Halloween, 2009, Part One--Lee Hartsfeld, Merv Griffin, Beatrice Kay

Tommy sez, "Halloween is coming!" And it is.

Our five-song playlist starts with my very own arrangement of Gounod's theme for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which Gounod had no idea he was writing. In my hands, his Funeral March for a Marionette becomes Funeral Disco (you can tell I was stuck for a name). It's not exactly Disco, but the overall sound reminds me of those great Merv Griffin instrumentals from the Disco era. (Insert segue) Speaking of Merv, no Halloween is Halloween without Merv's 1961 Screamin' Meemies from Planet "X". I mean, in my opinion. And no helping of Screamin' Meemies is complete without Burt Bacharach's sci-fi novelties Moon Man and Take Me to Your Ladder. Again, in my view.

Beatrice Kay's Hooray, Hooray, I'm Goin' Away, predates They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! by nineteen years, and--while not nearly as intense--is nearly as classic a novelty in its own fright. Er, right. Anyway, the plan is to present a five-song playlist (or thereabouts) for each day of October. To which Tommy (above) says, "Buwa-Ha-Ha!!"

Meanwhile, post-Halloween weather has invaded our neck of the haunted woods. Lower 30s last night. Welcome to October.

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SLAYLIST

HALLOWEEN DISCO (Gounod-Hartsfeld)--Lee Hartsfeld, Noteworthy Composer, 2009.
HOORAY, HOORAY, I'M GOIN' AWAY (Skylar)--Beatrice Kay, 1947.
THE SCREAMIN' MEEMIES FROM PLANET "X" (Roberts)--Merv Griffin, 1961.
MOON MAN (Bacharach-David)--Gloria Lambert, 1959.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LADDER (Bacharach-Hilliard)--Buddy Clinton, 1960.


Lee