Happy Tuesday, everyone!
I’m taking a little break from my regular posting schedule today to take care of a few personal things. However, I didn’t want to leave you empty-handed, especially with Spooky Season in full swing!
Instead of spotlighting a particular 12″ single, I thought it might be fun to explore something that has always fascinated me. The connection between Halloween, 80s music, and those glorious extended remixes that we all know and love.
When we think of Halloween music, the usual suspects tend to come to mind. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” and Rockwell’s paranoid classic “Somebody’s Watching Me.” All three helped give the decade its unmistakable Halloween soundtrack.
But venture a little deeper into the 80s musical landscape, particularly the world of New Wave, Synth-pop, Gothic Rock, and Industrial dance music, and you’ll discover an entirely different kind of darkness.
This was music that didn’t necessarily need Halloween to sound spooky.
Haunting synthesizers, icy electronic rhythms, mysterious vocals, and lyrics exploring everything from obsession and isolation to fear and the supernatural were already part of the musical landscape.
And what better way to experience those sounds than on a 12″ single?
During the 1980s, the 12″ single became more than just an extended version of a popular song. It offered producers, remixers, and DJs the freedom to experiment. Songs could be stretched, rearranged, stripped down, or transformed into something almost unrecognizable.
For music with a darker edge, those extra minutes could make all the difference.
A haunting introduction could slowly build into a hypnotic rhythm. Strange electronic effects could creep into the mix. Echoing vocals and pounding drum machines could turn an ordinary dance record into something that sounded like it belonged in a horror film.
Just listen to Ministry’s “(Every Day Is) Halloween,” Dead or Alive’s “Something in My House,” or The Cure’s “Lullaby.” Each approaches darkness differently, yet all demonstrate how wonderfully the sounds of the 80s could lend themselves to the season.
And then there were the record sleeves, the artwork, the mysterious B-sides, and those extended mixes that occasionally took the music into even stranger territory.
That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about collecting 12″ singles. You never quite knew what you might discover when you flipped a record over or explored a remix that wasn’t available anywhere else.
Of course, not every song needed ghosts, vampires, or things that go bump in the night to fit the Halloween mood. Sometimes all it took was a sinister bassline, a chilling synthesizer, or a particularly unsettling vocal performance.
The 80s had plenty of those!
That’s part of what makes putting together my Spooky Season Spins selections so enjoyable. There is an enormous amount of music from that decade that fits the atmosphere, even when Halloween wasn’t necessarily what the artist had in mind.
So while I’m away from the turntables today, I thought I’d leave you with a little food for thought.
What 80s song or 12″ remix immediately puts you in the Halloween spirit?
It doesn’t have to be an obvious Halloween record. In fact, the more unusual your choice, the better!
I’d love to hear what spooky treasures are hiding in your record collections.
Thanks, as always, for stopping by, sharing your memories, and keeping the music alive.
I’ll be back with more Spooky Season Spins soon!
Until then, keep those turntables spinning and watch out for things that go bump in the night!
