Halloween Tapes - "The Watcher Presents Scary Sounds" and "Halloween Sound Effects" Cassettes

No, this isn't an unexpected Freebie Friday post, but are you a fan of all of those old "spooky sounds" releases filled with the glorious Halloween sounds of howling winds, cackling witches, bubbling cauldrons, rattling chains, and snarling werewolves? And did you know that there are still artists out there who are keeping the tradition alive today??

I was so excited when I recently found Halloween Tapes out of Michigan, and their two cassette releases, The Watcher Presents "Scary Sounds" and Halloween Sound Effects. Both cassettes really nail that old Halloween spooky sounds look, sound and feel!

The Watcher Presents "Scary Sounds"
Hear the murky and haunting atmosphere of the graveyard from inside your home...

Three great tracks of old school Halloween fun! From the cover art to the sounds contained within, this is something straight out of a 90's drug store Halloween aisle. But no silly sounds here. Creepy audio on all three tracks makes this a modern must-have.

Halloween Sound Effects
WARNING: This Cassette Is NOT For Minors And Is NOT To Be Listened To Alone In The Dark! LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Challenge accepted! You just know it's going to be great with that "warning" label! Another three tracks of spooky sound effects perfect for a Halloween night. A continuous collection of darker, creepy sounds that should most definitely be listened to alone in the dark! Another must-have companion piece to The Watcher Presents Scary Sounds Cassette.

Do yourself a favor and pick up both cassettes. They are a great addition to any "spooky sounds" collection from an artist who really knows Halloween nostalgia! Enjoy!

  

"Halloween Spook Sounds" Cassette

The great thing about Freebie Fridays is sharing something that I took a chance on, only to discover that it was something surprisingly amazing...

I'm not sure what it was about this cassette that caught my attention. A very bland orange label with a generic, uninspired font reading "Halloween Spook Sounds." No markings to differentiate the sides. The standard "Made In China" as the only other marking on the entire cassette. But somehow, this unassuming tape turned out to be a treasure...

Somehow I just new that behind that bland facade would be some classic Halloween audio gold. And I was not disappointed. There are no markings of identification, so I have no idea what year this was released. I'm guessing mid to late 80s or maybe even the 90s, based on the labels.

Regardless, the audio track is pretty amazing. Disturbing, demonic voices and truly creepy, echoing sound effects are overlaid on top of a constant, muted heart beat. The audio is repeated on both sides, so I only ripped the first (or maybe second, who knows...) side for your enjoyment.

For a cassette picked up on a whim, "Halloween Spook Sounds" turned out to be quite a haunting gem! Enjoy!!


Download "Halloween Spook Sounds" here. 


 

Witches Haunt "Haunted House" Cassette

Fridays in October mean only one thing... It's the return of Freebie Fridays, where I share digital rips from my collection of vintage Halloween vinyl records and cassettes!

First up is an old Halloween cassette from the 1990s. While I have no release info for the Witches Haunt "Haunted House" cassette, I was initially sold on its wonderful art! A poorly adhered label of a spooky skeletal reaper and the words, "Haunted House" immediately piqued my interest. Furthermore, how can you go wrong with the following paragraph:

The piercing scream echoed through the dark deserted halls of the old mansion. It broke the stillness of the cool October night...

Perfect! And after giving it a listen, I was very surprised and really impressed. Side A is a narrated story of a man's exploratory journey through an old, creepy mansion. A truly suspense-filled story!

Side B is more of a standard haunt soundtrack, but some of the sounds are quite demonic and really frightening. Definitely a step above the usual collection of "haunted house sounds."

This cassette is an absolute gem, as I feel that it is geared to an older, more mature audience. While this was one of many novelty cassette tapes that filled the shelves during the Halloween season, this one is far superior due to its quality and darkness. Definitely a great way to start off the Halloween season! Enjoy!!

Download the Witches Haunt "Haunted House" cassette tape here.

  

"Chamber of Horrors" Cassette

Christmas comes a bit early to Highbury Cemetery this year! Presenting a very special Freebie Friday from a newly rediscovered gem from the depths of the garage...

While I was cleaning and organizing my garage after another wet, yet successful Halloween, I stumbled upon an old, single speaker radio/cassette player. After blowing years' worth of sawdust and cobwebs off, I inspected the old radio, remembering how I used to use it in the early, early days of my home haunt. While reminiscing, my eye caught something on the front of the radio. More specifically, something in the tape deck. I did a double-take as I quickly realized what it was. It was a cassette!

But not just any cassette...

It was my old "Chamber of Horrors" Halloween cassette! Voices. Sound. Music! I couldn't believe that I had found it. And I couldn't believe that I had forgotten it. It must have been hidden away in my garage, enduring at least 7 years' worth of cold winters and hot summers. And it appeared to still be in good condition.

We used this cassette as our haunt soundtrack in the early days, some 10 years ago or more. And we used to play it through that old, dusty one-speaker cassette player. That thought alone made me chuckle. It really showed how far we have come.

After getting nostalgic, I brought the tape into the house and quickly connected an old cassette deck to my current stereo setup. And nothing. No sound. No movement. The deck was dead.

Two weeks later, I procured another cassette deck from my mother-in-law and quickly hooked it up to the stereo. Same thing. Totally dead. I was completely striking out. Two cassette decks and nothing. Perhaps the tape was cursed?

Amazingly, I did a search on Amazon and found an incredibly cheap (cost and construction!) Cassette-to-USB tape player and two days later, had it hooked up to the computer, ready to try its luck with the tape. I put it in the player and hit play...

The speakers sprung to life, playing the sweet sounds of the old cassette, filing my mind with the classic haunt sounds from this masterpiece. Hearing those old haunt sounds again brought a big smile to my face.

As I listened to the tape, I started researching it, as I knew nothing about the age or the origin of it. And that is where things get kind of interesting.

Do a Google or YouTube search for "Chamber of Horrors" and you will undoubtedly find many entries on the 1988 version of this cassette. And I quickly found out that this version (with a different sticker label on the cassette itself) is actually awful. Generic voices and quick audio clips from popular songs (Thriller) and standard scary sound tracks. How many times is that guy going to say, "Haaaappy Halloweeeen!"??

Take a listen for yourself to see what I mean:

So after some extensive searching, I found NOTHING on this particular version of the cassette. The audio on my version is completely different, with more scary ambient Halloween sound effects. The audio actually repeats on both sides, but far outshines the more common version. My version doesn't have the 1988 copyright date, but does have the same "Made in China for ©Tony (U.S.A.) Encinitas, CA. 92024" disclaimer at the bottom.

I did a quick search for Tony (U.S.A.), and found that they are in the "Doll, Toy and Game Industry" and employ a total of 7 people. Not much to go on. My guess is that they simply licensed things like these cassettes in bulk. I vaguely remember getting mine at some point at some local discount store. With the "NEW" burst on my cassette, I'd be willing to bet that this version was released a bit later. I used it in the late 90s early 2000s for my haunt.

Either way, I find this version a far superior version to the 1988 original. And that is why I ripped it and am sharing it with all of you. This tape holds a special place in my cold, dead heart and it puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. If anyone knows anything about this version, feel free to drop the info in the comments below. I'd love to find out more about this particular version of the Halloween classic. When I have a free minute, I'll also post the audio to YouTube to see if anyone there knows anything about it. But until then, enjoy this version...


DOWNLOAD "CHAMBER OF HORRORS" HERE.


Merry Christmas from Highbury Cemetery and...

..."Haaaappy Halloweeeen!"