Halloween is less than three weeks away, and at this point in the game, you’ve already over-played all your favorite, seasonally-appropriate Misfits, Type O, and Sisters of Mercy albums. So acclaimed New York City dance party kingpin Jonathan Toubin is here to serve up his seventh annual spooky ’60s Halloween mix, a 25-track bounce of uncommon original 45rpms from his never-ending collection.
It’s nothing short of a scream.
Toubin, who we kind of worship around these parts, brings his soul power to select cities leading up to Halloween — October 21 at the Hideout in Chicago, October 28 at the Barracuda in Austin, and October 29 at Los Angeles’ Festival Supreme — before an October 31 throwdown at New York City’s Knockdown Center, a combined joint that unites his Haunted Hop with Alana Amram’s Monster Mash. Details on that via the flyer below.
In the meantime, fire up Toubin’s mix, check out his own personal track-by-track notes, and start shakin’.
1. Beauregarde and the Poppers “Creature Feature” (Lurch, 1975) A private press 45 of the opening theme to the Bob Wilkins’ legendary Bay Area’s “Creature Features” horror movie TV show…
2. Frank Rondell and the Chancellors “The Bat” (Fujimo, 1964) Hamilton, Ontario rockers second and final single! A blood-sucking dance gifted to me from DJ supremo Primo Pitino of San Francisco’s Oldies Night…
3. Neal Ford and the Fanatics “Shame On You” (Hickory, 1966) Houston, Texas garage rockers get psychedelic and too evil for the impending summer of love…
4. Roberto Carlos “Negro Gato” (CBS Mexico, 1969) A supremely rocking black cat howler by one of the top Brazilian pop stars ever.
5. Unknown, “Goon River” (Peter Pan, 1973) A killer track hidden deep inside the Peter Pan children’s E.P. “Witch Doctor”…
6. Terry Teen “The Hearse” (Gemini, 1962) Later privately re-released as “Curse of The Hearse,” this is the second single by the career clown who went on to help create Ronald McDonald and write books about the art of clowning…
7. Satan and Deciples “Mummie’s Curse” (Goldband, 1968) Mysterious unknown novelty band with poor spelling skills, presumably from somewhere near Lake Charles, Louisiana, are cursed to forever play this song.
8. The Verdicts with Al Browne Orch. “The Mummy’s Ball” (East Coast, 1961) Bed Stuy, Brooklyn street corner doo woppers’ sole single tells the story about a dance party at the mummy’s house where Frankenstein steps on the host’s foot and the whole place explodes into a knock-down-drag-out…
9. Dr. Shock “The Bloody” (Cougar, 1970) the B-Side to Philadelphia horror host Dr. Shock’s theme 45 “Let There Be Fright” is “a dance started centuries ago in a psychedelic graveyard where the monsters used to go.” DO THE BLOODY!
10. The Sherwoods “El Scorpion” (Maggie, 1961) A Spanish-tinged New York surf instrumental with a venomous sting…
11. The Connoissurs “Count Macabre” (M-P, 1963) The second misspelled Louisiana band name on this mix, The Connoissurs, led by 20-year old DynaTones vocalist Frankie Radosta, recorded their only single as a tribute to Baton Rouge horror host Count Macabre. I nabbed this from thee fabulous Action Pat of Miami’s Southernmost Soul Party…
12. Geoffrey Holder “The Bottle Imp” (Vik, 1957) A calypso by Trinidadian Metropolitan Ballet dancer, Broadway actor, and movie star (Baron Samedi in “Live and Let Die”!), about a boy who finds a bottle with the devil inside…
13. Diablito “The Jungle” (Parkway, 1961) Diablito’s only record is the wildest and most exciting romp on this side of “Watusi Zombi”!
14. Griz Green “Creepy Willy” (Blue River, 1965) A spooky obscurity by a former miner who later became known as a western folk singer/songwriter and then cooked up this Halloween novelty…
15. Miss L.L. Louise Lewis “Monster Miss” (Skyway, 1962) A pounding novelty romp from the actress of “Blood of Dracula” and “I Was A Teenage Werewolf”…
16. Andre Scott “Shadow Knows” (Neely, ?) Shady lo fi funky soul 45 on an unknown label by an unknown vocalist. There was an Andre Scott with a single on Chicago’s equally obscure Sunflower label. Maybe the same?
17. Magnificent Montague “The Breather” (1958) Creepy surrealism from the famous r&b DJ whose trademark catchphrase “Burn, Baby! BURN!” became the rallying cry for the Watts riots.
18. King Horror “Dracula” (Joe, 1969) The enigmatic vocals on this skinhead reggae rarity could be Laurel Aitken, Young Growler, or Lloyd the Matador?
19. Count Stephen “Spooky” (Marlin, 1961) Prolific Rochester, NY entertainer Steve Alaimo made some eccentric records on his way up including this one where he’s a beatnik getting spooked in this haunted house…
20. The Olympics “The Boogler (Part 1)” (Duo Disc, 1964) A year before tenor Charles Fizer was gunned down in the Watts Riots on his way to band practice, the originators of “Good Lovin’” and the Hully Gully craze laid down this monster jam at the peak of their powers!
21. Curtis Knight “Voodoo Woman” (Gulf, 1961) A few years before teaming up with Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Knight cut his first solo record – begging the voodoo woman to bring his lover back to him…
22. Diane Maxwell “Love Charms” (Challenge, 1958) While we’re casting spells in the name of love, here’s one of the better versions of “Love Charms” and a killer recording to boot…
23. Lord Luther with The Kingsmen “(I Was) A Teenage Creature” (Frantic, 1958) Lord Luther post-4 Deuces tears into prolific singer/songwriter/poet Ric Masten’s monstrous lyrics…
24. The Tinglers “The Tingler” (Col Pix, 1959) A creepy studio band harmonize a la Four Blobs on this commercial flop that was the official theme to this Vincent Price horror classic.
25. Hank Levine and the Blazers “Midnight” (PRI, 1960) The exclamation point at the end of this mix is this legendary arranger/band leader’s restrained Theremin crawler.
