From The Haunted Vault: David Bowie - “Cat People (Putting Out The Fire”)

One last Halloween song post from all the way back in 2009. I did 31 scary posts that October, and have added some new ones over the years. Check out the month of October for each year in the BHT Archives.

Few songs have made a more eerie entrance than “Cat People (Putting Out Fire),” the theme from director Paul Schrader’s 1982 horror film, Cat People. After a slow drum beat and a swirl of synthesizers, David Bowie emerges, singing, “See these eyes so green/I can stare for a thousand years.” His voice is so dark and deep you have no trouble believing him, and when he adds, “I’ve been putting out fire with gasoline,” you know there’s danger afoot.

Set to a guitar-driven arrangement crafted by veteran film composer Giorgio Moroder (Flashdance, Midnight Express) Bowie’s lyrics evoke the doomed characters from the movie. Irena and her brother Paul, played by Natassia Kinski and Malcolm McDowell respectively, are descendants of humans who mated with leopards. This causes them to turn into panthers whenever they have sex with people, and they can’t return to their human forms without killing somebody.

Bowie has created several of his own fascinating characters through his music over the years, and he’s just as adept in conveying Irena and Paul’s tortured emotions. “Still this pulsing night/A plague I call a heartbeat/Just be still with me/Ya wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through.” The movie Cat People successfully tapped into the superstitions we’ve had about felines for centuries. Even today, it’s a good idea to make sure black house cats are kept indoors on Halloween to prevent deranged people from hurting them. And steer clear of panthers as well.

Witch’s Cauldron

Damn right, I’m going with a vintage photo.

Fans of The Bee Gees fall into two categories: Those of us who liked them much better before they went disco, and those who didn’t even know The Bee Gees existed before they went disco. We’ll have to see if the makers of the upcoming HBO documentary The Bee Gees - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart documentary concentrate on one of those eras more than the other. I’m hoping it’s the former. A synopsis on the HBO website describes the film as, “an intimate exploration of the Gibb story, featuring revealing interviews with oldest brother Barry and archival interviews with late twin brothers Robin and Maurice.” A number of current music stars are also interviewed, including Eric Clapton, Noel Gallagher, and Chris Martin. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart debuts on December 12.

Halloween night will find Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick, and Nell Campbell returning to their cinematic haunts in a livestream version of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Jason Alexander of Seinfeld will join them, along with with Connie Britton, Wilmer Valderrama, Lance Bass, Rosario Dawson, Jason George, Seth Green, and David Arquette. Several other performers are slated to join in the fun, including punk duo The Dresden Dolls. It’s a fundraising event for the Democratic Party.

I’m not sure about other cities, but it’s long been a Halloween tradition for Chicago area venues to feature local bands paying tribute to famous music acts. The pandemic has no doubt drastically reduced that number, but the rockabilly/garage rock band Amazing Heeby Jeebies will be performing as The Cramps tomorrow night in the beer garden at Montrose Saloon. If you’ve seen Amazing Heeby Jeebies live or heard their Bad Feeling album, I’m sure you’d agree they’re a good choice for honoring The Cramps. Covid-preventing face masks, social distancing, and costumes are required, capacity is limited. The fun starts at 6:00 pm.

She’s a kick-ass lead vocalist and an accomplished painter. The Chrissie Hynde Painting Calendar is now available on her official website. You’ll also find t-shirts, posters, and other cool memorabilia from her solo career as well as with The Pretenders.

 

Congratulations to Henry Diltz, who’s receiving the International Photography Hall Of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award tonight. If you follow Diltz on Instagram, you’ll see amazing photos of rock stars, particularly those on the west coast in the late 1960s. He created iconic album covers for Crosby, Stills and Nash and The Doors, but some of his most fascinating shots were taken at parties or from when he would follow a band around and improvise. I’m particularly fond of his Hollies work.

The October issue of Record Collector is currently available, with a cover story titled The 200 Rarest Records Today!, along with features on the 1960s Brit TV programme Ready Steady Go!, Peter Green, and Mike Scott. Coming in at number one on the rare records list is a 10-inch acetate of “That’ll Be The Day”/In Spite Of All The Danger” from The Quarrymen. The other 199 entries are evenly divided between David Bowie and Pink Floyd. Not really, but it seems that way. There are records by The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, T. Rex, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and a number of artists I’ve never heard of.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. As I’ve mentioned a few times this week, there are a number of Halloween songs scattered throughout my 10-plus years of over 2,000 posts here on Broken Hearted Toy. If you’ve got some time to search through Octobers in the BHT archives, you’ll find a variety of songs from chilling to fun. Here’s one I did back in 2013 about a song from Chicago-based singer songwriter Phil Angotti’s Life And Rhymes CD.

“I See Spaceships” might be the only rock song that simultaneously evokes The Byrds and The Who while spinning a tale of intergalactic visitors who love to party. Amazingly, this whirlwind of vintage rock from Phil Angotti’s recent Life And Rhymes CD was conjured by just three musicians: Angotti on guitars; Casey McDonough on bass; and Brad Elvis on drums. If you’re looking to create a Halloween playlist, you might want to sandwich this Roger McGuinn/Keith Moon homage between the lighthearted “Mr. Spaceman” by The Byrds and the more ominous “They Are Among Us” by The Redwalls.

“I’ll tell you my story but you won’t believe me,” Angotti predicts 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 (as opposed to iPods) and watching movies. They’re also often intoxicated, which might explain why their calls for help to their planet have gone unanswered. Maybe they keep dialing the wrong number. With all the rowdy behavior going on, it’s tempting to think Angotti’s homeowner is near-sighted and is really watching the neighborhood teenagers.

Whoever they are, this guy isn’t about to do a Clint Eastwood and tell them to get off his lawn. “I hope that they stay here, at least until Sunday,” Angotti sings. “I See Spaceships” has a rousing instrumental coda, along with a snippet of Orson Welles from his notorious War Of The Worlds radio broadcast layered on top.

From The Haunted Vault: Bohemia - “Hydrogenic”

I’ve posted a few Halloween songs each October over the years, so there’s quite a collection for anyone who cares to scroll through my archives. 

The 2007 documentary You Weren’t There: A History Of Chicago Punk showcased a music scene that was tragically overlooked by the rest of the country back in the early 1980s. Bohemia’s high energy assault, led by vocalist/keyboards player Carla Evonne, prompted a Chicago Sun-Times critic to proclaim Bohemia was every bit as good as X from Los Angeles. Following the 1980 release of a self-titled, three-song 10 inch EP in 1980, Bohemia struck again a year later with their impressive debut LP, Deviations. The album’s title reflected an obsession with offbeat and disturbing subject matter on songs like “Plastic Doll,” “Standard Deviations,” “Empty Room,” and “Dr. Werner.”

“Hydrogenic” was dark in a fun, highly melodic way. A punk rock masterpiece that offers a girl-meets-mutant love story with an underlying jab at nuclear energy, “Hydrogenic” kicks off with the single-named bassist Zirbel’s fueling an extended instrumental intro. Carla Evonne sets the romantic tale in motion, singing, “Since I met you baby/I haven’t been the same/You hit me like an H-bomb and now I hardly know my name.”

Her lover’s appearance has been drastically changed by exposure to massive doses of radiation. “Momma says you’re different/With your long green hair/You got webs between your fingers/But I don’t even care.” Carla Evonne celebrates her unique beau with lines such as “I can see you glowing in the dark/In my life you really caused a spark,” and the song features an overjoyed chorus of, “Ooh, our love is new/Our love is new . . . nuclear.”

On a personal level, Bohemia was the inspiration for a novel I wrote and am looking to get published.

Halloween Songs: “The Mummy” and “Loup Garou”

I try to profile at least a couple Halloween-related songs each October. You can find more by searching the Broken Hearted Toy archives for October in previous years.

You’d expect a band named Amazing Heeby Jeebies to throw a few chills your way, and the Chicago-based quintet comes through on its 2018 Bad Feeling album. Led by vocalist Ary Jeeby and propelled by guitarists Bob Hyatt and Tom “Boss X” Klein, Amazing Heeby Jeebies combine garage rock and rockabilly while spinning tales of werewolves, mummies, and cannibals. They don’t always aim for the dark side, but when they do, listeners are more likely to dance than cringe.

“The Mummy” is filled with quick rhymes like “King Tut’s got nothing on this guy/When he left, Cleopatra cried,” and depicts its Egyptian hero as a recording artist and television personality. Bassist Earl “Wolfdaddy” Carter and drummer Jerry King join Ary Jeebie, Hyatt, and Klein in crafting hard-edged but catchy music that evokes a 1960s discotheque. “Loup Garou” is another guitar-fueled party song, kicking off with the line, “I felt a little strange when I saw the moon.” It’s delivered from a bewildered, first person point of view of someone vaguely remembering, “I ate something or someone last night.”   

Saturday Slumgullion

Heart guitarist-vocalist Nancy Wilson’s new single, a cover of  Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising,” came out yesterday and it’s available to stream or buy on various sites. It’s a preview of a solo album she plans to release in early 2021 on her own Carry On Music label. 

I dropped by the Reckless Records in downtown Chicago this morning and was able to buy all three of my top choices for RSD Drop 3. I was so thrilled I’ve spent the entire day bar-hopping to celebrate. Not really, but I am happy to add Out To Get You! Live 1977 by Cheap Trick; Metamorphosis by The Rolling Stones; and A Quick Live One by The Who to my limited-edition vinyl collection. The Cheap Trick double LP came with an MP3 download card, which is always a great bonus. I wish all the Record Store Day releases had those.

On a non-RSD note, I also picked up the new Made Of Rain CD by The Psychedelic Furs at Reckless Records. Always be sure to support your local record store.

Chicago’s critically acclaimed venue The Hideout continues its popular series of livestream events with a record release show by Mooner next Thursday, October 29 at 8:00 pm. Dogs At Large will also on the bill. Mooner will be showcasing The Alternate Universe Of Love, and their first single from it, “Happily” is the subject of  funny video on You Tube. Tickets can be purchased online for $15. 

Other upcoming livestream events at The Hideout include Josh Caterer on October 28; LP’s Happy Hour and Cosmic Country Showcase on October 30; Walter Salas-Humara on November 6; and BandWith’s 5th Annual Funky Brunch 5K and Watch Party on November 7.

Beach Bunny has a Live From The Lot outdoor, stay-in-your car concert coming up next Friday, October 30 in the West Lot at the Schaumburg Boomers Stadium. Bad Bad Hats will also be on the bill. The Stadium is located at 1999 Springinsguth Road, gates open at 6:00 pm.

As reported on the Yahoo Entertainment and Consequence Of Sound websites, Tegan and Sara’s popular memoir High School is being developed into a television series. It will be set in the 1990s.

Congratulations are in order for Henry Diltz. He’ll receive the International Photography Hall Of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award on October 30. Graham Nash, who was first photographed by Diltz as a member of The Hollies and quite a few times later as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, will offer a special introduction. Diltz created some of rock and roll’s iconic album cover images, including the Crosby, Stills and Nash debut and Morrison Hotel for The Doors. His limited-edition, 344-page California Dreaming from Genesis Publications Ltd. is by far the most expensive book in my library.

Syd Barrett fans will want to check out a new book titled Barrett - The Definitive Visual Companion, which is now available for pre-order from Rocket 88 Publishing. According to the website, this will be the only official Syd Barrett book and will offer previously unseen and rare images, as well as art and photographs by the musician himself.

Bravo recently announced it will air a spin-off of its long-running Top Chef series called Top Chef Amateurs starting in 2021. Each episode will pit two nonprofessional cooks against each other as they recreate a challenge that was first used on the original series. Top Chef judge Gail Simmons will serve as host, and previous competitors, including Eric Adjepong. Richard Blais, Kwame Onwuachi, Melissa King, and my nephew/godson/Season 15 Top Chef winner Joe Flamm will also be featured. 

From The Haunted Vault: “Jacksie”

Back in 2009, the year I started Broken Hearted Toy, I embarked on a month-long quest to post a different Halloween-appropriate song for each day of October. Some were fun, some were scary, and they came from different genres. I was unemployed and had a lot more time on my hands.

I’ve posted a few Halloween songs each October over the years, so there’s quite a collection for anyone who cares to scroll through my archives. My very first Halloween post was a song by Over The Rhine. Led by vocalist/guitarist Karin Bergquist and bassist/keyboards player Linford Detweiler, the Cincinnati-based band is still very active in 2020 and often comes to Chicago to perform. I did an interview with them for the Illinois Entertainer several years ago, and they were every bit as cool as their music would lead one to believe. They’ve garnered critical acclaim for weaving elements of folk, country, and indie rock behind thought-provoking lyrics.

“Jacksie,” the haunting opening track from Over The Rhine’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, enticing 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.

One More Drop Before The Holiday Season

RSD Drop 3 arrives on Saturday, October 24, but it wont’ be the final Record Store Day event for 2020. The official site recently announced it will indeed hold the traditional Black Friday Record Store Day. I’ll have more on that in November, but for now, let’s concentrate on this Saturday’s RSD Drop 3 releases.

The official Record Store Day site shows the RSD Drop 3 and Black Friday RSD lists, so make sure you’re looking at the right one when putting your wish list together. There are limited-edition vinyl releases from every imaginable genre—jazz, blues, hard rock, prog rock, techno, punk, country, and hip hop—covering several decades of recorded music. Some feature previously unreleased material.

Check with your favorite record store to see if they’re participating. RSD regulars have proven to be pretty level-headed over the years, so it’s likely we’ll all be following social distancing and mask-wearing rules. Plus, based on the turnout for the first two drops this year, there won’t be any long lines outside stores. But it’ll be even more important to have a written or printed list to hand to store employees since they won’t want to touch or look at your phone.

As for my own list, I’ll be aiming for: Various Artists - Austin Powers Man Of Mystery Soundtrack Double LP; Cheap Trick - Out To Get You! Live Double LP; The Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis LP; The Specials - Dubs 10-inch; and The Who - Quick Live One, which was recorded at the Monterey International Pop Festival.

There are a lot more RSD Drop 3 releases I’d love to buy, but I only have so much money and shelf space. Once again, the Reckless Records in downtown Chicago will be my destination. They were friendly and efficient for the first two 2020 RSD Drops and in previous years.