AN OLD HALLOWEEN SHOW PT.1 & PT.2

[Mike Pell]

Here's a show that's 5 or 6 years old that I brought back and used last year.
I'll have a new one for 2010.
So if you would like to listen, here are both halves.

HALLOWEEN PT.1
Well it’s that enjoyably creepy time of the year, Halloween.
And I usually try to acknowledge it on the show with themes within a Theme.
But first, I’ll start with a fellow you may remember from TV, radio and a hit record who was nicknamed the Cool Ghoul, John Zacherle.
I met him some years ago for the 2nd time, and what a nice guy he is.
And Zacherley is around 90 years old but you’d never know it- not by his looks or behavior.
He for some reason kinda latched onto and hung with me at this party, and we laughed and laughed.
One of the friendliest and funniest people I have ever met.
After a couple of things from him, we’ll take on some Haunted Houses.
This will include a song that is not a Halloween tune or scary song per se, but I always had it in the back of my head that it could be played for Halloween.
See what you think.
Then a couple of the ladies to sing about how your own house can seem haunted because of not having been able to get along with your significant other…you can even be a Ghost in your own home!
To close out this first half, a song based on the classic Agatha Christie story 10 Little Indians.
It is by my favorite madman Harry Nilsson, and I plead with you to listen to the lyrics- the humor and the plays on words, a truly funny song.
Interspersed throughout both halves is something by Tom Waits that became a Halloween tradition for Engineer Ken and I, and was a great source of laughs for us over the years.
Part Two will be Wolves and Werewolves.
You have been warned…

Here's the link:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1542

Mike

HALLOWEEN PT.2 END
As promised, I will take a look at Wolves and Werewolves in the concluding chapter for this year.
And I will be doing my lame quasi-Bela Lugosi and Maria Ouspenskaya impressions.
We’ll have songs expected, and some perhaps surprising, regarding our topic.
For your further enjoyment, here are some interesting facts about Monster Movies:

Boris Karloff, who starred as Frankenstein, had to wear 22-
pound size 24 boots. He also donned two pairs of pants with
steel struts shoved in them, and a double-thickness quilted
suit.
Karloff’s facial makeup was one-sixteenth of an inch thick,
and the bolts on the side of his neck left long-term scars.
Bette Davis wanted the part of Mrs. Frankenstein, but was
turned down because she was “too aggressive.”
Among the lighting tricks in the classic film Dracula: Twin
pencil-spotlights were shined in Bela Lugosi’s eyes to give
Count Dracula his legendary hypnotic stare.
The Castle Dracula and Carfax Abbey sets were so expensive
to build that Universal Pictures kept and reused them. You
can spot them in numerous Universal films of the ’30s.
In Boris Karloff’s second big monster flick The Mummy, he
had to be wrapped every day in linen and gauze, and was
covered with mud.
Lou Chaney, Jr.’s werewolf makeup in The Wolf Man took five
hours to apply every day.
The werewolf costume was actually made of yak hair.
Enjoy the show.
Happy Halloween Everyone!

Here's the link:

http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1543

Mike

[Mike Pell]

Dear RJ,
Oh man, glad you got the joke.
On radio you never know- I knew Ken got it, but as for others who can tell?
And no it's not true, although if you add up all the bucks spent on dinner, drinks, dates and all the other courting, it might be cheaper, LOL!
Yes on the Meat Loaf...and a great sandwich too!
The Duran Duran song was originally in my head for a use at another time another show, and I still might do it.
But I am not that familiar with their music.
Those old blues singers like Robert Johnson are hard to understand.
Wait till you hear what I play this year, although the guy is pretty understandable.
And the late Warren Zevon, what a loss!
I love the line about having a pina colada at Trader Vic's, lol!
But what, nobody liked The Werewolf by Michael Hurley?
Just me, lol?
A NEW episode later tonight, if the spooks don't stop me.
Thanks for listening and writing, my favorite (and sensitive, lol!) listener,
Mike

[Mike Pell]

And hey Scott, I forgot to mention I have played the Monster Mash maybe twice in my 12 years at the same place.
It is too easy to hear it elsewhere, so I figure why waste people's time.
Mike

[Mike Pell]

Hey, I wrote the KIND of listener, NOT a specific listener, LOL!

[Mike Pell]

Dear RJ,
I think I did play Haunted House by Jumpin' Gene Simmons before the 7 Rooms, no relation to Kiss.
And as I said, although it is not for Halloween, 7 Rooms Of Gloom works nicely for Haunted Houses.
I really don't know if that is a cover tune by Allison, just know it by here.
And did you see what I wrote to Scott about Allison, how I didn't know who was sing the song I liked so much on the last Northern Exposure?
That is some song by Loretta Lynn, powerful!
I am a HUGE Harry Nilsson fan, and those lyrics you mentioned are from te Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever.
Just yesterday I was listening to his album "Harry", and in the song Rainmaker he says "See how they run" another Beatle reference, Lady Madonna.
And on the same album he does their Mother Nature's Son.
Very sharp pickup on that.
Good listening and writing my friend,
Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

Hey dude, I thought you valued me most...LOL

[Mike Pell]

Dear Scott,
Yes I do voiceovers all the time, but never growling, lol!
I too cling to the notion I am a young man, but I have many memories of childhood, and Zacherle is one of them. What a great guy!
I didn't intend to go country in this one, just came out that way.
I tell you, sometimes I don't even notice the genre in my attempts to play an appropriate song.
Allison Krauss' voice IS fantastic, and the first time I heard her I didn't even know who she was.
I was out of music for years, but at the end of the last ever episode of Northern Exposure, they played a song that I liked so much I actually taped it onto a cassette- not knowing the singer or the title.
When I came back to our music, I happily discovered her.
Hey I LOVE Harry Nilsson! Know all about him.
And I can never feature him on the show because I couldn't just pick out a few songs to play, I could never fit them in an hour or two hours.
Others I feel that way about are the Moody Blues, maybe Tom Paxton, etc.
You most definitely should go back and listen to Harry, he was a mad genius!
As for Pt.2 and age, I didn't exactly see the Bela Lugosi/Lon Chaney movies when they first came out in theaters, I saw them on TV you smartass, LOL!
And I'll tell you something weird- I tried to get into Duran Duran myself but I couldn't.
And the only two songs I can think of that I like are the two you mentioned!
That's spooky.
Nice going on the Robert Johnson story, selling his soul to the devil.
I remember I was VERY aware of it when I played Hell Hounds, but I didn't say anything about it.
Beam me up Scotty, you are the first person to say anything about it.
Yeah that old Warren Zevon song is a great one.
And if I remember correctly I played a terrific song that I thought of as more folk than country, but I liked a LOT either way, called The Werewolf by Michael Hurley.
Think I worked a bit of Johnny Cash in there too, and Hank Williams.
Before I say Happy Halloween, Part One of a NEW Halloween show should be coming tonight.
Thanks for listening and the great observations, just the kind of listener I value most,
Mike

[RJhog (Admin)]

For part two, I love the joke to start the show off (To some I'm a treat....). Great joke, although it's probably true, right?

Meatloaf is always cool, whether it's on the dinner table or on the radio.

I like some Duran Duran. So good pick there. For Scott, I'll be featuring a DD song on an upcoming Best Of list. I know you can't wait.

That Robert Johnson song was awesome. I couldn't understand a word, but I like it.

And of course, Werewolves Of London. If you don't think that song's fantastic, something is wrong with you. Or maybe just listen to this show and pay attention to it. It's a super song.

Great post Mike. Thanks.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Well, my one guess was wrong. But I dig the song that you actually played, which was Seven Rooms Of Gloom.

I must agree with Scott on the Allison Krauss tune. I've heard that before (I actually went through a country music phase) and it seems like that might be a cover tune. Does anybody know? Anyway, she has the softest......voice I've ever heard. Hey, I haven't heard Loretta Lynn in years.

I also liked the Harry Nilsson tune. That was cool. I liked the lyric "it's nothing to get hung up about". Didn't the Beatles have as lyric that's very similar?

Cool show, on to part 2 now.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Before I listen, I'm guessing the Haunted House song to be "House Of The Rising Sun". That's all I've got.

[Scott]

When I think of Halloween music I always think of "Monster Mash", Alice Cooper and of course, Werewolves of London, we'll see how much Welcome to my Nightmare plays into both parts, but I'm pretty sure the first two songs I mentioned are musts for this type of show..

Part 1....
Nice growl Mike! Have you ever voice overs? Never heard of Cool Ghoul or Shock theater, so that was all new to me, you see I'm trying to cling to the notion that I am still a young man. First two tunes had that kind of a Monster Mash feel, at least the era was close ...

What a twist! You went country and blue grass. I gotta say, Allison Krauss' voice is fantastic, so unique and so perfect for blue grass. She is mesmerizing when she sings.

My brother had The Point from Nilsson. Me and My Arrow, remember that? His play on words and playful music was very cool for a time when I was real young. But then I Left him behind in my musical journey, I should go back and listen again... Nice twist in the show !

Part 2...
I don't know why the Bela Lugosi/Lon Chaney movies didn't come to mind. Again, I'm gonna cling to the notion of my young age. lol!

Its funny, there is a thread on CRB about what bands/music you never got into, and I was browsing the Zune market place the other day and ran across Duran Duran. Since I subscribe I get to download full tracks (restricted license but still a cool deal when your trying new music out) - long story short, I tried to listen to see if Ive been missing something, and low and behold... Nope not missing anything. But you did pick one of two songs I like from them. The other? Girls on Film, but that is another show....

Doesn't the legend of Robert Johnson have something about him selling his soul to the Devil? If so, the subliminal message worked for me.

Finally, I got one right! Werewolves of London never gets old ... followed by another country flavor, interesting that country music figures so prominently into Halloween.

Enjoyed these two shows very much! Happy Halloween...