Seven Underplayed Songs For Halloween Times

Hey Everyone!

Theme week comin' your way!  Herc is here to kick us off with a Halloween playlist.  He's got a knack for themed and appropriate music.  ENJOY!


7 Underplayed Songs For Your Halloween Playlist
(part of ongoing series 7 Song Playlists)

The Halloween Playlist is a little more elusive, the pool of songs a little more shallow, than almost any other seasonal or situational playlist. Do you go all atmospheric musically? Do you go Goth? Do you go the familiar horror movie music? Do you go the “scare the children” route? Do you get all high concept? Do you use songs only about the Devil? Herc’s done it all and he’s been everywhere, man, and now he’s gonna share a few lesser known tracks from throughout all time with you.

Spoti-BOO!

“In the Shadows” - The Rasmus [2003]
A rousing, bass heavy anthem that rocks hard, this track from 2003 will kick your party up a notch or three. The lyrics (“I’ve been watching/I’ve been waiting”) paint a darker picture, abstract enough to hint at vampirism (They say/That I must learn to kill before I can feel safe”). There are three different videos for this song by the Finnish band so check them out next time your surfing the Web.

“Lil Red Riding Hood” - Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs [1966]The band that brought us “Wooly Bully” was no one-hit wonder - they followed up that massive hit with this 1966 gem which also made it all the way to #2 on the charts. It’s been featured in more than a few TV shows and movies and has been covered by several artists including those crazy nut rockers from Texas, Bowling for Soup.

“Heartbreak Hotel” - The Jacksons [1980]
Essentially a Michael Jackson solo effort, his brothers are credited with “percussion” while Tito lays down the tasty guitar solo. It predates the paranoid pathos that later blossomed full blown in songs like “Billie Jean” and “In The Closet” and features a creaky rhythm making it sound like a haunted house. Without explanation, the song’s official title was amended to “This Place Hotel” sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s when the CD version of the 1980 album was released.

“Cat People (Puttin’ Out Fire)” - David Bowie [1982]
The original version of this song was written for and featured in 1982 movie Cat People. It is longer and more atmospheric, with a simmering slowness and features one of Bowie’s most haunted vocal performances. (It was used with surprising effect in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds as well.) Due to contractual conflicts, Bowie was unable to use the same recording for his 1983 album Let’s Dance so he re-recorded it with producer Nile Rodgers laying back on guitar, Tony Thompson pounding the drums and Carmine Rojas anchoring the bottom with his bass as a faster, sturdier rocker. The icing on this musical cake is then relatively unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan bringing the wicked solos - his debut solo album wouldn’t be released until a few months later.

“Strong As I Am” - The Prime Movers [1985]
Sounding eerily like a young U2 lyrically and musically, The Prime Movers released this song on their self-titled EP. Director Michael Mann, hot off his hitch on Miami Vice, heard it, loved it and snagged it for the soundtrack of his 1986 film Manhunter. He even personally financed the video for the song. The lead singer left shortly after but the band regrouped without him as Dread Zeppelin and released several reggae infused Led Zeppelin hybrids with Elvis-sounding vocals. Just like U2.

“Wicked Game” - Stone Sour [2006]
A live, acoustic cover of Chris Isaak’s impossibly high-voiced 1989 love lament by the lead singer of the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour, Corey Taylor. His reading adds a little more masculinity to the song while retaining the sadness and heartbreak.

“Used To Love Her” - Guns N Roses [1988]
Axl and the boys snuck this darkly funny acoustic yet metallic ballad out on the stop-gap EP, GNR Lies. It catches you off-guard lyrically and makes a delightful addition to any spooky set. Who knew those bad, bad boys had such a good, good sense of humor?

Spoti-BOO!