by Julian Spivey As we welcome October with its cool breezes, and - now socially distanced - festivities, we often think of scary movies, pumpkin patches and killers in masks. Rarely, if ever, do you hear anyone say what they’re looking forward to most about the season, is the music. Granted, Halloween music has nowhere near the mega-market that Christmas music has, but it seems that quality trumps quantity in this particular situation. With songs like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” Halloween season is a heavy hitter when it comes to music! That’s why we’re celebrating 31 Days of Halloween Hits here at The Word for the entire month of October. Every day we’re going to bring you a great song that fits right in on your Halloween playlist. Some are songs specifically written for the holiday, but others are great selections you can listen to year-around but have a great theme for the spookiest of all holidays. Some of these songs you’ve certainly heard and some are lesser known that we hope to familiarize you with. ![]() Did you know that country music had its own “Monster Mash”? It’s true! In 1974 Buck Owens released “(It’s A) Monsters’ Holiday.” What’s even more surprising is the song, despite being a novelty song, was actually the title track to Owens’ 1974 album, which was filled with non-novelty songs. Owens was one of country music biggest stars of the ‘60s, but by the turn of the ‘70s his hits started to fade and he became known more for being the co-host of the hayseed comedy/music variety show “Hee Haw.” “(It’s A) Monsters’ Holiday,” would reach No. 6 on the country charts in ’74, the last time he’d chart that high until his No. 1 duet “Streets of Bakersfield” with Dwight Yoakam in 1988. “(It’s A) Monsters’ Holiday” was actually cut by Owens and his band The Buckaroos one day before Halloween in 1973, so the spooky season must have been on the group’s mind when they cut this track Rolling Stone called, “a kitschy cross between “Monster Mash” and George Jones’ “The Race Is On.” All the monsters from the old black and white Hollywood horror classics are here: Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, the Wolfman and more all show up while the narrator’s trying to sleep to give him a good fright. “(It’s A) Monsters’ Holiday” is just as fun as Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” but unlike that memorable Halloween hit, it didn’t really survive to become a yearly hit among listeners, but if you’re looking for some twang for your Halloween playlist you can’t go wrong with Buck Owens.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
February 2025
|