It's that time of year again…spooky season! Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot revisit their conversation with horror writer, director and composer John Carpenter. Then, they share their favorite spooky movie music.
John Carpenter is best known as the director of horror masterpieces like Halloween and They Live, but his innovative film scores elevate the films to a whole other level. Carpenter explains to Jim and Greg that he initially started composing synthesizer-based scores for his movies as a cost-saving measure. He downplays his musical skill, but says he does enjoy performing his music in a group with his son and godson.
Spooky Movie Songs
Horror films wouldn't be nearly as scary without their soundtracks. Jim and Greg share moments in movies where songs are either recontextualized or scoring is done just right to deliver maximum frights.
Jim
Frankie Valli, "The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)" from Midsommar
Childish Gambino, "Redbone" from Get Out
Magnet, "Willow’s Song" from The Wicker Man (1973)
Mike Oldfield, "Tubular Bells" from The Exorcist
Colin Newman, "Alone" from The Silence of the Lambs
Bauhaus, "Bela Lugosi’s Dead" from The Hunger
Greg
Goblin, “Suspiria” from Suspiria (1977)
Wayne Bell and Tobe Hooper, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
David Lynch and Peter Ivers, “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” from Eraserhead
Tangerine Dream, “Rain In the Third House” from Near Dark
Krzysztof Komeda, "Main Title" from Rosemary's Baby
Philip Glass, “Helen’s Theme” from Candyman (1992)
Featured Songs:
John Carpenter, "Halloween Theme - Main Title," Halloween (Original 1978 Motion Picture Soundtrack), Columbia, 1979
John Carpenter, "The Shape Stalks," Halloween (Original 1978 Motion Picture Soundtrack), Columbia, 1979
Bebe Barron and Louis Barron, "Forbidden Planet Soundtrack - a) Main Titles - Overture - b) Giant Footprints In The Sand," Forbidden Planet, Planet, 1976
Bernard Herrmann, Joel McNeely & Royal Scottish Orchestra, "Scotty Trails Madeline (Including: Madeline's First Appearance, Madeline's Car, The Flower Shop, The Alleyway, The Mission, Graveyard, and Tombstone)," Vertigo: Original Motion Picture Score, Varèse Sarabande, 1995
John Carpenter, "Dark Star," Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998, Rodeo Suplex, 2017
John Carpenter, "Skeleton," Lost Themes III: Life After Death, Sacred Bones, 2021
Dimitri Tiomkin, "High Noon - Theme," Movie Memories: Music from the Greatest Films, Colosseum, 1995
John Carpenter, "Dead Eyes," Lost Themes III: Life After Death, Sacred Bones, 2021
Frankie Valli, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)," The 4 Seasons Present Frankie Valli Solo, Philips, 1967
Goblin, "Suspiria," Suspiria: The Complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Cinevox, 1977
Childish Gambino, "Redbone," "Awaken, My Love!", Glassnote, 2016
Tobe Hooper and Wayne Bell, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, N/A, 1974
Magnet, "Willow's Song," The Wicker Man, Trunk, 1998
David Lynch and Peter Ivers, "In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)," Eraserhead: Original Soundtrack, I.R.S., 1982
Luniz, "I Got 5 On It (feat. Michael Marshall)," Operation Stackola, C Note, 1995
Mike Oldfield, "Tubular Bells, Part One," Tubular Bells, Virgin, 1973
Tangerine Dream, "Rain In the Third House," Near Dark (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Varèse Sarabande, 1987
Colin Newman, "Alone," A-Z, Beggars Banquet, 1980
Krzysztof Komeda, "Main Title," Rosemary's Baby (Music from the Original Motion Picture Score), Dot, 1968
Bauhaus, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," Press the Eject and Give Me the Tape, Beggars Banquet, 1982
Philip Glass, "Helen's Theme," Candyman (Original 1992 Motion Picture Soundtrack), One Way Static, 2014
Pearl Jam, "Yellow Ledbetter," Lost Dogs, Epic, 2003
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