I think we all prefer our monsters monster-sized. So long as they obey. And so long as they aren't mutant insects...
With Jeane Dixon, break-ins, and seasonal soundalikes out of the way, it's time (just barely) for more of my favorite pieces of tongue-in-cheek terror. And, for some reason, it was only last nght that I found the recording dates for Haunted House Polka and He's Going to Eat Me Up (thanks, 45cat). I'd searched for them in the past, but you know how that goes: Locating data is often a matter of using the exact correct phrase or phrase combination, or you're up a haunted creek without a crucifix. I'm probably showing my age, but I can remember when Google searches were pretty straightforward. You put in a search phrase, and up popped the object of your search. That was, what? 1888 or so?
And, save for the creepy Lookout Mountain, the rest of the slaylist is classic October 31 absurdity: Haunted House Polka (1955), The Screemin' Meemies From Planet "X" (Merv's finest novelty, and he made a number of them), Close the Door (a lighthearted take on The Thing), Rip Van Winkle, Munster Creep, In the Hall of the Cha-Cha King (the least dread-invoking title, after Planet "X"), Which Witch Doctor, Funny Farm, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (nothing to do with Robert Louis Stevenson's brilliant novella). My worn Jekyll copy sounded best with my 1 mil mono stylus, so that's the rip you'll hear. Also, Spooky Movies, which seems to me a Halloween variation on the "I took my girl to the movies, hoping for romance, but she just wanted to moon over Troy Donahue/Guy Madison" genre, only with monsters the target of her ardor. (No, not a love for big-screen pirates.)
Bob Hudson's 1966 I'm Normal, and The Napoleon XV Revue's 1975 He's Going to Eat Me Up are our two axe-cellent copycat answers to They're Coming to Take Me Away, though there are other thump-a, thump-a, thump-a, thump-a knockoffs lurking around. Any number of them, actually, and I have--or used to have--a CD-R of same, though one would have to be strapped down (or in) to take them away in one session. I mean, to take them in. Note that the latter contains a phrase not suggested for family listening.
And this is just from my boo-point, but I seriously believe Merv Griffin made the best, most campy novelties of all time, and of course I've included his two moss-terpieces for the season: the above-mentioned Screamin' Meemies and House of Horrors, both penned/co-penned by Doris Roberts. Another Merv novelty accomplice was the famous Charles Randolph Grean (Quentin's Theme), who produced Merv's RCA hits (during Merv's brief period of chart success) and, far as I know, all of his later special productions, including the immortal Have a Nice Trip (1968), co-written by Charles.
1961's Rip Van Winkle is not so much Halloween in theme but feel, with sound effects fit for the season, and a sufficiently supernatural theme. And a Halloween without Steve Allen is, well, a Halloween without Steve Allen. Allen's "rockin'" ghost rocks in the fashion of cool jazz, as we'd expect from Steverino, who was (hardly) one of rock and roll's early champions.
I cited Lookout Mountain as the single credibly creepy title in the mess--er, mix. That's because there's no lightness in the handling, and, really, it would be a chillingly challenging task to add levity to a narrative about a vengeful ghost coming to kill his widow and her new man. But, a couple questions, at least: Were the Voodoo (?) hexes love spells which backfired? And, if they knew the ghost would find them on Lookout Mountain, wouldn't the simplest solution have been to not go there?
And we get a soul version of Buck Owens' It's a Monster's Holiday. Had I been able to find Owens' own recording (I failed to exhume my copy of same), I'd have made coffin space for it, but... Oh, and there's an incredible story (thanks, Charlie Christ!) behind The Incredible Shrinking Man, on which Ray Anthony is credited as "Ray Anothony." This title music, not surprisingly, started as an acetate not related to the film to the tiniest degree.
And the theme from William Castle's The Night Walker (1964) by (who else?) Sammy Kaye, the fondly remembered (by me, anyway) King Kong cartoon theme, and SPC doing some PD-graverobbing (in this case, from Charles Gounod) with The Alfred Hitchcock TV Show (aka, Funeral March of a Marionette).
A demon's dozen today: Thirteen titles! Well, actually, that was true last post, but I neck-glected to depart that fact. But, today we have a double demon's-dozen today: 26 grisly groaners!! So, be careful! Times two.
DOWNLOAD: Halloween 2023, Part 3
SLAYLIST
Lookout Mountain--Chuck Miller, 1956
Haunted House Polka--The Cavaliers, 1955
The Screamin' Meemies From Planet "X"--Merv Griffin, 1961
Spooky Movies--Roy Clark, 1963
Thirteen Men--Dinah Shore With Harry Zimmerman's Orch. and Cho., 1958
Close the Door--Jim Lowe With Norman Leyden Orch., 1955
Big Bad Wolf--Don Cherry With Ray Conniff and His Orch., 1958
The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Danse Macabre--Dick Jacobs and His Orch., 1958
Rip Van Winkle--The Devotions, 1961
Munster Creep--The Munsters, 1964
House of Horrors--Merv Griffin, Orch, conducted by Charles Grean, 1962
The Naughty Ghost--Jan August With Vocal Group, 1955
I'm Normal--The Emperor (Bob Hudson), 1966
The Rockin' Ghost--Archie Bleyer Orch. and Chorus, 1956
He's Going to Eat Me Up--Napoleon XV Revue, 1975
In the Hall of the Cha-Cha King--Belmonte and His Afro-American Music, 1955
Tennessee Hill-Billy Ghost-Red Foley With the Anita Kerr Singers, 1951
It's a Monster's Holiday--Chick Willis, 1975
Murder, He Says--Betty Hutton With Pete Rugolo and His Orch., 1951
Which Witch Doctor--The Vogues With Al Kavelin's Music, 1958
The Alfred Hitchcock TV Show--Unkown (Diplomat, 1962)
The Incredible Shrinking Man--Ray Anothony (Anthony) and His Orch., 1957
The Thing--Danny Kaye, Orch. and Cho. Dir. by Ken Darby, 1950
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--The Emersons, 1959
The Night Walker--Sammy Kaye and His Orch., 1965
King Kong--Wade Denning and His Port Wawshingtons, 1966
Lee
12 comments:
You're slaying it this year! Thanks for the scary goodies. I'm going to go hide under the bed and listen.
Ernie,
My pleasure! I'm going to hide under a blanket--Winter is making an early appearance in central Ohio!
What a comp! some goodies in here, for sure. I don't know if you're all that familiar with Bob Hudson or not, but he was a giant in L.A. radio during the 60's & early 70's. He was teamed up with Ron Landry and together they performed as a comedy duo & released a few records. His moniker for much of his hey-day was "The Emperor". A Hall Of Famer (in my book).
Thanx, Lee!
Just wanted to give you some extra information concerning some of your theme-related posts on Lee's Fake Hits: "Martian Hop" is a big hit from 1963 that was originally done by the Ran-Dells (It could be spelled with one "l") and the "artist credit" for Broadway/Gilmar's "Purple People Eater" is by "Stevens Mark"; I have the original Gilmar pressing with a purple label.
I have the "Spooky Movies" (flip of Tip of My Fingers) and "Close The Door" by Jim Lowe in my collection (in both 45 AND 78: I actually prefer the flip side, "Neuvo Laredo" over this song; and the LP where the Sammy Kaye LP was taken from, Dancetime; GREAT Charles Albertine arrangements of Goldfinger, You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You, Blue Prelude, and the Beatles' Eight Days A Week on that one.
musicanman1979,
Thanks for the Stevens Mark i.d.--I actually found it shortly after I made that post, and I have no idea why I'd failed to find it before! It was right there at 45cat. I need to update that credit.
I have the "Martian Hop" original, plus a 45 rpm reissue. And, yes, the Kaye LP is outstanding. And a quick online check suggests it's "safe" to blog-post. I should do that. Thanks for the arranger credit.
And I at least USED to have "Spooky Movies" in its stereo LP issue. I tried to find the LP for this post, but it must be hiding on me. (I hope I didn't downsize it.)
And I just got two "Delivery Status Notification (Failure) notices for the last two comments, including mine. I remember that same Blogger glitch from a few years back... But the messages posted. Weird.
Lee, Thank you for three of this year's Halloween Slaylists. Love them! Best, Stevo In Yr Stereo of Nightmare City Halloween
Stevo,
My pleasure, and thanks for the nice words.
So glad the Kaye LP is safe to blog-post! It's a good one! I finally found my copy 20 years ago at an out-of-town thrift store. I originally checked it the copy from an out-of-town library and really liked it. I am actually looking for a more pristine copy; my copy is in decent shape, not great. It is a little scratchy, yet it is in my crate of all-time favorite albums right next to my turntable for easy access.
musicman,
My mono copy is VG+, far as I know. I'll give a more careful look. Any "marks" would be easily dealt with by VinylStudio and its miracle declicking filter.
Great job in finding a version of the Nat King Cole & Phil Flowers Design album! I had that version for a few years until I found a later mid-'60's red label Design pressing with the vinyl that Pickwick was also using on its Pickwick/33 releases. I think the Phil Flowers cuts are in binaural Stereo, being that his vocals are barely audible on mine. However, I primarily only play the Nat King Cole Trio cuts on that album, with my particular favorite being "Beautiful Moons Ago", which does has some loud surface noise at the end of the recording. That and "I'm Lost", which Nat re-recorded in 1962 with George Shearing, are two great early Nat King Cole Trio gems.
musicman 1979,
Thanks! I just wish I'd found a mono copy, but I'm eager to hear the Cole sides. (I put the LP through my Spin-Clean. Should be ready, come to think of it...
The NCC Trio sides are a high point in jazz history. I put them up there with Page Cavanuagh. I imagine a lot of folks don't realize Nat had such amazing piano chops.
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