I think if I hear The Headless Horseman one more time...

my head will explode.

Well, okay. Not really. But still, I've been listening to swing, jazz and big band music from the 1920's-early 1950's for the last week in preparation for Saturday's party.

We decided to keep the library authentic. Very little light (and some lamps that just might be haunted) and all music must be from the early part of the 20th century and of course, Halloween themed.

Normally, the library is set to look like the Treasure Room from the Disneyworld Adventurer's Club (rip AC). But during Halloween, we re-do it to look more like the library from Tower of Terror that you watch the Twilight Zone episode in. That room is also set in the 1930's.

Keeping it authentic means I had to replace certain songs from my 'library' playlist with other, older songs. And figure out what to do with classics like Sting's "Moon Over Bourbon St" and Squirrel Nut Zippers "Hell". Both of those are too offbeat to play in the main party room. I might leave Devil Doll & Jill Tracy on the list for now because they might be new but they sure sound like they are from the 1940's.

So far, I have:
~~vintage~~
The Headless Horseman - Kay Starr
Ghost Riders in the Sky - Peggy Lee
Old Devil Moon - Rosemary Clooney
Me & The Ghost Upstairs - Fred Astaire
Ghost of Smokey Joe - Cab Calloway
Devil's Gonna Get Ya - Bessie Smith
Witchcraft - Frank Sinatra
Old Black Magic - Louis Prima
Wobblin Goblin - Rosemary Clooney
The Yodelin' Ghost - Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters
Quoth the Raven - Ella Mae Morse
Halloween - Betty Grable

~~modern jazz that could/will be filler as it blends nicely**~~
Hell - Squirrel Nut Zippers*
Who's That Creepin? - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy*
Moon Over Bourbon St - Sting*
Doomsday Serenade - Jill Tracy*
You Put a Spell on Me - Devil Doll*
(pretty much anything else by Jill Tracy)

I'm not sure I want to include the early 1950's/1960's pop Halloween novelty songs like Monster Mash & Monster Movie Ball in the library as I think the room is best suited for jazz, swing & big band. Beyond that, you get too modern. I'd like to keep everything from pre 1949.

At 10 pm, we will break from the music and play the original 1938 broadcast of the Mercury Theater's "War of the Worlds". I wish we could play at 8 pm for authenticity but I fear there won't be many guests yet at that point.

I'd like to include some old radio commercials mixed in with the songs, hopefully some for old horror films.

Music plays a huge part in the annual Halloween party. The really modern (1970's-current) songs will be played in the main rooms. The entrance music will be organ music and narration from the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion.

I spend almost as much time on the music as I do the decor. Really.

Now to finish the lighting effects. Greg is bringing over the strobe lights on Friday and Friday night will be our last night to set up lighting in the entryway. I'll post some pics when it's all done.