In the '60s and '70s, an old-time-radio enthusiast with a thick New Yawk accent named Judson Fountain almost single-handedly created audio dramas (or "drammers," as his announcer/co-star Sandor Weisberger would say.) Using a variety of voices (old hag, insolent young punk, cranky old man), and frequently helping himself to sound effects records and canned music, Fountain spun tales of terror that weren't very terrifying. Actually, they were often hilarious, as well as providing a fascinating peek into one man's obsession.His private-press records were sent out to radio stations across the country and, incredibly, got some airplay, despite the non-existant production values, amateurish acting, and simplistic stories. Heck, I'd have played 'em. They certainly have plenty of entertainment value, and thanks to reissue co-producer Irwin Chusid of WFMU you can play 'em too: there are two CDs of his collected radio "drammers." These excerpts are taken from the album "Dark Dark Dark Tales (and other Dark Tales!)." Outsider-art essentials.Judson Fountain: "The Gorgon's Head " (excerpt)No, I don't know why one character has a German (?) accent, but no-one else in the family does...
Sadly, after Judson (with Sandor) made an appearance on WFMU in 1996 (documented on this album), he disappeared, never to be heard from again. A suitably mysterious end to a life dedicated to mystery.
If you're like me, you want it a little spooky all year long, so why wait 'til the 31st? Get creepy NOW! with this collection, the fifth annual international mashup/sound-collage various artists fest compiled by England's DJ Cheekyboy. .
Night of the Living Monster Mash-Up official page
DOWNLOAD
Disclosure: I'm one of the mix-ologist involved in this big ol' heap of '60s garage rock, horror film dialogue & soundtracks, candy, lesbianism, satanism, hissy old 78s, mambos, boomin' beats, kiddie records, spooky sound bites and fx. And, of course, Bobby 'Boris' Pickett.
.
.
Playing now in Los Angeles until Sept. 27. David Cronenberg (!) directs; conducted by Placido Domingo(!!); music by Howard Shore, who did the score to "Ed Wood", among others. Not a musical, not a joke, but an actual fat-ladies-in-Viking-hats opera. About a dude who turns into a fly. Could I make this stuff up?
Cronenberg, of course, directed the '80s film remake, but the opera's set in the '50s, a la the original Vincent Price film.
The Fly: The Opera
No word yet about a soundtrack album, and there's no music on the website (except heard in the background of some documentary clips) so here's a classic piece of early '60s rock'n'roll sickness inspired by the film:
The Monocles: "The Spider And The Fly"
French lounge combo's weirdly sultry femme fatale Cramps remake:
Nouvelle Vague: "Human Fly"
There's even a song saluting the sequel to the original '50s film, by '80s horror rock legends:
The Misfits: "Return of the Fly"
Finally, a killer spooky surf instro from one of Northern California's premier '60s garage revivalists:
The Mummies: "The Fly"
It's the merriest time of year - that annual celebration of rebirth, renewal, resurrection. Some call it Easter, but we call it...Zombie Day! Jesus might be the most famous fellow to rise from the grave and walk amongst the living, but he certainly wasn't the last. 'Tis the season for getting together with family & friends, gathering around the tv and watching "Night of the Living Dead" again. Or maybe "Dead Alive" or "Shaun of the Dead" for a more "modern" non-traditional celebration. I'm hoping for Zombie Day greeting cards, parties, TV specials, etc. There are plenty of Zombie Day Carols to sing as you stroll (or lurch) from door to door, bringing holiday cheer to your neighbors, starting off with two bona-fide classics:
The Cramps: "Zombie Dance" - the all-time punkabilly zombie favorite, from their classic 1980 album "Songs The Lord Taught Us."
Jan Davis: "Watusi Zombie" - faux African voodoo drums and tribal chanting, crazed surf guitars - truly one of the greatest '60s instrumentals ever. From Boss Guitar!
The Magics: "Zombie Walk" - groovy '60s girl-group action; from the essential "DOO WOP HALLOWEEN"Zombie Girl: "Jesus Was A Zombie" - contemporary Canadian group delivers a song truly in the spirit of the season, a Gary Glitter/Alice Cooper "School's Out" stomp with an electro twist.
Here's wishing a very merry Zombie Day to you and yours on this most joyous holiday season.
Here's another absolutely fascinating bit of spooky space sounds, courtesy of a blog call ShortWaveMusic, which, as you may have guessed, features music recorded off short wave radio transmissions. Middle Eastern tunes seem to be a favorite. But one recording captured the August 12, 2005 edition of the annual Perseid meteor shower over the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama: "As each meteor produced a trail of ionized gases, it produced an extremely short-lived ionospheric "placebo," ricocheting radio waves back to Earth." This being short-wave, haunting voices from other frequencies bleed through, and the sound phases in and out. The result is 7 minutes of dense, swirling, trippy madness.
Meteor shower radio waves
Among the "sounds of space" collected by University of Iowa instruments: the eerie sounds and bizarre features of Saturn's radio emissions captured by the Cassini spacecraft. Whooshing winds and theremin-ish wails - I love it because it sounds exactly like what I think outer space should sound like.
Saturn radio emissions
Thinking of sampling this stuff? Legendary composer Terry Riley beat you to it: the ubiquitous Kronos Quartet sometimes performs his 2002 piece "Sun Rings" using some of these sounds. Couldn't find any recording info, therefore I unfortunately cannot direct you to a cd. So just play a Sun Ra album and these sounds at the same time.
By request, I've re-upped the mp3 of bizarro '60s Polish soundtrack music
here.
In other news: Thanks to WFMU for making us one of their favorite music blogs, and hello new readers!
Heath Ledger? Who!? The real tragedy that rocked my Hollywood was the recent death of Vampira. TV's original horror host, Ed Wood starlet, inspiration for this groovy slab of 1958 rockabilly:
Vampira
by Bobby Bare, whose late '50 rock recordings weren't very commercially successful, but was a fixture on the country charts in the '60s and '70s. I'd say this is his best song, were it not for the fact that he also recorded that Klassic Kountry Kristian football goof "
Dropkick Me Jesus (Through The Goalposts Of Life)," a 1976 Grammy nominee!
I'm taking some time off and will be returning in the new year. Thanks to all you great Maniacs out there - so much of what gets covered here comes from you, so keep them tips coming. And give yourselves a round of applause.
I'll leave you for the year with this really weird holiday number by some enthusiasts of early 20th century horror writer H.P. Lovecraft performed, for some reason, in the style of Tom Waits. If you wanted to hear a version of "The First Noel" with new lyrics regarding foul-smelling fish-people, well hey, merry Christmas!
H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society: "The Worst Hotel"
From their album "An Even Scarier Solstice," the sequel to the first album. Yes, two whole albums of Lovecraft-inspired Christmas music. As Louis sang, what a wonderful world.
One more for Halloween: Twink, The Toy Piano Band, has posted a version of the "Theme To Rosemary's Baby" on his site, and it's a treat, not a trick. Krzysztof Komeda (as Christopher Komida) composed the score to the classic 1968 shocker and died a year later. Coincidence?!
A toy piano might seem an odd choice for a spooky soundtrack theme, but children's instruments have been used in horror scores before, e.g.: a wind-up children's music box set against slightly atonal music = creepy.
And while you're on his "MUSIC" page, be sure to check out the other bonus songs on the bottom of the page: covers of Devo's all-time classic "Beautiful World," and Harold Faltomeyer's "Axel F."
It's a limited-time offer, probably coming down sometime in early November, so grab it now.
Twink: "Theme To Rosemary's Baby"
There are those little things that make life worth living, things that make you want to drop down onto your knees and thanks your lucky stars that you're alive. Things like knowing that there's an actual '60s rock record called "It's Monster Surfing Time."
Ah, yes, how I love early rock - think Coldplay could come up with a title that cool? Monsters, surfing, that's all you need to rock 'n' roll. It's been kinda awful lately here in southern California, so let's celebrate Halloween with one of Los Angeles' great gifts to the world, surf music, and listen to all the greatest songs ever recorded with both "monster" and "surf" in the title.
Deadly Ones - It's Monster Surfing Time
Gene Moss And The Monsters - Surf Monster
The Phantom Surfers - Monster From The Surf
Sex With Lurch - Monster Surf Party
Don Hinson & The Rigamorticians - Monster Surf Stomp
The Abominable Surfmen - Monster Surfer
Here's a video clip from a 1965 black-and-white Polish film called "Salto" featuring a band playing a truly nerving-wracking instrumental piece. It starts off with a bass line as creepy as the theme from "Jaws" and, as the other instruments come in, it all becomes increasingly disturbing. The dancers look groovy in their boss '60s suits and beehive hair-dos, but they move around like zombies performing some black magick ritual. Truly the reason why the letters "wtf" were invented.Wojciech Kilar: Salto theme (video)Wojciech Kilar: Salto theme (mp3) - You axed for it!
It's the merriest time of year - that annual celebration of rebirth, renewal, resurrection. Some call it Easter, but we call it...Zombie Day! Jesus might be the most famous fellow to rise from the grave and walk amongst the living, but he certainly wasn't the last. 'Tis the season for getting together with family & friends, gathering around the tv and watching "Night of the Living Dead" again. Or maybe "Dead Alive" or "Shaun of the Dead" for a more "modern" non-traditional celebration. I'm hoping for Zombie Day greeting cards, parties, TV specials, etc. There are plenty of Zombie Day Carols to sing as you stroll (or lurch) from door to door, bringing holiday cheer to your neighbors:
Noel Anthony: "Zombie Jamboree" - One of the great '50s calypsos recorded by everyone from Belafonte on down. From a groovy collection of music by Caribs living in England called "Kings of Calypso."
Roky Erickson & The Aliens "I Walked With A Zombie" - I can't believe I'm an outsider-music blogger who has never posted any Roky Erickson, the one guy who probably really believes in zombies and has the mental-ward history to prove it. This tune is taken from his 1981 album "The Evil One" that was produced by Creedence Clearwater's Stu Cook (what's he doing here?). Next time you're at a karaoke event, ask for Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and sing these lyrics over it.
Mr Fab & His Bag O' Heads: "Cannibal Zombie Mom" - Original lyrics over '60s trash-rock riffs from The Standells and the Ventures. Plus! boomin' beats; from last year's various artists on-line comp "Bride of Monster Mashup."
Here's wishing a very merry Zombie Day to you and yours on this most joyous holiday season.
Ladies and Gentlemen! Mr. Fab presents, under the big top, AUDIO ODDITIES! Yes friends, the mp3 we are presenting here today is undoubtably the most shocking, the most disgusting, and yet, dare I say, the most interesting mix you will ever hear. "Dark Carnival" It's 30 minutes long. Carnival & sideshow talker documentary audio mixed with:
Tom Waits "Circus"
Tom Waits "Lucky Day (Overture)"
Annette Funicello "Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy"
Tom Waits "Carnival (Brunello del Montalcino)"
The Chills "Dark Carnival"
Tom Waits "Calliope"
Elvis Presley "Carny Town"
Tom Waits "Carnival Bob's Confession"
The Tiger Lillies "Freakshow"
Tom Waits "Tabletop Joe" (mashup of demo & album versions)
Nick Cave "The Carny"
Nick Cave "The Carnival Is Over"
Tom Waits "Carnival"
In the '60s and '70s, an old-time-radio enthusiast with a thick New Yawk accent named Judson Fountain almost single-handedly created audio dramas (or "drammers," as his announcer/co-star Sandor Weisberger would say.) Using a variety of voices (old hag, insolent young punk, cranky old man), and frequently helping himself to sound effects records and canned music, Fountain spun tales of terror that weren't very terrifying. Actually, they were often hilarious, as well as providing a fascinating peek into one man's obsession.
