"Halloween Sound Effects" Cassette

Here we are at the fourth Friday in October, which means it's time for one last Freebie Friday for the year! We've had three absolute classics served up from my "spooky sounds" collection this year, so let's see what's on tap for this week's offering.

I grabbed a sealed copy of Halloween Sound Effects strictly based on the incredible card art. Spooky, gothic fonts and totally awesome clip art, including that sweet, evil bat! And still encased in the shell was a wonderfully cheesy cassette with nothing but the same title art on a blank orange label. All the signs of another cheap knock-off classic!

And my initial instinct was correct. Because as soon as I put this cassette in, pressed "play" and heard the very first note, I knew this was yet another Taiwanese knock-off. It was a poorly dubbed recording of the Topstone Halloween classic, Horror Sounds Of The Night. 

I swear, every cassette factory in Asia must have had one copy of it to use for dubbing, because this is at least the third different Halloween cassette I have picked up only to hear that same organ music starting off...

And as great as Horror Sounds Of The Night is, this one is just another cheap knock-off in a really great package. Still worth it for the art, but the sounds themselves are only for the die-hard "spooky sounds" collectors or those that might not have Horror Sounds Of The Night.

Three out of four still ain't bad!

DOWNLOAD 'HALLOWEEN SOUND EFFECTS' HERE.

  

Walt Disney Studios - "Chilling, Thrilling Sounds Of The Haunted House (1979)" Record

The days of October are absolutely flying by and we have already reached another Friday... time for the next Freebie Friday post, where I share forgotten gems from the murky depths of my Halloween "spooky sounds" collection.

WARNING: This album will scare your socks off. Parental guidance suggested.

For the third week in a row, I'm serving up an absolute Halloween classic. This time around, it's Walt Disney Studios' Chilling, Thrilling Sounds Of The Haunted House - the second version!

That's right! After the initial success of the original Chilling, Thrilling Sounds... in 1964 (and 1973), Walt Disney Studios went back and re-released a totally new version in 1979, with completely different cover art AND audio tracks.

Gone were the original's individual story/audio tracks utilizing special effects sounds from the Walt Disney Studios collection, and replaced with a more traditional "spooky sounds" collection of sounds.

I have done a bit or searching to find out why this was done, but I haven't been able to find anything definitive. Either way, I find this version to be the superior one. The original, while groundbreaking for its time, lacks any real spookiness to it and is plagued with silliness in most of the tracks. And let's not even get started on that "Chinese Water Torture" track...

This re-released version fits well into the traditional "spooky sounds" genre with more mature Halloween sounds. Two sides of continuous audio with side one containing "Frightening Situations" and side two containing "Eerie Sound Effects." Both sides are equally great and have all of the classic sound effects within.

And I haven't even mentioned the new cover art yet. A fantastic, full-cover haunted house illustration with a skeleton rising from a grave and colorful, traditional creepy fonts make this one an absolute winner! I would expect nothing less from the talented artists of Disney.

Overall, this release is an absolute classic (even if it is still overshadowed by the original). It's campy and fun, but still has just enough nostalgic creepiness to make it an essential piece for your collection.

(And on a side note, this was just re-released in 2023 on a cool translucent smoke-colored vinyl and is still available here.)

DOWNLOAD CHILLING, THRILLING SOUNDS OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1979) HERE.
  

"Halloween" Record

We have reached the end of another week, so that means it's time for another Freebie Friday offering! Time to share another forgotten gem from the murky depths of my Halloween "spooky sounds" collection.

This week, we're diving into another classic release from 1969, simply titled, "Halloween" on D Records, a country and western label out of Houston, Texas.

If you have ever sampled any of my other Freebie Friday offerings, you already know that the "spooky sounds" cassette industry of the 80s and 90s was an unregulated free-for-all, repackaging older titles quickly and cheaply as new releases. I don't know how many times I have picked up a cassette, excited by the "spooky" title and art, only to find another cheap reproduction of a 70s classic.

Well, with this release we have just the opposite. This one is the original source material for many of the later knockoffs!

Side one starts off a little slowly, with a poorly thrown-together string of random, not-really-Halloween individual sound clips. Weird dog barks, a recording of possibly a Chinese New Year parade with drums and firecrackers, clanking pots and pans, odd springy "boings," and warbling circus organ music...

It isn't until about one-third of the way through this side that things suddenly switch and get interesting. And it's also when I knew I recognized the classic "spooky sounds" from some of those later knock-off tapes! Classic beast howls, creaking doors, howling winds, rattling chains, bubbling cauldrons and sinister laughs... THIS is the stuff!!

Side two continues to deliver the spooky sounds greatness. The harpsichord (I think?) and shrieks, more creaking doors, ghostly moans, werewolf howls, giggling goblins, a weird off-key horn, and whipping winds. It's all here and it's PERFECT! All the classics from the start of the "spooky sounds" craze.

And can you believe we've gotten this far and I still haven't mentioned the incredible cover art? A bold yellow cover with handprinted witch and bats shadows behind a creepy jack-o-lantern, cloaked skeleton, and whipsy ghosts. All under a wonderfully hand-painted "HALLOWEEN" font. It's the whole reason I bought this record in the first place! Still a definite eye-catcher in an ever-growing collection of Halloween records.

This one is a TON of fun and a sure classic that needs a prominent spot in your collection. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN" HERE.

  

"Spook Stuff For Hallowe'en" Record

It's the first Friday of October, and that can mean only one thing...

The return of Freebie Fridays!

Every Friday in October, I dig up one of the vintage novelty Halloween soundtrack cassettes, CDs, or vinyl records from my ever-growing collection and share it with all of my fellow classic "spooky sounds" junkies.

I've been doing this for quite a few years now, and I still absolutely love doing it. It's a great way to share the love during the Halloween season, and a great way to (re)discover some really neat-and-or-hilarious old novelty soundtracks from Halloweens long past.

So let's get down to business!!

Up first, we have Spook Stuff For Hallowe'en dating all the way back from 1960! This is an early classic and a no-brainer addition to your collection based on the amazing cover art alone!

(During the same year, this was re-released with a new title, Howlin' Hallowe'en: The Sounds Of Spook Stuff with equally amazing cover art. It's not in my collection yet and although it's the same audio with a different cover, it still ranks high on the want list.)

A Haunting 40 Minutes Of Scary, Spooky Stories-In-Sound - Also Suitable For Dramatic Sound Effects And Party Fun The Year 'Round

If you have grabbed any of the other offerings here in Octobers past, you will immediately recognize many of the sounds on side one, as they have been used countless times over in later releases. Howling wolves and wind, crying cats, cracking thunder, cackling witches and goblins, bubbling cauldrons... but it's just SO GOOD!! Don't forget this was put out in 1960! Groundbreaking sound effects for the time that set the tone for the "spooky sounds" genre to come (including four years before Disney's iconic Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House!) that still hits the Halloween nostalgia vibe.

Side two continues the collection of sound effects, this time loosely segmented into themes: Haunted Mine, Cemetery At Midnight, Halloween At The Haunted Castle, etc. The descriptions on the back of the record sleeve are more inspiring than the sound effects themselves, but the whole side is still a really fun listen. Especially the super kooky Halloween At The Haunted Castle vocal effects tracks! From there, the last three tracks devolve into hilarious vocal effect weirdness, straying from traditional "spooky sounds" and experimenting with then-modern oscillation, echo and reverb.

All in all, a really great piece of Halloween "spooky sounds" history and a great piece to add to your collection.

DOWNLOAD "SPOOK STUFF FOR HALLOWE'EN" HERE.

  

"Horror Sounds Of Terror" Record

Yikes, here we are already at the last Friday of October, so it's the last chance for a Freebie Friday grab! Overall it has been a pretty solid list of cassette offerings, but we are going to finish the month off with a real classic served up on a vinyl platter!

Horror Sounds Of Terror is a 1978 release from HRB Music, and is actually part of a double-LP collection called Goofy Gold (it's more familiar name). The collection is split up on two separate records, the first (Goofy Gold) being a collection of fairly popular "novelty" Halloween-ish songs including Monster Mash, Purple People Eater, Alley Oop, Chantilly Lace, etc. And while I'm going to completely skip this half of the compilation, I DO want to show the insanely cool TV spot that was made for it. Enjoy this!

Now the part we ARE going to focus on is the second record of the compilation, called Horror Sounds Of Terror. This one is a mandatory addition, based simply on the incredible illustration on the cover. A green vampire face with some really cool hand painted horror fonts. I was totally sold!

The record itself is actually pretty great, too. There is no doubt that this is from the 70s with its standard "spooky sounds" cuts interspersed with small bits of dialog on both sides. And while some of the sounds have been heard on a handful of other releases produced around the same time, the dialog really stands out this time. Some goofy, some attempting to be more serious, but all are of a higher production quality making this entire record a lot of fun!

The only negative is that each side only clocks in at just over twelve minutes, making for a short offering. But even with that, Horror Sounds Of Terror is a wonderful slice of nostalgia and a quality release that still holds up today. And it makes for a really great way to close out the final Freebie Friday segment for this October...

DOWNLOAD "HORROR SOUNDS OF TERROR" HERE.

  

"Horror At The Graveyard" Cassette

WARNING: This cassette is not to be listened to in the dark. Listen to this cassette at your own risk!

We are flying through October and it is already time for the third installment of Freebie Fridays, where I share a selection from my ever-growing collection of novelty Halloween "spooky sounds" vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs.

This week's offering is Horror At The Graveyard, a Canadian cassette most likely released in the mid- to late 90s. It was put out by Distribution Madacy Inc., the same company that put out Sounds of Halloween around the same time. And like Sounds of Halloween, this has a very similar cover with a fantastic comic-style illustration and the same over-the-top shock warning label.

Luckily, the cassettes' similarities end there. Horror At The Graveyard is a much better offering in that the first side of the cassette is a rather insane full story of a walk in a graveyard, while the flip side is a collection of standard "spooky sounds."

Side A: Full length story complete with sound effects. "It was a strange, eerie night. Heavy black clouds cast shadows over the full moon, making it dark and dreary. The leaves on the trees seemed to dance in fright to the mournful howling of the wind..."

So I have listened to this side at least three times and I just keep going back to it. It's so hyper dramatic in its descriptive delivery, with wild swings of sudden intensity throughout. The story plays out more like a fever dream, which makes it so weirdly good. Add to that the narrator's quirky, unidentifiable accent as he REALLY tries to deliver the drama, and the canned "spooky sounds" to add to the story's intensity, and you have 15 minutes of campy, hilarious, but totally great Halloween fun. This story alone makes the cassette a true gem.

Side B: "Spine Chilling"/"Hair Raising"/"Heart Pounding"/Sound Effects

After the greatness of the story on Side A, everything here is just gravy. A continuous, standard collection of "spooky sounds" that have appeared on countless other offerings, but with a few darker effects added in to give the whole thing that little bit extra. Definitely worth a listen just to check the "nostalgia" box, but on its own is still better than most.

Another "spooky sounds" cassette bought on a whim (I couldn't pass up that cover art!), but turns out to be a real surprise. This is definitely one to add to your collection and your October playlist!

DOWNLOAD "HORROR AT THE GRAVEYARD" HERE.

  

"Scary Sounds" Cassette

We have reached the end of another week, so that means it's time for another Freebie Friday! Time to share another forgotten gem from the murky depths of my Halloween "spooky sounds" collection.

After last week's dud of an offering, I'm really excited to rebound with this.

There are a ton of releases called Scary Sounds, but this particular version of Scary Sounds is in fact SIXTY full minutes of the creeps! I don't have much background info on this release other than it was composed in 1998 by Steven L. Hartman, produced by the Stanley-Lawrence Company, and released in cassette and CD formats.

The quality of this release is excellent, with two full sides of clean, rich audio. Both sides rely predominantly on heavy reverb and left-to-right channel "warbling" over a base of somewhat standard thunder, synthesizer organ, swamp critters, and a few echoing evil laughs and groans. And a few clips played backwards? But it all works! A real pulsating creepiness is achieved on both sides without any cheap, silly, or annoying sounds prevalent in many of the releases from decades before. I would sum it up by saying this is a more mature, atmospheric and developed "spooky sounds" release.

Each side is broken up into three segments. Side A being Ghoulish/Eerie/Creepy, and Side B being Morbid/Haunting/Spooky. Exceptionally great track names, but each side plays well as a single track. There are a few breaks in the sounds, but I couldn't absolutely identify where the track breaks are supposed to be. So for me, each side plays as one single track.

I bought this one on a whim, based solely on the cool pen-and-ink skull drawing on the cover, and it paid off nicely. It was an unexpectedly cool release for the price and offers a full hour's worth of the creeps! This one is highly recommended to add to your collection!

DOWNLOAD "SCARY SOUNDS" HERE.

  

"Horror Sound" Cassette

It's the first Friday of October, and that can mean only one thing...

Freebie Fridays!

Every Friday in October, I dig up one of the vintage novelty Halloween soundtrack cassettes, CDs, or vinyl records from my ever-growing collection and share it with all of my fellow classic "spooky sounds" junkies.

I've been doing this for quite a few years now, and I still absolutely love doing it. It's a great way to share the love during the Halloween season, and a great way to (re)discover some really neat-and-or-hilarious old novelty soundtracks from Halloweens long past.

So let's get down to business!!

Up this week, we have the "Horror Sound" cassette. I didn't know anything about it upon purchase, other than I knew I had to have it based on the questionable title and cassette art. 

Horror Sound. Not Sounds plural, but just one Sound. Definitely a glaring issue of lost-in-translation somewhere along the Chinese production line pumping out a vast array of ripoff "spooky sounds" cassettes from the 80s and 90s, for certain.

The cassette label itself is a wonderfully sparse smattering of clipart-level images of a single ghost, a single bat, and TWO trees. I just knew that this one was going to be a glorious stinker!

And upon dropping this into the cassette player and hitting play, my suspicions were confirmed. A really bad "copy of a copy of a copy" of Topstone's classic, Horror Sounds of The Night. Recorded with the volume turned up too loud, resulting in the speakers absolutely overpeaking with sound.

Nonetheless, "Horror Sound" is still worthy of being in my collection. In this case because it is so hilariously bad, but still a part of what makes collecting this genre so entertaining and fun. Grab a copy if you are a completist like myself, or just grab a copy of the superior original. The choice is yours! Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD "HORROR SOUND" HERE.

"Horrific Halloween Spooktacular! Scary Scores & Sounds!!" Record

Halloween!

Iciest night of the year (colder than Christmas!), when "undead" totter on legs unsteady from graves unready to keep their eternal sleep. "All hallows eve," when ghosts soar through moonlit skies, beasties feast on some poor prize, and other things go "bump!" in the night! (good lord deliver us!!)

Here you will hear the fear that you fear, geared for the weird, to vampires endeared (can you withstand the frantic antics of closet skeletons, belfry bats, demon cats, wolves and rats, ape men and wolf men and mad men and monsters galore?)!! Monsters galore and more! The score! Forever gore fills the score, spills the gore on the score to the core of monster lore! Eerie-played by ghostly maid on an organ made for Death's Arcade!!! (Hail the haunted organ! Purge the dirge!) Yes, Halloween! In "undead" vernacular, the devil's spectacular... A Halloween spooktacular!!! Come, if you care... come if you dare!!!

We have come to the final Friday of October, which means the last Freebie Friday for another year. But please do not be sad, because I'm finishing the season off with an absolute classic!

When I hear the words "spooky sounds," a few classic releases come to mind. The ones that have insanely cool illustrated covers with monsters, skeletons, haunted houses, jack-o-lanterns, and ghosts. The ones that have a continuous flow of the standard creepy sound effects essential to any great release. Howling winds, howling wolves, cackling witches, cracking thunder, mad laboratories and the monsters that they create, wailing organs, tolling bells, cats, bats, and bloodcurdling screams. And Verne Langdon's Horrific Halloween Spooktacular! Scary Scores & Sounds has it all!

Side one is a straight collection of standard spooky sounds, flowing smoothly between each, making a nice, even 15 minute track. Howling wolves, a tolling bell, and thunder are always a classic segway into any good "spooky sounds" record! The guy getting whipped is an interesting sound clip, as well...

Side two is equally as good, with a creepy gothic organ track as the main sound throughout. It differentiates itself from the first side nicely, giving you two completely different tracks to choose from!

And I haven't even mentioned Ron Cobb's insanely cool cover art. The one-eyed green zombie face looks like it's emerging from the darkened pages of an old EC Comics cover. A real eye-grabber (see what I did there?), that looks great in any record collection!

This one is definitely a must-have in your spooky sounds stockpile, as it absolutely nails the old nostalgic Halloween vibe. Enjoy!

Download Horrific Halloween Spooktacular! Scary Scores & Sounds!! here.

  

"TERROR Treats!" Cassette

New Horror - More Fascinating Than Science - More Frightening Than Fantasy!  You are about to participate in a unique experience! Fear not! Warning: Do not lock the door! Carry some garlic, a wooden stake, a hammer, and a crucifix, just in case!

Time for the third installment of Freebie Fridays, where I share a selection from my ever-growing collection of novelty Halloween "spooky sounds" vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs.

This week we have an absolute gem in the 1987 cassette release of "TERROR Treats!" By T.A. Hamilton. This was another blind buy because I had never heard of it before, but was a done deal the moment I saw this absolutely incredible cover art! (After researching it, I have now seen two different versions of this release, and this particular version is far superior in total presentation.)

But the cover art was just the beginning! I put the unmarked black cassette in and hit 'play.' Both sides clock in at about 15 minutes for each side, and contain a flowing collection of the usual spooky sounds: howling winds, cackling witches, thunderstorms, screeching cats, ghoulish laughter and screams, mad laboratory sounds, etc. Nothing really new (outside of the brief snippet of dialogue with hilarious, exaggerated pronunciations like "imaginaaashun-uhhh"), as I think these sounds were all pulled from other sources. 

But the entire thing has an added reverb echo effect over it, giving it a unique and cool sound. Add to that the flat production and you have the perfect throwback "spooky sounds" release. The low quality production on this is what makes it so, so good! Pure nostalgia on this one, and another worthy piece for your collection.

DOWNLOAD "TERROR TREATS!" HERE.

  

"Night Of Terror!" CD

It's National Haunted House Day, it's Friday the 13th, AND it's Freebie Friday! It doesn't get much better than this, so let's dive right in!

This week's offering was another blind purchase, based on nothing more than the ridiculous/totally awesome cover art.

Night Of Terror! A Continuous Tale Of Horror Told In Sound. Well, I'm not sure I'd go THAT far, but I did luck out and picked up another Halloween gem.

What really grabbed my attention with this one was, in fact, that crazy cover. It instantly reminded me of those crazy Ghanaian hand-painted movie posters. So much storytelling in a freeform, non-realistic, totally sensationalized rendering. On this cover, I guess the cowboy in black is rounding up the dead girls for some kind of swamp ritual? Amazing.

WARNING: YOU MAY NOT WANT TO BE ALONE WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THIS TAPE BECAUSE...

The inside cover (which I have scanned and included in the folder) is the story that corresponds to the list of sounds as the track plays (it's all one continuous track, clocking in at just over an hour). And it's pretty good. Full of the classic "spooky sounds" tropes, it somehow links all of the disparate sounds into one ghoulish tale.

The track itself contains a collection of the usual sounds (collected from other sources because I have definitely heard them all on other releases) all laid over a continuous thunderstorm. And even though there is nothing groundbreaking here, the less-than-perfect production (was this dubbed straight from a cassette?) lends to that wonderful, nostalgic, creepy feel. Its perfection really lies in its imperfection. And I haven't even mentioned the "Lion Growls" and "Mad Ape" sounds thrown in just for fun!

"Night Of Terror!" really hits that old "spooky sounds" sweet spot and I'm glad I took the chance on it. This is a fun one you can spin all night long.

DOWNLOAD "NIGHT OF TERROR!" HERE.

  

"A Night In A Haunted House / A Night In A Graveyard" CD

It's the first Friday of October, and that can mean only one thing...

Freebie Fridays!

Every Friday in October, I dig up one of the vintage novelty Halloween soundtrack cassettes, CDs, or vinyl records from my ever-growing collection and share it with all of my fellow classic "spooky sounds" junkies.

I've been doing this for quite a few years now, and I still absolutely love doing it. It's a great way to share the love during the Halloween season, and a great way to (re)discover some really neat-and-or-hilarious old novelty soundtracks from Halloweens long past.

So let's get down to business!!

This season's first offering is the really great A Night In A Haunted House / A Night In A Graveyard double play CD, originally released on cassette (with different art and track sequence) in 1987.

"They say it's haunted, but we don't believe in such nonsense... do we?" 

Right off the bat, you can tell this one is a keeper. ...Haunted House is really well produced with high quality, and surprisingly dark, sound effects. By far the best part is the narrator, and his dour, gravelly, British-accented voice. He ghoulishly introduces each track as though it's a continuing guided tour through a haunted house. He introduces each particular room, followed by supporting sound effects. And it all flows together smoothly.

"Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't. Look. Back." 

...Graveyard continues the same theme on the second half, with the narrator guiding you on a nightmarish tour through an old, abandoned graveyard and surrounding countryside. So many classic "spooky sounds" sound effects on this side, but it never strays into the silly side of things. It stays very dark and ominous throughout...

I favor the ...Graveyard side of this release by the slightest of margins, with its dark, atmospheric, creepiness that is only enhanced by the narrator's introductions.

But both sides of this release are truly phenomenal. This really is one of the best "spooky sounds" releases I have in my collection, and even though it's not a continuous track of sounds, it still flows incredibly well with excellent mixing and high quality production on both sides. I really recommend adding this to your collection, as well. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD A NIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOUSE / A NIGHT IN A GRAVEYARD HERE.

  

"Haunted Horror - Terror On Tape" Cassette

Welcome to the final Friday in October, and the last Freebie Friday of the year! It was well worth the wait, because I have definitely saved the best for last!

1980's Haunted Horror - Terror On Tape is an absolute classic from the golden age of the novelty Halloween "spooky sounds" releases. One of the first to be put out on cassette, this one really packs a punch at 30 minutes PER SIDE, offering a hefty hour of spookiness with only one flip of the tape.

And it is packed with all of the standard shrieks, screams, howls, clanks, clinks, moans, wails, cackles, meows, organs, and any and all other noises. 30 straight minutes of even terror, without any annoying callouts to ruin the flow.

Image courtesy of the Sweet Skulls blog/via Secret Fun Spot.

Since acquiring this gem, it has been at the top of the list for really great Halloween releases, and each time I hit play I'm instantly transported back to the trick-or-treat fun I had as a kid. Haunted Horror - Terror On Tape is a mandatory release for anyone in need of some Halloween nostalgia!

DOWNLOAD HAUNTED HORROR - TERROR ON TAPE HERE.

  

Steven Schramm & Jonas Kvarnstrom - "Music For Your Nightmare" CD

 

Another October week is in the books, so it's time to celebrate with another Freebie Friday!

This week's offering is another one picked up on a whim, based solely on the insanely cool cover art! 1989's Music For Your Nightmare by Steven Schramm and Jonas Kvarnstrom is a cool and unique release containing six different synth-based "horror soundtrack" tracks with just enough Halloween spooky sounds elements to keep it creepy and fun. (On a sidetone, this was put out by Total Records, the same label that also gifted the world with Halloween Sound Effects - Music And Effects Of A Terrifying Nature.) 

With track titles like "Torture Chamber," "Funeral Procession" and "Dungeon Of Doom," you'd think you would be in for some screams, clanks, howls, and moans. But this is definitely a high-quality, well-composed production, making it much more than just another cheap "spooky sounds" release. Each track feels like the soundtrack to a different horror film, with the standout being "Dungeon Of Doom." The last track reals nails the uneasy, creepy vibe.

They have definitely managed to balance the intensity of traditional horror film scores, the campy fun of Halloween spooky sounds, and just a bit of cheesy, over-the-top 80's synthesizer notes on this release. It was a pleasant surprise and makes for a great and somewhat unique addition to the October collection.

DOWNLOAD MUSIC FOR YOUR NIGHTMARE HERE.

  

"Graveyard Terror" CD

A clock strikes midnight as you enter the graveyard of terror. Do you dare face the horror that awaits? Complete with ghosts, werewolves, demonic laughter and of course, blood curdling screams. Enter at your own risk!

-X X X-

Happy Friday, fiends! We've made it through another week, so here's your reward... another Freebie Friday!

This week's offering is another one that I picked up on a whim, simply based on the cover art. I thought I was in for some silliness, but this one actually delivers the goods.

Graveyard Terror contains two tracks: "Graveyard Terror" and "Graveyard Horror." Both run about 15 minutes and contain some high quality, well-produced "spooky sounds" effects, albeit with a more modern feel. Which isn't a bad thing.

And while I really like the fun vocal cuts of "Graveyard Terror," my pick goes to the second track, "Graveyard Horror." It has a more classic feel and it really hits the nostalgia of the original "spooky sounds" releases that came out decades before.

As an added bonus, this CD comes with an activity booklet in pdf format. It has some word searches, mazes, connect-the-dots, and masks to color and cut out. Definitely aimed at the littler ones, but a fun add-on that you don't get with vinyl or cassette releases.

Another release that I was pleasantly surprised with, and I'm glad I took the chance on this one. High quality release that's a lot of Halloween fun.

Download Graveyard Terror here.

  

"Famous Monsters Speak" Record

It's the first Friday of October, and that can mean only one thing...

Freebie Fridays!

If you're new to the Cemetery, you've stumbled in at just the right time! Every Friday in October, I dig up one of the vintage novelty Halloween soundtrack cassettes or vinyl records from my ever-growing collection and share it with all of my "spooky sounds" junkies.

I've been doing this for quite a few years now, and I still absolutely love doing it. It's a great way to share the love during the Halloween season, and a great way to discover some really neat-and-or-hilarious old novelty soundtracks from Halloweens past.

So let's get down to business!!

I just added this classic gem to the collection, and I'm so, so glad I did! Famous Monsters Speak is a horror classic from 1963, originally available from the the back pages of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. It features two "modern" tellings of classic movie monster characters, Frankenstein's Monster and Count Dracula.

I was THOROUGHLY surprised at how good both stories really are, but the winner for me is "Frankenstein's Monster Talks!" It's a deep, tormenting look at the tortured life of Frankenstein's creation, as unexpectedly and very eloquently told by the monster himself. Complete madness, anger, and despair. Such palpable revenge!

"Which one of you is next?"

The flip side, "Dracula's Return!", contains an equally interesting telling of a reporter's fateful story on meeting Count Dracula himself! A fantastic, rich vampiric character, completely channeling Bela Lugosi. A classic, gothic tale of the vampire set in a modern metropolis.

"My friend, it is time. I have come for you."

Famous Monsters Speak isn't a standard "spooky sounds" record, but it is so much more!! Such great production all around with two really great horror stories, and this one should definitely be in your collection, too. It's a really great, fun release all around.

Download Famous Monsters Speak here.

  

"Chamber Of Horrors" Cassette

So this Freebie Friday offering is bit of a cheat because I had posted it before, but: a) I wanted to show off my new original copy that is still sealed, and b) out of all the novelty Halloween records, cassettes and CDs in my collection, this one is still the best!

I had written way back in 2014 about how I had found this old cassette in a tape player that had been in my garage. Before rediscovering it, it had sat for about 10 years after being used as the haunt soundtrack during the earliest days of Highbury Cemetery (before it even had a name!)

Luckily, I popped the old cassette into a deck and it still played perfectly! Instant warm fuzzies as those old sounds brought back all those great memories from my haunt's beginnings. In fact, this became one of the first Freebie Friday segments, and it kicked my vintage novelty Halloween record, cassette, and CD collecting into high gear.

And after all these years of collecting and sharing the gems and the stinkers from my ever-growing stash, I still haven't found a release that tops this one. High-quality "spooky sounds" that are actually creepy. An absolutely solid release and the centerpiece to my collection.

If you haven't heard this, do yourself a favor and hit play on the link above. If you like it, grab a copy at the link below. 

It's Halloween. Let the Chamber of Horrors' thoroughly-terrifying, spine-tingling sounds get you in the mood to do what you do!

DOWNLOAD CHAMBER OF HORRORS HERE.

 

"Halloween Horror Sound" CD

Welcome to another Freebie Friday, where I share the gems and the stinkers from my ever-growing collection of vintage novelty Halloween "spooky sounds" records, cassettes, and CDs!

This week's offering was another gift from long-time friend and co-conspirator of the Cemetery, Jim. Another spooky sounds CD rescued from the 99-cent bin at the local Drug Mart.

So right off the bat, I knew I was in for some true Halloween cheese just by looking at the cover. "Halloween Horror Music CD" on the blister card, "60 Min Horror Sound Effects" on the CD. Which one was the title?

As it turns out, neither of them were! In popping the CD into the computer, I discovered that it's actually called "Halloween Horror Sound." Yep. Sound. Not "Sounds." Just one.

And then I pressed play. Yep, I had heard this one before! How to make a quick buck during the Halloween season? Simply take an old copy of "Halloween Sounds of Horror," speed it up a touch, and then sprinkle some random "spooky" clips over it. And I DO mean random. See if you can pick out the James Brown "Wooooow!" sample that's repeated throughout.

But honestly, even with all the cheap production and graphics, and the duplicated track on this one, I can't hate it. It really encompasses everything great about these old novelty releases. A dirt-cheap release chock full of the cheesiness that makes Halloween so much fun.

It doesn't come close to any of the novelty Halloween classics like "Chamber of Horrors" or "Horror Sounds of the Night," but "Halloween Horror Sound" (just one) is still worth a listen, especially if you don't have "Halloween Sounds of Horror" yet.

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN HORROR SOUND" (JUST ONE) HERE.

 

Halloween Sound Effects - "Scary Sounds" CD

It's finally Friday!! Time to dive into another Freebie Friday, where I share the gems of my ever-growing collection of vintage novelty Halloween records, cassettes, and CDs!

This week's offering was a gift from long-time Cemetery friend Jim, who snagged this one straight from the Drug Mart 99-cent sale rack!

Devilish demons creep through the dead of night, slowly opening the door to a horror-filled evening filled with black cats and fluttering bats. Have you been transported to a dimension of scary sounds or are you just listening to a frightfully authentic CD packed with the ghoulish sounds of Halloween? Either way, it's great for scaring party guests or terrifying a porch full of tremulous Trick-or-Treaters!

For having paid only a buck, this one was quite a find! 30 minutes of high-quality "spooky sounds." Lots of screams and wails, werewolf howls and laboratory noises, which leads to classic organ and clock chimes that toll midnight. It then moves into more of a distorted, warbling string of effects including pieces that are played backwards for a convincing effect.

And then about half way through, it takes random effects and mixes them over what seems like "borrowed" old horror film tracks. The results are pretty cool. It makes this one a bit unique and it stands out from the usual "spooky sounds" releases.

Big thanks to Jim for grabbing this and then also donating it to the cause!! Scary Sounds was a pleasant surprise and worth 30 minutes of your time.

DOWNLOAD HALLOWEEN SOUND EFFECTS "SCARY SOUNDS" HERE.

 

Winchell's Donut House - "Hear The Monsters - Spooky Sounds & A Scary Tale"

Welcome to the first Freebie Friday of the new season, where I rummage through and share my ever-expanding collection of old novelty Halloween records, cassettes and CDs! 

This segment has become my absolute favorite. There's just something so fun and nostalgic about listening to the old gems (and the stinkers!) that populated store shelves each Halloween. And getting to share these old classics every Friday brings back so many great Halloween memories.

So let's dive in!!

Whooooo, oooooowheeeeeeeee! Ghosts and the wicked witch. A rattling skeleton. A scary swooping bat. And more! What a way to liven up a Halloween party.

So listen to the stories and shiver with fright. Then play the sounds of Halloween at the end of the record. And turn your party house into a haunted castle. Hahahahahahahaha!

I had seen this particular novelty record quite a few times and finally added it to my collection earlier this year. The Winchell's Donut House "Hear The Monsters" Halloween record from 1976 is a 45 flexi mounted directly to a cardboard backing, so sound quality and shelf life were traded in for cheaper mass production. But in this case, the pops and clicks only add to it's greatness.

The record itself is a 7-minute story about a talking jack-o-lantern (he could talk after eating a Winchell's donut) sprinkled with a few trick-or-treat safety tips, a silly Winchell's jingle, and a few random "scary sounds" at the end.

But about half way through the story, it takes a rather creepy turn when the jack-o-lantern convinces the children to take him trick-or-treating. He then makes scary sounds and tells them a story of a haunted house. And it gets pretty intense for a children's story!

"You take the seventh step..."

I was surprised at how much I liked this one. It really checks all the boxes of a great novelty Halloween record. It's silly, it's spooky, and it's fun.

"Winchell's donuts do magic things to your mouth."

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD WINCHELL'S DONUT HOUSE "HEAR THE MONSTERS" HERE.