Blog Archives

Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2022

9/30/2022

The new season of the Sounds of Christmas starts November 1. While we get ready for that, we're playing all Halloween music throughout October. We're also trying to make it as easy as we can to listen to the Sounds of Christmas (and the Sounds of Halloween).

There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.

First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website, or on the LISTEN NOW page. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.

Second, you can click on the tree on our front page (between the embedded player and the News Headlines) or on our LISTEN NOW page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.

And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!

We'll keep the Halloween music going all the way through Halloween night! Then, on November 1, it's back to the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!

0 Comments

Creeps

9/19/2022

0 Comments

The creeps I want to talk about today have nothing to do with Halloween, or with the podcast with that same name. It’s actually in reference to what some complaining people like to say, regarding any signs of Christmas that turn up before Thanksgiving (or even before October).

Since you're on this website, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of Christmas and Christmas music, and you’ve run across your share of these particular creeps yourself.

It seems to be that time of year again, I’ve started seeing articles, blogs and posts complaining about what some refer to as “Christmas Creep”. This is supposed to mean that retailers are rushing the season, starting to put Christmas items out earlier and earlier every year.

I think of it more as a “Grinch Creep”. It’s really about the people who like to complain about Christmas music, lights, presents, etc. And, of course, some are just people who like to complain, period. Sadly, we all know the type.

I remember working in the receiving department of a large, box bookstore almost thirty years ago. In early August, customers would start asking about Christmas books. This was not about books to give as gifts, possibly to someone overseas so it would take a long time to get there. This was about books that were about Christmas – decorating, cooking, etc.

And this was not just one or two customers, but multiple customers, asking daily when we would have our Christmas collections out.

I’m sure similar things happen at other retail stores. And while some Grinches like to complain about stores rushing the season, the truth is they’re simply trying to meet their customers’ demand. Seriously, if no one bought this stuff in August or September, would stores continue to give it the shelf space?

Despite these Grinches saying that Christmas is creeping into stores earlier and earlier every year, this is nothing new.

I remember when I was in college (and even high school), one of our local drug store chains always put out the first new batch of Bob’s Candy Canes on September 25. And that would have been back in the early 1980’s.

And it’s not just retail.

Remember the musical version of “Scrooge”? Albert Finney starred. It came out in 1970. A few days after Halloween.

Oh, sure, at least that’s November, right? Well, here are some things you can point out to any of these creeps that you come across, when they start complaining about you rushing the season.

Elvis Presley’s first Christmas album was released on October 15. And that was 1957. People at that time were upset that Elvis would dare perform these sacred songs in his rock and roll style. Irving Berlin himself tried to have the album banned from radio airplay.

No one complained that it was only October. That could be because Frank Sinatra and Gene Autry both released Christmas albums a month earlier. Go back to the previous decade, and you’ll find that Gene Autry released “Here Comes Santa Claus” on October 6. And that was 1947!

So over seventy years ago, no one complained that Gene Autry was rushing the season when his Christmas single hit store shelves in September. Kind of seems silly to be annoyed at Wal-Mart for promoting their new Layaway deals or Target for having a couple rows of Christmas lights (just past the aisles of Halloween costumes).

They wouldn’t do it if people weren’t buying it.

And for those creating Christmas-related things, the season starts even earlier. Mel Torme famously recorded “The Christmas Song” in the heat of summer, decorating the studio with Christmas lights to help get into the spirit. In the summer of 2021, Rob Thomas was working on his first Christmas album, and had a giant TV screen put in the studio, so he could watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel to help get into the spirit.

And on previous episodes of this podcast, you can hear Suzanne from Suzanne’s Band, Michael Sinatra and many other artists talk about all that goes into the creation of their Christmas releases.

They aren’t rushing the season. And neither is your local Michaels’ just because they have Christmas decorations on their shelves before Summer has officially ended.

The Sounds of Christmas launches its new season on November 1. I don’t expect everyone to drop what they’re doing and start listening. Likewise, everyone doesn’t have to run to Macy’s for new ornaments just because they’ve been put on display before Thanksgiving, or before Halloween.Or before the first official day of Fall.

But if you want to, you can.

Now, we do have listeners on November 1, hopefully enjoying their favorite Christmas songs alongside new music from singers and bands they may or may not know. And while we haven’t always been on year-round, we have always started our new season on the first of November.

Like the bookstores, Bob’s Candy Canes and even Frank Sinatra, I’m not trying to rush the season. I just love Christmas. And if you aren’t ready for Christmas music the day after Halloween, that’s okay. We’ll be on, ready for you whenever you are. In fact, whenever you need a little musical Christmas spirit, we’re here for you!

The point of all this is that no one is rushing anything. Christmas is ready for you to embrace it whenever you want, and it has been that way for a very long time.

In “A Christmas Carol”, Charles Dickens wrote “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

Those last three words are All the year. Not just in December. Not just after Thanksgiving. Not just at any particular time someone else decides is appropriate for you.

All the year.

And those words were written in 1843.

That’s why, in the middle of September (which is when I’m posting this) you can watch Jim Carrey’s version of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” on HBO Max right now. Or It’s A Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime. Or all three of Tim Allen’s Santa Clause movies on Disney Plus.

You don’t have to watch any of those, of course. But if you want to, you can.

No one’s making you buy Christmas decorations or candy canes, either.

So whether it’s December or September, if you feel like reveling in some Christmas spirit, you don’t need anyone’s permission. And you aren’t rushing anything.

It isn’t up to anyone else to determine when you get into the Christmas Spirit. No matter what the creeps say.

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

0 Comments

The Sounds of Halloween 2022

9/2/2022

0 Comments

This is part of a blog I wrote years ago, but I revisit it and try to update it a bit each year.

Like most families, Halloween and Christmas have always been big at our house. Lisa and the kids are on the Halloween side, while I'm with Santa.

I learned long ago not to try and convert any of them. I think what happened at Disneyland once illustrates it best. In one of the studios at California Adventure, you can use this machine to determine which hero or villain you are.

I was Tarzan. All three of them were villains.

Oh, well. They love me, anyway.

So as we move toward October, I'm super-busy working on the new season of the Sounds of Christmas. While the station stays on year-round, it goes through a big change every October. The Sounds of Christmas becomes the Sounds of Halloween from October 1 through Halloween night.

I admit, mostly, it's just for my family, while I kick the tires and otherwise make sure everything is set to go for the coming season. But I've found there are a lot of other people that love Halloween, too, so I've expanded the playlist and hope you have a good time with the Sounds of Halloween.

With all that said, what exactly is Halloween music?

Some of it is pretty obvious. Monster Mash. Purple People Eater. Ghostbusters. Songs about things you associate with Halloween - ghosts, monsters, werewolves, vampires and witches. Some are scary stories, and some are about candy or trick-or-treating.

I also include songs from scary movies and TV shows. Some of those are pretty creepy. And some are funny. Many are in-between.

While there are some kids' songs (like The Count from Sesame Street), a few of the songs do have bad language. And some of the themes of some songs are straight out of horror movies, and those probably aren't for little kids, either.

On the Sounds of Christmas, I play many versions of many songs, so you won't just hear Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas". You'll hear lots of different singers and bands, old and new, offering their wake on that classic. I do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. For example, I have well over a dozen versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" (though I may not get to all of them this year, as I try to separate songs and artists so you don't hear the same songs and same voices over and over).

During the Sounds of Halloween, you'll hear from many of your favorite Christmas music singers and bands, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Mannheim Steamroller and even Bruce Springsteen!

There are songs about Killer Tomatoes, Black Magic Women and Haunted Houses. There are also songs about Alien Invasions, Invisible Men and over twenty takes on "I Put A Spell On You" (I probably won't get to all of those, either).

I play lots of Disney songs, from movie villains and from spooky shows on Disney Plus. I also have at least half a dozen songs from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

To give you a better idea, here are a dozen of the songs I listened to from the Sounds of Halloween library as I put this blog together...

Molly Hatchet "Bad To The Bone"
The Cadillacs "The Boogie Man"
John Fogerty "Eye Of The Zombie"
The Who "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
Buck Owens "(It's A) Monster's Holiday"
The Johnny Otis Show "Castin' My Spell"
Atlanta Rhythm Section "Spooky"
Florence + the Machine "My Boy Builds Coffins"
The Ramones "Pet Sematary"
Bonnie Tyler "I Put A Spell On You"
Johnny Cash "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky"
Tom Petty "Zombie Zoo"

Hope you enjoy this upcoming celebration of Halloween during the month of October! And then the new season of the Sounds of Christmas will be here!

May you always believe in Santa Claus (and also the Great Pumpkin)!

Ken

P.S. - To listen, just go to our home page (or click LISTEN NOW above) and click on the player. For some reason, the player isn't showing up on some browsers, so you can also just click on the tree which will give you a pop-up player. And you can search for us in the Google Play store and get our free app for your Android Phone and take us along with you!

0 Comments

Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2022

Creeps

The Sounds of Halloween 2022

Archives

Categories