Halloween Song Profiles

Remember when everyone thought Stevie Nicks was a witch?

Happy Halloween!

 Here are some posts about mysterious women, taken from a previous October.

"Jacksie" - Over The Rhine The Cincinnati-based band headed by vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist and bassist/keyboards player Linford Detweiler has garnered critical acclaim for weaving elements of folk, country, and indie rock behind thought-provoking lyrics. “Jacksie,” the haunting opening track from the band’s 1992 Patience CD, was inspired by the book, A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. It deals with the loss of a loved one. Still, a casual listener could be forgiven for thinking this is a classic ghost story, especially with lyrics like, “They laid her in the ground./She still comes around/A love that never dies takes you by surprise.” Bergquist’s ethereal vocals, set to a slow, melodic arrangement, sends chills up your spine, especially the way her “la la la la la la la” echoes like you’re traveling through a dark forest.

"White Queen" - Queen  A thread of medieval sorcery runs through Queen’s second LP, released in 1974. Lead singer Freddie Mercury’s compositions, “Ogre Battle” and “The March Of The Black Queen” provide some of the scarier moments on Queen II, while guitarist Brian May’s atmospheric “White Queen” is more like a Shakespearean drama of unrequited love. Set to a gentle arrangement that gradually builds power, the poetic lyrics depict a man who maintains a nocturnal vigil for a beautiful yet sad-eyed maiden. “And ‘neath her window have I stayed/I loved the footsteps that she made/And when she came/White queen how my heart did ache.” Later, he declares, “The white queen walks and the night grows pale.” There’s a hint of something supernatural going on here, as though the troubled damsel needs this guy to save her. “So sad it ends,” the song concludes, “as it began.” 

"Guinnevere" - Crosby, Stills And Nash Sometimes what is unseen is more terrifying than what is clearly visible. “Guinnevere,” a haunting folk rock tale from the first Crosby, Stills, and Nash record, plays a similar game of suspense. Set in a lush tropical paradise with peacocks and orange trees, and conveyed through gorgeous harmony vocals, the song describes two beautiful but doomed young women. One, Guinnevere, has mysteriously vanished, perhaps a consequence of having dabbled in the occult with pentagrams. The second woman seems to be following in her footsteps. Writer David Crosby casts himself as a sailor who has romanced both women, and it’s left unclear as to whether he’s an instrument in their destruction or just a helpless observer. See “The Lee Shore” for another of Crosby’s mysterious seafaring yarns.  

"Rhiannon" - Fleetwood Mac Back in 1975, no one could have predicted that the arrival of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham would transform Fleetwood Mac into the world’s hottest band. Perhaps some of that success came from divine intervention. Nicks explained that her melodic composition “Rhiannon,” which became one of the Top 40 hits from the LP, Fleetwood Mac, was about a Welsh witch, but Rhiannon was also a goddess in Welsh mythology who wore a gold dress and rode a white horse. The song’s mysterious lyrics like, “Would you stay if she promised you heaven” and “She is like a cat in the dark/And then she is the darkness,” could refer to either the deity or the sorceress. Fleetwood Mac, having already recorded scary songs like “Hypnotized” and “Black Magic Woman,” knew how to bring “Rhiannon” to life with a classic rock arrangement.

“My Girlfriend Is A Witch” - October Country This song is just one of the many cool audio artifacts to be found on the Rhino CD compilation, Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965-1968. Recorded in 1968 by a band that never found success beyond the West Coast, this is classic garage rock, with fun, spooky lyrics like, “Riding high/Leaving trails of smoke across the sky/On a broom/Glad that I am safe within my room.” In this case, having an other-worldly significant other doesn’t seem to have any ill effects, but it does inspire a bit of competition. “What a fate/A worshiper of magic for a day/But tonight I become a warlock just for spite.” The song was written by record producer Michael Lloyd, who also provided lead vocals and some high-powered psychedelic guitar strumming, along with Marty Arsenault. 

“Tick Tock” - Crystal Jacqueline And The Honey Pot This song was originally done by the English band The Fleur de Lys. Several years later, Crystal Jacqueline And The Honey Pot recorded it for the UK all-vinyl Fruits de Mer label. Crystal Jacqueline often sounds like she’s conjuring something mysterious, and along with members of The Honey Pot (guitarist Icarus Peel, bassist Tom Brown, and drummer Wayne Fraquet), she creates some scary fun here. “Tick Tock” is about a witch who’s about to fly off at the stroke of midnight to haunt the bedrooms of little boys and girls. “You better watch out, I’m on my way,” the witch taunts, “and I’ve made my witch’s brew.”

Want more Halloween fun? Check out October, 2009 in the BHT archives. I did 31 Halloween song posts that year. I’ve done a few more during the month of October in the years since then.

Halloween Song: Cheap Trick - "Dream Police"

(A special Halloween version of Slumgullion ran yesterday.)

Any doubts I might have had as to whether "Dream Police" qualifies as a spooky song evaporated when Little Steven Van Zandt played it on the annual Underground Garage Halloween special. Van Zandt has always championed Cheap Trick on his syndicated radio program, and although I haven't  heard him specifically say it, I'm assuming he supports their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. As for "Dream Police," this comic bit of nocturnal hysteria was the title track of their fourth LP and a Top 40 hit in 1979.

Lead vocalist Robin Zander effectively conveys the dismay of a guy convinced his subconscious is being monitored by mysterious authority figures every time he falls sleep. "They're driving me insane/These men inside my brain," Zander sings, and notes that these cops never take a vacation. Probably because they're having too much fun tormenting him. The lyrics, as well as the irresistible melody were composed by lead guitarist Rick Nielsen, who also adds a manic spoken word segment to "Dream Police." His unique presence (as well as Cheap Trick's pretty boy/geek dynamic) is always best appreciated in live performances, but it's also evident in the song's rock video. 

Speaking of live performances, Cheap Trick can be heard in a vintage concert this Sunday night on WXRT in Chicago at 8:00 PM Central Time. After listening to an hour's worth of evidence for why these guys belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, you'll be ready to go to the Hall's website and vote for them. They need your help because they're currently in seventh place, and only five of the nominees will be inducted. Now that's scary.

Witch's Cauldron

It's Slumgullion on a Thursday, with some pumpkin spice.

Mimicking Murmur. R.E.M.'s murky yet brilliant full-length debut Murmur is getting some attention in Chicago these days. Phil Angotti, Mike Mackin, Niko Stavropoulos, Jim Barclay, and Bobby Lynch will be performing the LP in its entirety at Reggie's on State Street tonight. Unknown Pleasures, covering Joy Division, and Guns And Ammunition, covering The Clash, are also on the bill. 

On November 13, Chicago's best-known tribute band Tributosaurus will be performing Murmer + R.E.M.'s greatest hits at Metro on Clark Street as part of the venue's 33 1/3 Anniversary celebration. The 18 and older show kicks off at 8:00 PM.

Halloweekend, the annual celebration in which local bands take turns paying tribute to a famous artist, takes place tomorrow,  October 30 and Saturday, October 31 at The High Hat Club on Irving Park Road. Here's the lineup of the performers and who'll they'll be covering: Ellis Clark as The Velvet Underground; The Webstirs as Devo; The Fiction Romantics as The Buzzcocks; I Lost Control as The Cramps; and Josh Lava as Rufus Wainwright on Friday. Phil Angotti as The Turtles; Androgynous Mustache as Joan Jett; Decoy Prayer Meeting as Echo And The Bunnymen; Joel Patterson as ZZ Top; and Charlie Short as Big Star on Saturday.

The Guild Theater in Des Plaines wraps up its run of Stories Of The Macabre, a selection of scary tales from Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Saki, and W.W. Jacobs on Halloween night at the Leela Arts Center.

Congratulations to veteran rock and roll photographer Henry Diltz on being recognized at this year's Lucie Awards, an annual celebration of achievements in photography. Tonight, Diltz will join fellow rock photographer Joel Bernstein and Graham Nash (who has been known to take pictures) for Bernstein Diltz and Nash, a showing of their prints at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York. In Chicago, The Visions Of A Magic Time exhibit, featuring photographs by Diltz, Patti Boyd, and Carinthia West, wraps up its run tomorrow, October 30, at the Hilton / Asmus Foto gallery.

The Go Fund Me campaign to help Smithereens vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio pay medical bills from recent surgery on his right arm and hand has now raised over $15,600 of its $20,000 goal. In other Smithereens good news, the band will embark on a 30th Anniversary Tour to commemorate the 1986 release of full length debut Especially For You. In addition to the band performing the entire album, its biggest hits, and deep cuts, the shows will include the screening of a Smithereens documentary. A recent Smithereens post on Facebook also mentions the possibility of some new tracks from a brand new album due next summer.

Elvis Costello will be in town this coming Tuesday, November 3 to discuss his new book Unfaithful Music And Disappearing Ink at the Chicago Humanities Festival. The festival's associate artistic director Alison Cuddy will be joining Costello in the Diane and David B. Heller Auditorium at Francis B. Parker school, 2233 N. Clark Street.

Happy Birthday to musician/artist Graham Elvis (The Elvis Brothers, Sgt. Popgrass) and best wishes for a full recovery after his recent surgery. He's back home recuperating, according to updates posted by his wife on Facebook. The Go Fund Me campaign to help pay his medical bills has now raised  $3,863 of its $5,000 goal. 

Van Go and the Valley Downs will be on a double bill next Saturday, November 7 at The Gallery Cabaret in Chicago. Both of these bands match intriguing lyrics to catchy melodies, and are long-time participants of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago.

Fans of Game Theory and The Loud Family will want to check out Brett Milano's book about Scott Miller, the singer-guitarist who fronted both of those bands. Don't All Thank Me At Once - The Lost Pop Genius of Scott Miller is now available on Amazon. Milano interviewed Mitch Easter of Let's Active; Ken Stringfellow of The Posies; and Til Tuesday vocalist and solo artist Aimee Mann for the book. Miller's repertoire of exquisite pop songs included "Erica's Word," "Regenisraen," and "Aerodeliria."  

The Chemistry Set - The Endless More And More

The Chemistry Set has been a major player in England's psychedelic revival since forming in 1987, and has also forged a special partnership with the vinyl-only, indie label Fruits de Mer. The Endless More And More is the first effort from the Manchester-based band in a few years, and an unmistakable sense of accomplishment can be felt in the triumphant horn intro on the opening track "The Splendour Of The Universe." The limited edition (600 copies) LP will be released on gold vinyl by FdM in early January. A quick glance at the song titles might evoke thoughts of ponderous prog rock, but The Chemistry Set brings a sense of adventure, energy, and amusement to the proceedings.

"International Rescue" opens with a guitar riff that could have come from a Revolver era Beatles song, and also includes "bop bop" backup vocals. The high-energy "Come Kiss Me Vibrate And Smile" runs with that intriguing offer and throws in some philosophical observations as well. "A Cure For The Inflicted Afflicted" has a hard rock edge, while on "The Fountains Of Neptune," The Chemistry Set aggressively mixes guitars and synthesizers for a prog rock gem.

"Time To Breathe" and "Winter Sun" are less engaging prog rock songs, but "Albert Hoffman," a freewheeling tribute to the inventor of LSD, is an eccentric masterpiece reminiscent of Syd Barrett. The light romance of "The Canyon Of The Crescent Moon" has an irresistible melody, and "The Open Window" offers enlightenment via an exotic arrangement built on sitar, synthesizer, and tablas.

The Outryders - "Over The Scars"/"Look At What You've Done"

Australian singer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Algeri has often turned up on Broken Hearted Toy because of the amazing way he balances his prolific solo career with being in countless bands involving musicians located around the universe. His latest adventure finds Algeri serving as half of a 1980s/90s-drenched duo called The Outryders with guitarist/backing vocalist Paul Colombini. This time out, he doesn’t need the magic of modern technology to collaborate, since Colombini is a close friend from Algeri’s high school days, who has previously performed with the bands Roadstar and Cherrytones.  

Both of the power pop tracks on The Outryders’ debut single were written by Colombini, and he shows a knack for catchy melodies and lyrics that focus on the painful side of relationships. On “Over The Scars,” Algeri’s vocals (with Colombini backing him) sell the conflicted emotions of a guy who wishes his ex-girlfriend were around to see how well he’s gotten over her. Guest musicians Herb Eimerman (Joe’s mate in The Britannicas) on bass and drummer Mark “Sid” Eaton create a driving beat that adds to the song’s appeal.

The emotional damage inflicted in “Look At What You’ve Done,” with its chorus of “ Wake up! wake up! wake up!” seems more the result of someone being careless than mean-spirited. Still, the lyrics also complain about being deceived. Colombini is particularly impressive on guitar and harmonies while Algeri sings lead and plays all the other instruments. The single is available for download on Algeri’s Bandcamp page.

You Be Me For A While

Halloweekend, the annual celebration in which local bands take turns performing a short set of songs by a famous artist, is back for its 12th year. After haunting The Abbey Pub, it moved on to Martyrs’, and last year, was staged at the Wall To Wall Recording studio just north of downtown. The 2015 version takes place at The High Hat Club on Irving Park Road this Friday, October 30th and Saturday, October 31st. Once again the selection of tributes is eclectic and inspired; ranging from chart-topping acts to groundbreaking rebels who sacrificed commercial success in favor of influencing rock for years to come.

I’m not familiar with everyone at this year’s event (and some Halloweekend bands are one-off projects involving musicians jamming together), so here are a few thumbnail sketches, along with the full schedule

On Friday, Ellis Clark will bring years of experience as a counter-culture recording artist as he honors The Velvet Underground at 11:40 PM. In addition to his solo work, Clark has recorded with Epicycle, Social Act, and The Handcuffs. The Webstirs adroitly mix power pop and off-kilter subject matter on their own releases, and for Halloweekend events in the past, they’ve done a superb job of covering ABBA and Chicago. This year, they're taking on Devo at 11:00 PM. The other sets on Friday are The Fiction Romantics as The Buzzcocks at 10:20 PM; I Lost Control as The Cramps at 9:40 PM; and Josh Lava as Rufus Wainwright at 9:00 PM.

Phil Angotti is a veteran of the Chicago music scene whose recent CDs have taken an introspective though consistently melodic approach. It’s easy to imagine he’ll do a bang up job on Saturday at 9:40 PM covering The Turtles because the 1960s flow through his veins. At past Halloweekend shows, he’s done The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Bee Gees, and The Doors. Androgynous Mustache is a collective of musicians who do tribute shows year-round in local clubs, and they’re Halloweekend regulars. This year, they’ll be starting off the festivities on Saturday at 9:00 PM, paying homage to Joan Jett. Roots rock/country swing band Decoy Prayer Meeting is comprised of club scene vets like Eric Chial and Lou Hallwas from The Penthouse Sweets, so they’ll be well-suited to genre-hop over to Echo And The Bunnymen at 11:00 PM. The other two acts on Saturday are Joel Patterson as ZZ Top at 11:40; and Charlie Short as Big Star at 10:20 PM.

Admission each night is $10.

Halloween Song: The Red Plastic Buddha - "She's An Alien"

In the spirit of Halloween, here’s a brand new spooky song profile, along with three posts from previous years that fit a visitors from outer space theme.

The Red Plastic Buddha - “She's An Alien” There’s a surprising sense of humor woven through the mind-blowing imagery on the Chicago-based The Red Plastic Buddha’s psyche rock masterpiece Songs For Mara. “She’s An Alien” is a prime example. After descending from the stars one evening to save the human race, an extraterrestrial gets sidetracked by earthly pleasures like getting drunk in bars. Lead vocalist-bassist Tim Ferguson charts her progress with observations like, “She wanted to fit in, she said, so she learned to play the drums/She got into my LSD, but it just left her numb.” Despite her seductive silver eyes, this alien is unable to get it on with earth men because, “things just don’t match up/Me, I got the bottle but she don’t have the cup.”

The B-52s - “Planet Claire” “Planet Claire” is a fictional orb with pink air and red trees concocted by The B-52’s on their self-titled 1979 debut album. The band used a toy piano, a fire alarm, and a walkie talkie on this song, along with lyrics that were pure nonsense. Opening with a lengthy and eerie instrumental passage, “Planet Claire” introduces an alien who came from the title planet via a Plymouth Satellite that she drives faster than the speed of light. Like all Clairelings, she doesn’t have a head, so it’s hard to imagine how she could see where she’s going. Then again, you could say the same thing about Earthlings who text while driving. Vocalist Fred Schneider affects an appropriately silly tone throughout the song, especially when he screams, “WELL SHE ISN’T” in response to speculation that the alien is “from Mars or one of the seven stars that shine after 3:30 in the morning.”

Fingerprintz - “Shadowed” The English band Fingerprintz zipped through a variety of genres during a brief career that lasted from 1979 to 1981, but one thing that remained constant was lead singer-guitarist Jimme O’Neill’s penchant for matching disturbing lyrics with catchy melodies. “Shadowed,” from the aptly titled Beat Noir, offers intergalactic espionage set to a pulsating dance club arrangement. There’s a breathless chase down dark streets involving “an alien presence” and our hero: “Outside forces, foreign bodies in the atmosphere/I’ve got to shake them off and rub them out and get away from here.” Guitarist Cha Burnz throws in one of his distinctive solos, and O’Neill’s echo-laden vocals evoke U2, especially if Bono had been into comic books and sci-fi movies.

Phil Angotti - “I See Spaceships” Taken from Chicago-based singer-guitarist Phil Angotti’s Life and Rhymes CD, “I See Spaceships" simultaneously evokes The Byrds and The Who while spinning a tale of intergalactic visitors who love to party. Backed by Casey McDonough on bass and Brad Elvis on drums, Angotti sings, “I’ll tell you my story but you won’t believe me” as the song kicks off. He goes on to describe how the little green men who crash-landed their saucer in his garden are now driving his car, and staying up late to party. Angotti, a 1960s fanatic, specifies that these Martians are listening to LPs and watching movies. They’re also often intoxicated, which might explain why their calls for help to their planet have gone unanswered.

Slumgullion

Hordes of zombies will descend upon downtown Elgin tomorrow night as part of the fifth annual Nightmare On Chicago Street Halloween festival. The horrific scenes are all the more realistic because local officials actively participate in the fun. Visitors will encounter police barricades, designated safe zones, overturned cars, and if last year's event was any indication, a low-flying helicopter. There are also stages with live music, the Something Wicked III Gallery Exhibition, vendors, a costume contest, and Guest Of Honor Svengoolie.

Each year, artist David Metzger, along with Jeff Kelley from the Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff internet show, gathers local performers for a series of filmed bits. There will be a screening at the Apocalypse Theater at 166 E. Chicago Street tomorrow night of the Zombie Grandma sitcom they created last year. I played a government agent in that sitcom, but unfortunately, incompatible schedules kept me from joining Metzger and Kelley for this year's Ed And Rebecca skits.

The Guild Theater in Des Plaines will continue to give people the chills with its production of Stories Of The Macabre, a selection of scary tales from Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, Saki, and W.W. Jacobs. The show runs through Halloween night at the Leela Arts Center .

There's been a slight lineup change (see boldface type) for the 10th annual Halloweekend festival going on October 30 and 31 at the High Hat Club on Irving Park Road in Chicago. The Friday lineup has Ellis Clark as Velvet Underground; The Webstirs as Devo; The Fiction Romantics as The Buzzcocks; I Lost Control as The Cramps; and Josh Lava as Rufus Wainwright. On Halloween night, you'll find Joel Patterson masquerading as ZZ Top; Decoy Prayer Meeting as Echo And The Bunnymen; Charlie Short as Big Star; Phil Angotti as The Turtles; and Androgynous Mustache as Joan Jett.

Phil Angotti will be performing the classic and murky R.E.M. full-length debut Murmur in its entirety with Mike Mackin, Niko Stavropoulos, Jim Barclay, and Bobby Lynch at Reggie's on State Street next Thursday night, October 29. Also on the bill, Unknown Pleasures will be covering Joy Division, and Guns And Ammunition will be covering The Clash.

Those who prefer to listen to copy songs in the comfort of their own home can buy Completely Under The Covers, the new boxed set from Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. It includes all three previously released volumes (devoted to the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, respectively) of their Under The Covers albums, plus some bonus material. The boxed set is available on CD or vinyl from Amazon, and the songs are available on iTunes.

The Go Fund Me site to help Smithereens vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio pay medical bills from recent emergency surgery on his right arm and hand has now raised over $14,000 of its $30,000 goal. DiNizio and The Smithereens always play their hearts out onstage and interact with fans afterward. This would be a great opportunity for those fans to give something back.

Tom Petty is the latest rock star who started in the late 1970s to have his life story told in a book. Unlike Chrissie Hynde's Reckless: My Life As A Pretender and Elvis Costello's Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink, Petty: The Biography isn't a literary self portrait. It was written by Warren Zanes from The Del Fuegos, the underrated Boston band that Juliana Hatfield sang about in "My Sister."

Someday we'll find it, the Colbert connection. The new musical comedy The Story Of A Story (The Untold Story) is being staged by the Underscore Theatre Company through November 8 at The Chopin Theatre, at 1543 W. Division. The show was created by Peter Gwinn, who snagged an Emmy Award for his writing work on The Colbert Report, and Jody Shelton, composer of the erotic fantasy 50 Shades! The Musical. Tickets for the show start at $10.

Chicagoans looking for a Halloween-appropriate theatrical production should consider The Tempest at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. My wife Pam and I saw it this past Tuesday, and it was literally spellbinding. Co-directors Aaron Posner and Teller bring an emphasis on magic to their adaptation of The Bard's classic, and the original songs by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan spring to life via an onstage rock band with two knockout vocalists. The choreography by Matt Kent from Pilobolus is eerie and imaginative, and Larry Yando as Prospero heads a first-rate cast.

Best wishes for a full recovery to Jonathan Lea from The Jigsaw Seen. Lea, who also performs with Dave Davies of The Kinks, has mentioned his bouts with kidney stones in the past on Facebook. But apparently, a more recent incident was life threatening. Luckily, he's feeling better now.

If pop hits suddenly feel a little more heavenly, is might be because The Chills released Silver Bullets, today. It's the New Zealand band's first new album in at least 10 years.   

Cool Apocalypse, Chicago-based filmmaker's Michael Glover Smith's black-and-white study of romantic entanglements, will be shown on November 21 and 23 at the The Gene Siskel Film Center. Smith, producer Clare Kosinski, and a few cast members will be on hand at both screenings.

I'd like to join the chorus of voices wishing musician/artist Graham Elvis (The Elvis Brothers, Sgt. Popgrass) a full recovery after he experienced complications during a recent surgery. He's doing better but still has a rough time ahead, according to updates posted by his wife on Facebook. A Go Fund Me page has already raised over 2,500 to help pay his medial bills, and is still accepting donations. 

We have a century-old tradition around the end of October in Chicago, as Cubs fans survey the wreckage of another season, and sigh, "Maybe next year." Often it's, "Maybe never." But after 2015's team of promising rookies took two surprising steps into the post-season before evaporating, there are a lot of fans who can't wait for next year. Congratulations, Chicago Cubs. May you continue to thrill us for years to come.