Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Ghost of Halloween Past: Monster Shindig

Amidst my scramble and panic for NanNoWriMo, I don't want to lose sight of All Hallow's WeekTM . Today's blast from the past...


My favorite Halloween album, Monster Shindig (1966) from Hana Barbera. I used to hide in my room for hours on rainy Saturdays and play this LP over and over and over. It features music and story, a combination that smacks of old radio programs. We still have the record (somewhere), but thanks to the interweb, you can listen to the theme, "Monster Shindig", here (and a number of other places if you just search a bit). Danny Hutton, who later would go on to Three Dog Night fame, wrote and recorded the music. Maybe more than any other song, "Monster Shindig" puts me in the nostalgic spooky party mood.

I have a short up in Microhorror's Halloween contest...I took a slightly different angle on the theme (creatures). You can read "God's Creatures" at Microhorror.

Off to plot...

9 comments:

Jamie Eyberg said...

The closest I have is Dr. Demento

Aaron Polson said...

Demento is awesome. When Owen (my five year old) was two, we listened to Dr. Demento's Greatest Hits all summer. Rock on.

Fox Lee said...

Monster mash!

Cate Gardner said...

I'll check your story out later. I have to get ready, go meet my nephew, and start Christmas shopping - oh boy!

Carrie Harris said...

I used to have this album! Man, I miss it.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed God's Creatures. Really old people creep me out anyway...

Katey said...

I love old Halloween albums! My brother and I had something that had songs like that on one side and "spooky sound effects" on the other. We used to put on haunted houses in the basement and subject my parents to them.

Love the story. Creepy as all get out, but also made me want to cackle with glee. (Not sure what that says about me, but I guess I'm in good company.)

Aaron Polson said...

Barry & Katey - My grandfather had a cellar just like the one in the story...always did scare me.

Natalie - love a good "Monster Mash"

Cate - hope shopping was fun.

Carrie - I might have a zip file of the album somewhere...let me check...

Cate Gardner said...

Creepy - I especially loved the description of Grandpa. :)