Mark Harvey's World

October 28th, 2026...new DARK RIDE video..."This Night"...from Rain Station's DARK RIDE album

2026-10-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

This Halloween season has been a little "blah". Not sure what that's about, but I was excited and encouraged when Jay created a NEW video for this Season. I've written about Rain Station's DARK RIDE album a lot. After all these years, a little cartoon video can make things "alive" again. I hope your Halloween Season has been fun and filled with all of the magic this time of year has to offer. Enjoy the NEW cartoon and make sure to have a listen to Rain Station's DARK RIDE album this year. I'm sure there's a song on there that will become a Holiday staple for you...promise...

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 27th, 2026...Trick or Treatin'

2026-10-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

How many of y'all are going Trick-or-Treatin' this year? I have a young one, so I'll be out on the streets again.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 26th, 2026...Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion"

2026-10-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Each year I feel the need to pay homage to Disney's Haunted Mansion and how it impacted my life. The aesthetic, music and overall experience is where my "haunter's head and heart" has always gravitated toward. I have never been into gore. Whimsical supernatural is fun. As my friend Brent Ross has always said, "we like old dead, not new dead"...

Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion" is probably one of my favorite records of all time.

As a kid I had a copy, but my Mom - in an attempt to rid our house of all EVIL LPs - threw it out (my poor sisters lost A LOT of LPs...Led Zeppelin, Bad Company...and so many more). It was a phase in my life where celebrating Halloween was OK just as long as you had nothing evil or dark associated with it.

In my adult years I began searching the Internet to see if I could find a replacement copy of Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion". I found a guy named Jeff Baham who was running a little site about Disney's Haunted Mansion. That site has gotten HUGE (here). Jeff suggested eBay and so I surfed over there to see what eBay was all about. Talk about SCORE. I now own several copies of Disney's Haunted Mansion LP, many in pristine condition. I'm so happy to have them in my collection. "The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion" is an LP that featured a pre-Happy-Days Ron Howard. Recorded in 1969, "The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion" featured the young Howard as "Mike," a teenager out on a date with "Karen" voiced by Robie Lester. Lester's "Storyteller" album for The Aristocats was nominated for a 1970 Grammy Award. One of her most famous roles was as "Miss Jessica", the schoolteacher who becomes Mrs. Kris Kringle (Santa Claus) in the 1970 Rankin-Bass TV special Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (TV special).

The story is narrated by Thurl Ravenscroft, one of Disney's best-known vocal talents. Ravenscroft is known for being the original voice of Tony the Tiger as well as the the singer of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," from Chuck Jones' classic cartoon How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Disneyland ride's main scenes are represented which makes this an album well worth owning (if you have a turntable). The LP's Ghost Host is voiced by Pete Renoudet. This differs from the attraction's Ghost Host, voiced by Paul Frees. The album contains an 11-page book of illustrations by Disney Imagineer and artist Collin Campbell.

I hope you enjoy what I consider to be the starting point of my love for all things Halloween...Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion"...

Happy Haunting!

Mark Harvey

October 25th, 2026...Creepin' around the house...

2026-10-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

We've begun decorating inside the house. Whether or not it'll be completed before Halloween is yet to be known. I enjoy seeing the "things" that have been packed away for a year. Is there a particular item you look forward to seeing every year? I'm thinking about that and will post a photo of an item that I look forward to seeing every season.

Today's track is "Creep" from Pumpkinland II.

Pumpkinland II by Mark Harvey

Let me know if you like the track and what item you look forward to unearthing every season.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 24th, 2026...Haunted Castle...Santa Cruz, CA...

2026-10-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

Many years ago, I was quite involved with the haunting community. Recording music for haunted houses, theme parks, putting out CDs...things were fun and inspirational.

One of the cool things I was able to do was walk through the then "new" Ghost Blasters ride at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It is still one of my favorite rides a,nd I am fortunate to live close enough to get to ride it every year or so.

The Haunted Castle, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk's DARK RIDE, features music from my friends, Midnight Syndicate, in the queue and my music inside the ride. Years ago I gave one of my discs to the folks there, and it makes me so happy to hear this track every time I visit.

Pumpkinland by Mark Harvey

I hope you enjoy the track, and if you're ever in Santa Cruz, CA, please ride Haunted Castle and Ghost Blasters (and Cave Train)... It's a good time.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 23rd, 2026...Creature...

2026-10-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

I've been getting into the mood by listening to music. Each track brings me closer to knowing what I need to do to get Pumpkinland up and running.

Pumpkinland by Mark Harvey

I'll add photos as things come together.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 22nd, 2026...Yeah..that's it...Haunted House...

2026-10-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

My 11-year-old and I made a Trader Joe's Haunted House Chocolate Cookie kit.

I think we nailed it.

We did a good job getting the icing nice and pliable, but clearly we needed some specialized tools to make it look like the picture.

All in all, we had fun and got some good laughs in. The "house" is in disrepair, and some walls are missing. I think they may have been eaten.

I'm happy my wife picked this up and that we got to have fun building our Haunted House.

If you look closely... on the front door... it looks like a witch to me...

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 21st, 2026...The Family Plot

2026-10-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

October is flying by. The interior of my house isn't decorated. I'm not playing Halloween music. What's up?

I'm hoping to get some seasonal spirit soon. I have lots of cool things that only adorn the house once a year.

I have been listening to some of my Halloween music. Today I put on "The Family Plot" from Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead. Have a listen.

Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead by Mark Harvey

Much of the atmos'fearics I've created have a spacial intention to them. I've walked many haunted houses and conjured up the tones and feelings that specific spaces can benefit from. Sound and music make a big difference, and when you play on aural fear, you can really get into someone's psyche. That's what haunting means to me. A silly skeleton can be terrifying when placed in the right space with the right lighting and music.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 20th, 2026...Ghoul Skool...

2026-10-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here's another repost...

An interview I did with Ghoul Skool :

If you haven't heard 13th Track Halloween Radio or listened to the music of Nobody Records then your missing the best part of Halloween. Read along and check out the links as we interview Mark Harvey, the Master of Music Macabre!

Q: The 13th Track is the Premiere Halloween Radio Station. Why Halloween?

A: Halloween is my favorite holiday. For years I would put together mixes of Halloween (and Christmas) music and give it to friends. A sort of music to live your holiday by. As the years went on I started collecting anything and everything Halloween audio related. As my collection grew I decided I wanted to share my collection with a broader audience so I started 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio.

Q: Your collection of Halloween related songs is staggering, how long have you been collecting them? Do you have a favorite find? Is there a favorite song associated with Halloween?

A: I've been collecting Halloween related audio for around 22 years (I'm 34 now). My favorite find is a recent one. I finally located The Munsters LP in excellent condition. This LP features the Munsters theme with lyrics. Of course now that I found one, they've been showing up left and right on eBay. It'd be tough to pick just one favorite song since I've got so many. I'm into the more fun, party side of Halloween music. Music that is good to dance to. Something to get the girls dancing!

Q: You split your record selections for the 13th Track between classics (pre-70s) and modern (post 70s), in your opinion was there a shift in the music at that time? Where do you see Halloween music headed in the future, will it be darker, more Culdee or could there be another "Monster Mash" looming on the horizon?

A: There seems to be a shift from the pre-70s to the post 70s. Music from the 70s fits better with newer music. Music from the 60s and earlier tends to fit together. I've been DJing for many years and figured that 70s and before and 70s and beyond would be the logical place to split the broadcasts. Earlier Halloween music tends to be more whimsical, while newer Halloween music a bit darker (not in all cases). As far as the future of Halloween music? I think musicians will continue to record whatever inspires them. I know there are lots of new whimsical Halloween tunes, but with society getting a bit darker I also feel that Halloween music will emulate what's going on, so it should also get darker.

Really, people record for whoever they think their audience is, even if it is just for themselves. When I record my music I record the music for myself and hope that there is someone out there that can relate to what I'm doing. So far so good. As far as another "Monster Mash" on the horizon, I doubt it. Songs like that one come around once in a lifetime. Of all the emails I get, "Monster Mash" is still the most requested song. I'm still trying to write a song that rivals it. Hopefully someday I'll succeed!

Q: Nobody Records is a unique name, oft times there is a special meaning linking the name to the owner is it so in your case? How long has Nobody Records been in business? Where are you located?

A: Back in the late 80's my band, The Screaming Paisleys, needed a record label name to release our debut LP "EXIT" on. I had a band mascot (if you will) that I called Nobody - a no eyes, nose or mouth doll. I liked the name and it seemed to fit and it has stuck now for 16+ years. The label is located in Northern California near Oakland.

Q: The artists on your label are truly talented, how do you find them or do they find you? Do you solicit material from new acts or do you create them?

A: I've found most of the artists on my label. I do accept unsolicited material and I've signed acts who've submitted demos. Much of what is on my label has some connection to me - either I am the band or part of the band or good friends with the band. My goal is to be able to someday add many more artists to the label and get affiliated with a major label.

Q: Have you been associated with providing music for the dark ride industry? If so, in what fashion?

A: I've created many custom tracks for the dark amusement industry. People from all over the world contact me for specialized tracks. It helps that I am a haunter and dark rider. I understand what it takes to put on a good show. Music, in my opinion, is the least considered, but the most effective aspect of any dark attraction. I like to see floor plans, understand the themes or gag in each space. Then I create a track that immerses the visitor in the desired location. Right now I am working with a dark ride company in the Middle East. Another goal of mine is to work for an amusement company putting together tracks for rides, theme parks and events.

Q: Do you do anything special for Halloween such as parties, haunts or charitable functions?

A: Yes. Each year I put on a haunt for children called "Pumpkinland" (named after my CD series). Children enter free and I collect canned goods or small donations for an entrance fee from the adults. All proceeds benefit the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, CA. Last year I wasn't able to put "Pumpkinland" together, but plan on getting it back up and running this October. I've got many new pneumatic props (built by Brent Ross, Devious Concoctions) and look forward to putting on a professional show for the kids this year.

Q: Is there a special Halloween memory that remains with you?

A: Yes. Trick or Treating as a kid. I have many fond memories of combing the hillsides in San Carlos, CA with my friends in search of candy and good scares. It was safe back then to wander around until all hours of the night with your friends. We'd come home with pillow cases full of candy. I also loved carving Jack-O-Lanterns, visiting Half Moon Bay, CA and decorating the house for Halloween. The new fond memories of Halloween include meeting Rob Zombie, Karen Black, Bill Moseley and Alyson Hannigan at Universal Studios. They all did radio spots for 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio and received copies of my Pumpkinland CD and my band, Rain Station's CD, DARK RIDE. I also enjoy visiting local haunts and hearing the tracks I've created for them in action.

And that's it folks...repost du jour...hope you enjoyed it and keep visiting Mark Harvey World each day during the month of October.

Hallowe'en Greetings!

Mark Harvey

(the picture to the left is me at a pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay)

October 19th, 2026...Never to late to haunt...

2026-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings, friends, readers, Halloween enthusiasts, or whoever you are...

Halloween is closing in on us, and if you're like me, you've either decorated, or you'll soon be decorating your house for Halloween night. I enjoy decking my house out even though I don't get many kids up my steep hill. One of the most important parts of creating the atmos-fear is sound. The music is what leads Trick-or-Treaters to believe Pumpkinland is so scary. I don't usually have too many props out, but I always have my Pumpkinland music blaring out of every window.

Put some time into creating the right atmos-fear not only with your decorations, but with SOUND.
If you are in need - guess what? I've GOT what you need. Have a listen - it doesn't cost anything and you can download the music fast and easy.

Pumpkinland is the original "hauntscape" I recorded back in 1999 for my first home haunt

Pumpkinland by Mark Harvey Pumpkinland II followed in 2000 and was recorded due to the incredible success I had with the original "hauntscape".

Pumpkinland II by Mark Harvey Pumpkinland III was recorded in 2001 and was recorded to complete the trilogy.

Pumpkinland III by Mark Harvey Each Pumpkinland Halloween "Hauntscape" can be downloaded for $7 each. Money well spent.

Check 'em out!

Mark Harvey

October 18th, 2026...The origin of Halloween colors

2026-10-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations:

I found this, here...read on...

"Have you ever wondered about the origin of Halloween colors? It is the custom of the celebration to use orange and black in decorations and costumes. Retailers embrace this holiday because it’s one of the most lucrative of all.

As the Celtics are given the most credit for beginning the holiday as the festival of the harvest, a color of autumn is used. Orange, being the most prevalent autumn tone, is derived from the pumpkin and leaves.

Many people use pumpkins hollowed out as urns or vases to hold masses of fall mums or carve them into ghoulish or scary jack-o-lanterns with lit candles or mini electric lights inside to cast an eerie glow.

The color orange also signifies strength and endurance. We don’t know if that is for the holiday or strength and endurance at the harvest time. Since the Celtics were involved in wars with Julius Caesar, they may have believed the color orange gave courage to those who wore the color during battle. Little is know about this idea.

Halloween was once (and still may be in some areas) a festival of the dead. Death is usually associated with darkness and absence of light signified by the color black.

Black cats, witches hats, cauldrons, and streamers are a few of the items that are reminders of the holiday. Most candies at this time of year are in black and orange wrappers.

Traditionally, Halloween is always celebrated after sunset. The blackness of the night cloaks the revelers and hides their misdeeds or tricks if they don’t receive any treats.

Walking into any retail store that carries Halloween costumes, candy, or decorations, you will find masses of black and orange items. You know that it’s Halloween time, because the distinctive color combination is only used for this season. Not too many people use this color combination for their house or clothing!

The exact origin of Halloween colors is unknown, but we all know that with practice and use, the uncommon becomes commonplace."

Happy Haunting!

Mark Harvey

October 17th, 2026...The History of the Jack O'Lantern.

2026-10-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greeting friends and fiends...

Here's a little story for you...

The History of the Jack O'Lantern
The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.
Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.

Pumpkinland by Mark Harvey
Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 16th, 2026..Richard McGhee Star Vocalist an October favorite

2026-10-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

Around this time of year, I get really lonely for Richard McGhee. Here is a FREE MP3 download of Witchcraft (click here) by Richard McGhee *Star Vocalist* recorded at the Rain Station's Halloween Bash that we had many years ago. This tune features Richard McGhee *Star Vocalist* (click here to check him out LIVE). The track was taken from a live recording (off the board) at a Halloween party at the Rain Station. We hired Richard McGhee *Star Vocalist* to be the entertainment at our party, and I got a first-class recording of his show.

Such a perfect time of year to celebrate Richard's life (see what I wrote about him in a previous post by clicking here). Such a perfect song for the Halloween season. His spirit lives on in my memory, and his determination to be THE *Star Vocalist* that he was inspires me every day to live my life to the fullest.
Your comments are appreciated.

Enjoy!

Mark Harvey

Click here if you can't figure out where you're supposed to click to download the song.

October 15th, 2026...Against The Knife

2026-10-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

This may not be a Halloween-time post, but this track came on today, and I felt like I needed to post it.

Criminal Goat by Rain Station

Have a listen. Enjoy the track.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 14th, 2026...Halloween Cartoons!

2026-10-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've noticed that Halloween is my favorite time of year. Something about the October sky. The air. The rustling leaves. The Halloween cartoons!

If you haven't already purchased them, be sure to buy "Mad Monster Party", "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" this season. Sure beats waiting around for them to air on TV!

I can remember when I was a kid (before VCRs and DVDs) sifting through the TV Weekly trying to find out when "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was going to be on TV. "Mad Monster Party" hardly ever played on TV (due to its running time) so I was elated when it became available on DVD. "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" really captures what Halloween was like for me growing up. The story line: Charlie Brown is thrilled to have been at last invited to a costume party. His costume consists of a bed sheet with far too many holes in it (very befitting of Charlie Brown). Snoopy's costume consists of the goggles and scarf of a World War I flying ace. He is in search of his nemesis, the Red Baron. Linus prepares for the arrival of The Great Pumpkin, whom he believes will rise from the pumpkin patch and deliver presents to all good little boys and girls who believe in him. In the end, Charlie Brown finds himself with a treat bag full of rocks; Snoopy once more fails to bring the Red Baron down; and Linus spends the entire night in a pumpkin patch, waiting in vain for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. This the second of Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez' animated Peanuts specials, the 30-minute "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was first telecast October 27, 1966.

Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is based on characters created by Burton, the former Disney animator best known as the director of "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", "Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", and the first two "Batman" movies. This a story of Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington (voice by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs), who stumbles on a strange and fascinating alternative universe called ... Christmastown! Directed by Henry Selick (who later made the delightful "James and the Giant Peach"), this PG-rated is suited for kids of all ages. As Roger Ebert noted in his review, "some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen."

For some homegrown Halloween fun be sure to check out the animated cartoons by Jay Moores for Rain Station's Halloween spectacular, DARK RIDE...and visit JackOLantern.org!

See the spooky animations for the songs:
CANDY
TRICK OR TREATIN'
MONSTER HUNTER
THINGS
DAY OF THE DEAD
TOMB OF DOOM
HAUNTED MAN
DARK RIDE
and a BONUS track NOT found on DARK RIDE...IT'S HALLOWEEN and SCIENCE!!!

Happy Haunting!

Mark Harvey

October 13th, 2026...Rain Station's DARK RIDE turns 26...

2026-10-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

TWENTY-SIX years ago Jay and I released Rain Station's DARK RIDE, and after all these years I'm still as excited about this CD as I was when it was released. Let's rewind the clock...here's the backstory (for those who don't know).
Back in the Fall of 2000 (Due to my online presence on 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio), I was invited to The Universal Studios Hollywood Eyegore Awards. The Universal Studios Hollywood Eyegore Awards are presented for achievement in the horror and sci-fi genre. So, on Friday, October 13th, Jay and I trekked down to LA to be there, interview some folks, and get some station IDs for 13thTrack.com, as well as interview some of the winners for an article that I wrote. I can't find the article yet, but I'll keep looking and post it here.

The winners that night were:
* Joss Whedon
* Casts of Buffy and Angel
* Karen Black
* Gloria Stewart

* "The Undertaker"

I knew I was going to be meeting some people that night (Rob Zombie, Karen Black, Alyson Hannigan, Bill Moseley, Joss Whedon and more) and I figured it would be cool to record a Halloween CD to hand out to the folks we meet - you know, see if we can land that big record deal or get our music placed in a horror film, on TV...something. Rob Zombie had recently launched his Zombie A-Go-Go Record label (now inactive), and since I've always been a fan of HALLOWEEN and rockabilly (gothabilly), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to push out another CD in 2000 (we had released "Stonedozer" earlier that year). So Jay and I put this together quick style and did what we set out to do. Funny how I remember working at the Gelb Music consignment shop and writing lyrics. I had rough mixes on cassette and an old tape player. In between customers and phone calls, I'd try to pen lyrics. I remember being a bit frantic because I knew we had a deadline, and I'd agreed to work extra shifts to cover a vacation. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when I record - or at least I try to be - and in this case DARK RIDE just wasn't going to get the time I would normally put into a CD. Amazing enough, the disc turned out despite the lack of time. Once we got back to the Bay Area from the "gig," we decided that the CD was pretty good, so we mastered the disc with George Horn (Chief Mastering Engineer) at Fantasy Records in Berkeley, CA.

It still amazes me that we recorded this entire CD in probably two or three weeks. The disc got some great reviews as well...and although I know I've blogged this far too many times, here goes again (the reviews):

Underground DJ from Haunted Attraction Magazine

Now it is time to run away and join the carnival. "Step right up and see the amazing, the unbelievable, the available for your attraction CD, DARK RIDE by Rain Station." A journey through a veritable midway of new music written for old pretzel rides. The use of sound effects is limited only to those that help create the feel of the piece. The styles of music range widely from Heavy Metal beats through old time Rock and Roll to the almost cutesy Trick Or Treatin'. This nostalgically fun selection, took me back to my early days as a young zombie, heading out on Halloween with the lust for candy in my heart. The CD would be great for line entertainment or a party, with a little bit for every taste and some of the beats are infectious.

Larry McKenzie HalloweenMagazine.com

DARK RIDE by Rain Station is one of the most unique Halloween music CDs I have ever heard. DARK RIDE has 13 music tracks. Each track is a good mixture for Halloween. A bit mysterious and dark, yet very fun. The DARK RIDE CD would be great for an adult Halloween party. If you are a Halloween enthusiast and are looking for more Halloween music for your collection, you should visit http://www.NobodyRecords.com/ and listen to the MP3 samples from the DARK RIDE CD. I am happy to have this CD as part of my Halloween music collection. I sincerely recommend visiting Nobody Records and listen to a track or two.

Underground Entertainment

(This) offering is more of a Halloween party CD, especially suited to be played in queue lines or on the midways of Scream Parks. It contains thirteen tracks of rock/alternative style music with Halloween themes. You'll find titles such as "Monster Hunter", "Haunted Man", "Black Lagoon", "Trick or Treatin'", and "Broom Hopping". This one is fun and is a CD that should be added to the collection of anyone interested in assembling a music anthology of Halloween related material.

Chaotic Order

Curious mix of Porno for Pyros and White Collar Crime with a penchant for Halloween. Best use would be on the soundtrack for the upcoming Scooby Doo movie.

Happy Halloween Magazine

Looking for a Halloween CD with an edge, this is the one to get. Available from Nobody Records, Rain Station's Dark Ride packs a gritty, heavy metal sound that conjures an auditory image of purgatory. While this is not normally the type of music I listen to, for Halloween...it works! The raspy vocals lend a dark, almost visceral feel to the accompanying music. Contains 13, new, original hits...
DARK RIDE by Rain Station

Jay made some "videos" for some of the tracks on DARK RIDE. Check all of them out here.
DARK RIDE is one of my all time favorite projects. Perhaps it is because we didn't over analyze it, we had a timeline and had to bang it out. Perhaps it was because we got to be completely goofy. Rain Station music can sometimes be awfully serious and this disc is nothing but pure fun. Perhaps it was the thrill of getting to give copies of our CD to folks like Rob Zombie and Karen Black. Perhaps it was the Halloween theme.
The road trip to Universal Studios with Jay is a very fond memory for me. It felt like we were on tour.

Watch DARK RIDE cartoons HERE
JackOLantern.ORG Animation from J.E.Moores on Vimeo.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DARK RIDE!!!

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 12th, 2026...Halloween Music : TV Tunes

2026-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Television theme songs have to be included in any list of Halloween music. These songs have a way of imbedding in our brains, working into our subconscious. Theme songs set up the program, lead to commercials and leave us humming well after the show has ended. Even the youngest viewer can recite lyrics or hum the instrumental of beloved shows. Here I discuss some of my favorites and their memorable television theme songs.

The original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? was my favorite cartoon, and its theme one of my beloved songs. CBS first aired Scooby-Doo September 13, 1969. Fred Silverman, head of Children’s Programming at the time, was looking for a show to break the network’s superhero cartoon rut and move into cartoons with more comedy and adventure. He was seeking a combination of the popular 1940’s radio show I Love a Mystery and the 1959-1963 sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Silverman and Joe Barbera, of the Hanna-Barbera team, came up with the working title "House of Mystery" and took the idea to Hanna-Barbera writers, Ken Spears and Joe Rudy. Spears and Rudy worked on characters, plots and story lines. Initially the story line involved four teenaged detectives who traveled the country in a van called the Mystery Machine solving mysteries. A Great Dane was the fifth member of the crew, but did not play a large role in these plots. Originally titled ‘Mystery’s Five’ the name was changed to ‘Who’s Scared?’ and presented to CBS management as a new Saturday morning cartoon. CBS president Frank Stanton rejected the show because he felt the artwork was too frightening for younger viewers. Still trying to salvage the idea, Silverman flew back to Los Angeles that night, and while listening to airline music on the flight back he was struck by the phrase "Scooby-dooby-doo" from Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night. "We’ll call the show Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and we’ll make the dog the star of the show," he told Hanna-Barbera. And the show as we know it was created. The theme music for the first two aired episodes was composed by legend Hoyt S. Curtin, theme composer of The Flintstones, The Jetsons and many memorable television and cartoon themes. The more notable "Scooby-Dooby-Doo" theme song, written by David Mook and Ben Raleigh and sung by Larry Marks was recorded on Wednesday and aired the following Saturday, September 27, 1969. The Scooby-Doo format changed in 1972 and Hanna-Barbera created the Scooby-Doo movies, which aired on ABC, and featured guest stars such as the Addams Family, Phyllis Diller, Jonathan Winters, Don Knotts, and Laurel and Hardy. After seven years at CBS the Scooby-Doo series moved to ABC in 1976. ABC wanted a new theme song that reflected the current music scene so Hoyt Curtin worked with Hanna-Barbera to compose the disco theme for The Scooby-Doo Show. There are many versions of the Scooby-Doo theme recorded for various shows and movies by Mathew Sweet, The B-52’s, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Billy Ray Cyrus and Third Eye Blind. But my favorite version is the Mook/Raleigh version we all have come to know as the original Scooby-Doo theme.

I love The Munsters. Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, creative forces behind The Amos & Andy Show and Leave It to Beaver, developed, wrote and produced The Munsters which debuted on CBS September 24, 1964. Jack Marshall, one of Capitol’s top producers in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s wrote the theme song, which was nominated for a Grammy, with little known lyrics by Bob Mosher. An influential Hollywood guitarist, arranger, composer and conductor, Marshall scored music for television and was an arranger for Peggy Lee and Judy Garland. There are a few versions of The Munsters theme arranged by Marshall, including the pilot theme, the first 1964 arrangement and the final 1964-1966 arrangement. Marshall’s untimely passing at age 51 prompted a scholarship fund for young guitarists to be created in his name at the University of Southern California, where he is credited with starting their guitar program. Billy Strange, Comateens and Los Straitjackets have recorded versions of this classic television theme. This theme is one of the best Halloween instrumentals of all time.

Don Kirshner was president of Columbia Pictures-Screen Gem’s (CP-SG) music division when he assigned Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield to view the pilot for Bewitched and write the theme in 1964. The pilot used Frank Sinatra’s Witchcraft but (CP-SG) didn’t want to pay Sinatra for rights to the Witchcraft recording. Keller and Greenfield needed to write something with the same vibe, and they had only a week to write the song, record the demo and get it form California to New York. The song was readily accepted and the decision was made to use an instrumental rather than vocal version to enhance the Hanna-Barbera animated main title sequence. The first instrumental version was a light orchestral arrangement by series composer Warren Barker. The xylophone signature for Samantha’s trademark nose-scrunch was Barker’s idea and was incorporated into the main title for the second season. Talk of a vocal version was squashed when the studio didn’t want to spend $2,500 to pay crooner Jerry Vale. The animation and music for Bewitched changed slightly during its 1964-1972 ABC Primetime run. Alternate versions of the Bewitched theme have been performed by Peggy Lee, Steve Lawrence, The Earl Klugh Trio and 60’s Hammond organ master Jimmy Smith, to name a few. Bewitched is always a crowd pleaser with its fun, jazzy vibe and smooth feel.

Alfred Hitchcock presents, the 30-minute television series that aired October 2, 1955 to September 6, 1965, was the brainchild of Hitchcock’s friend and ex-agent Lou Wasserman, president of MCA. Alfred Hitchcock presents was one of the longest-running shows in television history, winning two Emmys and receiving 17 Emmy nominations. Hitchcock chose the classical novelty Marche Funèbre d'une Marionnette (Funeral March of the Marionette) composed in 1873 by French composer Charles Gonoud. The song was adapted and arranged over the years by many composers starting with Stanley J.Wilson, Music Director of MCA-Revue Studios (the TV wing of MCA-Universal Studios). Stan Wilson was a key figure in Hollywood’s music industry in the 1950s and 1960s and started the careers of several young composers including Dave Grusin, Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin. In 1960 the theme was credited to arrangers Dave Kahn and Melvyn Lenard. Kahn became music supervisor for the Filmways TV shows and Lenard was the pseudonym of publisher David Marvin Gordon, who wanted a piece of the royalties. In the fall of 1962 episodes expanded to an hour, and the title was changed to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. The theme was adapted and arranged by Lyn Murray (the pseudonym of Lionel Breeze). Murray had scored Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. The Lyn Murray Orchestra played with Bing Crosby, the Dorsey Brothers and Louis Armstrong. His personal diary detailing the New York and Hollywood Film and TV social scene was published in 1987: Musician – a Hollywood Journal. Bernard Herrmann arranged and adapted the theme a fourth time in 1964 opening the second hour-long season. In Herrmann's arrangement the melody was transposed up a diatonic third. He also composed music for many of Hitchcock’s films including Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Trouble with Harry, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Marnie and Torn Curtain. Hitchcock’s choice of theme song shows his self-amused attitude toward the joke that was his public persona. Funeral March of the Marionette will forever be linked to the fun and frolic of Halloween.

"There is nothing wrong with your television set…" those chilling words were first heard September 16, 1963. Outer Limits terrified audiences on ABC Primetime from 1963 until 1965. Leslie Stevens, president of Daystar Productions, and Joseph Stefano, scriptwriter for Hitchcock's Psycho and Marnie, developed Outer Limits in 1962 in attempt to compete with CBS’s The Twilight Zone. Composer and leading jazz accordionists Dominic Frontiere penned the first theme for the series. This was Frontiere’s first major achievement as a composer. He was also a production executive for the show. Frontiere’s main title theme and the music he wrote for the series are some of the most incredible and innovative scoring ever on television. It is also some of the creepiest. Frontiere is known for his film scores Hang ‘Em High (which Booker T & the MGs made into a top ten hit) and television scores like The Invaders. He, Stefano and Stevens left the series in 1964 after a crippling time-slot change and serious issues regarding funding. Frontiere became head of Paramount’s music department and won a Golden Globe his composition for The Stunt Man. Harry Lubin replaced Frontiere as series music director and replaced the main theme music and spooky melodies. A Lubin composition called ‘Weird’ had been used in Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond and this replaced the Outer Limits theme to save money. The track is almost unaltered from its original version used on One Step Beyond. Lubin is probably best known as composing for The Loretta Young Show and for the motion pictures Disaster, Wyoming Mail, Waterfront at Midnight, Mr. Reckless, Caged Fury and Tibet. Frontiere and Lubin’s compositions helped achieve that extra level of fright that Outer Limits enjoyed.

Whether you enjoy cartoons, sit-coms, murder mysteries or aliens and paranormal exploits, television themes are part of our musical Halloween celebration. Creating music that will be heard week after week, season after season isn’t easy. A successful theme song will outlast syndication and transcend the show it represented. A memorable theme song is a true work of art, a stroke of genius. I hope you have enjoyed learning about of these geniuses. Mark Harvey is a Halloween music enthusiast and archivist. Mark owns and operates NobodyRecords.com, HauntScapes.com, Pumpkinland Studios and 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio plus a number of Halloween and non-Halloween related websites. His own Halloween releases include the Pumpkinland Halloween ‘HauntScape’ Trilogy and Rain Station’s DARK RIDE.
Article from Happy Halloween Magazine Volume 5/Issue 2 & 3 – Autumn 2002

October 11th, 2026...Halloween Music : Unearthing Treasures

2026-10-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

What makes a Halloween song a hit? Most folks agree that a great Halloween song is one that you can sing along with. Songs that you find yourself humming as you decorate or prepare for Halloween. Many of these songs can be found easily and are considered common favorites among fans of the holiday. So why are some Halloween songs destined to live in obscurity? In the last issue of Happy Halloween Magazine I wrote about some of the better known Halloween classics. In this issue I’ll discuss more obscure songs that deserve their place in Halloween music history.

My earliest memories of Halloween music were of songs from classic cartoons that used pop, jazz and swing music from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Artists like Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Ray Noble and Bing Crosby recorded some of the best-known yet forgotten Halloween hits around. I love old black and white spooky cartoons. The Haunted House, written by Ray Noble and Max Kester is one of those "cartoon" songs I can remember from my childhood. Recorded in London on October 23, 1931, the Noble led New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, along with The Three Ginx on vocals, capture the fun, frivolity and mischief of the holiday. There is little information regarding this song and the history behind it. I contacted Ray’s nephew, Bud Noble, but he wasn’t able to shed any light on the subject. At this time the song remains a mystery.

Big band, swing and jazz music was big in my house. I loved to see the cartoons that brought together the familiar musical sounds with Halloween flair. A perfect match. Also big in my house were old movies. The Louis Armstrong version of the Arthur Johnson/Johnny Burke tune, The Skeleton in the Closet recorded with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra in Los Angeles, August 7, 1936 and featured in the 1936 Columbia Pictures movie, Pennies from Heaven is another favorite of mine. This was Satchmo’s big break as he was featured in a role aside Bing Crosby in this very successful romantic musical comedy. The song is featured in a creepy nightclub sequence complete with a dancing skeleton. Who can resist Armstrong’s gravelly voice and legendary trumpet style especially when it’s put to good use on a Halloween tune!

No list of Halloween songs from this era would be complete without mentioning The Headless Horseman by Don Raye and Gene De Paul. Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby and the Rhythmaires perform the song featured in the "Legend Of Sleepy Hollow," a portion of the 1947 animated Walt Disney film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Bing plays the role of Brom Bones and his song follows the Washington Irving tale of a headless man who cannot be reasoned, who is intent on scaring poor Ichabod Crane witless on Halloween night.

The 50s and 60s gave real life to Halloween music. Rockabilly (a blend of the blues, country and gospel) and rock-n-roll songs are most easily identified with Halloween and put music into the celebration of Halloween. The Purple People Eater, The Monster Mash and I Put A Spell On You are all products of this era. Monster magazines and movies influenced musicians to join the ranks of those who create media for the holiday. There are so many great songs from this era, many completely unknown and little is known about the artists who recorded some of these excellent yet obscure songs. She’s My Witch by Kip Tyler & His Flips was recorded in November 1958. Sexy, spooky and lazy this is Halloween music performed with a hoodlum’s sneer. The Flips were a Hollywood black-leather clad Rockabilly gang who would ride to their shows on motorcycles. Guitarist Bruce Johnson later joined the Beach Boys. Tyler, who also recorded under the name Jimmy Daley, made an appearance in the film Rock Pretty Baby, but only dabbled once with Halloween music.

Gary Warren’s Werewolf was recorded August 18, 1958 on the Nasco label. Re-recorded in 1998 by Southern Culture On The Skids (who also have a great version of She’s My Witch) for Rob Zombie’s Halloween Hootenanny CD, Werewolf has to be one of my favorite Halloween songs of all time. This is one of the most fun songs to sing and practice Elvis moves to. I find myself singing this one whenever I feel a sinister urge coming on. Unfortunately, little is known about Gary Warren or his recording career. I’ve contacted the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in hopes of learning more about Gary Warren and Kip Tyler. I’ll keep you posted.

Calypso, Reggae and Ska also have some excellent seasonal representatives. Zombie Jamboree is a funny story about zombies from across the land celebrating at a cemetery on Long Island and is said to have won an extemporaneous composition contest for Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators at Trinidad’s Calypso Carnival in 1955. This, according to the Kingston Trio’s Dave Guard, who has a knack for entertaining song lead-ins. The song was actually written by Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr. (which is not Lord Invader’s real name—he was born Rupert Westmore Grant); Lord Invader’s band was known as his Calypso Orchestra. No matter, the Kingston Trio is responsible for one of the most notable versions of this song. Early recordings of Zombie Jamboree (which is also known as Back to Back [Belly to Belly]) are by such Calypso artists as Noel Anthony, The Castaways, Lord Jellicoe and His Calypso Monarchs and The Charmer (The Charmer was Louis Farrakhan’s stage name back in the 50s). Harry Belafonte recorded my favorite version of Zombie Jamboree in 1962. In 1990, Rockapella (an acappella group) released a radio only single of Zombie Jamboree (one of the first songs they had recorded as a group) bringing the song to a new audience and making the song hip again.

Reggae super-producer Lee "Scratch" Perry and his studio band, that he called The Upsetters, released Dracula in January 1971 as an instrumental b-side to The Wailers Mr. Brown single. Years earlier after a couple of rehearsals, Bob Marley and The Wailers had convinced The Upsetters to leave Perry and join The Wailers. When Perry heard the news, he was livid. After locking themselves away for several hours, Perry and Marley decided to work together, sharing the backing musicians and making Perry exclusive producer for future recordings. They worked together from 1969-1971. Released on Perry’s Upsetter label, Dracula features his signature fiery organ-led, soul-tinged reggae and is a truly one of the coolest Halloween instrumentals around. The relationship between Perry, The Upsetters and The Wailers was a turning point in reggae history. The song is little known and often credited to Bob Marley.

Another favorite is Ghost Town by The Specials. Written by Jerry Dammers (their keyboard player and principal songwriter) in 1981, Ghost Town was The Specials last single. The Specials were the flagship band of the late 70s/early 80s 2-tone Ska scene, fusing Jamaican Ska (a mix of Reggae and Rocksteady) with high-energy Punk Rock. The song sums up the frustration felt by the band as youth riots erupted across England due to recession and high unemployment. It also captures a perfect feeling of desolation. Ghost Town reached Number 1 in the UK in July 1981 and stayed at Number 1 for three weeks.

What makes these Halloween songs great is the mood they create and the fun they inspire. Whatever the type of music you enjoy there is a wealth of Halloween music to choose from. I will continue to research and discover the stories behind Halloween songs and present those stories in future issues of Happy Halloween Magazine.

Mark Harvey is a Halloween music enthusiast and archivist. Mark owns and operates NobodyRecords.com, HauntScapes.com, Pumpkinland Studios and 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio plus a number of other Halloween and non-Halloween related websites. His own Halloween releases include the Pumpkinland Halloween ‘HauntScape’ Trilogy and Rain Station’s DARK RIDE.

Article from Happy Halloween Magazine Volume 5/Issue 1 – Spring 2002

October 10th, 2026...Halloween Music: It's Not Just Monster Mash

2026-10-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

An article by Mark Harvey(Part one of three articles on Halloween music by Mark Harvey)

What classifies a song as a Halloween song? It is words. It is feel. It is unmistakable. Almost every genre of music has a Halloween representative, although I have yet to find a Gospel or Christian Halloween song in my searches. Much of this music must be sought out since it will never make it onto a Halloween compilation CD or onto commercial radio. As Halloween approaches, my never-ending search for new Halloween sounds reaches a higher level while stores stock current offerings. Each year I find something new. Each year I find more of the same old usual suspects. Let us start with the stories about the songs that you have most likely heard.

Sheb Wooley and A Thing with One Big Horn and One Big Eye

Sheb Wooley (a.k.a. Ben Colder) is known by most Halloweenites for penning The Purple People Eater, but to millions of other folks he is known for his country novelty tunes and extensive film and TV work. Wooley first got the idea for The Purple People Eater when a songwriter friend told him his son had come home from school with a joke about a "people eater." After recording what he deemed as a "bottom of the barrel song," his label decided not to release it. They thought it was something they did not want to be identified with. Somehow a copy of the song made its way to the company’s New York offices. They loved the song. The country’s fascination with UFO’s and the Sputnik phenomenon in full swing, the NY office reconsidered the release. In early 1958 The Purple People Eater became the first single ever to hit number one in its second week on the charts. The Purple People Eater catapulted to Number 1 for six weeks in 1958, sold over three million records and received a gold record within three weeks after it was released. It is the Number 24 song of the 1955-1959 rock era and has sold over one hundred million copies.

Mr. Pickett and THE song

In about an hour and a half, Lenny Capizi and Bobby Pickett worked out The Monster Mash. Halloween music was forever changed. These two members of the singing group the Cordials decided to take advantage of the novelty song craze happening in the early sixties. They brought the song to producer Gary Paxton (singer of the Hollywood Argyles hit Alley Oop). After the session, Paxton dubbed the band "Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett and the Cryptkickers." On October 20, 1962, after eight weeks on the charts, the record hit Number 1 just in time for Halloween. It re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 on August 29, 1970 peaking at Number 91 and again on May 5, 1972 when it went all the way to Number 10. Over the years, The Monster Mash has sold over four million copies, received three gold records, and is easily one of the most popular novelty records of all time.

Jumpin’ Gene Simmons: fortunes from a Haunted House

Haunted House was first recorded in the late 1950s by Johnny Fuller (Specialty 655) but failed to chart. In 1963 Domingo Samudio (a.k.a. Sam The Sham) was performing Haunted House live clubs and on television. People went nuts when he performed the song. Jumpin’ Gene and Sam the Sham were playing clubs together in the early sixties. Gene saw how folks were reacting to that song. Ray Harris at Hi Records asked Gene to see if Sam would record Haunted House for Hi Records. Sam declined and said he wanted to cut the record on his own. Harris wanted to proceed with their recording of the song and asked Jumpin’ Gene if he would cut the record. Simmons has said the session was not like his others in that "everyone involved had fun." By August 1964, Haunted House (Hi 2076) had made it to Number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. After years of unsuccessful releases Haunted House would be Jumpin’ Gene Simmons first hit and would launch him on his first world tour.

Screaming' Jay: Original Shock-Rocker

Many years ago I was fortunate enough to catch Screamin’ Jay Hawkins at a small nightclub in San Francisco. The show was weird, excellent—but weird. I Put A Spell on You was THE signature song. Hawkins crept around the stage in a cape, brandishing the smoking skull on a stick he named ‘Henry.’ He was a crazed cannibal, a voodoo jive master. What I did not realize at that time was his immense impact on macabre music, especially on the presentation of that music. Inspired by being dumped by a girlfriend after she caught him cheating, Screamin’ Jay cut the original version of I Put A Spell On You for Grand Records in 1949, but the record failed to make an impact. Recorded with producer Arnold Maxon for Okeh (Epic) in 1956, the song soon became his signature hit. Maxon insisted that Jay’s recording needed to live up to the strange title and suggested that they turn the session into a huge party. Maxon supplied Jay and the musicians with barbecued ribs and chicken, yams and sweet potato pie, wine, beer and whiskey. After a while, he turned on the tape. A week later Screamin’ Jay was brought a copy of the recording. He was shocked and refused to believe that the recording was of him. After some Scotch and some practiced mouth contortions, he accepted it as his own. I Put A Spell on You was banned from radio airplay across the country due to his "cannibalistic" delivery. It was eventually edited for radio with moans, grunts and groans removed. I Put A Spell On You was Screamin’ Jay’s only big single, selling over a million copies, but it never made the charts. To date there are over three dozen versions by such popular artists as Credence Clearwater Revival, Nina Simone, Atlantics, Pete Townsend, The Animals (with Eric Burdon), Bryan Ferry, Manfred Mann, Robben Ford, Van Morrison, John Fogerty, Etta James, Bette Midler, Sarah Vaughan, Nick Cave, and Marilyn Manson.

Dah-dah-dah-dum! Snap! Snap!

In 1964 Vic Mizzy gave us one of the best known pieces of music, The Addams Family Theme, but this legendary theme might not have happened at all. David Levy, a close friend of Mizzy’s and an executive with Filmways Studio (NBC’s television production division) asked him to patch in some stock music for the soundtrack of a pilot for a series based on the Charles Addams cartoons in the New Yorker. Vic offered to write a score for free so long as he could keep the publishing rights. Levy agreed and Mizzy wrote the theme. Not only did he write the title theme, but he also composed themes for most of the main characters, played the harpsichord, and directed the opening sequence. Vic was the vocalist on the track and his voice was overdubbed three times. Whenever you hear Lurch playing the harpsichord, it’s actually Vic. From 1964—1966 Mizzy composed themes and weekly scores for the TV show. His 1965 Ghost and Mr. Chicken soundtrack has some of his best work. He is known best in Hollywood for being an excellent source for silly and fun music and has composed for films, radio and television.

Our "Spooky" tune

Spooky was originally an instrumental by saxophonist Mike Sharpe. A regional hit in the Atlanta, Georgia area, J.R. Cobb of The Classics IV and producer Buddy Buie decided to re-record the song with lyrics. In 1967 Spooky was released on the Imperial Label. A radio station in Louisville, Kentucky began to spin the record. By early 1968 the song’s popularity had spread nationally as it reached Number 3 and achieved a gold record. It reached Number 46 in the UK. In 1974, Cobb and Buie, along with some members from The Classics IV and Roy Orbison’s Candymen band, formed the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Their 1979 remake of the original 1967 hit reached Number 17. Though it was the band's last hit, it put the song back on the Halloween map for good.

Phil Everly wants a dance song

In the early 70s Warren Zevon played with the Everly Brothers and by 1975, he and his wife were living in Phil Everly’s guesthouse. Phil asked Warren and songwriting partner Leroy "Roy" Marinell to write a song for his upcoming solo album. He asked them to write him a dance song. "Something like ‘Werewolves Of London’" is what Phil said. Later, at Roy’s house as they began writing, guitarist Robert ‘Wadded’ Wachtel joined them to add the "Aah-Ooh Werewolves of London". According to Zevon, the first verse was written spontaneously and entirely by Waddy. The three finished the song in 20 minutes. The track was recorded with Waddy, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie (of Fleetwood Mac fame) and produced by friend Jackson Browne. Werewolves of London hit Number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number 15 on the Cashbox charts in April 1978. The song eventually reached Number 8 and went gold. As a result, his album Excitable Boy became a Top Ten record and remains his best-selling album to date. Thanks to Phil.

I hope you have enjoyed the stories behind the songs. As familiar as many of these songs are, they still remain some of my favorite songs of all time. Sometimes hearing the story behind the song brings new life to old tracks. In the next issue of Happy Halloween Magazine I will talk about the more eclectic side of Halloween music, covering genres and rarities.

Mark Harvey is a Halloween music enthusiast and archivist. Mark owns and operates NobodyRecords.com, HauntScapes.com, Pumpkinland Studios and 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio plus a number of Halloween and non-Halloween related websites. His own Halloween releases include the Pumpkinland Halloween ‘HauntScape’ Trilogy, Rain Station’s DARK RIDE and FLESHROT: Songs from the Dead.

Article from Happy Halloween Magazine Volume 4/Issue 4 – Winter 2002

October 9th, 2026...I love me some "Broom Hopping"

2026-10-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

Each year many of my friends dust off their copy of my band Rain Station's DARK RIDE CD. If you've been visiting my blog for any length of time you've read about the making of the CD, heard the songs, maybe even bought a copy or downloaded a song or 13. Over the years my bandmate and great friend JE Moores has made awesome videos for some of the songs on the disc and for this track he made a GAME you can download and play on your mobile device!

From Jay's website (here)...

"Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it. Dressing up, fun spooky images, the leaves all turn beautiful colors, and lots and lots of candy! The Broom Hopping game is a celebration of classic Halloween paper cut out art. Remember your teacher giving you orange and black paper, and you had to cut out silhouettes of Jack-O-Lanterns, bats, and cats, and glue them all together into high contrast Halloween cards and decorations? You don’t? Well, that’s okay. You can play my new game anyway.

Mark Harvey and I are the band, Rain Station, and we recorded a bunch of Halloween songs. Our song, Broom Hopping inspired this game. We imagined a black cat hopping from broom stick to broom stick as witches fly to a Halloween party. I had animated a bunch of these songs for JackOLantern.ORG – but I thought Broom Hopping had to be a game, not just a cartoon.

So here it is. Broom Hopping is a classic Halloween video game perfect for all ages. Game play is simple. You just tap left or right and do your best to help the kitty hop from broom stick to broom stick. You can even hop on the bats to keep you going. If you need a little extra juice, the Jack-O-Lanterns give you a power up so you can survive the owls and spiders. Play against your friends to see who can hop the most broom sticks. If you love cats or Halloween, (or cats and Halloween), this game is for you."

Download the game...have a listen to the song...get into the Halloween Spirit!

DARK RIDE by Rain Station
Happy Haunting!

Mark Harvey

October 8th, 2026...Hauntorama? Yes!

2026-10-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

Back in 2001 I was asked to be a part of Hauntorama - a nonprofit organization based in LA lending the music from my Pumpkinland CD (here) for a project they were developing. I ran across the order form when I was cleaning out some files and decided to look into where'd they go? Where'd they end up?

I was able to find the color version of the book artwork (left) and the following description of Sterling Long-Colbo's orgranization, "In 2001, Long-Colbo founded Hauntorama, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles. Hauntorama developed their awareness, safety and abduction prevention/education programs in connection with Child Quest International (CQI); this two-year program was created to raise awareness of child abduction, and provide safety education nationwide leading up to Halloween – a night with significant abduction risks. He partnered Hauntorama with Radio Disney, secured $500,000 in nationwide media promotion, and distributed 75,000 Halloween Safety brochures in 44 markets nationwide, supported by public safety announcements in the same markets. Long-Colbo also secured Universal Home Video and Scholastic Books as sponsors, as well as securing the involvement of the families of Boris Karloff, he also created, art-directed and produced the Hauntorama website."

I do know that my music was heard on Radio Disney and was used in the promotion of the project. I was proud to be a part of raising awareness of child abduction and to lend a hand using my music.

I've done some online searches for my CD and other information regarding the program, but it looks like after 19 years it as all but evaporated. I hope I was able to do some good.

Have a listen to "Pumpkinland":

Pumpkinland by Mark Harvey

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 7th, 2026...Rain Station's "SCIENCE"...

2026-10-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Good evening,

It was back in 2012 that this Rain Station cartoon video was brought to life. Jay pulled an all all-nighternighter... all-morninger to put this video out. Here's the video - SCIENCE!!!
"Science!!!" by Rain Station was recorded on 10/02/10 (hard to believe it was over 16 years ago). Here's the backstory: "Jay and I got together so I could record vocals on a new song, 'Complicated Man?', but I knew we needed to try and get a new Halloween track done. After trying to program drums for the new track, Jay took a look at some of the drum beats he had recorded.

The process for "Criminal Goat" and our upcoming CD starts with Jay recording drum beats, and then I'll add bass, guitar, keyboards, and whatever else the tune needs. Jay will write lyrics and record other instruments, and then we'll see what else we need to do. After hearing Jay's drum beat yesterday, I recorded keyboards, guitar, and then started thinking about what to write lyrically. Jay suggested that the song reminded him of a mad scientist, and my mind took off - the pencil hardly keeping up with my mind. I recorded vocals, and then Jay and I recorded some "weird" vocals to back up the track. We always have fun recording, but we get a kick out of the strangeness that comes out when we're recording a Halloween track.

So, the tradition continues with "Science!!!" a Rain Station Halloween track for 2010."

and check out the tune below...

Happy haunting!
Unreleased Rain Station by Rain Station
Mark Harvey

October 6th, 2026...Trader Joe's Halloween Gummies

2026-10-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

One of my favorite things to do during the Season is shop for food to put into my kids' lunches. Trader Joe's almost always has some cool new treats every year, and this year is no exception.

My kids like fruit snacks, and these are fun, easy treats to add to their lunchboxes. They are gummies, not fruit snacks, and don't contain anything healthy.

Each 14 oz bag has about 20 .7 oz pouches. They are 70 calories per pouch.

There are five Halloween-y shapes that are colored naturally and produced in France. They are super chewy and worth sourcing if you enjoy gummies. These are great for lunches or for passing out to trick-or-treaters.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 5th, 2026...Helping Haunters...a free track...

2026-10-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Back in 2002 I participated in producing a charity CD (with a number of other artists). It was called "Haunters Helping Haunters" and I had three songs on the disc.

"Helping Haunters" was recorded specifically for this disc.

Please have a listen and ENJOY...

Mark Harvey...Unreleased by Mark Harvey Tonight I'm making this tune available for FREE!

Download "Helping Haunters" now - here.

I hope you enjoy some of the FREE Halloween treats I'm posting. Remember to support independent artists (like me) by downloading or purchasing music - you can find my music for download here, here, here and here.

Mark Harvey

Click here if you can't figure out where to download the track

October 4th, 2026...free download..."Every Day, Every Year".

2026-10-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I feel the need to offer up some treats for those of you who read this blog. Here is a FREE download of one of my tracks. The FREE MP3 download is "Every Day, Every Year" (click here to download), taken from the Nobody Records Pumpkinland Halloween Sampler (also found on mopehead's "Big Top Blues" CD here). Enjoy the FREE track and please drop me a comment. Remember, all of my CDs are available for purchase at and be downloaded here, here, here and here.
Be sure and support Halloween Radio by purchasing CDs from us!

Big Top Blues by mopehead

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey (aka mopehead)

Click here if you can't figure out where you're supposed to click to download the song.

Mark Harvey's World

October 28th, 2026...new DARK RIDE video..."This Night"...from Rain Station's DARK RIDE album

October 27th, 2026...Trick or Treatin'

October 26th, 2026...Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion"

October 25th, 2026...Creepin' around the house...

October 24th, 2026...Haunted Castle...Santa Cruz, CA...

October 23rd, 2026...Creature...

October 22nd, 2026...Yeah..that's it...Haunted House...

October 21st, 2026...The Family Plot

October 20th, 2026...Ghoul Skool...

October 19th, 2026...Never to late to haunt...

October 18th, 2026...The origin of Halloween colors

October 17th, 2026...The History of the Jack O'Lantern.

October 16th, 2026..Richard McGhee ***Star Vocalist*** an October favorite

October 15th, 2026...Against The Knife

October 14th, 2026...Halloween Cartoons!

October 13th, 2026...Rain Station's DARK RIDE turns 26...

October 12th, 2026...Halloween Music : TV Tunes

October 11th, 2026...Halloween Music : Unearthing Treasures

October 10th, 2026...Halloween Music: It's Not Just Monster Mash

October 9th, 2026...I love me some "Broom Hopping"

October 8th, 2026...Hauntorama? Yes!

October 7th, 2026...Rain Station's "SCIENCE"...

October 6th, 2026...Trader Joe's Halloween Gummies

October 5th, 2026...Helping Haunters...a free track...

October 4th, 2026...free download..."Every Day, Every Year".

October 16th, 2026..Richard McGhee Star Vocalist an October favorite