Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

In keeping with the situation, here's a record specifically about Halloween!

It's Country Washburne and his Orchestra with "Trick or Treat" from 1953 on Russell Records:

Pretty fun!

I'm presuming that vocalist Marilyn King was the youngest of the singing King Sisters. She wasn't one of the core four sisters popular in the 1940s, but was a member of the King Family ensemble from the 1960s.

And duet partner Mack McLean must be the session vocalist who was a member of the Six Hits and a Miss vocal group.

Country Washburne is well-known to me for his work as vocalist/bassist/tuba player with Ted Weems and his brilliant arrangements for Spike Jones and Red Ingle!

Russell Records was a specialty label that mainly seems to have produced records for dance routines and such, usually with no artist credit.

This record is unusual as it features something of a name artist and has an original pop song.

That being said, the flipside is a longer instrumental version of the tune:

I guess you would use that as the backing for your own fun Halloween routine!

Have a great day!

Halloween Countdown - Day 13 - "Dracula" (1939)

Tomorrow is Halloween, so we've come to the end of our 13-day countdown of 1930s instrumentals!

What's Halloween without monsters? Well, here's "Dracula" as recorded by Gene Krupa for Brunswick Records in 1939:

Not sure what the Dracula connection is specifically, but I like it!

Hope you enjoyed these records! More treats than tricks, I hope!

Drop a  comment and let me know what you liked!

Halloween Countdown - Day 12 - "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater" (1939)

As our Halloween countdown hits Day 12 and we move into 1939, I realize we haven't had any pumpkin yet!

So, here's a snappy instrumental arrangement of the nursey rhyme "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater" by Herbie Kay and his Orchestra on Columbia Records:

I like the guitar on that a lot!

Herbie Kay was a fairly successful bandleader who passed away prematurely in 1944, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment was discovering and marrying Dorothy Lamour!

Halloween Countdown - Day 11 - "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance" (1938)

Our Halloween countdown remains in 1938 for one more song, this time the standard "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance."

The song was introduced by co-writer Bing Crosby in 1932, but since we're going instrumental, here's a nice version by trumpet/cornet star Bobby Hackett on Vocalion Records:

I realize that "ghost" is used as an expression in this song and it's not about a supernatural spirit, but it is haunting nonetheless!

Halloween Countdown - Day 10 - "The Black Cat" (1938)

We move into 1938 with our Halloween countdown and come across a novelty instrumental titled "The Black Cat" from our old friend Ozzie Nelson!

Here's Ozzie and his band on Bluebird Records:

Ozzie's band had a very nice way with numbers like this!

Halloween Countdown - Day 9 - "Nightmare" (1937)

Our Halloween countdown continues in 1937 with another theme song - the brooding "Nightmare" by Artie Shaw!

The more familiar version of the song was recorded by Artie for Bluebird in 1938, but here's his original recording, made for Brunswick while he was stilled billed as Art Shaw:

I find this version creepier, which I think is because of the louder drumbeat, like something sinister is marching toward you!

Artie Shaw was an interesting individual and was just not going to have a typical band theme song!

Halloween Countdown - Day 8 - "Hell's Bells" (1937)

Our Halloween countdown is still in 1937 as we hear from the great Jimmie Lunceford band!

The song is "Hell's Bells," which was originally recorded by Art Kassel and his Kassels in the Air in 1932. Art had written the song and used it as his theme song.

But we want the song as an instrumental, so here's Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra on Decca Records:

The band's great drummer, Jimmy Crawford, has a field day on this one!

Halloween Countdown - Day 6 - "Satan Takes a Holiday" (1937)

We move into 1937 with our Halloween countdown and another hit song from another talented compose arranger!

This time it's "Satan Takes a Holiday" by Larry Clinton!

Larry later became a successful bandleader, but at his point he was composing and arranging for other bands and had recently written "The Dipsy Doodle," which was very popular and a big hit record for Tommy Dorsey.

Tommy also recorded "Satan Takes a Holiday" and had another big hit!

So, here's TD and his band on Victor Records:

That's a lot of fun and you can't beat Davey Tough on drums, or traps, as it were!

Halloween Countdown - Day 5 - "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town" (1936)

Our Halloween countdown left off with a song written by Will Hudson and now Day 5 picks up with the popular "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town" from 1936, which is another Will Hudson song!

In the interim, Hudson entered into a bandleading partnership with lyricist Eddie DeLange in what was billed as the Hudson-DeLange orchestra. Will and Eddie had previously collaborated on some songs, including the great standard "Moonglow" in 1933.

Here's the band's recording of "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town" on the Brunswick label:

Very bouncy tune and arrangement from the very talented Mr. Hudson!

It was probably inevitable that the clashing personalities of the co-leaders would result in a split, but they left some great records that we can still enjoy!

Halloween Countdown - Day 4 - "Witch Doctor" (1934)

For Day 4 of our countdown to Halloween, our next instrumental track features the all-girl band of Ina Ray Hutton!

Here's Ina Ray with her Melodears performing the Will Hudson-penned "Witch Doctor" on Vocalion Records from 1934:

Ina Ray Hutton was by far the most popular female bandleader of the era, but the concept of a female leader of an all-female group never really caught on.

Halloween Countdown - Day 3 - "Zombie" (1934)

We're at Day 3 of our Halloween countdown of 1930s instrumentals!

Here's Gene Kardos and his Orchestra with a 1934 budget label recording called "Zombie":

It seems that zombies entered pop culture in the early 1930s, with the movie "White Zombie" from 1932 and the popular adult beverage appearing around the same time!

Halloween Countdown - Day 2 - "The Ghost Walk" (1933)

For Day 2 of our countdown to Halloween, we move to 1933 to find Borrah Minevitch and his Harmonica Rascals!

Here they are with "The Ghost Walk" on Brunswick Records:

Very spooky! Easy to imagine as the soundtrack to a 1933 cartoon!

Borrah and his group were another example of wacky antics mixed with skilled musicianship!

Halloween Countdown - Day 1 - "The Nightmare" (1931)

Hey, Halloween is coming soon!

So, let's start a countdown with 13 lucky days of 78s from the 1930s!

There aren't many (any?) that are blatantly Halloween in theme, but I have 13 atmospheric instrumental tracks, which we'll listen to in approximate chronological order!

We start off in 1931 with master wah-wah trumpeter Clyde McCoy and his Orchestra with "The Nightmare" on Columbia Records:

I've said it before, but I am absolutely fascinated by Clyde McCoy's intentionally corny playing!

Even if you don't dig the style, you have to admit he was really good at it!