Halloween music, all mixed up
Ever since Malinda told us about SpotDJ over the summer, I’ve been spending far too much time making mix tapes. I think part of the appeal is that when I was of mix-tape age, the technology was not friendly to such an endeavor. Making any kind of compilation required finding a stereo that had both a turntable and cassette recorder, then painstakingly finding songs on records and recording them to cassette. You young’uns have it so easy. And yes, I did have to walk to school in the snow.
Anyway, what better reason to make a mix tape than Halloween? I started with the intention of doing an all-female mix. For reasons I don’t care to explore, the first song I thought of was “The End” by Nico. And Pat Benatar’s “Hell Is for Children.” When did Benatar start looking like this?
Bjork is always kind of scary, and “Ancestors” is a great Halloween song. And nothing says horror like “Rawhead and Bloody Bones” by Siouxsie & the Banshees.
But when I went to make the mix, I hit a snag. Most of the songs I wanted weren’t available via SpotDJ. And honestly, could you imagine a Halloween mix without “Thriller?” So, I decided to fill in with songs loved by a woman, namely me.
1. “Thriller” – Michael Jackson
The ultimate Halloween classic from a truly scary dude.
2. “Psycho Killer” – Talking Heads
Tina Weymouth’s driving bass mirrors the disturbing voices in the head of a serial killer.
3. “Zombie” – Cranberries
The zombies in this song are those who mindlessly kill innocents in war. More frightening than ever.
4. “Black Magic Woman Gypsy Queen” – Santana
Is it just me, or does this remind you of Alice and Tasha?
5. “Everyday Is Halloween” – Ministry
“I live with snakes and lizard and other things that go bump in the night ’cause to me every day is Halloween.”
6. “Army of Me” – Bjork
The rhythm and the metal give this song a horror track sound to me.
7. “Voodoo Child” – Jimi Hendrix
8. “Wild Thing” – ZZ Top
9. “People Are Strange” – the Doors
10. “Witchy Woman” – Eagles
These four songs are here because I love them. ‘Nuff said.
11. “Love Song for a Vampire” – Annie Lennox
From Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
12. “Sally’s Song” – Fiona Apple
This version was on the special-release Nightmare Before Christmas CD.
13. “This Is Halloween” – The Nightmare Before Christmas
Watching Nightmare is a Halloween tradition.
14. “Time Warp” – The Rocky Horror Picture Show
It’s the pelvic thrust that really drives me insane.
15. “Halloween Theme” – John Carpenter
The original. The Jamie Lee Curtis. The end.
What did I miss? What’s on your Halloween mix tape?