an air of silliness to them there was still an underlying sinister air or sound to them. The track I picked here is called "Pow R. Toc H." is very strange indeed. Starting off with some weird animal calls it then progresses into a jazzy piano and drum driven piece followed by a return to animal sounds and a hodge-podge of minor guitar and organ sounds.

Songs for the Halloween Season 4

First up today is Tiny Tim's "Stay Down Here Where You Belong". I had just recently discovered Tiny and I am really impressed with his art. This song is perfect for Halloween. The subject matter, the creepy organ and his quivering echoed vocals give this song all the right elements.






How about another Tim for the second pick? Here is Tim Buckley with "Song Slowly Song" from his debut album of 1966. That is my favorite album of his and the next one was up there as well. Beyond those two, things starting getting a bit avant garde for my liking. I can only imagine what sort of album he could have continued to put together in the late 60's and early 70's if he had stayed on course of the first two. Regardless, this song here is quite minimalist and yet unsettling. The minor key, tremolo guitar and heavily reverbed percussion instruments all excel in creating the effect.

Songs for the Halloween Season 3

Today's first selection is "Take the Devil" by The Eagles. Very dark song with some menacing electric guitars and that piercing, elongated "from your mind" vocal line delivered by Randy Meisner in the middle which is utterly bone-chilling.






My second selection is "Hypnotized" by Fleetwood Mac. Superb song by the pre-Buckingham/Nicks version of the band. The lyrics are surreal in nature and deal with some strange occurrences indeed. This song gets its eeriness from the electric and acoustic guitar lines throughout and Bob Welch's subdued vocal.





Come back tomorrow for 2 more selections!

Songs for the Halloween Season 2

One of my all-time favorite tunes all year round is "Spooky" by the Classics IV & Dennis Yost. This song even mentions Halloween in the lyrics. I have never heard a better version of this song ever. The eerie sound of the background singers, that howling wind type sound during the breaks and that non-stop rhythm guitar gave this song all the perfect ingredients for a spooky song! Here is a hard-to-find mono single mix of the song:






Next up is another track from the same era, Donovan's "Season of the Witch." Loved this song the first time I heard it. Those electric guitar lines throughout the song and that organ in the middle are so perfectly chilling! Not to mention that witch is mentioned so many times. Here is the mono mix:

Songs for the Halloween Season 1

There are very few songs that are considered Halloween songs but plenty that revolve around the general overall themes of the holiday. Some songs are just plain creepy or unsettling and those are great for the day as well. I will post two of my favorite Halloween-ish songs here per day--as though we were back in the days of 45s--through November 2 which is the Day of the Dead.

First up is "Devil Woman" by Cliff Richard. The ambiance of this song is so perfect for the subject matter. Very simple arrangement yet it draws the desired feelings. The whispered "look out" warning adds to the air of fright.






The second selection for today is "Planet Caravan" by Black Sabbath. I'm not a hug fan of metal but this song became my favorite Black Sabbath song as soon as I first heard it. The dark, minor key and the creepy Leslie-speakered vocal create the entire eerie atmosphere of the song. I also like the video someone made to go along with this song. It looks like the English countryside in late fall or early winter. Very bleak-looking and reminiscent of the countryside scenes in the "Straw Dogs" film.





Those are my selections for today. Come back tomorrow for two more!