HALLOWEEN SONGS

The Feast Of HALLOWEEN is almost upon us and here comes a list of outstanding EMI songs to curdle the blood and chill the very soul! Top of the pile has to be the all-time ghoulish favorite:

I PUT A SPELL ON YOU which was written and popularized by Screamin' Jay Hawkins who spent his entire career leaping out of coffins and playing the keyboards, while a bodyless hand crawled aimlessly across the top of his piano. Jalacy J. Hawkins wrote I PUT A SPELL ON YOU in 1955 and his classic hit version was recorded for Columbia's Okeh label in New York on September 12, 1956. Ably supported by Leroy Kirkland & His Orchestra (including Mickey Baker on guitar, Panama Francis on drums and Sam 'The Man' Taylor on tenor sax), Jay's bombastic baritone voice virtually set the now oh-so-familiar lyric alight with lines like "You'd better stop the things that you do?I ain't lyin'" and his penultimate disclosure: "I Put A Spell On You?because you're mine!"

Other standout versions of I PUT A SPELL ON YOU include:

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (Polydor/Universal: 1968)
Creedence Clearwater Revival (Fantasy: 1968)
Tim Curry (A&M/Universal: 1981)
Bryan Ferry (Virgin: 1993) Top 20 British hit.
Diamanda Galas (Mute/WSM: 1992)
(Featured on the soundtrack of "Natural Born Killers")
LL Cool J (Def Jam: 2000)
Manfred Mann (HMV/EMI: 1965)
*Marilyn Manson (Nothing/Interscope: 1995)
The Alan Price Set (UK Decca/Universal: 1966)
Reaching #9 in the UK, this was the first solo hit by Alan Price, organist with
The Animals.
Nina Simone (Philips/Universal: 1965)
Sonique (Serious: 1998)
Originally released in Britain in 1998, Universal re-issued it two years later
when it rose to #8 on the UK chart.
Them Featuring Van Morrison (UK Decca/Universal: 1966)
Pete Townshend (Atco: 1986)
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings (Roadrunner: 2000)

Screamin' Jay performed the song in "American Hot Wax" (1978) and on the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch's "Stranger Than Paradise" (1983) in which he acted.

*It was performed by Marilyn Manson on the soundtrack of David Lynch's "Lost Highway" in 1997.

Additional EMI songs for Halloween:

EVIL WOMAN (Lynne)
by ELO (UA/Sony: 1976) From their 1975 "Face The Music" album, Jeff Lynne and the original Electric Light Orchestra studio line-up claimed a place in both the British & American Top Tens with this straight-ahead, melodic anthem that never fails to deliver. "There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in/You took my body and played to win?E-Evil Woman, E-Evil Woman".

FRANKENSTEIN (Winter)
by The Edgar Winter Group (Epic/Sony: 1973) Guitarmeister Edgar delivered this hypnotic, milestone instrumental; he later cut a flawless re-recording which can be licensed directly via EMI Music Resources in NY.

GHOSTUBSTERS (Parker Jr.)
by Ray Parker Jr. (Arista: 1984) Session guitarist Ray Parker Jr. suddenly found himself atop the Billboard Hot 100 with this, the title song from the box-office smash of the same name. "Who ya gonna call?"

THE GREEN SLIME (Gaden)
by The Green Slime (MGM: 1969) "Is it something in your head, Will you believe it when you're dead?" asks Sherry Gaden's rocker written for the soundtrack of the of the Japanese/American co-produced sci-fi thriller starring Robert Horton of "Wagon Train" fame.

IT (Robinson/Gordy)
by Ron & Bill (Tamla/UME: 1959) Smokey Robinson and fellow-Miracle Ronnie White in their pre-"Shop Around" days with a song which, according to David Ritz, was "written in response to Sheb Wooley's 'Purple People Eater'".

KING KONG (Tyler)
by Big T. Tyler (Aladdin/Capitol: 1957) Timeless rockabilly stomper.

MAN WITH THE HEX (Bunkley)
by The Atomic Fireballs (Orbital: 1998) Originally on their debut "Birth Of The Swerve" album, this Fireballs favorite has turned up on the soundtracks of both "Scooby-Doo" and "American Pie".

MOON OVER BOURBON STREET (Sting)
by Sting (A&M/Universal: 1985) Standout ballad from Sting's "Dream Of The Blue Turtles" album and undeniably, one of the finest songs about vampires.

SCREAMIN' BALL AT DRACULA HALL (Brandon/Williams)
by The Duponts (Roulette/Rhino: 1958) Longtime Halloween favorite in 45-collecting circles.

SOMEONE COULD LOSE A HEART TONIGHT (Stevens/Malloy/Rabbitt)
by Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra/WSM: 1981) A #1 country smash in February '82, this is the song which the late Eddie Rabbitt described as 'spooky but romantic'.

SPOOKY MOVIES (Stone)
by Roy Clark (Capitol: 1978)

THE THING (CREATURE FROM OUTER SPACE) (Johnson/Fisher)
by The Jayhawks (Aladdin/Capitol: 1957) Inspired by the 1950's wave of black-and-white sci-fi chiller thrillers, this slab of haunted hoopla was delivered by west coast R&B group The Jayhawks who'd earlier hit paydirt with their madcap monster "Stranded In The Jungle".

VOODOO WOMAN (Goldsboro)
by Bobby Goldsboro (UA/Capitol: 1965) A Top 30 US Pop hit, the song was swiftly covered in Britain by UK Decca's Bern Elliott & The Fenmen.

WEREWOLF (Hodge/Wadsworth)
by The Frantics (Dolton/Capitol: 1960) Don't let anyone tell you that The Ventures were the only memorable instrumental group on the tiny Dolton label. Like their "Walk Don't Run" label-mates, The Frantics were also from the Seattle area and this track is a fine example of how listenable their records were.

WITCH QUEEN OF NEW ORLEANS (Vegas/Vegas)
by Redbone (Epic/Sony: 1971) Redbone members Pat & Lolly Vegas hit the Top 10 of the Hot 100 in early '74 with their anthem COME AND GET YOUR LOVE, but this was their earlier best-seller, further mixing voodoo legends with rock & roll.

ROCK ON !
Alan Warner

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