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Monsters and Music
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One of my very favourite music acts is from the 90s is called Enigma. Just love their mysterious sound and open your mind to the universe concept. They had some very big hits in the early 90s. In this video they depict the idea of good and bad in the universe, and one does not exist without the other. Has a kind of a Halloween vibe to it. It even incorporates the opening bars of Bach’s famous Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor organ, that was used as the opening sounds for many horror flicks because of it’s captivating sombre mood that Bach’s genius so effectively expresses.
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Jung,
That’s a cool video. I don’t remember ever seeing it. Love the music and the video, thanks!!
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This was their biggest hit:
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Jung,
I like that, I don’t remember them at all but I like it. Something I normally wouldn’t listen to but that’s what I like about sharing music in the club, getting exposed to different styles of music and new songs, very cool.
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Hi Jung,
yes, truly mysterious music from another time and dimension. We had already discussed it once. The producer of Enigma is Michael Cretu, who founded this New Age project together with Frank Peterson from Hamburg. It was also Peterson who had the idea to include Gregorian chants. The female vocals that can be heard on Enigma come partly from the singer Sandra, who was also initially produced by Michael Cretu and later married him. He also worked as a co-producer for Peter Schilling („Major Tom“). The only thing that eluded him was success with his own band. His formation „Moti Special“ was only able to land two hits and then sank back into insignificance. Frank Peterson separated from Cretu and founded his own project “Gregorian”. Sounds pretty similar to Enigma. Maybe you already know this.
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Thanks Jurgen, I really enjoyed that. It is really beautiful and the vocals with the medieval feel, sound like angels. I really enjoy music like this, and that is why I got into Enigma years ago. Brings back fond memories of hanging out in the desert around Palm Springs and cruising through the night on lonely highways with Enigma blasting out of the speakers. I find the Beatles Let it Be has a similar ancient feel, a Gregorian chant spirit to it that appeals. I am not familiar with Gregorian; I will check it out.
I will also add, I love the mysterious feel in MLTs “Jump Ship”, perhaps that is why I love it so much and is one of my faves on the WHY? album. It evokes such a deep mysterious mood I love. Song is so brilliant lyrically and musically, it just pulls you in, the vocals hypnotize. It is magic.
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Jung, I think Jump Ship is my favorite song on Why? I really do love all the songs for different reasons and at different times depending on my mood. Jump Ship immediately grabbed my attention on the first listen. I tend to be attracted to the sounds, melodies, the groove and beat of a record more so than the lyrics and Jump Ship just sets a wonderful mood with the slide guitar on the chorus like I am actually floating on a ship at sea. When those amazing harmonies gel with that slide it feels Heavenly, like floating on a cloud or gently floating underwater. Very, very cool, one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time.
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Here’s a funny video I found a while back. Allie Sherlock is a very talented singer and musician in Ireland that busks on the streets and posts the videos on YouTube. This is a song called Zombie, by the Cranberries. A crazy lady on the street joins her and then takes over. Is it an act? Probably. Is it staged? Probably. I don’t care if it is an act, it is pretty funny and a little disturbing. I wonder if this ever happened to The Twins in their early busking days?.
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Wow, that was a pretty good performance Tim. Great singing and she pulled off that insane crazy act very well. She must have used a lot of hairspray. 😁 The audience certainly enjoyed it.
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After watching The Twins WOTT video of American Woman by The Guess Who, I have been revisiting some of their great music. I really liked The Guess Who even after Randy Bachman left and formed BTO. They even recorded a song that kind of fits the theme of Monsters and Music. The didn’t write this one about just any wolfman. They wrote it about “The” Wolfman. The legendary American DJ and host of The Midnight Special, Wolfman Jack. The Wolfman even joined them on the recording. This performance was aired March 29th 1974 and was the debut of their hit, Clap For The Wolfman.
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Hi Tim
Haven’t heard of Wolfman Jack in a long time, he was a household name back in the 70s I recall. I really enjoy all the Guess Who songs, this one too. Would be great to catch a live show in Canada. Randy Bachman lives in my neck of the woods on one of the many islands around Vancouver. Haven’t ever seen him wandering the streets though.
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Two „Halloween classics“ are actually still missing. I have thought about whether I should post these. After all, everyone knows them. But what the heck: everyone knows what Easter eggs look like and yet they are hidden every year again.
Provocative, frivolous and fresh: this is how the Rocky Horror Picture Show came to our cinemas in 1977. What a scandal. A friend of mine wasn’t allowed to watch this on TV: his father had forbidden him.
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Michael Jackson: certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But some of his music still deserves cult status, like this one (I’d better take the short version. Who knows who is watching here?)
David, I was hoping there would be a Weird Al Yankovic parody of Thriller. Unfortunately I didn’t find anything. Was he just parodying Bad?
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Hey, Juergen. I don’t think Al has done a full parody of Thriller, but there is a visual reference to it at the very end of Eat It.
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Jurgen, You are right, Michael wasn’t everyone’s taste in music and as one comedian said (I don’t remember who it was) I used to like Michael when he was a young black singer. He does certainly deserve his spot as one of the greatest pop singers of all time and he did have a taste for the strange, dark side of life. I have heard at one time he was trying to buy the skeletal remains of the elephant man Joseph Merrick. Michael definitely fits in with the Monsters of music.
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During the 2020 pandemic CCR front man John Fogerty spent the summer recording some great jams at his home with his two sons, Tyler and Shane and his daughter Kelsey. They were high quality recordings and the videos were filmed by his wife Julie. They released a new video to YouTube every Friday. At the end of it all and by popular demand they put them all on a cd and released it as Fogerty’s Factory, a play on the 1970 CCR album Cosmo’s Factory. Here’s one that fits the Halloween theme. An old CCR tune called Tombstone Shadow.
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During their stage show, some musicians often wore costumes that were so crazy that they wouldn’t even have been noticed on Halloween. We’ve already seen Kiss and of course Angus Young in his school uniform. Here are some others.
In order: Falco, ABBA, The Residents, Nina Hagen, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, David Bowie
PS: Not to forget the Beach Boys. My Solution” was written by Brian Wilson and recorded on October 31, 1970, shortly before the sessions for the group’s album Surf’s Up. Photographs of the session show the band in Halloween costumes, including Wilson, whose face was painted green a la Frankenstein. Band archivist Alan Boyd said: “It’s kind of jokey track, Brian is playing a mad scientist and talking like Boris Karloff while the Beach Boys are singing (recites lyrics) ‘What I have done with my solution, my instant aim to evolution.'” His colleague Mark Linett surmised, “It’s just having the studio in the house, and deciding, ‘Let’s do a Halloween-inspired, clubhouse kind of event.’ I don’t know that it was ever intended to be released.”
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Jurgen, Even the Beatles got into costume on occasion. This one could also go on the favorite Beatles song forum as I’ve always loved this song for it’s quirky lyrics, “Yellow mattered custard dripping from a dead dog’s eye”, yeah those are some good lyrics.
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Hi Jurgen
Great Beach Boys find! I’ve never seen/heard this one before. A nice glimpse into the group in the 70s having fun. Well I’ve posted this one on many Halloween posts here before, but it’s become a kind of tradition for me, so here it is. Apparently it was released exactly 59 years ago today (Oct 19). Mike love does a pretty good monster face that Bobby Boris Picket is well known for his rendition of this song.
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Here is the Addams Family monsters Wednesday dance scene. Even monsters get down with the music.
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And I think this one was inspired by the original Wednesday Addams dance scene. A modern day version.
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An evil cello scene:
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I like that Jung, The cello is the perfect instrument to set the mood in a horror film. Wednesday Addams reminds me of Sweet Lorraine. A pretty little girl that you do not want to upset. Here’s a cute one from the original Wednesday teaching Lurch how to dance.
Jung, I posted this before I seen you had posted the same clip earlier oops, but it is pretty funny and one can never get enough of Wednesday even on a Friday.
https://youtu.be/F3jnymeJof4?feature=shared
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This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Tim Arnold.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by
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This classical tune always sends a chill, kind of fitting for Halloween. It’s about FATE.
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Definitely gives me an eery feeling. Sets the mood for Halloween.
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This is a funny little clip from the movie Slade In Flame. Singer Noddy Holder performs on stage singing from inside a coffin only to find out he has been locked inside. Noddy said it was inspired by a true story.
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Tim
A funny Halloween spirit scene. Inspired by true events? That would be pretty torturous to be locked in a coffin alive. Makes for a real Halloween horror experience.
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Hi Jung and Tim,
the little girl from Addams Family does a good job. Pretty unusual dance moves, but very funny to watch.
Does anyone remember the horror comedy Beetle Juice (directed by Tim Burton)? Towards the end of the movie, the rather likeable villains did an involuntary dance. The eponymous poltergeist Beetlejuice takes control of their bodies and their movements appear grotesquely remote-controlled. An entertaining performance by the actors.
https://youtu.be/WI7ePVquOtk?si=-tqb-n5PEjCLiTzh
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Jurgen, That is really funny. I remember Beetlejuice but haven’t seen it for years. I didn’t remember that Dick Cavett was in that movie and Catherine O’hara has to be the daughter of Maureen O’hara, maybe I’m wrong but she looks just like her with the identical shade of red hair and green eyes. I might have to research that. Really good performance by her and the other actors.
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Hi Jurgen
Yeah I remember Beetlejuice, with his head shrinking thing. Michael Keeton did a pretty good job of the character, and Winona Ryder did the “Wednesday Addams” kind of character great.
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Halloween and Monsters that go together well like Cake and Cream, Cheer and Leader, Dentist and Drill. The German Band „Die Ärzte“ wrote a song in which they invite you to a monster party.
The text goes something like this: (sorry, the video is actually set to start at 0:53. The setting appears to be ignored here in the preview. I’ve had this problem here in the forum before).
Monster Party
In Ramnicul in Transylvania I saw a poster
It said that Count Dracula had invited to his own party
Everyone was invited, including Doctor Frankenstein
The only condition was: it had to be a monster
I stole an old sheet and cut two holes in it
I thought it would be better to be a ghost at the party
I packed some garlic and saddled my horse
Because such a party with Dracula is certainly not wrong
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
I came to the count's castle at sunset
I laughed up my sleeve: the night is definitely going to be long
The Invisible Man's Hat floated in the air in front of me
And finally Count Dracula came out of the tomb drunk
He raised his glass to toast, the contents were blood red
Slurred again: “Hello friends” and fell over like he was dead
All the monsters cheered; the atmosphere was great
The tower clock chimed one last time and then the party started
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
Even dead rock stars were there and happily joined in
Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and the villainous Sid
The invisible man was also dancing, I saw it in his hat
And everyone bopped obsessively to “Zombie B. Goode”
Suddenly a pitiful sob reached my ears
It came from King Kong in front of the castle, he couldn't fit through the gate
Boris Karloff saw this and behaved quite cleverly
Said: “If King Kong doesn’t fit through the gate, I’ll grab the white woman.”
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
I went to the toilet because I don't tolerate blood that well
The great white shark swam in the pool and said: “Hello.”
Looking for a bush I thought to myself
I think I'll take the mummy with me because of toilet paper
There was a disgusting animal there, I think from the other planet
It spoke to me: “My name is E.T. and I like parties.”
The skeleton especially seemed to be enjoying itself
It made the werewolf retrieve his shinbone a thousand times
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay
But when I shouted “Boo”, all the monsters were frightened
And whoever didn't faint simply ran away
I threw away the stupid sheet and felt really strong
And puked in the Count's coffin before I left
This is going to be the monster party, monster party, ay ay ay-
I can’t understand German but I could follow along fairly well with the lyrics you posted. The band was sure having fun and playing really well, very enjoyable, thanks.
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Yes, BeetleJuice was funny… one of my Canadian actresses, Catherine O’Hara, pictured here , is hilarious in this …. though it’s storyline is kinda dark comedy, it’s still funny, Spooky Funny .
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Hi Jacki, I was going to google Catherine O’hara to see if she was related to Maureen O’hara. Maureen was the redhead that played in some of John Wayne’s movies. She was his wife in McClintock and Big Jake and probably some others.
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