Halloween Song: Fleetwood Mac - “Hypnotized”

Here’s a Halloween song profile making its Broken Hearted Toy debut.

Just about halfway between Peter Green’s 1968 “Black Magic Woman” and Stevie Nicks’ 1976 “Rhiannon,” singer-guitarist Bob Welch composed the atmospheric and spooky “Hypnotized” as a member of Fleetwood Mac. It was one of the tracks on the band’s 1973 Mystery To Me, and true to the album’s title, this song presents a series of puzzles. Welch’s evocative singing and the Mac’s enchanted instrumentation ensure that “Hypnotized” commands our attention.

When the first verse describes “Two friends having coffee together/When something flies by their window,” it’s up to the listener to decide if it was a UFO. The North Carolina “strange, strange pond” in the second verse seems even more likely to involve intergalactic visitors. And the man in Mexico who can “fly over mountains and hills and he don't need an airplane or some kind of engine” might be a warlock or a ghost.

The chorus of “Seems like a dream/They got me hypnotized” adds a conspiracy element. Are “they” tricking us into thinking these events are happening, or trying to cover up an extraterrestrial invasion by insisting we were only dreaming. As the lyrics put it, “Because there's no explaining what your imagination can make you see and feel.” After leaving Fleetwood Mac, Bob Welch scored solo hits with “Sentimental Lady” and “Ebony Eyes.”

Halloween Song: “There’s A Ghost In My House”

Incoming

Poster art by Phil Angotti.

First of all, I’d like to extend a Broken Hearted Toy welcome to three well-known musicians who happen to be in town this week: Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band will perform at the Chicago Theatre tomorrow night; Bob Dylan has concerts at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and Brian Setzer will bring his Rockabilly Riot! show to The Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Saturday. 

This Saturday at Martyrs’ on Chicago’s north side might remind some long-time Beatles fans of those double-sided singles the band used to release in the 1960s. Phil Angotti and Friends will perform two separate John Lennon tribute shows (one at 3:00 pm and one at 8:00 pm) to celebrate what would have been Lennon’s 83rd birthday. The two shows combined will add up to 83 songs, with Angotti being joined by Casey McDonough, John San Juan, John Perrin, Carolyn Englemann, Tom Ryan, Blair Holmes, Eric Howell, Ellis Clark and Tony Richards and Rich Parenti. Admission for each show is $20.

Juniper, the L.A.-based, single-named vocalist with exquisite taste in the power pop/vintage material she covers (including songs by her radio DJ father Michael Shelley), has a new single coming out on November 7. Juniper’s truly fun second album, She Steals Candy, was released this past February.

The official Record Store Day website has released the list of limited-edition vinyl treasures that will be available on Black Friday in November. As usual, the offerings cover just about every genre and era you can imagine. A quick glance reveals records by The Beach Boys; Jeff Beck; Chet Baker Trio; The English Beat; Cypress Hill; De La Soul; Bo Diddley; Micky Dolenz; The Doors; Bill Evans; The Flaming Lips; Grateful Dead; Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson; INXS; John Lee Hooker; Joan Jett And The Blackhearts; The Knack; Los Lobos; Aimee Mann; Charles Mingus; Missing Persons; Joni Mitchell; Willie Nelson; Phoenix; Prince; Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan; Sparks; Sweet; Ultravox; War; and X.

The mysterious and funny magicians Penn And Teller will perform at the Chicago Theatre this Friday night. My wife Pam and I have enjoyed their shows on a number of occasions and were able to talk to them afterward. Very friendly guys. And yes, Teller does speak when he’s not on stage.

The 12-act, two-day celebration Halloweekend presents local bands honoring famous ones, and will return to Montrose Saloon on October 27 and 28. Both nights look like winners, with sets such as Made of Stone as The Stone Roses; Phil Angotti as Lovin' Spoonful; Amazing Heeby Jeebies as The Cramps; Androgynous Mustache as Madness; and Metropolly as X. Admission for each night is $20.

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Pierce Crask has a celebration coming up at Montrose Saloon on this Friday night to mark the release of the vinyl version of his Rising River album. Ellis Clark from The Social Act served as producer, and helped out with keyboards and backup vocals. The irresistibly melodic and romantic single “Sparkle And Shine” has been generating a lot of interest.

Get Smart!, a trio that worked the Chicago club scene back in the mid-1980s, have reunited and will be performing with special guest Jeff Lescher from Green this Saturday, at Liar’s Club on Fullerton in Chicago. The surf and instrumental band 13 Tikis will also perform that night.

Various Artists - Stir The Cauldron

Big Stir Records, the indie label with a focus on power pop and indie rock, has put together a 20-track collection aimed at getting people up and dancing at Halloween parties. Several of the acts on the Big Stir roster are featured, and Stir The Cauldron includes rare and exclusive tracks. Graham Parker, who recently released the Last Chance To Learn The Twist album on Big Stir, is the most recognizable name involved, although most of these artists will be familiar to power pop fans, as well as followers of the International Pop Overthrow festivals. 

Parker’s “The Music Of The Devil” (recorded with The Goldtops) is a bluesy bump and grind effort led by his gruff vocals. The Corner Laughers, whom I’ve often found to be worthy contributors to various artists collections, deliver the festive “Sugar Skull,” which is reminiscent of Brit folk acts like Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. The Armoires capture that same vibe on “Unhaunted” and also succeed with a the melodic 1960s style rock of “Paris 1919 (You’re A Ghost).”

Shplang's “Little Mushroom Men From Mars” would be worth a nod for its title alone, and the song is also catchy and fun. Dolph Chaney’s “This Halloween,” The Incurables “Halloween Bride,” and Plasticsoul's “The Ghost In Between Us” use melodic pop arrangements to deliver clever takes on spooky situations. “Under Halloween Leaves” by Blake Jones is an old-time instrumental, and Michael Simmons does a fine job on the Classics IV 1967 soul/rock single “Spooky.” Stir The Cauldron will be available from Big Stir Records this Friday.

Halloween Song: “Cry Danger”

Another post from the BHT haunted vault. With the Brian Setzer Rockabilly Riot! coming to the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan this Saturday, it’s an appropriate time to look back at an irresistible and  haunting number Setzer recorded a few years back.

Stray Cats celebrated their 40th Anniversary in style with their 2019 release 40, as original members Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker, and Slim Jim Phantom picked up right where they had left off 26 years earlier. Some might have expected the trio to expand on the rockabilly sound that once ruled with the MTV crowd, but there was no denying 40 was a blast. Particularly on “Rock It Off,” “I Attract Trouble,” and “I’ll Be Looking Out For You.”

“Cry Danger” is a natural choice for a Halloween party playlist. By the time Setzer offers the first line “A wicked wind is blowing, and I blew in with it,” his twangy guitar playing, along with the pulsating Rocker/Phantom rhythm section, has the listener totally hooked. Setzer assumes the role of a drifter coming back to his hometown, only to find something’s gone wrong. In addition to his deserted former house and the empty streets, the ground beneath him is shaking.

His companion feels the same trepidation. “In the witching hour, she whispered ‘Please beware’ and I heard the devil say, ‘You’re not going anywhere.’” The lyrics don’t spell everything out, but since Setzer previously noted, “We rode a reckless highway/I took it all too fast,” maybe that’s not really his hometown they’ve arrived at.

Halloween Song: Wolf Alice - “Sky Musings”

I started this blog in August, 2009 and a few months later, embarked on a mission to honor a different Halloween-appropriate song each day of October. Ones you could use for a party playlist or just chill out to while listening through headphones at home. Over the years, I’ve aimed for a mix of previously posted songs and a few new ones. Here’s one I originally posted in 2021.

Sometimes in the course of researching a potential Halloween song, I discover it’s not as scary as I thought. Particularly, after reading the lyrics. Such is the case with “Sky Musings” by Wolf Alice. The band enjoyed loads of favorable press in its native U.K. and a fair amount here in America for its 2021 album Blue Weekend. “Sky Musings,” though, comes from Wolf Alice’s 2017 album Visions Of A Life. 

The rampaging arrangement (like Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell,” only faster) and such lines as “Fear inducing/Tears producing” conjure a desperate need to escape. The situation vocalist-guitarist Ellie Rowsell describes so intensely starts simply with a passenger watching a film on a redeye flight. The opening lines, “How high do planes fly?/40,000 feet in the sky’s how high.” offer a bit of foreshadowing, but initially the woman is just watching a romantic drama.

The flick’s star-crossed lovers trigger some soul-searching on the viewer’s part. “And now I think of all the people I’ve cared for/Did love pass me by when I had feelings I was scared of?” She fights off her sorrow, thinking, “Look out of your window you’re on top of the world/23 years old and you’re acting like it’s over.” That’s when her mood takes a harrowing turn. “Only over if we crash./Hit the ground down below./As if we’d crash./Imagine that./If we crash.”

Eventually, the passenger gives in to a full panic attack, being asked by the flight crew to fasten her seat belt and settle down. The situation ends peacefully, with the passenger praying for guidance. Not exactly vampires and zombies, but I doubt I’ll ever listen to “Sky Musings” while I’m flying.

A Whole Lot More Than Halloween

Continuing a relativity new tradition here at BHT, here’s a list of entertainment-related events scheduled for the new month. I’m hoping to go into more details on all of these as October rocks along, and there are sure to be worthy events that pop up after this list has been posted. Check out social media and official websites for your favorite performers and venues so you don’t miss anything.

The Destinos: 6th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival will run through October and on to November 12 across the city at several venues.

Solo jazz guitarist Tony Richards will perform at Petterino’s restaurant in downtown Chicago on October 2.

Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band of Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Edgar Winter, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette will perform at the Chicago Theatre on Thursday, October 5.

Chicago-based musician/playwright Matt Tiegler’s new album Hands Free Down Hill, produced by singer-songwriter Tommi Zender, will be released on October 6.

 

Chicago-based singer-guitarist Pierce Crask has a celebration coming up at Montrose Saloon on  October 6 to mark the release of the vinyl version of his Rising River album. Ellis Clark from The Social Act served as producer, and helped out with keyboards and backup vocals.

Chicago alt rock duo The Mother Z’s will release a new six-song album titled Rest It Straight via Bandcamp on October 6.

Bob Dylan will perform on October 6, 7, and 8 concerts at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

The compilation album An Introduction To . . . The Luck Of Eden Hall, honoring Chicago's long-running psychedelic band, will be issued on the U.K. indie label Fruits der Mer Records in early October.

Phil Angotti will perform separate afternoon and evening shows as part of his John Lennon’s 83rd Birthday Bash at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue on October 7.

The Brian Setzer Rockabilly Riot! show comes to The Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on October 7.

Get Smart!, a trio that worked the Chicago club scene back in the mid-1980s, have reunited and will be performing with special guest Jeff Lescher from Green on Saturday, October 7 at Liar’s Club on Fullerton in Chicago. The surf and instrumental band 13 Tikis will also perform that night.

The Heartland Songwriters Midwest Tour, featuring Steve Dawson, Adam Reichmann, John Wendland and Andy Ploof, will be at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn, IL on October 8.

Reeling 2023 - The 41st Chicago LGBTO+ International Film Festival runs through October 8 at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema at 2828 N. Clark Street and Chicago Filmmakers 1326 W. Hollywood Avenue.

Sky People Entertainment will present the 5th Annual Indigenous People’s Day Chicago Arts And Music Festival on October 8 and 9 at The Chop Shop on North Avenue in Chicago.

Expo ’76, one of the nation’s most enjoyable covers bands, will come back to its regular roost at Simon’s Tavern on Chicago’s north side on October 11.

Jon Langford and His Fancymen, along with special guests Sally Timms and Dennis J. Leise, will perform at A Benefit For Kidney Research at The Hideout on Chicago’s north side on October 10.

Tributosaurus becomes The Cars at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue on October 13.

Lit And Luz: Reencounters/Reencuentros will run from October 13 through 29 at 1929 S. Halsted in Chicago. It’s being sponsored bt Chicago Art Department and other local arts groups.

 

Lucinda Williams will bring her Stories From A Rock N Roll Heart concert to the Riviera Theatre on October 13.

Ringo Starr’s latest EP, Rewind Forward, is due out on October 13.

The Zombies’ North American Different Game Tour brings them to The Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago on October 15. 

Local blues label Delmark Records will showcase its acts for a full week at Buddy Guy’s Legends from October 15 to 21.

The Guitars for Guaraldi event at Montrose Saloon on October 15 will feature The Mich Shirey Trio performing the soundtrack from the seasonal classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Dhani Harrison will perform in concert at the Omeara venue in London on October 18.

The Rolling Stones will release Hackney Diamonds, their first studio album of new material in  years, on October 20.

Singer-guitarist Carla Olson’s new album Have Harmony, Will Travel 3, featuring various special guest musicians, is coming out on October 20. 

The Three O’Clock will re-release their Paisley Underground masterpiece Sixteen Tambourines album with a new cover and remastered tracks in vinyl, CD, and stream formats on October 20.

Brick Briscoe and the Skinny; Tom Curless & the 46%; whitewolfsonicprincess; and John Boyle will perform at Montrose Saloon on October 21.

Musician/teacher/author Freda Love Smith will discuss her book I Quit Everything at SPACE in Evanston on October 22. Her former band mate in The Blake Babies, John Strohm, will perform songs from his new solo effort Something To Look Forward To.

The earthy and beautiful Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues comes to City Winery Chicago on October 22. 

Former Moody Blues member Justin Hayward will perform at City Winery Chicago on October 23 and 24.

The CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights will return to Plumbers Hall on Saturday, October 21.

Phil Angotti and Friends will continue their Beatles Brunch series at City Winery on October 22.

Michael McDermott and The Duke Street Kings will perform their annual Halloweensteen show with special guest Devin Scott Hodge at Park West on October 27,

Performances of a new production of Monty Python’s Spamalot, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodeson, will start on Halloween night at the St. James Theatre in New York.