Mark Harvey's World

Happy Halloween! October 31st, 2025

2025-10-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Well gang, we made it. Here's wishing each and every one of you out there a safe, and FUN Halloween with more treats than tricks.

I'm finishing up some decorating and then will be carving pumpkins before heading out to trick or treat with my youngest.

Happy Halloween! I hope you get lots of candy! Speaking of "Candy"...

DARK RIDE by Rain Station

Mark Harvey

21st wedding anniversary...October 30th, 2025

2025-10-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

Twenty one years ago today I married my wife. We both would have preferred to pick a different day for our wedding anniversary since there's always so much to do to get ready for Halloween (if you're like me), but I try to give our anniversary the attention it deserves.

Celebrating 21 years of marriage is a big thing.

I love you honey, Happy Anniversary.

So since we're talking October brides...have a listen to "October's Bride" off Rain Station's DARK RIDE CD.

DARK RIDE by Rain Station

If you've not taken the time to check out the DARK RIDE videos, please do. Visit JackOLantern.org or click the links below....

HAUNTED MAN
MONSTER HUNTER
DARK RIDE
and the BONUS track

"IT'S HALLOWEEN"

Happy Anniversary to my lovely wife and Happy 30th of October. TOMORROW is THE day! HALLOWEEN PEOPLE!!!!

Mark Harvey

every year...at some point...obviously...October 28th, 2025

2025-10-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

This season we haven't watched as many Halloween shows as usual, but every year it is mandatory that we watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!".

I was fortunate to watch "Edward Scissorhands" with my daughter over the past weekend. Being a Tim Burton fan it is always interesting to visit his early movies and see how they intertwine. My daughter has seen many of them so she saw the connectivity and his aesthetic is undeniable.

We recorded a track that may or may not be a Halloween track. Time is running out, but we will complete the song at some point.

I hope your Season is going well,

Mark Harvey

halloween cartoons! October 27th, 2025

2025-10-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

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

halloween articles on repeat...part three...October 26th, 2025

2025-10-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

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
Visit Halloweenalliance.com for magazine information

halloween articles on repeat...part two...October 25th, 2025

2025-10-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

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

halloween articles on repeat...part one...October 24th, 2025

2025-10-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

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 bands 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

close your eyes and...haunt...October 23rd, 2025

2025-10-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

It's that time of year...close your eyes and haunt...

What does your Halloween scene look like?

Big Top Blues by mopehead

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

costume choices...October 22nd, 2025

2025-10-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Costume choices are important especially for kids. My youngest chose to be a plague doctor mostly due to our visit to Scotland and our experiences on a ghost tour that discussed the plague and the recognizable "Plague Doctor". Three of the four of us had paranormal experiences there...I've had many in my lifetime and it was interesting to see the reactions of my children when dealing with things that could not be explained.

Every year I usually dig out an old costume and decide where I'm going with it...I have mix and match things, but I haven't purchased a Halloween costume in a very long time.

We, as a family, often discuss a theme for all of us, but usually the kids ally with a classmate and head that route. The "Plague Doctor" will be a solo mission and it's going to be great.

Pumpkinland III by Mark Harvey

What are you wearing this Halloween? Do you buy, make or recycle costumes?

Drop a line, say "hey"...we are getting CLOSE.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

free MP3 download...October 21st, 2025

2025-10-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

man...its the 20th...October 20th, 2025

2025-10-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Wow...it's really hard to believe that it's the 20th of October. This month has flown by. This is usually the time of the Season where I start to get antsy and I force more "more Halloween than is necessary" to everyone in my sphere. Yeah, that's me.

So, I'm still trippin' on the fact that the Rain Station's DARK RIDE album was done 25 years ago. Makes me feel super old, but when I listen to the tracks I feel like they were recorded yesterday. I hope the album ages gracefully, that people find joy in listening to it, watching the videos and that it is passed down generationally like "Monster Mash" or "Thriller" (I know, high bars, but...gotta dream big).

Anyhow, not much else is going on...life progresses...October doesn't stop and turn into Halloweentown for me (as much as I wish it would). For now, I am content with my Jack O' Lanterns lighting up my living room...my ghouls and pumpkins in the front. I think I am properly Halloweening even when I feel out of sorts.

This is free flow...

Have a listen (again or for the first time).

DARK RIDE by Rain Station

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

favorite viewing this time of year...October 19th, 2025

2025-10-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I thought I'd post a bunch of my favorite YouTube videos for you watching enjoyment!
I hope they bring you as much joy as they do me!

HAPPY HAUNTING!

Mark Harvey

fleshrot anthem...a track from Fleshrot:Songs from the Dead...October 18th, 2025

2025-10-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Good thing it is Saturday night...

What a week...and with that being said, now is the time to rock out to some of my heavier music (is that OK with you?).

Taken from Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead, "Fleshrot Anthem" is one of my favorite tracks off the CD. Here's a review of the track...

"The opening track starts of with dark instrumental and the sound of zombies, then explodes into a brilliant thrash metal experience clocking in at about just over 9 minutes!. Pure audio adrenaline."

Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead by Mark Harvey Have a listen...have a great weekend!

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

demographics...October 17th, 2025

2025-10-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I recently looked at the demographics of who is visiting me here at Mark Harvey World (since I'm spending time here during October). I was very surprised to see which countries most of the traffic is coming from. Leading the charge is Singapore (by a wide margin - 29%) followed by Germany, Sweden and Iran. The U.S. comes in fifth, but the number five spot is moving with Iran and the U.S. trading spots on a daily basis.

Thank you to my international visitors and welcome - please drop a comment and let me know what landed you here. I'm most active on my blog during the month of October, but I do stop in periodically during the year. I always state I'll post here more often, but...yeah...

So...Zombies....

Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead by Mark Harvey

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

more DARK RIDE goodness...October 16th, 2025

2025-10-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Another quick post on the 25th Anniversary of Rain Station's DARK RIDE album...

I recently learned of an animated version of the final track of DARK RIDE...named...well, same...

I love that after all these years the album can inspire someone to create something with it. Here's what Jay wrote on RainStation.com...

"A fan of the Dark Ride album emailed and asked permission to animate our music. I was psyched. It came out nifty. I especially love the homage to the Candy characters and other characters from our past animations.

25 years went by really fast. Mark Harvey and I have raised our children, shared our love of Halloween with them, and here we are still going strong due to Robert Whittington’s new animation. Thanks, Robert Whittington of FIDreams. Thanks for reminding us that we exist.

I hadn’t noticed that we reached the 25 years point. I do know that two generations have grown up listening to our Halloween tunes. I also want to thank Heather Drain for reminding us that we are still worth mentioning at this time of year. Heather has had a lot to do with our exposure to all things internet. Yay team."

Here's the video...

What Jay wrote continues...

"I don’t know why Mark and I made Dark Ride. We just love Halloween. It wasn’t a commercial project, it never tried to make any money. It was a project we did because we want to be a part of the Halloween season. It feels really good to hear from Dads who search for our animations to show their kids. It means so much to us to be a part of your celebration.

Dark Ride is a party album, made for parties, long cues at haunts, any place where a bouncy dancey Halloween vibe could be of use. Plus Mark and I make some really funny voices and characters. Check it all out at JackOLantern.ORG 🎃 – and Happy Halloween to you and yourn!"

Many readers probably know the "WHY" for the DARK RIDE album based on many, many, many previous blog posts. If not, here is where you'll read about it. I'm just so happy to have had a collaborator like Jay to be able to pull off a project like DARK RIDE. I can remember the time vividly, working at a guitar shop, their consignment shop, writing lyrics in-between customers...eager to get home to work on the album some more.

We had such a tight timeline and it felt like such an achievement to complete a 13 track album in two weeks. It was a labor of love, an album that encapsulates my Halloween experience growing up. It means a lot to me that folks like it still. I appreciate every song download. Every time our name is mentioned. Rain Station is alive and well and we'll most certainly ride again.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

nocturne...October 15th, 2025

2025-10-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Just a few more shots of my living room so far. I hope to continue working on it this week and have things well in hand by the weekend.

Fill in spaces. Create scenes that tell stories.

Pumpkinland III by Mark Harvey

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

feeling fall...October 14th, 2025

2025-10-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I hope your Season has been going well. We've been busy over here at Pumpkinland. There's much afoot on a daily basis that certainly not seasonal (as we can all attest to), but I did manage to get some more things out and up.

My kids enjoy having the spaces decorated. I enjoy putting a movie on and letting the pumpkins glow while I take in the ambiance. My house returns to it regularly decorated program briefly after Halloween and then Christmas takes over for a long time.

For now I enjoy feeling Fall...feeling October....Feeling Halloween.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

Happy Silver Anniversary! Twenty Five Years of DARK RIDE...October 13th, 2025

2025-10-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

TWENTY FIVE 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 back story (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. For some reason I still can't seem to find the article, but I'll keep digging so I can 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 and pen lyrics. I remember being a bit frantic since I knew we had a deadline and I 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 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

Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion"...October 11th, 2025

2025-10-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

free Halloween music always sounds good...October 10th, 2025

2025-10-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

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.

haunt music for your home, party or haunted attraction...October 9th, 2025

2025-10-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings and salutations,

Today (as I do on many occasions) I harken back to the glory days of when I was making Halloween music and somewhat working in the haunt industry. A few years ago Weird Jon at Gravediggers Local 16 (here) did an incredible write up of my Pumpkinland CDs.

Here's the article:

The late 90’s were a very important time in the development of modern haunted attraction music. Midnight Syndicate had settled into the style which made them famous in 1998 and Michael Hedstrom entered the scene in 1999. That year also saw the release of Pumpkinland by a California native by the name Mark Harvey. He created the album due to the difficulties he had finding the right soundtrack for his “Pumpkinland” home haunt. As this was before the explosion of ambient horror music, he was limited to the various scary sound effects albums which used to flood supermarkets and drug stores each October. They offered more sound effects than music and many of said sound effects were inappropriate for children (who were the haunt’s intended audience). So he decided to just make his own custom mix of music and effects. Thank goodness he was an experienced musician with his own label!

Mark Harvey’s music career traces back to 1985 and he created Nobody Records in 1987 to release his band’s first album. The Screaming Paisleys were only the beginning of his working with others, as later years saw him playing as a member of Rain Station along with Beth Eyre and Month of Sundays. He also spent much of the 90’s as a solo act performing under the name “mopehead.” Pumpkinland not only spawned his recording studio, but its success led to his “HauntScapes” (as he calls them) appearing in haunted attractions and dark rides around the world! His work has also appeared in television, radio, commercials and film.
The opening track “Pumpkinland” features a slow, rumbling buildup which carries on through entire track. There are also touches of musical instruments to keep the tension up. It’s not too overwhelming for children while still being creepy enough for everyone else. It’s great for pumpkin patches, graveyards, boiler rooms, etc. If you go with a pumpkin theme, make sure to build a pumpkin arch to help with the mood. The track’s mild lurking feel helps it flow into the next track as well. “Creature” turns up the lurking sensation and oozes with unease. It’s all atmosphere with no additional music. That is, unless you count how the track “throbs” at times. You’ll understand once you hear it. “Swamp” picks things up a bit with hissing music and a feel that’s almost like breathing. There are the occasional distant cries heard as well. I really enjoyed the direction the music took toward the last leg of the track, especially the groaning tones. Maybe it’s due to the drum beats, but this has something of a Midnight Syndicate feel as well. You had better believe that’s meant as a compliment! “Ghouls” is a grand orchestral track. The amazing organs and horns are sometimes joined by vaguely mystical or spacey touches. It’s a bit insect-like at times, so it could work in spider or bug room. “The Pumpkin Patch” is an epic soundscape whose length depends on the format you purchase it on. The digital download runs a little over 25 minutes but has a brief silent pause about 17:14 into the track. This is due to Bandcamp’s size limits and the uninterrupted 34 minute version can only be found on CD. There’s wailing wind, creaking branches and night birds. There’s even some howling wolves, crickets and thunder at times for good measure. On the music side of things, there are the occasional touches of instruments. But they come and go too quickly to let you make any identifications.

Mark Harvey made a truly impressive impact upon the world of ambient Halloween music with Pumpkinland. With the shortest track only being a little under 4 minutes, looping isn’t a problem for any of the tracks. That is, unless you purchase “The Pumpkin Patch” as a digital download. They also flow into each other well enough to allow for the album to be looped as a whole. Naturally, a sequel soon followed and the year 2000 saw the release of Pumpkinland II.

“Pumpkinland II” has a dark and low synth opening. There are plenty of musical variations to keep things interesting (and disturbing). It’s extremely creepy and gets even creepier halfway through thanks to vaguely metallic notes and subdued string work. I enjoyed how the strings picked up as it plays out. The vaguely creaking open of “Nightfall” leads to sinister synth tones that take on an almost heartbeat-like feel at times. Said heartbeat is enhanced by both the percussion sounds and the soft sounds of wind which are woven into the track. Since it reminds me of an old rope swaying in the wind, why not play it near your haunt’s gibbet? In “Lagoon,” classic jungle sounds (monkeys and birds) are melded with dark synth work. There are steady, stab-like tones and vaguely otherworldly touches as well. Later we can hear effects like a heartbeat, something moving through vegetation and a yowling cat in the distance. The track picks up a bit for the second half (especially the heartbeat and moving sounds). You could potentially time a scare to happen when the heartbeat reaches its highest point. Alternately, you could wait until when the jungle sounds yield to a heartbeat as the traveler exits the lagoon. I’m sure the guests’ guards will be down then. This would be perfect for jungle scenes or encounters with amphibious monsters. But if you really want to throw a curve ball at your guests, try making an alligator box!

Clocking in at over 8 minutes in length, “Caverns” is one of the album’s longer tracks. The synth work has an appropriately heavy mood and strange laughter can be briefly heard at times. The fluttering bats and distant dripping perfectly capture the feel of wandering in an underground realm. The sound of footsteps let us know we’re not alone in the caves. These briefly give way to more synth work, but the effects do return. My only (minor) complaint is how the effects simply get repeated rather than use variations of them. Haunted caves and mine shafts would greatly benefit from this track. “Creep” offers low (but not too heavy) synth work backed by soft tones. It’s eerie rather than intense. This is not a bad thing. “Behind the Castle” starts off with the sounds of a rope creaking and straining, in addition to soft wind and plenty of dark ambience. But then we get a surprise: electrical zapping and machinery noises pop in for a short spell. So why not use this in a mad scientist’s laboratory? You can even have a Frankenstein’s monster prop laid out on a table hanging from ropes! Synthesizer notes are used to create a low key sense of dread in “Green Mist.” You could potentially use it outdoors with a fog machine (and fog chiller) if so desired, but I highly recommend using some creepy scarecrows as well. “Midnight” is the longest track, clocking in at a little under 24 minutes. The sound of wailing wind is louder than it was on the other tracks. The inclusion of rain and creepy bird sounds enhances the mood, as do the sound of leaves rustling in the wind (or something rustling in the grass, it works either way). There’s plenty of variations, especially the weather effects. Sometimes a random sound effect is used once and never appears again. These include church bells, bats and distant thunder. All other effects return in some form throughout the track. There are tons of potential uses for this track. You could even play it softly in a haunted room scene with the music player hidden near a false window to create effect of a stormy night outside. Alternately, you could use a real window with drawn curtains if the window sill is large enough to support your audio player.
Mark Harvey did more than match the quality of his last album, he improved upon it! There’s more tracks and most are either equal to or greater than the lengths of the material on Pumpkinland. The HauntScapes themselves are all perfectly chilling. You can close your eyes and be instantly transported to a variety of scary locations while listening. 2000 also saw the release of a soundscape album called Mark Harvey...Unreleased. I think you can figure out the source of the material based on the title, so let’s move on to the final (as of this writing) installment of the Pumpkinland series: 2001’s Pumpkinland III.

“Procession” has what I like to call a “medium low” musical backbone. There are some neat variations to the plodding drumbeats and other instruments take over at times. It’s perfect for those who want to use something other than Chopin’s funeral march in their haunted attraction. It also works as a standalone track you can enjoy on any day of the year. The synth heavy “Rites” is suggestive of dark doings. Its unique use of drums is supported by dripping sounds and distant moaning. So it’s ideal for caverns, altars, prisons and dungeons. You could even score an entire garage haunt with this track since it’s over 12 minutes long! Pounding synth work and some new wind effects kick off “Pumpkinland III.” Its ominous feel would aid any graveyard or pumpkin patch it’s used in. This is another track that I think would pair nicely with scarecrows. “Nocturne” features low, heavy synths and chirping insects. The chirping fades in and out and crickets join in at times to keep things interesting. This track can be used in haunted forests or any any scene involving nature. The use of insect calls also mean it can be used as the musical backing for a room involving the Necronomicon. The creepy opening of “Docks” vaguely reminds me of Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? series. But the soft wind and creepily cooing synthesizers take things in a different direction. Dripping water and softly lapping waves can be heard later on, along with the occasional appearance by wordless female vocals. The synths get very varied about halfway through. There’s also a sound effect that’s either someone walking or the sound of the docks settling. Either way, this lengthy soundscape is very eerie and effective. Its name makes me think of pirates, but that isn’t the only potential use this track could have in your haunt. You could easily use it if you have a rumble bridge in a swamp scene. Haunts using tour guides can even make up a story about a ghost who crosses the bridge at times in order to take advantage of the “walking” sounds. Low synth notes lurk in the background of “Nightmare,” which conjures up a feeling of mild nervousness. A lengthy screech breaks the tension and returns just before the end. Other random effects put in brief appearances throughout the track. The sounds of wind and militaristic drum beats are combined with synth work in “Graveyard.” The synth work is just as wonderfully varied as the drums are steady. I love the sneaking tones and mournful notes. There’s a nice callback to the album’s opening track too. The album could have only consisted of this track and it still would have delivered everything promised by the cover art.

Pumpkinland III is yet another triumph from Mark Harvey. Previous albums used variations on certain sound effects in the tracks to keep things interesting, but this time synth work handles that particular task more. But don’t let that make you think the effects are boring. Hell, there’s more different wind sound effects in this than the other two albums combined! But no matter which album(s) you use, your guests (be they trick-or-treaters or haunt patrons) are certain to have a great time. The HauntScapes are both creepy enough for adults while not being too intense for kids. These albums can also be played in haunted attractions on a royalty free basis once purchased. What’s not to love?

Although his work is respected in the Halloween and haunting communities, I’ve noticed how his work seems to be more obscure than the other artists who started out in the 90’s. I’ve lurked at a few forums devoted to haunting and was shocked to haunt operators’ discussions of what audio they should use rarely mentioned him. This might be due to how his albums were initially sold on eBay and his work is only available as a digital download from select services like Bandcamp rather than big name online retailers like Amazon or iTunes. Others have noted how the various covers for Pumpkinland (and its sequels) might have made some potential buyers think it was a kiddie album and pass on it. I’m convinced everyone would use his name in the same breath as Midnight Syndicate if Pumpkinland had used the cover of Pumpkinland III. Hopefully this situation will change soon. His work is amazing and deserves all the recognition it can get.

What has Mark Harvey been up to since then? He released Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead in 2003 to act as the soundtrack for John Pearson’s graphic novel Fleshrot: Tales From The Dead. A few tracks were recycled from Pumpkinland II and Pumpkinland III, but I’d like to think it’s a reference to how Pearson created the current cover art for those albums. At some point a sampler album was released and I imagine he did plenty of custom tracks for various attractions as well. After that, he stopped making ambient albums to focus on his family and various musical projects. He still kept himself in the world of Halloween thanks to his blog and by running the online radio station 13Track.com. But last year saw the release of the haunting single Undead and left fans wondering if more albums are in the works. Stay tuned!"

My studio is still not up and running much to my dismay. I am hoping to get the space put together after a long hiatus and begin recording music again. I'd like to thank all of those who have supported my music these many years. Each years I sell some CDs and downloads. I appreciate every single one of them more than you could know. After all these years my 'HauntScapes' are still heard around the world on Halloween night - helping haunters haunt and giving a spooky vibe to their events. That's cool.

Have a listen if you haven't and any support is greatly appreciated!

Pumpkinland

Pumpkinland by Mark Harvey

Pumpkinland II

Pumpkinland II by Mark Harvey

Pumpkinland III

Pumpkinland III by Mark Harvey

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

a little light indoor decorating...October 8th, 2025

2025-10-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Today I did a little light indoor decorating. I usually like to have it done earlier than the 8th of October, but that didn't happen. Outdoor decorating started in September when my wife put a few items out in the yard. After that, bit by bit, more things were added. I like to add new things to the front yard as the month goes on. The kids have fun coming home from school and seeing a new ghoul or pumpkin set up somewhere in the yard.

Both of my younger kids got involved with bringing things up, setting things up and enjoying the process. I am far from done, but starting the project is always the hardest part. We had Halloween music playing on the speakers and Scooby Doo on the TV.

Later tonight my son and I watched a cool pumpkin carving show to get into the spirit. We'll probably watch the series as it is so cool to see the artistry and creativity these folks bring to the Season.

How early do you decorate for Halloween? Do you decorate inside and outside? Do you watch movies, listen to music...both? Drop me a line and let me know.

Undead by Mark Harvey

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

Dressing Up Halloween: The Story of Ben Cooper Inc...October 7th, 2025

2025-10-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Last night based on a recommendation from a friend my son and I watched this awesome documentary. My daughter drifted in and out, but my son was mesmerized. Both kids stated, "we grew up in the wrong generation". Tons of great footage of the old costumes, heartwarming stories of a company that put people first and great Halloween feels all around.

From their website (here), "In 2022, Rob rented out the former Ben Cooper factory in Brooklyn, NY. He went to work on his plan to have former Ben Cooper employees return to the place where they once worked to tell stories of the past.

A few months later the former employees arrived, and the gathering was a momentous occasion as some of these employees had not seen each other in over three to four decades.

One of the special attendees was Ben Cooper’s grandson, who represented his family’s proud heritage. As the grandson of the founder, he shared insights into the early years of the company, the values instilled by his grandfather, and the challenges they faced along the way.

Throughout the day, the former employees reminisced about their time at the Ben Cooper factory, sharing anecdotes and stories that fueled their camaraderie. Old friendships were rekindled, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as memories were exchanged and laughter filled the room.

Rob has now teamed with The Nacelle Company to bring the film to the masses.

“This film is loaded with nostalgia,” said Caprilozzi, “and features tons of vintage videos in all their static-filled glory.”"

For the generation that grew up with Ben Cooper costumes this was a great watch filled with heartwarming stories of a company with amazing people standards, values and great products. I highly recommend watching this. It was awesome.

Happy Haunting (and remember, "No costume, no candy"),

Mark Harvey

Richard McGhee Star Vocalist an October favorite.October 6th, 2025

2025-10-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

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 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 everyday 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.

a visit to the pumpkin patch...October 5th, 2025

2025-10-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

If you know me, you know I have a particular love of pumpkins. Not sure how that happened, but it did. I'm not a pumpkin spice person, per se, but pumpkins, their vines, their leaves, the dirt...a pumpkin patch is my kind of good time.

This year we went to Huddie's Harvest for our annual trip to the patch. They sell carving, decorating and cooking pumpkins. Huddie's also has a corn maze (which we didn't have time to explore). My family really enjoyed the "pick your own pumpkin" aspect of the patch.

With clippers in hand and a sturdy wagon we made out way through the patch and found some excellent pumpkins. Often times these pumpkin patches can cost a pretty penny, but we left feeling like we got great pumpkins at a great price.

I'm really looking forward to pumpkin carving this year.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

Mark Harvey's World

Happy Halloween! October 31st, 2025

21st wedding anniversary...October 30th, 2025

every year...at some point...obviously...October 28th, 2025

halloween cartoons! October 27th, 2025

halloween articles on repeat...part three...October 26th, 2025

halloween articles on repeat...part two...October 25th, 2025

halloween articles on repeat...part one...October 24th, 2025

close your eyes and...haunt...October 23rd, 2025

costume choices...October 22nd, 2025

free MP3 download...October 21st, 2025

man...its the 20th...October 20th, 2025

favorite viewing this time of year...October 19th, 2025

fleshrot anthem...a track from Fleshrot:Songs from the Dead...October 18th, 2025

demographics...October 17th, 2025

more DARK RIDE goodness...October 16th, 2025

nocturne...October 15th, 2025

feeling fall...October 14th, 2025

Happy Silver Anniversary! Twenty Five Years of DARK RIDE...October 13th, 2025

Disney's "The Song and Story from The Haunted Mansion"...October 11th, 2025

free Halloween music always sounds good...October 10th, 2025

haunt music for your home, party or haunted attraction...October 9th, 2025

a little light indoor decorating...October 8th, 2025

Dressing Up Halloween: The Story of Ben Cooper Inc...October 7th, 2025

Richard McGhee ***Star Vocalist*** an October favorite.October 6th, 2025

a visit to the pumpkin patch...October 5th, 2025

Richard McGhee Star Vocalist an October favorite.October 6th, 2025