31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-Seven - The Pandoras - Haunted Beach Party

HAUNTED BEACH PARTY

THE PANDORAS

This 1984 record was heavily influenced by 60's garage punk, in case you couldn't tell. After making this record, the band split into two factions and there was a minor name controversy which the Paula Pierce-led Pandoras eventually won. They enjoyed moderate success, switched it up to a more hard rock sound and went through some lineup changes over the years. Paula Pierce tragically died in 1990 of an aneurysm. The Pandoras continue to play shows these days, with members that were in the band in the 80's. 

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-Six - Nancy Sinatra - Run For Your Life

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

NANCY SINATRA

Hide your head in the sand, baby boy.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-Five - The Whyte Boots - Nightmare

NIGHTMARE

THE WHYTE BOOTS

Written by Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer, the pair couldn't find a band to perform this song, part homage part parody of the tragic boy songs performed by girl groups of the era, so they made the group up. Burton supplied the vocals and the girls on the cover? They were asked to pose as "The Whyte Boots" for the single. Later on, when Burton did a full record and included this song, their ruse was exposed. One of the greatest tragic girl group cult classics, this song ends in a death at the hands of the narrator (who really need some new friends)!  I hope you enjoy one of the weirdest songs I have ever heard.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-Four - Hasil Adkins - We Got a Date I Need Your Head

WE GOT A DATE I NEED YOUR HEAD

HASIL ADKINS

I can't believe I forgot Hasil on last year's countdown (I mean count-up)! This is a great great Halloween-time song.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-Three - The Makeup - They Live By Night

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT

THE MAKEUP

I haven't ever seen The Makeup live. They have recently done some reunion shows. I hope they do more and more and then book a tour and come somewhat close to me.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-Two - Betty Lavett - Witch Craft in the Air

WITCH CRAFT IN THE AIR

BETTY LAVETT

Detroit classic!

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty-One - Tommie Young - Everybody's Got a Little Devil in Their Soul

 EVERYBODY'S GOT A LITTLE DEVIL IN THEIR SOUL

TOMMIE YOUNG

I bought this 45 because it was in the soul section of a trusted record dealer and because I liked the name of the song. It's not in the best shape but its certainly playable. Tommie Young is from Dallas, Texas and was singed to Soul Power Records.She put out her first full length LP in 1973.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twenty - Martha and the Vandellas - Heatwave

HEATWAVE

MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS

Unlikely song for a Halloween song countdown? I think not. It can be really scary when you're so hot for a person that you feel your inner devil coming out...could it be the devil in me or is this the way love's supposed to be?

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Nineteen - The Cadillacs - Boogie Man

THE BOOGIE MAN

THE CADILLACS

Inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame (yes, there is a Vocal Group Hall of Fame) The Cadillacs were an influential doo wop group from New York City who's career spanned years and rotating members. This dancer is from 1960, released on Josie Records.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Eighteen - The Essex - Cemetery Stomp

CEMETERY STOMP

THE ESSEX

Classic creepy surf!

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Seventeen - Bob and Jerry - Ghost Satellite

GHOST SATELLITE

BOB AND JERRY

1958 ROCKABILLY FUN

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Sixteen - Bad Brains - Fearless Vampire Killers

F.V.K. 

(FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS)

BAD BRAINS

Relevant in more ways than one. 
The bourgeoisie better watch out for me!

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Fifteen - The Cramps - Sunglasses After Dark

SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK

THE CRAMPS

If there was only one band that personified Halloween to me, The Cramps would be it.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Fourteen - Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

BILLION DOLLAR BABIES

ALICE COOPER

 

No matter what time of year, an Alice Cooper show can bring out the devil in anyone. 

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Thirteen - Darla Hood - Witches Brew

WITCH'S BREW

DARLA HOOD

A little doo wop-ish number from Darla Hood, who became a child star as "Darla" in Our Gang, aka the Little Rascals. Throughout the 1950's she recorded several singles for Ray Note and Acama Records, on which this was released. I love that she lists the ingredients for a proper witch's brew.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Twelve - Maurice Burkhart - At the Devil's Ball

AT THE DEVIL'S BALL

MAURICE BURKHART

We went from dancing in our bones to dancing at the devil's ball and managed to travel further back in time to 1913. The cartoon accompanying the song is Betty Boop in Red Hot Mama from 1934.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Eleven - Lee Morse - Tain't No Sin To Dance Around in Your Bones

TAIN'T NO SIN TO DANCE AROUND IN YOUR BONES

LEE MORSE

A real nice one coming from one of the most recorded female singers of the 1920's...tain't no sin to take off your skin and dance around in your bones.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Ten - Ethel Waters - Jeepers Creepers

JEEPERS CREEPERS

ETHEL WATERS

I love this! I had not heard this version of the song until today. The internet says varying things about who recorded it first but really it doesn't matter. I would guess that Louis Armstrong and Ethel recorded it around the same time, but I don't know, so who cares. Listen and enjoys, it's creepy fun!

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Nine - Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peek-A-Boo

PEEK-A-BOO

SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES

I thought of this one because of the line in it - Golly jeepers/Where'd you get those weepers?/Peepshow, creepshow/Where did you get those eyes? - which was found to be too similar to lyrics in the 1938 song Jeepers Creepers, which is super creepy. To remedy the situation, Siouxsie and co. gave co-writing credits of Peek-a-Boo to the writers of Jeepers Creepers. This song is cool and I love the effect of Siouxsie using a different microphone for each line. 

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31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Eight - Kay Martin - Swamp Girl

SWAMP GIRL

KAY MARTIN

Kay Martin is fascinating! Not only was she a nightclub performer and maker of "party rock" albums, she eventually left that business we call show for the hotelier life as proprietor of the Kay Martin Lodge in Reno, Nevada. This song comes off her 1958 record Kay Martin and Her Bodyguards, which was released on Roulette Records.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Seven - Gene Maltais with the Flat Duo Jets

VOODOO WOMAN

GENE MALTAIS WITH THE FLAT DUO JETS

Known for having quite the wild act among the Rockabilly circuit in the late 1950's, Gene Maltais teamed up with psychobilly-ers Dex Romweber and drummer Crow Smith (aka the Flat Duo Jets) to record this number on Norton Records in 1994.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Six - Nolan Strong and the Diablos - The Wind

THE WIND

NOLAN STRONG AND THE DIABLOS

The haunting vocals mourning a lost love and the eerie mist surrounding this recording landed it on this list. One of my all time favorite doo wop songs. Enjoy!

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Five - The Spiders - Witchcraft

WITCHCRAFT

THE SPIDERS

I just picked up this fun one at Euclid Records in New Orleans, recorded in 1955 by this R&B vocal group (from New Orleans) and was later recorded by Elvis in 1963.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Four - Roky Erickson - I Think Of Demons

I THINK OF DEMONS

ROKY ERICKSON

 

Roky will be on this list every year until I run out of songs of his because pretty much any of the The Evil One can be deemed a Halloween song. And I also saw him play for the 6th time last night and he is still awesome.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Three - Jack Kittel - Psycho

PSYCHO

JACK KITTEL

 

Lamentations of a serial killer from 1973, originally recorded by Eddie Noack in 1968.

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day Two - Eartha Kitt - I'd Rather Be Burned As a Witch

I'D RATHER BE BURNED AS A WITCH

EARTHA KITT

The voluptuous voice of Eartha Kitt returns to my Halloween countdown..."I'd rather be burned as a witch then never be burned at all!"...My admiration for her grew when I recently learned that after she spoke out against the Vietnam War the CIA branded her a "sadistic nymphomaniac."

31 Days of Halloween 2017 - Day One - Ministry - Everyday is Halloween

EVERYDAY IS HALLOWEEN 

MINISTRY

To say I am late to the party when it comes to Ministry is an understatement. Until a few weeks ago when I saw them live, I couldn't have picked Al Jourgensen out of a lineup. But obviously the show was awesome and while I still haven't absorbed much of the Ministry catalog I figured this was a good one to start with. Song is accompanied by a worth watching video of old cartoons put together by a dude named Blake Banks (thanks YouTube!) Happy October everybody!

ROCK SEXY #190 7-27-17

Rip Her to Shreds - Blondie

Wipeout - The Coathangers

Baby Let's Play House - Rachel Sweet

Chico's Girl - The Girls

Drive the Night - Kristin Kontrol

Nightclubbin' - Iggy Pop

Save Yourself - The Make-Up

Maria - Thelma and the Sleaze

I Can't - Les Sexareenos

Rock and Roll Radio - Joe Boot
Walking Beside You - The Mighty El-Dukes

Walk on the Wild Side - Marylin Brown

 The Night - Dee Dee Sharpe

Thunderbolt - Tommy James 

Lightening's Girl - Nancy Sinatra 

Robot Love - James and the Ultrasounds

Baby Won't Ya - MC5

Cry to Me - The Pretty Things

I Believe in Love - Lou Reed

You Can't Turn Me Off - Sam the Sham

Rush to Relax - Eddy Current Suppression Ring

 You've Got Your Head on Backwards - Thee Headcoatees

Shot Down - The Cynics

Broken By the Way - Phantom Family Halo

Rubber City Rebels - Rubber City Rebels