The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So, i found some Halloween music from the teens 20’s and 30’s on YouTube, but can not seem to find any 78 rpm records for sale?

Ragtime Goblin Man would be the more common. What are some other titles you've come across?

I don't know...I have plenty of scary Hawaiian tunes on 78 RPM record

A good one is "Santa clause hides in you're phonograph", or maybe "the okeh crying record"

Martin

A couple of great ones that come to mind are "Tain't No Sin (to dance around in your bones)" and "Mysterious Mose" - there are multiple versions of both tunes - you might be lucky to find one between now and the spooky date!

Here's one on this side of the pond, but it's much too expensive: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINCENT-LOPEZ- ... SwrPZcwyuq

Here is one easily found in the UK. It is the other side of Henry Hall's definitive recording of "The Teddy Bear's Picnic".

Here is another horror from my collection. Written in 1934 it tells how the ghost of Ann Boleyn haunts the Tower of London, seeking revenge on her husband Henry VIII for having her beheaded.

I think that "Aint it grand to be blooming well dead " would be contender.

In the classical records "Danse Macabre" by Saint-Saens would be quite common and very atmospheric.

Argh! Danse Macabre is one of my favourite records. I own the two Stoky/Philadelphia versions, plus a Brunswick one by Cleveland Orch conducted by Solokov, abridged to fit one 12" side. In later times I acquired an acoustic version on Odeon by the Paris Opera orch, squeezed in one 11" side, matrix XP-5039, reported to have been recorded in 1910, as per marvelous matrix compilation made by Christian Zwarg, from GHT.
The first electric Victor recording by Stoky, mx CVE-27929/30, issued takes nos. 2, was recorded on April 29th, 1925, and is said to have used the very same arrangement and instrumentation of the first acoustic recording of March 19th, 1923, same mx in first takes, tuba and double bassoon included. Something about very first electrical recordings made the same way as acoustics, for engineers were yet not confident enough about the possible results...?
Certainly, it is a curious sound, because of the instrumentation, and the thick staccato passages by the bassoon are amazing! A real test for any soundbox! The third version made eleven years later used a standard symphonic instrumentation.

Halloween titles can even be found on cylinders :