The Sounds of Christmas station switches to the Sounds of Halloween in October, which is now just around the corner.
I get questions about that a lot, and I've posted variations on this blog several times, and I've recorded similar podcasts episodes about it in the past, but since this is starting up next week, I thought it was time to talk about it again..
This is a tradition I started years ago, in the early days of the Sounds of Christmas station. I’m going to share this story once again - the how and why of the Sounds of Halloween, and how it happened in the first place.
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 explains 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. .
I get questions about that a lot, and I've posted variations on this blog several times, and I've recorded similar podcasts episodes about it in the past, but since this is starting up next week, I thought it was time to talk about it again..
This is a tradition I started years ago, in the early days of the Sounds of Christmas station. I’m going to share this story once again - the how and why of the Sounds of Halloween, and how it happened in the first place.
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 explains 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 get super-busy working on the new season of the Sounds of Christmas. While the station stays on year-round, I had decided to make a change in October, turning the Sounds of Christmas into the Sounds of Halloween from October 1 through Halloween night.
I admit, mostly, this was just for my family, while I kicked the tires and otherwise make sure everything was good to go for the coming season, and I load lots of new music.
But in doing this that first time, I found there are a lot of other people that love Halloween and Halloween music, too, so, year after year, I've expanded the playlist, finding more and more Halloween music.
So, that's how it started, and why it continues.
With all that said, the other question I get a lot is - what exactly is Halloween music?
I admit, mostly, this was just for my family, while I kicked the tires and otherwise make sure everything was good to go for the coming season, and I load lots of new music.
But in doing this that first time, I found there are a lot of other people that love Halloween and Halloween music, too, so, year after year, I've expanded the playlist, finding more and more Halloween music.
So, that's how it started, and why it continues.
With all that said, the other question I get a lot is - what exactly is Halloween music?
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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. And some are just about Autumn.
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. I only say that so you’ll know that, for the month of October, parental guidance is suggested.
By the way, did you know that Sesame Street's Count has a name? Don't think too hard. It's Count von Count. Really, what were you expecting?
Anyway, like the Sounds of Christmas, I add new stuff to the Sounds of Halloween every year - like new songs from Green Day and Smash Mouth (not together), tracks from the Broadway adaptation of The Lost Boys and the TV show The Vampire Lestat, and a gem I recently tracked down - Mel Tormé' singing "Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives" from a 1980s Daffy Duck Halloween special.
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. I only say that so you’ll know that, for the month of October, parental guidance is suggested.
By the way, did you know that Sesame Street's Count has a name? Don't think too hard. It's Count von Count. Really, what were you expecting?
Anyway, like the Sounds of Christmas, I add new stuff to the Sounds of Halloween every year - like new songs from Green Day and Smash Mouth (not together), tracks from the Broadway adaptation of The Lost Boys and the TV show The Vampire Lestat, and a gem I recently tracked down - Mel Tormé' singing "Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives" from a 1980s Daffy Duck Halloween special.
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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 takes on that classic. And l do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. For example, I have over a dozen versions of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", around thirty versions of "Ghost Riders In The Sky" and over three dozen different takes on “I Put A Spell On You” (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 will 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 a dozen versions of “Monster Mash").
During the Sounds of Halloween, you will 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 a dozen versions of “Monster Mash").
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And I play lots of movie and TV songs, including animated classics, new releases and even at least half a dozen songs from Mystery Science Theater 3000.
As a further example, and to give you a better idea of what I mean by Halloween music, here are a dozen songs I randomly shuffled from the Sounds of Halloween library as I put this latest blog together and added it to the Sounds of Christmas website...
Jimmy Hombs "Voodoo Dolly"
Charlie Kinney “Halloween House Party"
Lynn Anderson "Devil Went Down To Georgia"
Link Wray and His Wraymen "The Shadow Knows"
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes “Science Fiction Double Feature"
Bobby Bare "Marie Laveau"
Madison Metricula Roberts "Come Little Children"
Mellomen “Heffalumps and Woozles"
5 Seconds Of Summer "Voodoo Doll"
John Fogerty "Haunted House"
the bird and the bee "Witch”
David Bowie "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
You probably recognized some of those songs, and probably some of those artists, but maybe, at least in some cases, not both. And you might not have realized some of those artists had recorded a version of something, like Lynn Anderson's version of "Devil Went Down To Georgia". Now, I have a bunch of versions of that, including the original by the Charlie Daniels Band (of course), along with versions by Zack Brown, Jerry Reed and Nickelback, just to name a few, along with the sequel by Mark O'Connor (which also features Johnny Cash). Hope that makes sense.
One thing that is different this year, at least different than most previous years. The Sounds of Halloween will run until 6am (Eastern) on November 1. That way, the West Coast of the U.S. (and even Hawaii) will get a chance to finish celebrating Halloween, before the new season of the Sounds of Christmas begins.
I hope you enjoy this upcoming celebration of Halloween throughout October! And then the new season of the Sounds of Christmas will be here, starting on November 1!
May you always believe in Santa Claus (and also the Great Pumpkin)!
As a further example, and to give you a better idea of what I mean by Halloween music, here are a dozen songs I randomly shuffled from the Sounds of Halloween library as I put this latest blog together and added it to the Sounds of Christmas website...
Jimmy Hombs "Voodoo Dolly"
Charlie Kinney “Halloween House Party"
Lynn Anderson "Devil Went Down To Georgia"
Link Wray and His Wraymen "The Shadow Knows"
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes “Science Fiction Double Feature"
Bobby Bare "Marie Laveau"
Madison Metricula Roberts "Come Little Children"
Mellomen “Heffalumps and Woozles"
5 Seconds Of Summer "Voodoo Doll"
John Fogerty "Haunted House"
the bird and the bee "Witch”
David Bowie "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
You probably recognized some of those songs, and probably some of those artists, but maybe, at least in some cases, not both. And you might not have realized some of those artists had recorded a version of something, like Lynn Anderson's version of "Devil Went Down To Georgia". Now, I have a bunch of versions of that, including the original by the Charlie Daniels Band (of course), along with versions by Zack Brown, Jerry Reed and Nickelback, just to name a few, along with the sequel by Mark O'Connor (which also features Johnny Cash). Hope that makes sense.
One thing that is different this year, at least different than most previous years. The Sounds of Halloween will run until 6am (Eastern) on November 1. That way, the West Coast of the U.S. (and even Hawaii) will get a chance to finish celebrating Halloween, before the new season of the Sounds of Christmas begins.
I hope you enjoy this upcoming celebration of Halloween throughout October! And then the new season of the Sounds of Christmas will be here, starting on November 1!
May you always believe in Santa Claus (and also the Great Pumpkin)!
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