Happy Halloween Season!
I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted. Recent years trends show I only post during Halloween season. I was about to miss this season completely.
Truth be told, I haven’t been partaking in the horror genre that much as of late. A movie here, a novel there, but nothing that inspired me to write. I have been honing my skills at the craft, but much of what I have been writing is more transgressive and coming-of-age rather than horror.
So here it is, Halloween season. All the ghosties and ghoulies are here by my side, begging “Put us some place! Stick us in a story! Pull us off the page and write about us! What are you waiting for?” Sorry creepies, I have no place to put you. Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna leave you creeping around with nothing to do. Youze guyz are gonna do some dancing! I’ll supply the music. For this year’s October post is about Halloween jams.
Creating a Halloween Playlist
Let’s deconstruct a Daniel W Cheely Halloween Playlist recipe. Are the ingredients spicy or sweet? Is the range flaming hot or set to a simmer? Perhaps the concoction is served chilled. Are the ingredients common to the average household or are they exotic or wildcrafted? Oh what could this “Strange Brew” be? (That’s on the list. “Strange Brew” by Cream, 1967).
To begin, not too many songs are sweet or soothing. Even though many of the song themes are about those lovely dead things, this is a lively playlist. It’s music for dancing, for fist thumping and toe tapping. Air guitars and air drums are also welcome. So, no, “Eyes Without A Face” by Billy Idol is not included. At the same time, I’m not aiming for the frenetic. Though heavy metal is a genre most welcome on this list, Slayer is not included. Likewise, I stay away from songs that might be fitting as background music for a haunted house, but not for a party. Some thirty-minute tracks by Pink Floyd or King Crimson might have that certain level of genius to translate terror and turmoil into notes and beats, but would quickly empty a room. Ditto certain elements of darkwave and goth. In sum, not so sweet (well, there might be a couple), definitely spicy and even bitter. But not explosive. What about chilled? A little, but a lively kind of chill.
Will the list have commonly known Halloween song staples (ingredients common to the average household?) Of course. Thriller, Ghostbusters, The Monster Mash; yeah it’s got them songs. But much more. There’s jazzy songs from the 1930s and 40s. Horror movie scores and theme songs. These would be movies across six-seven decades. As for genres, there’s folk, hippie-rock, psychedelic, hard rock, heavy metal, pop, house, punk, postpunk, alternative, new wave and rap. So, yeah, it’s quite eclectic.
Are all these songs specifically about Halloween? Of course not. The true meanings might not even be about ghosts and witches, hexes and frights. But the imagery is there. Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” may have nothing to do with Autumn or witches.. But it’s on my list. I draw the line on certain songs though. I will not include “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by The Charlie Daniel’s Band simply because the song’s antagonist is the red guy himself.
Do you know what the best thing about this recipe is? Since it’s my own concoction, I can break the rules! Relax, it doesn’t happen often. But I can subjectively interpret Nico and the Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties” as a Halloween song simply because Nico sings about “what costumes shall the poor girl wear to all tomorrow’s parties?” And one or two of these songs just might clear a room, depending on who’s in there. Just blame it on the chef. (That’s me!)
I’ve decided to write about five selections from this playlist. They are from different genres and decades just to illustrate the variety. At the end of this piece is the YouTube link to the entire playlist. Let’s go!
“Dream Warriors” by Dokken
Ahh those 80s memories! Dokken was not one of my bands. I had dismissed them as a cheesy hairband, one of the dimes of a dozen. I still do. Only a few years ago I bought the 1987 album “Back for The Attack” just to own a copy of the song “Dream Warriors,” hoping I would like the rest of the album just as much. I didn’t.
So, what’s so special about the song “Dream Warriors?” It’s the theme song for the movie Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 – Dream Warriors. God, how I loved this movie back in the day! It was my favorite of all the Freddy Krueger movies. (Now it might be the original film – Nightmare on Elm Street). The music video features the band Dokken inside the nightmares that are shown in the movie. I had forgotten about it. I forgot how Dokken outsmarts Freddy, and leaves him frustrated like the old silent movie villain who twitches his mustache and shouts “curses!” when the hero rescues the girl. Amusing stuff.
“The Headless Horseman” by Kay Starr
This old-timey, jazzy tune is such a gas! And… I don’t have too much information about it. The more I research the less I know. Some sources credit Bing Crosby as the original composer (heh-heh, I corrected a typo. I had written “Bong” Crosby. Heh-heh, smoke up, Crosby!). I did find a version featuring him as the singer. But other sources have the Crosby version originating from the 1940s and Starr’s recording from the 1930s. Then some other source claims the Starr version wasn’t released until the 1990s, where it was used in a Headless Horseman Disney movie. It is a child-kike song. Yet another source claims the Star version is falsely credited as being made in the 1930s. Soo confusing.
Twenty minutes in this worm hole was long enough for me. I came back up to earth and decided, “Fuck it, let someone else figure this shit out!” Maybe that someone is you! It’s a fun, silly song.
“Welcome to My Nightmare” by Alice Cooper
It’s such a doggone shame that poor ol’ Alice is left off of so many Halloween playlists. This guy is the king of horror rock! Or was. He had that snake draped around him as if it was a scarf. He was into scary black eye-shadow long before the likes of Marylin Manson.
Do you know who appreciated Alice Cooper? The Muppets, that’s who! At least the original muppets, not these latte drinking, yoga-stretching things television tried to throw at us 10-15 years ago.
Check it out, here’s Kermit the Frog introducing Alice Cooper –
“I Fear the Night” by Tyree Cooper
I should retitle this piece “Keeping up with the Coopers.” We move from glam rocker Alice Cooper to house producer Tyree Cooper. Tyree first release was “I Fear the Night,” back in 1986. Summer of 86’ was one of my favorite summers evah! There I was, sitting on the patio at night, buzzed on something, a house mix on a cassette jamming from my boom box, and along came this song. I loved it! I was “feeling the night” right along with the chic who was singing. Oops, silly me, she wasn’t “feeling the night,” she was fearing it. I misheard the lyrics. No matter, it was a cool jam.
I was right about one thing – calling her ‘chic’. She went by the name “Chic”. Her real name is Dorothy Cooper. She’s Tyree’s sister. I only just learned this a week ago. How cool is that?
“The Svengoolie Stomp” by Freddy “Boom- Boom” Cannon
Aren’t you just sick of old-timey Chicago folks who say things like “Svengoolie! I haven’t thought of him for years” or “I remember when his show was on.” Well Mr. Old Guy, it’s still on and you can think of him, and watch him, every Saturday night on MeTV.
For those in the dark, Svengoolie is a beloved horror-host who shows us scary movies once a week. He is well-versed in mixing horror and comedy. Once known only to the Chicagoland area, he is is now syndicated.
Freddy “Boom-Boom” Cannon, an old rock & roll performer, dedicated a song to Svengoolie. The video below shows scenes of Elgin, Illinois’s annual “Nightmare on Chicago Street” festival. Svengoolie is frequently at this event signing autographs and judging costume contests.
Now, if these five songs aren’t enough for you, check out my Halloween playlist of well over seventy-five songs. It’s spooktacular, folks. Be prepared to dance or rock. Happy Halloween!
