Mixtape For The Recently Deceased

The wind howled outside, and we took the hint: time to build the ultimate Gen X Halloween playlist and see what memories come crawling out. We kick things off with the messy joy of spooky season—script swaps, bonus codes, and the kind of inside-baseball friendship banter that only happens this time of year—then settle into the songs that turn October into a world of its own. From Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer and the sued-but-still-iconic A Nightmare on My Street to Bauhaus’s cathedral-dark Bela Lugosi’s Dead and Ministry’s outsider anthem Everyday Is Halloween, we trace how certain tracks didn’t just soundtrack parties; they gave people a place to belong.

We cut across the aisle, too. Yes, MC Hammer’s Adam’s Groove is delightfully terrible and historically fun. Oingo Boingo’s Dead Man’s Party gets the deep-read it deserves as a danceable meditation on mortality, while Edgar Winter Group’s Frankenstein proves that instrumentals can be stitched into monsters and still top the charts. And then there’s Thriller. We talk Quincy Jones, Vincent Price’s iconic laugh, that record-shattering video directed by John Landis, and the way a single song can scare you at nine years old and still make you dance in your kitchen decades later. Along the way, we check in on Jamaica facing a brutal storm, nerd out about weather mechanics, debate the national anthem, and read a 1984 diary entry that turns April Fool’s pranks into time travel.

If you crave a Halloween special with personality—equal parts goth history, pop trivia, and candid life—this one’s for you. You’ll walk away with a curated playlist, a few wild facts to drop at parties, and maybe a reason to defend your favorite spoon. Hit play, build your own spooky queue, and tell us: which track is non-negotiable on your Halloween list? Subscribe, share with a friend who still knows the zombie choreography, and leave a review to help more Gen X ghosts find us.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_05 (00:00):
In the past, from Mystic to our case, we're having

(00:03):
a blast.
Seeing these dreams, clicking onscreens, it was all bad.
Like you know, like whatever,gather, forever.
Ever, never, never lappingcherry onever.

SPEAKER_02 (00:25):
Welcome to Like Whatever, a podcast for by and
about Gen X.
I'm Nicole, and this is my BFFFHeather.
It's her favorite time of theyear.
It's Halloween.
This is her Christmas.
Love it.

(00:45):
Yep.
We even um I was gonna make herdo the episode last week after
the collab for our anniversary.
But then she reminded me.
I have to have Halloween.

SPEAKER_01 (01:00):
God damn it.
Yeah, of course.
And then I changed my mind threedifferent times on what I was
gonna do.
I can't believe you wrote threescripts.

SPEAKER_02 (01:08):
That's how much you love this holiday, though.

SPEAKER_01 (01:10):
So much.

SPEAKER_02 (01:11):
Like, I can talk about this, and I can talk about
that.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13):
And I was like, no, because people might not want to
hear about that.
Just because I want to hearabout it.
Oh, stop.
So what I think I settled on isgood times.
Okay, you're gonna be.
She doesn't.
We we have made a decision thatshe never reads the script ahead
of time because she likes to besurprised.
And I am uh got a touch of thetism and need to know everything

(01:38):
today.
And then we do have our specialsegment of Nicole's diary.
We do, and I made a littlejingle for it.

SPEAKER_02 (01:48):
I'm so excited.
I feel so special.

SPEAKER_01 (01:51):
So keep I did that also this week.
I was very busy this weekend.

SPEAKER_02 (01:56):
Because you were trying not to get involved in
drama.
Yes.
But I was in Oh, was that it?
Play that game.
Oh yeah.
Man.

SPEAKER_01 (02:07):
It was a week ago today that I got involved in
that game, and I have not beenable to, and I have given about
half of the money back.

SPEAKER_02 (02:16):
So well, last night I, thanks to somebody talking me
into going into Bet Rivers, umstayed up far too late because I
was on a heater with rich littlepiggies.
And I didn't win money like youdid, but it just kept giving a
bonus and a little bit more anda little bit more.

(02:39):
And before I knew it, I was justclimbing and I'm literally like
my head's nodding, and I'm justpushing the button, like I'm
just gotta go to bed, I'm sotired, but it might give me more
money.

SPEAKER_01 (02:49):
That's just it all week, like it.
I mean, it was paying me leftand right.
It's a Halloween one too.
So I know it ends today,probably.

SPEAKER_02 (02:59):
Oh, this was the Halloween version version of the
Rich Little Piggies, too.

SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
Yeah.
So I I know it's gonna end.
So I was like, well, if I justcan make it through.
I mean, it's technically Ilooked, I did look at my overall
for the year, and I am upsignificant for the year.

SPEAKER_02 (03:23):
Yeah.
I don't think I'm up gonna turnby.
I'm not I don't think I don'tknow.
I haven't looked I honestlyhaven't looked at it lately, but
it's never anything where I'mlike, oh my god, what am I
doing?

SPEAKER_01 (03:34):
Yeah.
Well, it when I looked at it, Iwas like, I should really just
delete this app until after umHalloween so that I don't play
that stupid game.
But I know I'm gonna continue toplay it.
How are you gonna r redeem yourbonus codes if you uh delete the
app?
I know, because yesterday youonly have on Monday to do the
Eagles one.

(03:55):
Yes, yes.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (03:57):
Which I won, I think, 76.

SPEAKER_01 (04:00):
I know.
I think I think I I won nothing.
I hate that.
I hate that game.

SPEAKER_02 (04:05):
I won nothing on the um free torn.
No.
Free spins today.

SPEAKER_01 (04:11):
I did win two dollars on that.
Oh, nice.
And the the scratch card, I wontwo dollars.
So I'm I was up four dollars.
It's gone now, but I won ten onthe scratch spins right here in
front of her, and she called methat at the same time.
On the code I sent on.

SPEAKER_02 (04:25):
It's even more ignorant.
You know what else is ignorant?
I was watching TV last night,and there was a commercial for
Heinz pickle-flavored ketchup.
No, that's an abomination.
That sounds horrible, and I lovepickles and I love ketchup.
But why on earth would you wantthem together?

(04:46):
Like, I don't even get that one.
I don't know.
Like my daughter used to mixranch and ketchup and call it
Crunch.
Like she was a small child whenshe did it.
So a little kid thing makessense, but I mean, guess for
burgers.

SPEAKER_01 (05:02):
I guess I I don't know.
That's an abomination.
Yeah, I'm on some kind of weirdTikTok side, I guess it's the
autism community, and they dothis thing where they present
their spoons for your approval,and I'm not gonna lie, I have a
special spoon that I only usethis one spoon.
And so they do it, they havelike they have it wrapped in

(05:24):
like a towel, and then theypresent it.
Oh yeah, and then everybody iseither like some of them, one of
them, I had a uh I a visceralreaction to it.
I was like, oh fuck no.
No.
No.
And 90% of the spoons in mydrawer right now are

(05:46):
unacceptable because they'vebeen stolen from various
restaurants.
And most of them are soupspoons.
I know.
Soup spoons are a waste.
Yes.
So then I got the the thesilverware that has skulls on
it.
And the problem is, is it hadtwo different sets of spoons.

(06:08):
Obvious, because some areteaspoons.
But the one spoons are way toobig, and then the other spoons
are really little.
But I I don't mind the littleones.
But my spoon is in the middle.
And I have I have two differentspoons actually.
If you all care.
I'll present my spoons toanyone.
I have a big spoon that I stirall my coffee with.

SPEAKER_02 (06:30):
That's what I use the big spoons for, like when
I'm yes.
Because it reaches the bottom.
Yeah, and I only have four ofeach silverware, so I save my
teaspoons for eating.
And then I use the tablespoonsfor things like putting sugar in
my coffee and stirring mycoffee.
Yeah.
It's still too big for that.

SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
But I'm a I use a spoon for like everything.

SPEAKER_00 (06:52):
Like I am a I am not a big fan of forks.
So see, I'm a big fork person.
I'll eat if you give me icecream and cake, I want a fork.

SPEAKER_02 (06:59):
I don't want a spoon.

SPEAKER_01 (07:00):
I need a spoon because I need the cake to suck
up the ice cream.

SPEAKER_02 (07:04):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (07:04):
So I need a cradle.

SPEAKER_02 (07:06):
I get why people want a spoon in that.
And I if I'm ever serving it, Ialways ask, would you prefer a
spoon or a fork?
But I prefer a fork.
I get it.
I like smaller silverware, butI'm a slow eater and I take
smaller bites.
It's I like smaller silverware.

SPEAKER_01 (07:20):
Yeah.
I can see a fork.
I see a fork.
I get it.
I see where you're going withthat.
Because it's a mixed media offood.
It is.
It is.
Yeah.

unknown (07:31):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (07:33):
We know you all were so really curious to hear about
that.
I know you all got a soul.
Hope you haven't turned this offoff.
Or you got a bowl.

SPEAKER_01 (07:40):
Or you have something that you use that is
specific for you.
I know you do.
Favorite coffee mug, glass.
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
Yeah.
You do.
Don't lie.
Don't pretend like you don't.
Um.
Oh, we also wanted to just um soby this time, by the time you're

(08:01):
hearing this, we'll all know.
But currently Jamaica is beinghit.
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (08:06):
And um, and we just hope it's as not bad as
possible.
Yeah.
Because it's going to be bad.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
It's pretty, pretty upsetting.

SPEAKER_02 (08:16):
It is.
It's terrifying.
Um, I know you work with someonefrom there, and then I live
further upstate, so I get thePhilly news.
Um, so there's a lot of peopleliving in Philadelphia who are
Jamaican, you know.

SPEAKER_01 (08:31):
Apparently, mom and dad's neighbors are Jamaican.
Ugh.
Yeah.
And they're dad was talking.

SPEAKER_02 (08:35):
They've been interviewing people.
They had this one lady, she wasa school teacher, and she just
cried through the whole thingbecause her family's down there.
And yeah.
Yeah.
It's uh they're worried aboutshe said they're worried about
the elderly and small children.
Yeah.
That's the the big concern.

(08:57):
So yeah, we just we hope y'allare okay down there and and you
know.

SPEAKER_01 (09:05):
So currently, as we are speaking, it was recorded as
the strongest in the Atlanticbasin of all time.
So um there's that.
It's so late in the season forthem too, which I was telling my
mom and dad about, but then itkind of makes sense because we
didn't have a whole lot ofhurricanes this year.

SPEAKER_02 (09:24):
Yeah, it's right at the tail end.

SPEAKER_01 (09:26):
But we didn't have a whole lot of hurricanes this
this year to stir the ocean upso that cold water didn't come
to the surface from it beingchurned.
Okay.
So I think that's what hascaused it to become this
monster.

SPEAKER_02 (09:40):
Yeah.
I have definitely heard it's thewater that's doing this.

SPEAKER_01 (09:45):
But yeah.
I think with every we get thosehurricanes, and a lot of times
there's fours and fives downthere that never go anywhere, or
they just hang out and then youknow, whatever.
Um, but they do change they theyare bringing up that cold water
from the underneath, the depthsof hell or whatever is under the
ocean.

(10:06):
Aliens.

SPEAKER_02 (10:08):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (10:08):
Our hearts are with Jamaica, right now.

SPEAKER_02 (10:10):
Yes, absolutely.
Uh let's see what else.
I don't have anything else.
Good football weekend.
What was it?
Eagles won.
Yeah.
Dallas lost.
The Commanders lost.
Mm-hmm.
Giant lost.

SPEAKER_01 (10:26):
Everybody lost.
Yeah.
Whole world lost.
Except us.
Taylor's boyfriend had hishundredth touchdown.

SPEAKER_02 (10:33):
He did.
And then he did the Fate ofOphelia dance.
Oh, did it?
I didn't know that.
But I don't know what that dancewas.
Just a small little snippet ofit.
I'll have to watch it.

SPEAKER_01 (10:44):
And she was at the game.
I did see that.
And then I figured out when Isaw um his hundredth touchdown,
I was like, ah, that's why she'sthere.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (10:55):
I think she's trying to take the focus off her.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (10:59):
Plus, she's probably like, I mean, she's on a break.
Yeah, and she's a busy womananyway.

SPEAKER_02 (11:05):
Like, even being on a break.

SPEAKER_01 (11:06):
Yeah, she's not touring.
She she is promoting this album,so she probably just wants to
take a minute.

SPEAKER_02 (11:10):
So I always try to imagine what their lives are
like because I love them somuch.
So this one I've decided.
She's like, I'll watch it athome with our friends.
And then when you get home,we'll rewatch it together.
Because you know he watches thegame after the game.
So and then they that's how theythat's my theory.

SPEAKER_01 (11:30):
Maybe.
Or she's just like, I and he'slike, I I don't care.

SPEAKER_02 (11:35):
Were you watching the uh Giants game when the
running back went down?
I did not see that.
I didn't see it either.
Like I was I was looking at myphone, I had the game on, and
then I heard something, and Ilooked up, and they were just
showing the quarterback Dartjust walking around saying the
F-word over and over and overagain.

(11:58):
And Joe Buck was like, Yeah,we're not gonna re-show you
that.
Oh, I didn't I didn't yeah, Ididn't see it.
Yeah, so first I hearddislocated ankle, then I heard
disc dislocated lower leg.
And he's out for the season, sowhich is a shame because he's a
rookie and he was I mean, it's ashame for him, not for the

(12:18):
Giants.
There are no friends infootball.
But the national anthem lastnight was very good.
I don't know if you heard that.
Yeah.
I have I have very strongfeelings on the national anthem.
Same.
Probably very different reasons.
Okay, well, let's see.

(12:39):
I'll tell you mine first.
So, in my opinion, when you dothe national anthem, you should
sing it straightforward.

SPEAKER_01 (12:46):
Agreed.

SPEAKER_02 (12:46):
You can put your own whatever, whatever instrument.
Yeah, some places you canfluctuate a little bit
differently, but the peoplelistening to it should be able
to sing along with you.
Right.
There shouldn't be theseextended notes hanging out or
you know, making up some kind ofbullshit.
And last night the guy just didit perfect.

(13:09):
He had a beautiful voice, and hesang it just straight, just the
way you're supposed to.
And that's my feeling on doing apublic national anthem.
So, what's yours?

SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
I think we should change it.
Oh, I hate it.

SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
Oh, well, you know what's funny?
Whenever, because now we playfootball games overseas and and
things like that, and I watch umFormula One Racing sometimes,
and every other country is sucha beautiful anthem, even though
I can't understand the words.
It's so beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 (13:40):
I mean, oh Canada, come on.
God save the king.
Yeah, now it's king, it's notqueen anymore.
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (13:47):
I bet that took a lot of getting used to for
people.

SPEAKER_01 (13:51):
I mean, it would be like changing the national
anthem to like the rocket's redbomb or something.

SPEAKER_00 (14:00):
Really hard.

SPEAKER_01 (14:02):
But good on them.
Yeah, good on you, Brits.
Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 (14:06):
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SPEAKER_02 (14:40):
Okay.
I don't have any show updatesfor you.
No NPR updates for you.
I'm sure on the ride home I'llthink of things that Well,
write 'em.

SPEAKER_01 (14:49):
I I I did write things down this time that I
wanted to like when I was doingthe 14 scripts that I did.
And I would come up with titleideas.
I was like, I'm gonna writethese down.
And then I did.
And then on my way to work thismorning, I was like, what was
that title idea I had?
I really hope I wrote that down.
I did.

SPEAKER_02 (15:09):
Oh, there was one thing I want to tell you.
I listened to last week'sepisode on the way down here,
didn't I?
Yes.
How was it?
I figure every once in a while Ishould pop in and listen and see
if there's something I need tofix, but we're just pretty damn
funny and and I think I thinkwe're good.
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (15:26):
I think we're perfect.
Check-in complete.
Yeah, no need to do that.
I only have listen when I edit.

SPEAKER_02 (15:30):
You do a great job editing, by the way.
Thank you.
The commercials sound great.
Thanks.
Yes, very, very good.
Thank you.
Thank you.
No, thank you.
Oh no, no, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (15:41):
Do your little spiel.
Oh, um, you don't have she don'thave her laptop, that's why.

SPEAKER_02 (15:46):
Yeah, I don't.
Um, all right, so find us on allthe socials at like whatever
pod, please.
Um listen to us wherever youfind podcasts.
Please.
Like, share, rate, review.
Please.

SPEAKER_01 (16:01):
That's one more.

SPEAKER_02 (16:02):
And send us an email at likewhateverpod at gmail.com.
Boom.
53 episodes.

SPEAKER_01 (16:10):
She needs a laptop.
54 episodes, and she got it.
Yes.
So happy Halloween.
Yes.
So all you gor ghouls.
Oh no, oh no, no, no.

unknown (16:22):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 (16:23):
The script just went crazy.
Don't go crazy.
Is it haunted?
Let's fuck around and find outabout spooky songs.

SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
Oh my god, that's so fun.
I know.

SPEAKER_01 (16:38):
Yay! So we're gonna come hot out the gate.
Okay.
With Psychokiller.
Ah, Keskase.
Keskase.
Uh-uh-mm-mm.
This was the first Talking Headsong.
It was written in 73 at theRhode Island School of Design,
where David Byrne and drummerChris France had a band called

(16:59):
The Artistics.

SPEAKER_03 (17:00):
Can't read it.

SPEAKER_01 (17:01):
When Byrne presented the song, he explained that he
wanted a Japanese section in thebridge, but when he asked a girl
who spoke the language to comeup with some murderous words,
she understandably freaked out.
France's girlfriend spokeFrench, so they had her write a
French part for the bridgeinstead.
She drew inspiration from theNorman Bates character in the

(17:23):
60s Alfred Hitchcock thrillerPsycho.
He incorporated a French lineinto the chorus, Casque,
meaning, what is this?
And followed it with astuttering warning.
You better run, run, run by faraway.
The end result is one of themost famous songs about a

(17:44):
psychopathic murderer influencedby two touchstones of the genre,
Alice Cooper and the moviePsycho.
The French section roughlytranslates what I did that
night, what she said that night.
Realizing my hopes, I launchedmyself toward a glorious
destiny.
It reveals that the psychokiller is targeting a woman just

(18:06):
as Norman Bates did in Psycho.
David Byrne and Chris France, Ihope that's how you say it,
Franz.
Played this a few times in 1974with their band, The Artistics,
later that year.
Um France and his girlfriendgraduated from R S I S D with a
degree in painting.

(18:28):
I imagine you can go far withit.
They moved in together withByrne in a slummy apartment in
New York City.
Because they got degrees in art.

SPEAKER_03 (18:38):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (18:39):
The girlfriend, whose name is Tina, became their
bass player and they calledtheir new group The Talking
Heads.
Starting in May 75, they gotsome gigs at the club CBGB's
opening for the Ramones, PsychoKiller, and a few other
originals, including WarningSign and Love Goes to Building
on Fire, were in their set list,rounded out with covers like 96

(19:02):
Tears.
They got the attention ofvarious record labels and
eventually signed to SireRecords.
After adding guitarist JerryHarris into the group, they
released their debut album,Talking Heads, in 1977 and
released Psycho Killer as theirfirst single.
And it reached 92 in March of78.

(19:23):
Psychokiller was a turning pointfor David Byrne because it made
him realize that there was anaudience for his eccentric
songs.
He considered a silly song atthe time.
There was no question itconnected with audiences.
Cellos make everything soundmore nefarious, so the group
recorded an acoustic versionwith Arthur Russell playing the
cello.
It was used as the flip side ofthe single and appears on some

(19:45):
compilations.
There really was a Psycho Killeron the loose in the summer of
77, months before the song wasreleased.
There were a lot of PsychoKillers on the loose.
That was actually one of myscripts.
Then I decided y'all might notwant to hear about that.
I do.
I know you do.

(20:06):
David Burkowitz, also known asthe Son of Sam.
He terrified New Yorkers beforehe was caught on August 10th
after killing six people.
He also blamed the dog.
Many suspected the song wasabout him, but was written much
earlier.
In 84, Talking Heads film StopMaking Sense, directed by
Jonathan Demi, opens with DavidByrne entering the stage with
Boombox and performing PsychoKiller, an acoustic guitar

(20:28):
accompanied by the pre-recordedrhythm track from the tape.
Also appears on their 82 livealbum.
The name of the band is TalkingHeads.
At one point, producer theproducer got a carving knife
from the kitchen in the studioand asked Burns to hold it while
he sang so he could get incharacter.
He refused.

(21:03):
David Byrne has no problem withit.
I would have an issue ifsomebody took, say, This must be
the place, which is a verypersonal love song, he told
Rolling Stone.
Other than that, yeah,repurposes stuff.
Chris Ferrants considers thisthe definitive talking head song
because it's all mixed up.
He told Song Facts.

(21:24):
Oh, that's where I got most ofmy information, songfax.com.
Uh it's a little bit crazy andit's a little bit funky.
It's kind of like Alice Coopermeets Sam and Dave.
It hits the mark.
In September of 2025, DavidByrne delighted his Pittsburgh
audience with the first liveperformance of Psychokiller in
nearly two decades.
The long-awaited revival of asong last played in 2006 saw

(21:46):
Byrne trading his iconicoversized suit for blue overalls
as he performed in his acousticversion, flanked by a dance
troupe.
And one of the ladies I workwith saw him two weeks ago in
Philadelphia.
I know.

SPEAKER_02 (22:01):
I would love to see him live.
I would also.
I've watched some of his stuffon TV, his concerts and stuff.
Yeah, he's always been one of myfavorites.
Yeah.
He's so quirky and unique.

SPEAKER_01 (22:15):
Yeah, I love him.
I used to sing, um, baby, baby,please let me hold you.
I want to make him stay up allnight to my sister.
She had her children.
Sister, sister.
It's just a plaything.
She would be like, shut up.
She does not fall.

(22:36):
She does not care for myshenanigans.
Yeah, well.
She doesn't listen.
So we could talk bad about her.
Yeah, exactly.
Number two.
Mm-hmm.
I'm so excited about this one.
I totally forgot about thissong.
A nightmare on Elm Street by DJJazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

SPEAKER_02 (22:55):
Oh shit.
For real.
And we've even talked aboutNightmare Before Elm Street
recently.

SPEAKER_01 (23:04):
It's the third single from DJ Jazzy Jeff and
the Fresh Prince, second studioalbum.
He's the DJ on the rapper.
The song became a crossover hitin the U.S., reaching 15 on the
Hot 100.
The song was released as asingle in early 1988 on vinyl
and cassette.
The song humorously describes anencounter with the horror film
villain Freddy Krueger and wasconsidered for inclusion in the

(23:27):
movie A Nightmare on Elm Streetfor the Dream Master, but the
producers of the film decidedagainst its inclusion.

SPEAKER_02 (23:33):
We really liked our uh movie theme song theme.
Songs about movies back in day.

SPEAKER_01 (23:41):
Because obviously, on your quintessential Halloween
playlist, you should haveGhostbusters on there.
But I already did that.

SPEAKER_02 (23:48):
So Yeah.
So go ahead.
So we're not putting it on thisone.
No, the week before.
The week before.

SPEAKER_01 (23:55):
Yes.
So I had to move make a newplaylist.
This is it.
New Line Cinema copyrightholders of the Nightmare on Elm
Street Film franchise sued DJ'sat Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh
Prince's record label forcopyright infringement, forcing
the label to destroy a musicvideo produced for the song,
though a copy of the video didsurvive in and is available

(24:18):
online.
Both sides eventually settledout of court, but as a result,
vinyl pressings of the albumHe's DJ on the rapper contain a
disclaimer sticker that saysthis song is not part of the
soundtrack and is notauthorized, licensed, or
affiliated with the Nightmare onElm Street films.
The song samples CharlesBernstein's musical motif from A

(24:38):
Nightmare on Elm Street.
And describes closely resemblingthe film character, but without
using his full name.
Smith begins to recall hisencounter with him.
The story starts off on aSaturday evening with uh Smith,

(25:03):
Jazzy Jeff, and Reddy Roxy go ona triple date with three girls.
They catch a movie.
After Will Smith gets home, helies down for the night and
supposedly wakes up sometimeafter 12:30 from the unusually
hot temperatures from theheater, which has melted his
alarm clock.
Whoa.
He goes downstairs for somethingto drink, and as he gets

(25:26):
downstairs, he notices the TVstill on, which he finds
strange, and is home alone.
He turns the TV off, he hears avoice behind him, and then he
runs out of the house becausethat's what Will Smith does.

SPEAKER_02 (25:39):
He didn't smack him in the face first.

SPEAKER_01 (25:43):
He was so young then he didn't know.

SPEAKER_02 (25:44):
Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 (25:45):
And I don't know.
He wasn't married yet.
Yep.
Fred doesn't say anything aboutTheta.
He gets himself half a blockbefore he stops, he comes to the
realization that what he'sexperienced is nothing more than
a dream.
So he turns home where Fredgrabs him and offers a homicidal
team up in which he can possessWill's body, a reference to the

(26:07):
plot of a nightmare on ElmStreet 2, Freddy's Revenge, but
Will turns down the offer andFreddy slashes Smith's chest.
Smith, fearful for his life,runs up to his room and hides in
his bed under the sheets.
Freddy hops on the bed, startsslashing away, da-da, chats
fight back, but everything stopsbecause Will Smith's alarm clock

(26:29):
goes off.
I thought it melted.
That was the dream.
Oh no, he looks to see that noone is there and scoffs at what
happened, assuming it was alljust a dream.
But when he sees the rip on hissheet, he realizes that it has
happened and quickly calls Jeffto warn him.

(26:50):
Um as the song ends, Smith warnsJeff to stay awake, and Jeff
suddenly starts screaming withFreddie, laughing in the phone's
background, telling Smith, I'myour DJ now, Princey.
The original track, as includedon the original LP and cassette
pressings of the album, he's theDJ, I'm the rapper, ran for six

(27:13):
minutes and nine seconds.
That long song was that long?
Yes.
Oh Lord.
However, the entire album couldnot fit onto Compact Disc of the
time, so for the CD release,many tracks were shortened.
The single version, A Nightmareon My Street, was used in place
of the original.
The version is not simply anedit of the original album cut.
It also included differentlyrics in certain sections.

(27:34):
The version included on DJ JazzyJeff and the Fresh Prince 1998
Greatest Hits album is not theoriginal single version,
although it is labeled singleedit and runs the same length.
It's simply an edited version ofthe original recording and does
not include the different lyricsrecorded for the single.
Yes.
I feel like that sums up WillSmith and DJ Jessie.

SPEAKER_02 (27:58):
Yeah, yeah, it does.
It's a fresh print.

SPEAKER_01 (28:01):
Yeah.

unknown (28:03):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (28:05):
Now okay.
I'm purely indulging on thisone.
Actually, the next couple ispure because it's my podcast
half, and I can just tell youwhatever.
Exactly.
Bell Lagosi's Dead.
By Bauhaus.

(28:26):
Is a seminal gothic rock song byBauhaus.
Released in 1979, often regardedas the first gothic rock record
and a significant influence onthe genre.
Song was performed by theEnglish post-punk band Bow House
and released as their debutsingle in August of 79.
It was recorded in a single takeduring a six-hour session,

(28:48):
showcasing the band's raw andexperimental sound.
Song is often credited withlaying the groundwork for the
gothic rock genre, influencingnumerous bands and shaping the
aesthetic of goth culture.
These are my people.

(29:12):
And when Chris was here, waymore.
I do.
In the 1931 film.

(29:33):
D lyrics invoke imageryassociated with horror and
decay, reflecting on mortalityand the legacy of iconic
figures.
The enclerics, the lyrics,include vivid descriptions such
as white on white, translucentback black capes.
And I the whole time I was like,don't sing it.
Don't sing it.

(29:53):
Do it.
Don't.
And the bats have left the belltower.
Crazy.
I didn't.
It creating a hauntingatmosphere that captures the
essence of gothic horror.
The repetition of Undead, whichis what I quote all the time,
emphasizes the lingeringinfluence of Legosi's character

(30:14):
and the themes of Death and TK.

unknown (30:16):
Undead.

SPEAKER_01 (30:17):
Very cool.
Bell Legosi's Dead is considereda cornerstone of Gothic rock,
inspiring countless artists andbands in the genre.
It has been covered by variousmusicians and featured in
numerous films and televisionshows, particularly those within
the horror genre.
Makes sense.
Really?

SPEAKER_02 (30:35):
Like in a show or a movie?

SPEAKER_01 (30:37):
Wow.
Might have even been acommercial.

SPEAKER_02 (30:40):
I really like, and I at first I was irritated because
it's very windy outside, and I'mafraid it's going to interfere
with our sound.
But how perfect is this for ourHalloween?
We have natural sound effects.
It's probably a ghost.
It's no, it's super windyoutside.
It is very windy.

(31:01):
It's not Jamaica windy, but itis no, no, no, no.
Nothing like that.
But a nor'easter here.
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (31:06):
Which, for you not familiar with that particular
it's like a hurricane only.
It's like a baby hurricane.
I don't know.
Sometimes they're worse thanthan a hurricane.

SPEAKER_02 (31:18):
Yeah, I just feel like they're quick to call
things nor'easters, and it's notnecessarily well typically it's
like from us up.

SPEAKER_01 (31:24):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (31:24):
And like typically they really gnaw at the
northeast.

SPEAKER_01 (31:28):
What are their requirements to be in the I it I
mean it has this it looks like ahurricane.
It's just in the not the sametime of year.
And it the winds come from thenortheast, I think.
Oh.
And then it m goes up tonortheast.
Like, cause usually like NewEngland gets Yeah.
Gets hit pretty bad.
That's what the perfect That'swhat the Perfect Storm was was a

(31:49):
nor'easter combined with two orthree up there.

SPEAKER_02 (31:52):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
I knew your weather nerdy.
I know.
I know.

SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
I have been on full weather nerd patrol the last
time.

SPEAKER_02 (32:01):
I'm just killing her right now that I have to focus
on this podcast and not watchthe weather channel.

SPEAKER_01 (32:06):
I'm just such a I just You always have been.
I know.
Always.
I used to have I used to I wastelling my work bestie this
today.
When we had the restaurant, Iused to have a map up and I
would I had push pins and theyhad they all were different
colors and they all haddifferent meanings.
White was a cat was a tropicalstorm.
No, green was a tropical storm,white was a cat one, yellow was

(32:29):
a cat two.
I don't remember what cat three.
Maybe white was cat two andthree.
Anyway, black was a cat five.
Oh this one would have beenblack.

SPEAKER_03 (32:39):
Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 (32:40):
Um and then I would put I would put the coordinates
and I would move it.
And everybody made fun untileverybody wants until we had one
coming up the coast, and they'relike, Oh, how how far away is?
I'm like, don't look at myfucking map.
Just make fun of me.
You don't get to look at themap.
And I remember I was plottingKatrina, and everybody wanted to

(33:01):
look at it.
I'm like, don't fucking look atmy map.
If you don't love me at myworst, you can't love me at my
best.
If you don't like me beingnerdy, don't look at my stuff.

unknown (33:10):
God.

SPEAKER_01 (33:11):
But I love it.
I love plotting them.

SPEAKER_02 (33:13):
I just I love what I love what and this one has been
down there for every weeks.
Has it really been like a coupleweeks?

SPEAKER_01 (33:19):
It's been it was moving, it is moving much faster
now, but it was only movingthree miles an hour.

SPEAKER_02 (33:24):
Yeah, but I feel like we've been talking about
this one for a week, week and ahalf.

SPEAKER_01 (33:29):
It's been battering Jamaica for a few days, too.
Yeah.
Um the song has been recognizedin various lists, including
being ranked among the greatestdebut singles of all time.
Yeah.
Its impact on Indian musichistory is significant, marking
a pivotal moment in theevolution of post-punk and
gothic music.

(33:49):
Belagosi's Dead is not just asong, but a cultural artifact
that encapsulates the spirit ofgoth rock and the enduring
legacy of its namesake, BelLagosi.
Its haunting lyrics andinnovative sound continue to
resonate with the music worldtoday.
So now we're gonna throwNicole's part in here about her

(34:10):
little diary, but first you getto hear my jingle.

SPEAKER_02 (34:30):
So um, if you didn't hear last week, I found a diary
of mine from 1984.
I would have been 11 years old,and um we talked about my March
31st slumber party for mybirthday that um was delayed by
chicken pox.
Chicken pox.
So this week's uh entry is thenext day, April 1st.

(34:50):
Oh my god.
Follow Fool's Day recap on theuh slumber party.
Oh good.
All right.
April 1st, it was a Sunday in1984.

SPEAKER_01 (35:00):
Good to know.

SPEAKER_02 (35:02):
We did April Fool's jokes on each other at my
slumber party.
Uh we then had breakfast andplayed outside, and everyone
went home.
Um Sammy and I played life threetimes.

unknown (35:17):
Wow.

SPEAKER_02 (35:18):
And I put a long arrow up pointing to life, and
then I wrote life at the otherend of the arrow and parentheses
game.
Oh, because you might forget inthe future there might nobody
might not know what life is.

SPEAKER_01 (35:30):
Life is.
It's a game, guys.

SPEAKER_02 (35:33):
It's a game that takes like two, three hours to
play.
How the hell did we play itthree times?
Granted, it was just two of us,so that would have made it go a
little bit faster.
But goddamn, I used to love thatgame.
I I still like that game.
I love getting a kid and gettingto put out the peg in the car
and finding out what my job wasgonna be.
Oh my god.
It's way better than real.

SPEAKER_01 (35:58):
I think I might actually have the game.
Like the OG one?
Yeah, I think I bet it's here.

SPEAKER_02 (36:04):
I bet I bet it is in this room.
Well, your mom doesn't throwanything out.
No, she does not.
It probably is, but yeah, sothat was uh that was a little
recap in case you all were umhanging on the edge of your
seats to know what we did themorning after the late slumber
party.
So yeah, that's exciting.

(36:25):
April for fools jokes.

SPEAKER_01 (36:26):
Yeah, but she didn't go into any detail as to what
any of them were.

SPEAKER_02 (36:29):
I know, I know.
That's disappointing.
That was a little bit of aletdown.
And as I told you uh via text,I'm sure there are going to be
things in here that we're goingto have no context for.
So yeah, so um my plan is that Iwill read it and then we can
randomly try to make up 80sstuff that we think it may have

(36:50):
been a reference to.

SPEAKER_01 (36:54):
What kind of April Fool's jokes would tiny Nicole
play?
Your shoes untied.
Oh yeah.
Is that a stain on your shirt?
Mm-hmm.
And poppy and the poppy in thenose.

SPEAKER_00 (37:08):
Um is your refrigerator running?

SPEAKER_02 (37:12):
No, those were prank phone calls.
Oh, yeah.
Which I also used to do as ayoungster.
Because I didn't like talking onthe phone.
I mean, we thought it was thefunniest fucking thing.
We're weird children.

SPEAKER_01 (37:22):
We were weird children.

SPEAKER_02 (37:24):
We were very, very weird.
And can you just imagine theadults on the other end that
were just like, are you fuckingkidding me right now?

SPEAKER_01 (37:31):
It's 10 o'clock at night.
Like, I can't even imaginebecause nobody calls after I
know in our house there was astrict rule.
Nine o'clock.
Nine o'clock.
Yep.
Nobody called after nine.

SPEAKER_02 (37:41):
I still stick by nine, even with uh text
messages.
If I like think of something Ineed to text a coworker or, you
know, not a close friend or likemy kids, I'll be like, oh shit,
it's after nine.
I can't text them now.
I'll have to call text them inthe morning.

SPEAKER_01 (37:57):
I can't text anybody.
I can't talk to anybody afternine.
No.
I'm like, oh shit, it's againstthe rules.
Matter of fact, last was it lastnight?
No.
It was the night before, in themiddle of my fun drama.
It was getting late, and Iwanted to text you, and I was
like, no, it's 10 30.
Even though you can just read ittomorrow, it's fine.

SPEAKER_02 (38:16):
Yeah, and with you, I know that you'd like to be in
bed at 9 30.
So if it's 9 30, I'm like, Ican't hear it.

SPEAKER_01 (38:22):
If you text me, I can't hear it.

SPEAKER_02 (38:24):
Oh, that's good to know.
Yeah, I can't hear it.

SPEAKER_01 (38:25):
Because sometimes I'm like, man, I'm gonna forget.
You can totally do it.
Okay.
Or you know, you can set, Idon't know about you fame fancy
Apple people, but at Samsung,you can schedule a text.

SPEAKER_02 (38:36):
That sounds way too complicated.
That's not.
I would get bored with it beforeI got that far.

SPEAKER_00 (38:41):
Be like, just forget it.
I'll just never tell her.
You can just send it.

SPEAKER_01 (38:44):
I can't hear it.

SPEAKER_00 (38:46):
Okay, I can't even hear the fire alarm.
That's good, that's good toknow.

SPEAKER_01 (38:49):
Um if anybody else wants to text me, I can't hear
it.
Yeah.
You can call, I can't hear it.
Fire alarm goes off sometimes.
Can't hear it.

SPEAKER_02 (38:56):
I was like that when I was a kid.
I guess I still kind of am now.
I don't remember sounds reallywaking me up.

SPEAKER_01 (39:03):
So I had, I know nobody cares about this, but I'm
gonna tell you because I look,very few things scare me in life
in the world.
I don't get scared if you Idon't, it's very few things
scare me.
But this dream I had the othernight.
That dream scared me.
My God.

(39:23):
I dreamed I was outside with thedog and a skinwalker came past.
Yeah, it was like a uh greyhoundwith the people face, and it was
like walking through the parkinglot.
I know, right?
I creeped myself out.
I had trouble going back tosleep.
I never I never lose sleep overanything.
Like sleep, I mean, obviously,if I have some type of issue,

(39:47):
but like I can watch thegoriest, most horrendous thing
on the planet as I'm fallingasleep.
But it doesn't bother me.

SPEAKER_02 (39:58):
Well, I never remember my dreams, so that's
crazy.
That doesn't bother me.
Yeah, I mean, every once in awhile I'll get a little snippet.
But anyway, sorry.
Uh we're rambling, but realquick, just because I just
thought of it, I just wanted tosend send a shout out to um Free
Nights and Weekends podcast.
Um, he is a supporter of the ofour podcast.

(40:21):
Um, and he shares us on socialmedias to help try to boost us
up.
And he really likes the show.
And the one about Heather livingin a van was his favorite one of
all time.
But anyway, I just wanted to sayhey and thank him uh for his
support.
We appreciate you.
Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (40:40):
Okay, I'm done.
Okay.
Let's go back to let's stick tothe goth vibe that we have going
on here.
Ooh, of course.
And we're gonna go with EveryDay is Halloween Ministry.

unknown (40:56):
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (40:56):
Oh shit, I forgot about that one.

SPEAKER_01 (40:59):
It is ministry.
Wow.
It is a classic song by theindustrial band Ministry,
originally released in 1984, andit's become an anthem for the
goth community.
The song was released as asingle by Ministry in 1984.
I wonder if it was anywhere nearyour You wouldn't have listened
to that.
I had no idea those songs werethat old.

(41:20):
I know.
I did not know Psychokiller wasthat old.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, it reflects themes ofindividuality and societal
rejection resonating with thosewho feel marginalized.

unknown (41:33):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (41:35):
The lyrics tell the story of a person who embraced
their unique identity, oftenfacing ridicule for their
appearance.
I don't know anybody who say itain't so.
This message has made it arallying cry for the goth
community, symbolizing thestruggle for acceptance and
self-expression.
Which I no longer worried about.

(41:58):
I did have an old lady todaytelling me she liked my hair.
I hate when people say, okay, socurrently my hair, I'm trying to
fade it out, but this blue willnot leave.

SPEAKER_02 (42:07):
It actually doesn't look bad though.

SPEAKER_00 (42:08):
It's faded really nicely.
Like I understand why you wantto redo it, but it has faded
nicely.

SPEAKER_02 (42:14):
Yeah, and then there's almost a blonde, and
then your dark roots, itactually is working for you.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 (42:19):
Well, that's everybody says, Oh, I love your
hair.
And I'm like, I hate it.
It does look intentional.

SPEAKER_01 (42:24):
I know.
It's not.
I'm just too lazy to go buy morehair dye.
Plus, I don't know how to cancelthis blue out.

SPEAKER_02 (42:30):
Well, I mean, just let it go for now.

SPEAKER_01 (42:32):
I know, but I really Oh, you hate it though.
I really want to go black andred.
But once I go, anyway.
Once you go back, once you goblack, it's really hard to come
back.

SPEAKER_02 (42:42):
It is.
And if you put red on that blue,it's gonna be purple.

SPEAKER_01 (42:45):
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
Now you see my issue.
Yeah, that's a problem.
It is a problem.
It is a problem.
I have to and this is this thisshit's been hanging on for
months.

SPEAKER_02 (42:58):
I thought it was the summer when you did this.

SPEAKER_01 (43:00):
I think I last dyed it in like July.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's been a while.
That sounds right.
Blue hangs out for whateverreason.
Um Yeah.
Anyway.
Anyway.

SPEAKER_02 (43:12):
Oh, we have really a bunch of random stuff.
Nobody gives a shit about too.

SPEAKER_01 (43:16):
Look, an old lady said she liked my hair and she
wishes she could do it.
And I was like, why don't you?

SPEAKER_02 (43:20):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (43:21):
And she was like, Well, I might my friends will
look at me funny.
I was like, so?
Who cares?
I said, you know it washes out.
I mean, except for this one.

SPEAKER_02 (43:29):
And it was my theory on tattoos when I was 20, and
all the adults were like, Whatare you gonna do when you get
old?
Well, exactly what I'm doingright now.
I don't give a shit.
Nope.
I have tattoos, so fucking what?
I have them on my hands.
Yeah.
I got on them.
I don't try to hide them.
I don't think about it.
Like I purposely put them inplaces because I knew at some
point I wanted to have aprofessional career.

(43:50):
And back then tattoos werefrowned upon then.
So I made sure to put them wherea short sleeve or a long pant or
something like that would coverit.
But eat now, even whatever.
I don't care.
I don't.

SPEAKER_01 (44:04):
I just put a giant black skull with planets on it.

SPEAKER_02 (44:09):
I'm like and it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 (44:12):
I don't fucking care.
You can't look at it.
I can.
And I want to look at it.

SPEAKER_00 (44:18):
You're who it's for.
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (44:21):
So for the first time, Ministry released an
official music video for EveryDay as Halloween, celebrating
its enduring popularity andcultural significance.
Al Jorgensen, the band'sfrontman, expressed his
amazement that the songcontained continues to resonate
with audiences 40 years later.
In 2025, Ministry released are-recorded version of the song

(44:42):
as part of their album, TheSquirrely Years Revisited.
The album features updated takeson several of their classic
tracks, showcasing the band'sevolution while honoring their
roots.
Everyday is Halloween remains apowerful anthem for those who
embrace their individuality andchallenge social norms.

(45:11):
The song continues to inspireand connect with fans across
generations, making it atimeless piece in the realm of
alternative music.
And it happens to be one of myfavorites.

(45:33):
And that and Bellagos you said.

SPEAKER_02 (45:35):
Oh yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (45:37):
Those were the days, my friend.
Moving on.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (45:40):
We're gonna leave.
We're gonna leave the world ofgoth.
Oh no.
For a sec.
How can we do Halloween songswithout God?
We'll be back.

SPEAKER_01 (45:50):
Adam's Groove.
Released December 9th, 1991 byMC Hammer on his Too Legit to
Quit album.

SPEAKER_02 (46:01):
What's the name of the song?

SPEAKER_01 (46:03):
Adam's Groove.
It peaked number seven on theBillboard Hot 100.

SPEAKER_02 (46:09):
This one is not ringing a bell.

SPEAKER_01 (46:10):
Hammer wrote the song specifically for the Adams
Family movie reboot, giving thecreepy clan a funky, danceable
anthem.
It was played before the filmduring its theatrical release, a
rare move that turned the musicvideo into part of the cinematic
experience.
The video features Hammerdancing through the Adams
mansion and graveyard with hissignature crew intercut with

(46:33):
scenes of the film's cast.

SPEAKER_02 (46:35):
Those brain cells have died off because this is
not ringing a bell at all.

SPEAKER_01 (46:40):
Wednesday and Pugsley nearly decapitate Hammer
with a guillotine.
Nope.
Thing crawls up a dancer.
Nope.
Gomez sword fights Hammer overMorticia.
Uncle Faster's shoes werereportedly filled with uh
Vegemite as a prank by Hammer.
Um Vegemite was a big thing inthe 80s.
Here's a fun fact for you.

(47:01):
Ooh.
And a c I love you specific funfacts.
And a couple others of you.
Okay.
Who will be a fun fact also?
Okay.
A 13-year-old Jimmy Rollins,future MLB star, appears as an
extra.
Shut up.
I will not.

SPEAKER_02 (47:21):
That is so cool.
I would love to know the storybehind how that happened.
I don't know.
No, that's okay.
I don't expect you to know, butthat's so random.

SPEAKER_01 (47:30):
Um, it won Worst Original Song in 1992, earning
it a Golden Raspberry Award.
Though critically panned, itmarked a moment when hip hop
collided with Hollywoodfranchises.
The sequel, Adam's FamilyValues, tried a similar strategy
with Tag Teams Tag Team's Adam'sFamily War.

(47:50):
Tag Team back again.
Old Glory isn't just a t-shirt,it's a declaration.
Sarcasm, subculture of survivingthe 90s with your mixtape and
dignity mostly intact.
From Bantees to cult classics,their graphic gear lets you wear
your weird, loud, and proud.

SPEAKER_02 (48:06):
Use code Like WhateverPod for 15% off at
OldGlory.com.
Your identity isn'tminimalistic.
It's a collage of movie quotes,angst, and questionable fashion
choices.
And old glory gets it.

SPEAKER_01 (48:20):
We had to take a break because she did not
remember it.

SPEAKER_02 (48:22):
Yeah, we we we broke because really there was smoke
coming out of my ears.
I was like, I love MC Hammer.
I had I wore out the two legitto quit cassette.
Maybe I skipped over it.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 (48:37):
It is pretty fucking bad.
It's horrible, but well, it wasthe cassette version only that
it was on two legit.
So you but you would have hadthe cassette version.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (48:45):
And I mean, maybe, but no.
I I don't remember that.
I that's that's pretty, pretty,pretty terrible.
Yeah.
Like I said, those brain cellsare dead.

SPEAKER_01 (49:00):
It was there when you killed him, so true.
That I probably threw them up onyour street.
I'm just gonna say they're onthe streets of Newark somewhere.
So I cannot allow any Halloweentheme show to go past without

(49:22):
some piece of Mr.
Tim Burton.
Tim Burton adjacent.
Okay.
Dead Man's Party.
Oingo Boingo.

SPEAKER_02 (49:34):
Yes, I do know that song.

SPEAKER_01 (49:37):
Dead Man's Party by Oingo Oingo Boingo is a
deceptively upbeat anthem aboutmortality, isolation, and the
surreal celebration of deathwrapped in a danceable new wave
package that became a cultclassic of the 80s.
It is a great dance song.
It is.
Released in 1986 as the titletrack of Oingo Boingo's fifth
studio album, Dead Man's Party,is one of the man's most iconic

(50:00):
songs.
Written by Danny Elfman.
The song blends macabre imagerywith infectious energy, inviting
listeners to a party where theguest list is entirely
posthumous.
Musically, Dead Man's Party is aquintessential oingoumboingo
track.
I'm just gonna have a hard timesaying that every time.

(50:21):
A frenetic fusion of ska, whichnormally I fucking hate ska, but
rock and new wave, driven bypunchy horns, jittery scents,
and elfman's theatrical vocals.
Theory the arrangement feelslike a haunted carnival,
chaotic, playful, and just alittle sinister.
It's no surprise the song becamea Halloween staple and was
featured in the 1986 RodneyDanger film, Dangerfield film,

(50:44):
Back to School, where the bandperforms it live at a college
party, and I absolutely rememberthat part.

SPEAKER_02 (50:51):
Yeah.
I did such a love hate withRodney Danger.
I know.
Like just to look at him, Ican't stand him, but he really
did play some iconic characters.

SPEAKER_01 (51:00):
I just, I don't know.
Yes and no.

SPEAKER_02 (51:04):
I think definitely my favorite though is in um
Juliet Lewis and uh the onewhere they kill him.
Natural born killers.
Yes.
I mean he was totally could havedone that one.

(51:24):
Man, he was disgusting in thatmovie, but watching him get
murdered was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 (51:29):
Yeah, that was I yeah, that was a good part.

SPEAKER_02 (51:33):
Yeah, definitely.
Um you have Halloween scriptsfor like the next one.

SPEAKER_01 (51:41):
Oh my god, I know.
Because I have too many ideas.
Well, you don't have to wait forHalloween to scare your share
your spooky stuff.
I don't have to write anotherscript until next year.
Oh goodness.
Now I feel pressured.
Oh, I think I went too far.

(52:04):
That's what she said.
Oh, at first gl I did go toofar.
At first glance, the lyrics seemlike spooky fun, but beneath the
surface, the song is a uhmediation on death,
invisibility, and existentialacceptance.
The narrator isn't just ascendattending a party for the dead,
he's becoming one of them.
Lines like, leave your body atthe door, don't be afraid of

(52:27):
what you can't see.
Suggest a surrender to theunknown, a letting go of fear
and ego.
The party becomes a metaphor forthe afterlife, or perhaps for
the alienation of modern life,where one feels unseen, unheard,
already ghost like.
Lines like, leave your body atthe door, don't be afraid of
what you can't see, suggest asurrender to the unknown, a

(52:50):
letting go of fear and ego.
The party becomes a metaphor forthe afterlife, or perhaps for
the alienation of modern life,where one feels unseen, unheard,
already ghostlike.
The song is rich with illusions.
Shiny silver dollar on eithereye refers to the ancient
practice of placing coins on theeyes of the dead to pay the

(53:10):
ferryman across the river six.

SPEAKER_02 (53:14):
I had recently that you just reminded me I was
watching one of my murder shows,um, and they found a whole
family dead, and they had puttoothpaste in the eyes or the
mouth, and then something elsein the eyes or the mouth, and it
was some sort of cultural thing.

(53:34):
They were Latino, the family.
Like, I know I'm telling a storythat I have absolutely no idea
what I'm talking about rightnow, but I mean that's what this
bot podcast is.
It was just so weird and random,but that just made me think.
Of course, I knew the cointhing, but you just reminded me
of that.
Yeah, pay the ferryman.

SPEAKER_01 (53:51):
Room for one more nods to a classic Urban Legend
and a Twilight Zone episodeabout a Hirsch driver offering a
finer ride.
I have been watching a lot ofthe old black and white.
I should have fucking done theTwilight Zone.

unknown (54:03):
God damn it.

SPEAKER_02 (54:04):
I've been watching a lot of the old black and white
Twilight Zones, and they arereally fucking creepy.

SPEAKER_01 (54:10):
Like they're it's so underestimate the old horror
movies.
Yes.
Because they are creepy.
You know why?
Because they don't show theblood and the guts and the gore.
It's alluded to yourimagination.
Your imagination is so muchscarier, yeah.
And the stupid saw thing.

SPEAKER_02 (54:28):
And a lot of like the psychological like I've been
seeing, I've seen the same onetwice now.
And this lady's just sitting ina train station, and she goes up
to ask the guy when the train'scoming, and he's like, Stop
asking me when the train'scoming.
She's like, I this is the firsttime I've come up here.
And he's like, Leave me alone.
And she goes and sits down, andlike her suitcase is there, and
then her suitcase is behind thedesk, and then her suitcase

(54:49):
isn't there, and then it's back,and then somebody comes in and
is like, Oh, I saw you in thebathroom.
She's like, I haven't been inthe bathroom.
Like, and it's just so fuckingcrazy.
You're like, what is happening?
And it's all in black and white,and it's just it's so they are
good.

SPEAKER_01 (55:03):
Well, I mean, seriously, tell me what would be
scarier stupid ass saw, wherethey where your face gets ripped
off by a bear trap.
Yeah, stupid.
Yeah, or you're outside walkingyour dog and a fucking
skinwalker comes through in theparking lot and just looks at
you and then moves on.

SPEAKER_02 (55:18):
Yeah.
That's it.
It's fucking scary.
Like scary movies these days aretorture.

unknown (55:22):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (55:23):
And I'm just not into torturing.

SPEAKER_01 (55:25):
It's gore porn.

SPEAKER_02 (55:26):
It is.
It is.
But when you have to actuallythink and be like, oh my god,
what?

SPEAKER_01 (55:30):
I still think Jolls is one of the scariest movies.

SPEAKER_02 (55:32):
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
I think that's why I thinkpoltergeist is so scary too.

SPEAKER_01 (55:37):
It's not gory or gross, it's just like look, I
honestly thought I was gonna getstuck in the TV because I
watched so much TV as a child.
Really thought I was gonna getstuck in the TV.
Stay away from the we kind ofall are stuck in the TV at this
point, so No, I know I am.
We need to find the light, CarolAnn.

(55:59):
The chauffeur becomes a stand-infor death itself, polite,
inevitable, and oddly festive,which is how I view the Grim
Reaper as oddly festive.
Did I tell you I have a I have alittle grim my support grim
reaper at work?
And he's it's a little grimreaper and he's holding a sign
that says go you.

SPEAKER_02 (56:20):
Do you I think I've asked you this before.
Do you follow the Grim Reaperthat on yeah, you're not on
Instagram?
I'm not, but I'm where he goesout and poses on the beach and
like Grim Reaper doing things orsomething like that.

SPEAKER_01 (56:32):
Yeah, it's so funny.
I think it's really funny I lovethe one where he's on the beach
in the lifeguard stand.
Uh-huh.
Or there's one in a pool withlike the flamingo.
Though never massive chart hit,Dead Man's Party became a fan
favorite and a Halloweenessential.
It's been covered, remixed, andperformed by Danny Elfman at his

(56:53):
nightmare before Christmasconcerts, which just happened
the other night.
He does it every year.
And I want to go to one so bad.
Where is it?
California.
Yeah, LA, somewhere in LA.
You want to go to LA though?
No, I don't.
I mean, if you could justhelicopter me in in his problem.
Helicopter me in, and they doall right.

SPEAKER_02 (57:15):
Well, when we make it big on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 (57:17):
Y'all have to make it big so that I can go see next
Halloween.
We will rent you a You peopleneed to do your work.
Helicopter.

SPEAKER_02 (57:24):
Tell everyone in the land on the roof of the theater.
I want to see Danny Ellis.

SPEAKER_01 (57:30):
Do the nightmare before Christmas.

SPEAKER_02 (57:31):
Yeah.
You won't even be able to sayyou've ever been to LA.

SPEAKER_01 (57:34):
Although, can I just say, Danny, if you're listening,
it's a fucking Christmas music.
It's a fucking Christmas movie.

unknown (57:45):
God damn it.

SPEAKER_01 (57:46):
I don't care if you made the music or not.
Fucking Christmas music.
The song's Enduring Appeal liesin its ability to make death
feel like a dance party on aninvitation to laugh.
Yeah.
Um so the next one.
Frankenstein by the Edgar WinterGroup.

(58:08):
And the reason I wanted to putthis in here is because my mom
and dad have seen the EdgarWinter Group like a thousand
times.
And they play in Ocean Sea.
They don't, they don't anymorebecause I don't.
I know one of them's dead.
I don't know if they're bothdead, but I'm very familiar with
the Edgar Winter Group.

SPEAKER_02 (58:26):
Have you been to see them with that?

SPEAKER_01 (58:27):
I have not.

SPEAKER_02 (58:28):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (58:28):
But I am very familiar with their music.
And I know you have heard thissong, though.
Um it's an instrumental rocktrack that fused progressive
rock, blues, and earlysynthesizer experimentation into
a monster hit, earning its namefrom the way it was stitched
together in the studio.

(58:48):
I'm gonna released in 1973.
Frankenstein is one of the mosticonic instrumental tracks in
rock history.
Composed by multi-instrumentinstrumentalist Edgar Winner and
performed by his band, the EdgarWinner Group.
The song became a surprise charttopping hit, reaching number one

(59:09):
on the Billboard Hot 100 andselling over a million copies.
Its success was unexpected,especially for a track with no
lyrics and a genre-defyingsound.
The title, Frankenstein, wasn'tplanned.
It emerged organically duringthe editing process.
As the band recorded and jammed,the track grew into a sprawling,
multi-part epic.

(59:30):
To make it radio friendly, theyhad to splice together dozens of
tape segments, physicallycutting and taping reels in the
studio.
Drummer Chuck Ruff jokinglycompared the process to
assembling a monster.
It's like Frankenstein, EdgarWinner immediately adopted the
name, recognizing its perfectmetaphorical fit.

SPEAKER_02 (59:51):
I really love that.
Because it's really true of thatsong.

SPEAKER_01 (59:58):
Frankenstein showcases Edgar.
Winner's Virtuosity.
He played keyboard, saxophone,and percussion.
The track features a rare dualdrum solo between Winner and
Ruff.
It was also one of the firstmainstream rock songs to use a
synthesizer as the leadinstrument, specifically the ARP
2600, if you're into that kindof thing.

(01:00:19):
Winner even modified the synthto wear it like a guitar,
creating one of the earliestversions of the guitar, which
became a signature part of hislive performances.
The song structure structure isdynamic and unpredictable,
shifting between funky grooves,jazz-inflected solos, and hard
rock riffs.
It's a sonic Frankenstein'smonster stitched together from

(01:00:40):
diverse musical parts, yetsomehow cohesive and
electrifying.
The original riff dates back toWinter's time playing with his
brother Johnny Winter and waseven performed at Woodstock.
Initially called theInstrumental, it was never
intended for release.
But after DJs flipped the singleand started playing the B side,
Frankenstein gained traction.

(01:01:02):
The label reissued it as the Aside, and it quickly climbed the
charts.
Frankenstein helped redefinewhat rock music could be.
It provided that instrumentalscould be commercially viable and
that synthesizers could lead acould lead a rock track.
It's been covered, sampled, andreferenced across genres and
remains a stable of Halloweenplaylists and classic rock

(01:01:25):
radio.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:27):
That was very, very interesting.
I had no idea about any of thatwith that song.

SPEAKER_01 (01:01:32):
I this is gonna sound exactly like something
would be in my wheelhouse.
I'm obsessed with albino people.
Oh obsessed.
Everything, not just albinopeople, albino anything.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:47):
Okay creeps me out a little bit.
Okay.
The lack of pigment.

SPEAKER_01 (01:01:53):
Yeah, I don't I guess.
I don't know what it they'redoing.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:55):
I wonder if it has to do with that thing that you
talked about where your brain Ohon Caney Valley.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:02):
Like me with the AI.
Yeah.
But I mean, I don't think domost people have issues?
Do you have problems with the Imean you don't really see that
many?

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:11):
I normally take notice of it.

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:13):
You don't have you noticed though, like I feel like
we used to see a lot more albinopeople.

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:17):
Okay, I feel like when I was a kid, there were
albino people in my school.
Yeah.
Or out and about.
Yeah, I don't well now I wonderMaybe it's a recessed gene.
It is a recession that's beenkind of weeded out.

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:35):
It is, I'm sure of that.
But also there are ways to coverit now.
It's probably much easier tocover at this point.
Makeup, contacts, wigs, dye inyour hair.
I don't know how well that hairtakes dye, but I imagine it's a
lot easier to cover at thispoint.
But I mean, like, you know.

(01:02:56):
I imagine that they are probablythe most famous albino people.
Is that is that like not a PCthing to say?
I don't think so.
Are they albino Americans?

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:11):
No.
Okay, no.
I think we're doing away withthe slash Americans.
Okay, good.
You're just an American.

SPEAKER_01 (01:03:19):
Pigment impaired.
There we go.
Maybe.
All right.
Obviously.
The last one.
And you just absolutely cannothave a Halloween playlist
without the number one mostHalloween epic of all the time.

(01:03:46):
Thriller.
I mean, you can't.
It's impossible.
You have to have thriller.
And and I don't care what youthink about Michael Jackson.
I don't care about what youthink about the world in
general.
For however long Thriller is,you are there, and you were a
zombie, and you were doing thedance, even if it's just in your

(01:04:08):
head.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:09):
I can to this day do all of Vincent and Price's part.
I can reset not even with him, Ican do it all by myself.

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:17):
Yep.
I mean, it's just so uh MichaelJackson's thriller is more than
a song.
It's a cultural phenomenon thatredefined pop music,
revolutionized music videoformat, and became the eternal
soundtrack of Halloween.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:30):
Man, what an amazing video.
I just I mean Even from thebeginning when he's on the date
with the girl and she's got thepoodle skirt and they're at the
drive.
Talk about the video.
Hold on.

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:39):
Okay.
Um released in 1982 as theseventh single from Jackson's
thriller album, Thriller.
1982.
I was only nine.
Thriller wasn't.
Originally conceived as aplayful homage to horror films,
written by Rod Temperton andproduced by Quincy Jones.
The track fused funk, disco, andcinematic sound effects, howling

(01:05:00):
wolves, creaking doors, and achilling monologue by horror
legend Vincent Price.
Um Thriller is musically rich, adriving bass line, layered
synths, and Jackson's dynamicvocals create a sense of
suspense and groove.
The song structure mimics ahorror movie arc, building
tension, delivering a climax,and ending with Price's iconic

(01:05:21):
spoken word outro.
Um, so in 1982, Michael Jacksonand producer Quincy Jones were
crafting thriller.

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:33):
I don't know that I realized Quincy Jones was a part
of that.
Oh, yeah.
He's one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_01 (01:05:37):
He was all up on Michael Jackson.
Yeah, he's awesome.
Um I don't know.
1982, Michael Jackson andPrincer Quincy Jones were
crafting thriller, a genrebending blending album that
would include a horror-themedtrack originally titled
Starlight, songwriter RodTemperton reimagined it as

(01:05:59):
thriller, adding a theatricalspoken word section to evoke
classic horror vibes.
To deliver that eerie narration,they needed a voice with
gravitas.
And Vincent Price, the legendaryhorror actor, was the perfect
fit.

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:12):
Thank God they didn't name it Starlight.

SPEAKER_01 (01:06:15):
Is there ever a spot in which Vincent Price wouldn't
be the perfect?
Never.

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:20):
No.
Never.

SPEAKER_01 (01:06:22):
Peggy Lipton, actress and wife of Quincy Jones
at the time, knew Pricepersonally and suggested him for
the role.
He was approached and agreed toparticipate, reportedly with
some initial reluctance.
Price arrived at the studio,unfamiliar with modern recording
equipment.
He had never used headphonesbefore and was startled by the

(01:06:43):
funky backing track.

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:44):
Yeah, because he was like 109 years old his whole
life.
Like I only remember him assuper duper old.

SPEAKER_01 (01:06:52):
Despite this, he nailed the performance in just
two takes.
He's just like us.

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:59):
Except we only take one take.

SPEAKER_01 (01:07:00):
Rod Temperton wrote the rap lyrics in a taxi on the
way to the studio, and QuincyJones later praised Price's
delivery as fabulous.
Here's the part that's gonnahurt your feelings.
Oh no.
Price was offered a choice, aflat fee of$20,000, or a
percentage of the album'sprofits.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:20):
Oh my god.
He took the$20,000.

SPEAKER_01 (01:07:23):
He chose the flat fee, reasonable at the time, but
in hindsight, a missed fortune.
Thriller went on to sell over 70reasons.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:32):
I mean, he was old, but his family and estate are
probably like, what the fuck?

SPEAKER_00 (01:07:37):
Especially, I mean, right now.
Yeah.
It's on every reason.
You would still be gettingchecks.
Literally everywhere right now.

SPEAKER_01 (01:07:44):
Yeah.
Wow.
When asked about the decisionyears later, Price laughed and
said, How well I know.
Graciously acknowledging theirony.
Price's uh contribution becameone of the most memorable parts
of Thriller, helping Cement itsstatus as a Halloween anthem and
pop culture milestone.
His chilling laugh at the end ofthe track is still instantly

(01:08:07):
recognizable, and he evenperformed the rap live on
television in 1987.
Uh Vincent Price didn't justlend his voice, he gave Thriller
its soul.
The video.
Okay, let's just all take amoment to remember that day that

(01:08:28):
they played Thriller for thefirst time.
Do you remember like all thehubbub that was going on and on
about that?

SPEAKER_02 (01:08:36):
Alright, so let me tell you my story then.
So I was nine, apparently.
Um, and I was staying at mydad's that weekend, so it must
have come out on a Friday nightor a Saturday night at midnight.
I remember that.
Um and my dad had MTV.
I did not have MTV at my mom'shouse.

(01:08:58):
So and yes, the hype.
We knew it was coming.
So my stepbrother and I secretlystayed up until midnight after
Dan Janet had gone to bed, andwe were so excited, and we
turned it on, and we got about30 seconds to a minute into it,
and turned it off and ranupstairs and went to bed.

(01:09:19):
We were so scared because thewhole house was dark, and it was
we were so scared.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:27):
My sister, even to this day, has trouble at the
part where he changes in.
She scared the shit out of them.
How old was she?

SPEAKER_02 (01:09:38):
Well, she would have been five.
I would have been six.
How old were you?
I was eleven.
No, I was nine, so you wereeight.
I would have eight, so she wouldhave been three.
So that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:49):
That makes a lot more sense.

SPEAKER_00 (01:09:50):
Yeah, but the fact she remembers it though.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09:52):
Oh, she's she still she still will not watch that
part.
She will not do it.

SPEAKER_02 (01:09:57):
Well, you probably forced her to sit watch it.
Taped her little eyes.
Watch it! Like clockworkoranger.

SPEAKER_01 (01:10:04):
Yeah.
So the video, this theatricaltheatricality, was rare in pop
music at the time, and it helpedthrillers stand out not just as
a hit, but as an experience.
Directed by John Landis, anAmerican werewolf in London.
The 13-minute thriller video wasa game changer.
Premiering on MTV in December of83, it blurred the lines between

(01:10:28):
music video and short film.
Jackson transforms into awerecat.
Oh, it's a werecat.
Leads a zombie dance.
I know I didn't know that.
And breaks the fourth wall, allwhile showcasing choreography.
That would become iconic.
Hell yeah.
The budget was$500,000, whichwas unprecedented for a music

(01:10:48):
video.
It is inducted into the NationalFilm Registry for cultural
significance.
Should be.

SPEAKER_03 (01:10:54):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:10:55):
Elevated music videos into a legitimate art
form and promotional tool.
Um thriller didn't just dominatethe charts, it reshaped pop
culture.
Halloween Anthem from HauntedHouse to Flash Mobs, Thriller
became synonymous with thespooky season.
Um Jackson's success helpedintegrate MTV, which had

(01:11:17):
previously marginalized blackartists.
And she's doing it right now.
And I don't have the YouTubething up.
It's very disappointing.
The song also challenged perperceptions of black artistry,

(01:11:40):
proving that black musicianscould lead in theatrical genre
blending innovation.
Thriller remains thebest-selling album of all time,
with over 70 million copies soldglobally.
I can't believe it's only 70million.
I know.
Peaked at number four in theBillboard Hot 100 in 1984, but
its second its seasonalresurgence keeps it relevant
every October.

(01:12:01):
Um, it surpassed 1 billion viewson YouTube, one of Jackson's
most watched videos.
Thriller continues to inspireartists, filmmakers, and
choreographers.
It's been parodied, parodied,celebrated, and reimagined
across generations from flashmoms to museum parties to soap
opera tributes.
It's a blend of horror, humor,and dance, and it makes it

(01:12:22):
timeless.

SPEAKER_02 (01:12:24):
Man, that was awesome.

unknown (01:12:25):
Bada!

SPEAKER_02 (01:12:29):
Thank you so much.
I mean, you always crush it, butthat was like, you know,
obviously when you hear spookysongs, you're thinking Monster
Mash and I specifically stayedaway from that.
Obviously.

SPEAKER_01 (01:12:43):
Do you know how many lists of the top 100 spooky
songs?
And some of them were just like,okay, I'm like you're stretching
it on that one.

SPEAKER_02 (01:12:54):
Yeah, yeah.
But those were just so much fun.
So like read just relive, likethey're just songs because they
are so niche, you don't youdon't think of them every night.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13:04):
Yeah.
They are songs that typicallydon't get played that often.

SPEAKER_02 (01:13:08):
Right, right.
And nowadays, you know wholistens to the radio?
So everybody's listening to astreaming service.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13:14):
So you're certainly not streaming ministry, unless
you're me.

SPEAKER_02 (01:13:19):
But you're not hearing those songs on the radio
uh because you're not listening.

SPEAKER_01 (01:13:24):
Um I'm pretty sure Bell Lagosi's Dead is in the
David Bowie movie.
It's The Hunger by David Bowie.
Movie with David Bowie.
And it's the opening.
Yes, I believe so.
They're in a club.
Okay.
David Bowie plays a vampire.
Yeah.
No big surprise.
Um, yeah, so that's that.

(01:13:45):
I was excited.
I was like I said, I had like Ikept changing my mind because
one was like pretty down anddepressing.
Um I was like, oh, I don't wantto do that.
So yeah.
My parents are so my dad'shungry and deaf.

SPEAKER_02 (01:14:01):
So it's being very rowdy now.
So he's just asking for dinner,but it sounds like he's arguing.

SPEAKER_01 (01:14:09):
And my mom is Italian, so literally everything
sounds like arguing.
My dad's Irish, yeah.
So everything is less soundslike arguing.
Yeah.
But and they might be, I don'tknow.
One one of them's gonna end updead.

SPEAKER_02 (01:14:21):
Yeah.
It'll be your dad for sure.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:14:25):
Um, so thank you for listening.
Yes, thank you so much.
Uh rate, rate, review, what?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Um, do those things.
Like, share, rate, review.
There you go.
Find us where you I have to havethe script.
Find us where you listen topodcasts.
Follow us on all the socials atlike whatever pod.

(01:14:46):
Send an email about what yourfavorite Halloween song is to
like whatever pod at gmail.comor don't like whatever.
Whatever.
Bye.

SPEAKER_05 (01:15:02):
Oh.