"LITTLE HALLOWEEN" IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!

[Pumpkin_Head]

I have so many fond memories of Halloween, and I wanted that song on a record for as long as I could remember. Since the first time I heard it when I saw "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on tv for the first time. Believe it or not, I FINALLY found the original recording of that theme song 2 years ago. I'm sure it was available, but I could never find it.

The Vince Guaraldi Trio is also one of my favor Jazz bands for a very long time. I remember hearing them on the radio a lot when I was a kid, but I could never find a Vince Guaraldi record at Woolworths or any place else where records were sold. At the time, the nearest real record store where I might find one was in downtown Chicago. It would have cost all my pocket money just to get there, so I waited until I was 'old and gray' and finally I n ow have Vince Guaraldi Trio in my record collection.

Yes, I really hate seeing what Covid is doing to families, but I think as more are vaccinated, the problem will get better. We are already tentatively planning gatherings for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I am DEFINITELY going to have a small gathering here at my house for Halloween.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown has always been a tradition in my family. My mother was born in 1955 and she was 11 when the special aired for the first time and she has watched it every single year since then. When she had us kids she shared that tradition with us, and now my kids carry it on as well, even if we didn't catch it on tv we always watched it on VHS or DVD. We have always loved the Peanuts characters and tv specials, and every year we set up a display of Charlie Brown toys for my kids for Halloween and Christmas.

My mother had a few different Peanuts records from when she was young, of course she wrote her name on the jacket like most kids did back then, but the records are still in good shape. I have them with my record collection now, and I have a few different Halloween records as well, but I can't play them because I don't have a working turntable. I saw a new version of the soundtrack is going to be available this year, it's shaped like a pumpkin so I might get it, the picture is below.

There's only 1 week until Little Halloween, we're looking forward to it!

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[Pumpkin_Head]

HeadLessHorseman, you don't know HOW GREAT it is to see someone on halloween.com who appreciates the sound of good vinyl. If you need help shopping for a turn table, I would be more then willing to help. The important to do first is determine how much money you want to spend. On one extreme, the CARTRIDGE ALONE can cost over $18,000, with the turn table being another $20,000 or more and the tone arm costing an additional $5000. Then there's the opposite extreme. A Crosley 4 in 1 that can be had for a little over $100.00, and available at the local Walmart or online. I am on the higher end, but no where's near the 30 grand mark. I am more in the line of around 5 grand for the turntable, tone arm and cartridge. My phono stage was around $500, but I plan to upgrade after Christmas. And when I speak of turntables, I am talking in terms of a component stereo system as they were back in 'the day.' Or the 1970s. After you get your turntable, you will then need a phono preamplifier (if your running with a magnetic cartridge). You will also need an amplifier to hook the phono preamp into, and last but by no means least a decent pair of speakers, all of which can run into some very big $$$$$$$. The Crosley 4 in 1 has everything all built in. You just plug it in, turn it on and play a record. However, you can have a very decent stereo system with a nice sounding turntable for around $2500 to $3000. It's all in what you want. End of lesson on audio equipment. If you are interested, we can continue this in a PM.

As for "Little Halloween," it is a week from today as you pointed out, and I have a couple of old friends of mine who are coming over for barbecue and music, and then my neighbor and his two kids will be over later in the evening for "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" followed by "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man." The more scary "R" rated horror shows will be screened before the kids get here.

Any way, please pardon my long post about turntables, and feel free to PM me any time if you decided to go all out or just want to shop for a decent stereo system.

Mike

[Pumpkin_Head]

I love the orange, pumpkin shaped record. I really do want one and it appears that it might have been lacquered at 45 rpm.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Thanks for the offer Mike, I'll keep it in mind for when I can finally get around to it. I'm always putting everyone else's needs in front of mine, and rightfully so as my family and their needs comes first, but I do hope to eventually set up a good sound system when I get around to finishing my mancave.

My grandfather used to run a dance hall in the 50's-70's and from what my mother told me he had some of the top sound equipment that was available back in the day, so music has always been a big part of that side of the family. I know my mother still has a few thousand records at her place, I don't know the exact number but it's a whole wall from floor to ceiling, she has a whole wall of books as well, some of the records were from her father but most of them she bought for herself.

I'm probably going to get her records when she passes, since my siblings don't really have a interest in them. I only have a few hundred records in my collection, and believe it or not most of it is oldies as that is what my mother was always listening to when we were kids so it just stuck with me and to this day is my favorite type of music. Of course, I do love my classic rock.

I was born at a time when they were switching from records to CDs, so I'm glad that my mother taught me to appreciate them. There's just something about old records, from the sound they produce, the way they feel, the artwork on the jacket, even to the way they smell, they're just special. I can remember my mother teaching me how to handle the records carefully, and to make sure not to scratch them with the needle, and I want to teach my kids about the same things when they're older.

I love the Universal Monsters movies, but I haven't watched them in a few years so I should try to get to them soon. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a classic, and we wouldn't have had the other monster crossovers without it, I know some people didn't like the monster crossovers movies but I like them. Also, don't worry about long posts, it's good be passionate about your interests, and to share that passion with others.

[Pumpkin_Head]

Like I said, it's so great to have someone besides myself who appreciates the sound of vinyl. I remember when CDs came out, and I got my very first CD player in 1985, when I was only 25 years old. I was BLOWN AWAY by the dynamic range, and for a long time, I wanted everything on CD. I kept my turn table and records, as a lot of my music was out of print and not available on CD. Then later in life when I started getting into higher end stereo systems, I noticed that the analogue audio sources had the spherical sign waves. They were round, just like natural sound. Digital sign waves are squared off, and there are a lot of little "pieces" of the music that's missing. Hence, the music sounds flat, like a picture, or more like a panorama, where as with analogue, the music takes on more of a 3D effect. Records, IMHO sound the best.

I understand where you're coming from in regards to your family, and I wish you well. Personally I never married or had kids of my own, as I don't feel that was my calling. I have no regrets, but I have the utmost respect for those who have opted for marriage and family, especially in today's world. The unenviable task of raising children in today's toxic moral environment has to be more difficult then it ever was in human history. BUT, I do get that it's a labor of love.

As for getting your mancave set up, I wish you all the best. With all the vinyl you own, it would be great to have something decent to play them on. You can't go wrong with a decent sound system if you enjoy music as much as we do. By the way, there are phono preamps with built in head phone amplifiers that can be had for a comparatively reasonable price. It pays to do some shopping. You can also hit 'pay dirt' in the used turntable market as I did with a pair of professional quality Sparta 2 speed turn tables that were used in a radio station. I got both of them for 35 dollars. I had to fork over a little more for a cartridge and a phono preamp that could accommodate two turn tables, but I managed it. Unfortunately, those two turntables were destroyed in a house fire in 2015, along with my house and everything else in it.

At any rate, keep me posted on that. I think it would be fun, and if by any chance you decide to sell off that discography, please let me know that, too as I am always looking for the out-or-print rarities that have eluded me for years.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I've been visiting this forum for years, but I didn't start posting until last year. I remember reading about the fire and I'm glad that you made it through safely and that you're doing better now.

I absolutely agree with everything you said about the difference in sound quality between records and CDs, that was the perfect way to describe it.

I know my mother has some real rare records in her collection, including autographed albums, promotional samples, test pressings, and original colored vinyl, from long before it became a modern trend. I know her most rare record is The Beatles Yesterday And Today album with the "butcher cover" it was banned because it had dismembered dolls and raw meat on the cover. It seems pretty tame by todays standards but back then it was seen as inappropriate, I know she has had it since she was young and she said that it can go for a few thousand bucks, she has it and a few other records in a frame hanging on the wall. Most likely she is going to leave it to one of her grandchildren.

Like I said, she has a few thousand records so it would probably take about a week to get through them. I should hopefully be visiting her this holiday season instead of a video chat like last year, I know she has some duplicates so I'll ask her if she has anything she is willing to let go. I know she has some connections that she still buys from regularly so if you want you could send me PM with a list of anything you're looking for specifically and I can ask about it. I can't promise that anything will come of it, depending on how rare the records you're looking for are and the price, but I will ask about them for you.

[Pumpkin_Head]

Thanks for posting. I will definitely PM you after I had a time to make up a list of some of the items I am looking for.
Not everything I'm looking for is Rock & Roll, however. Among others, I use to have some 100 year old 78 rpm one sided recordings of John McCormick and another opera singer who was big in the late 19th century. The aforementioned recordings were pressed in the 1880s.

At any rate, I will definitely keep you in mind. By the way, some people purchase more then one copy of an album that they really love, and leave some sealed up and only play the one. That could be why your mom has duplicates. I have done and still do the same thing at times.

At any rate, you can expect a PM from me soon.

Mike

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

I'll be looking forward to your PM. The opera records sound like something my mother would probably be interested in as well, because she loves every type of music. I know she has records going back to the 20's but I don't think she has anything older than that.

As for the duplicates, the reason she has some is because she kept buying other peoples collections and most of them listened to the same type of music. I remember at one point in 1990 we were going through her collection and we counted over 10 copies of the Back in Black album from AC/DC. I don't know if she still has them or not, and I'm not sure if she any records that are sealed as she usually likes to listen to them.

I'll check back in after Little Halloween, and I hope you and your friends have fun and enjoy the day.

[Pumpkin_Head]

I'll be contacting you after "Little Halloween," to. At any rate, I also have a few records that date back to the early 20s, but would love to replace some of those now 130 year old gems that are getting harder and harder to find. Believe it or not, I can actualy play those old 78 rpm records on my Music Hall turn table.

Well I'll see you after "Little Halloween," and I'll even try to check in tomorrow to see how everyone is doing.

Mike

[Andybev01]

I dreamt about zombies last night, of which I have an irrational fear of, but that's only appropriate because...IT'S LITTLE HALLOWEEN!!

Have a great day Mike and everyone else!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

We just had our first Little Halloween, and it was awesome!

My wife and I decided that The Great Pumpkin should only visit on Halloween day, just like Santa on Xmas, but he did stop by in the night and leave presents and a note for the kids, so as soon as they got up they were surprised by the presents. We got them into their costumes after they ate and we went to pick up my neighbor and her 3 kids, ages 2-7, and they were dressed up as well.

There is a mall near us that has indoor amusement park rides so we went there first, after about 2hrs on the rides we went to another place in the same mall that is like Chuck E Cheese, they have arcade games and pizza, the woman taking the order asked if we were having a birthday party, I told her we were celebrating Little Halloween and explained it to her and she looked at me like I was crazy. We just laughed after she walked away, it was a great moment.

After that it was time for some Halloween shopping, we went to Wal Mart, the dollar store, and a few other places first, they still didn't put out most of the Halloween stuff yet but they did have a good selection and the kids got some things that they liked. Then we went to Spirit Halloween, I didn't think they would be open yet as I usually go later in the month, but it worked out perfect. If you're a fan of Halloween and you haven't ever been to one of the Spirit stores then you don't know what you're missing. This place has literally a endless selection of Halloween items, as soon as we walked in the kids lit up, and admittedly so did I, there was just so much to look at and try out. The most interesting thing they have is the large animatronic displays, they were fun to look at but some of them were a bit too scary for the kids. I spent over 500 bucks on stuff, some of it was for the kids, but I admit most of it was for me, I just couldn't help myself I'm like a big kid when I'm Halloween shopping.

When we got home we had a party for them, and since they couldn't actually go out trick-or-treating we hid some candy around the house and we gave them clues to find it, and we also had a pinata filled with candy for them to beat up. Then to wrap up the day we played games and watched movies, after that the kids went to sleep and us adults talked about the things we want to do for Halloween this year.

I'm always looking for new ideas for Halloween traditions, and I think Little Halloween just became one of them, it's another way to bring some more Halloween into your life, and everyone could use more of that. Thanks Mike.

[Andybev01]

That...sounds awesome!

[TheHeadlessHorseman]

Thanks Andy, it sure was!

[Pumpkin_Head]

It sounds like you and the kids had a lot of fun, Headlesshorseman. My "Little Halloween" was not quite as extravigant, being that I don't have kids, but I had plenty of fun, playing records and watching movies. As I stated before, I was going to grill, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, so I ordered Dominos Pizza instead.

I will definitely look for a Sprit of Halloween store. That sounds like an awesome place, and I am still in need of other Halloween decorations.

Anyway, I'm glad this tradition is working out for everyone. A few of my Facebook friends did the same thing.

Mike