Come October everyone starts digging out the “Halloween “ albums from the dusty confines of their closets and CD racks. This usually means Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s Monster Mash or if you’re a darker personality maybe Rob Zombie’s latest. It’s the time of the year when everyone gets feeling a little spooky, and gearing up for cables latest outing of old monster movies and carving up the biggest pumpkins your can lay your hands on. Halloween has become the second biggest moneymaker for retailers eclipsed only by Christmas. But for some people Halloween begins on October 31^st and runs through October 31^st of the next year. These are the people the Moon-Rays record for.

   Most “Halloween” music sounds out of place before the leaves start changing but not the Moon-Rays albums. The first three SVI released albums “Thrills and Chills”, “The Ghouls Go West”, and “Sinister Surf” all cross over the strictly Halloween genre border to music that’s listen able all year long. The first CD (Thrills and Chills 2002) being Mancini style lounge with a spooky edge to it that produced the original song “1313 Mockingbird Lane” that has been featured in several films.

   The “Ghouls Go West” released in 2004 was more on the spooky side with a spaghetti western flair that sounded like it was recorded in Outer Space.

2006 released “Sinister Surf”,  a brassier more Beatnik sounding Moon-rays album with more arranged, slicker,  tongue in cheek songs than ever.

   So here we are in 2008 and the Moon-Rays have just finished releasing a new album by the name of “Swingin at the Séance”. Not only is this the most ambitious album in their catalog but also it is really the first true Halloween CD they’ve produced. The songs are (with the exception of three Moon-Ray originals) all tunes originally recorded between the years 1918 and 1942 by artists such as Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, ect… So you’re saying, I’ve never heard of Halloween records by those old bands! This is exactly why the Moon-Rays recorded this CD. Most people think “spooky” music started in the 50’s and 60’s with the Monster Mash, never being hip to any of these classic recordings done when your grandparents were still young. Well take it from me, once you hear THESE Halloween songs your going to be hooked and digging through grandma’s 78 collection for more songs. These are well crafted, melodic songs written by guys that knew what music was all about and THEY ARE INFECTIOUS!!!

   Swingin at the Séance is the best Halloween party album to come out in decades, but what’s even more interesting is even if you HATE Halloween, “Swingin at the Séance” is a standout swing album all on it’s own which swing fans will love.. If you can listen to this album without tappin your toes or wanting to jump up and start dancing, you’re a better man than me Gunga Din!!! The artwork design and packaging is all done to fit perfectly with the music (by Wendy Amdahl) is the hippest and most fun I’ve seen in years.

Tags: halloween music swing 1940's

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