Just in time for Halloween….you can play my version of Spooky at your party or as background music as you open the door for Trick or Treaters.
You can download your copy at CD Baby by clicking this link. Also here is the video. Or you can watch it on YouTube.
This is my instrumental version of Spooky…..arranged, performed (Yes, that’s me playing electric guitar, string bass, keyboard and synthesizer.) and recorded by me. Spooky was a billboard hit for the group Classics IV in 1968 and then again in the late 1970s for the Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS). Spooky however, was originally composed by Mike Sharpe (Shapiro) and recorded as a saxophone jazz instrumental.
Per Wikipedia, “Mike composed the tune along with help from Harry Middlebrooks and recorded the song at Liberty Records. The Mike Sharpe version of Spooky peaked at #57 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100, which was pretty good for a Jazz group. The Classics IV version of the song added lyrics which we all associate with the song and as a single it peaked at # 3 in the US as a pop single.
In 1979 ARS covered the song and released it on “Underdog”, and according to the album’s entry on Wikipedia, “The album contained two songs which reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
LYRICS
In the cool of the evening when ev’rything is gettin’ kind of groovy,
I call you up and ask you if you want to go and meet and see a movie,
First you say no, you’ve got some plans for the night,
And then you stop, and say, “All right.”
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you.
You always keep me guessin’, I never seem to know what you are thinkin’.
And if a fella looks at you, it’s for sure your little eye will be a-winkin’.
I get confused, ’cause I don’t know where I stand,
And then you smile, and hold my hand.
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you.
Spooky!
If you decide someday to stop this little game that you are playin’,
I’m gonna tell you all what my heart’s been a-dyin’ to be sayin’.
Just like a ghost, you’ve been a-hauntin’ my dreams,
So I’ll propose… on Halloween.
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you.
Spooky,
Spooky,
Spooky,
Oh-whoa, all right,
I said Spooky!
So…..that spooky month of the year is coming up. And I’ve been working on some tricks and treats for all of you. I have a new cover song coming for the 60s/70s pop hit “Spooky” that I started working on back in the summer. My cover is an instrumental smooth jazz version of the song. It’s taken me this long because recording music is not my full-time job, even though I wish it was! That means I have to squeeze into evenings and weekends and any other free time I can find all the steps required in the multi track recording process which are legion.
Anyway, earlier this year I got hooked on Spooky, which was a billboard hit for the group Classics IV and later for the Atlanta rhythm section. But it turns out the song was composed before either of those groups got their hands on it by a man by the name of Mike Shapiro and he sometimes went by Mike Sharpe.
Even though the vocal version of the song is well known, sung by Dennis Yost, and was a hit first for the group the Classics IV on their album, The Very Best of The Classics IV, released in 1968 and then again for the Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS) in the late 1970s where it appeared on the album, Atlanta Rhythm Section – Underdog/Boys From Doraville, it’s roots actually go back before both of these versions to 1967 to its original saxophone instrumental recording by Mike Shapiro (aka Mike Sharpe) where it debuted on Mike’s album, “The Spooky Sounds of Mike Sharpe”. It appears that album is no longer available, unless you find a used copy at a thrift store or online.
Per the Wikipedia entry, “Mike composed the tune along with help from Harry Middlebrooks and recorded the song at Liberty Records. The Mike Sharpe version of Spooky peaked at #57 on the Billboard Pop Hot 100, which was pretty good for a Jazz group. The Classics IV version of the song added lyrics which we all associate with the song and as a single it peaked at # 3 in the US as a pop single. In 1979 ARS covered the song and released it on “Underdog”, and per the album’s entry on Wikipedia, “The album contained two songs which reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, “Do it or Die” and “Spooky“.[3]The latter was a re-recording of the 1968 number three hit for Classics IV, a pop rock group whose line up included members who later joined Atlanta Rhythm Section.[4]”
Anyway, stay tuned later in October when I will announce my release of Spooky!
I am doing my part to bring some peace to the world. With so much negative news that we hear each day it’s time to promote peace. I am happy to announce today the release of my new CD – GIVE US PEACE!
You can NOW order it securely online at the CD Baby store website by clicking this link.
I added a couple of new ringtones to my music store page. Now you can rock your phone with ringtones from Nacho Mama or the Sunflower Waltz and make all your friends ask where you got such cool ringtones.
My ringtones are available in the iTunes ringtone format with an .m4r filename extension. After you purchase a ringtone and download it, next you will have to send it to iTunes. Just open iTunes and drag and drop your ringtone into iTunes and the ringtone will appear under iTunes’ Tones heading in the Library pane.
Sync your iPhone to your Mac or PC and the ringtone will be copied to your phone.
To use the file as a ringtone, on the iPhone tap Settings > Sounds > Ringtone. You’ll find it in the list of ringtones. Tap it, and it will be the sound your phone plays when a call comes in. Of course you needn’t use it only for ringtones: On the iPhone you can choose it as an alert sound as well.
And, be sure to tell people where you got the ringtone. 🙂
Here is a short excerpt of Czardas, a tune based on a Hungarian folk dance, that our orchestra, the Evergreen Community Orchestra performed last week in our spring concert. I didn’t get the complete number recorded, just this excerpt.
Here’s what the all knowing Wikipedia has to say about Czardas:
The piece has seven different sections, each one of a different tempo and occasionally key. The first half of the piece is in D minor, then modulates to D major, back to D minor, and then finally finishes in D major. The first section is Andante – Largo, followed by a large increase in speed to Allegro vivo. This then slows down to Molto meno. The piece then slows down more to Meno, quasi lento. The piece then suddenly picks up in pace and is at Allegro vivace. It then slows down to Allegretto and finally to Molto più vivo. The tempo changes make the piece exciting and interesting, but even with all of these tempo changes, it is generally expected that there should be some rubato to add feeling to the piece. There are also many different dynamic changes in the piece, ranging from pianissimoto fortissimo.
In the Meno, quasi lento section, the violin plays stopped harmonics. This involves the violinist placing their finger down on the note and playing another note, with the finger only just touching the string 5 semitones above. This gives the effect of the violin sounding two octaves (24 semitones) higher.
