October 19th, 2026...Never to late to haunt...

Greetings, friends, readers, Halloween enthusiasts, or whoever you are...

Halloween is closing in on us, and if you're like me, you've either decorated, or you'll soon be decorating your house for Halloween night.  I enjoy decking my house out even though I don't get many kids up my steep hill.  One of the most important parts of creating the atmos-fear is sound.  The music is what leads Trick-or-Treaters to believe Pumpkinland is so scary.  I don't usually have too many props out, but I always have my Pumpkinland music blaring out of every window.

Put some time into creating the right atmos-fear not only with your decorations, but with SOUND.
If you are in need - guess what?  I've GOT what you need.  Have a listen - it doesn't cost anything and you can download the music fast and easy.

Pumpkinland is the original "hauntscape" I recorded back in 1999 for my first home haunt

Pumpkinland II followed in 2000 and was recorded due to the incredible success I had with the original "hauntscape".

Pumpkinland III was recorded in 2001 and was recorded to complete the trilogy.

Each Pumpkinland Halloween "Hauntscape" can be downloaded for $7 each.  Money well spent.

Check 'em out!

Mark Harvey

October 18th, 2026...The origin of Halloween colors

Greetings and salutations:

I found this, here...read on...

"Have you ever wondered about the origin of Halloween colors? It is the custom of the celebration to use orange and black in decorations and costumes. Retailers embrace this holiday because it’s one of the most lucrative of all.

As the Celtics are given the most credit for beginning the holiday as the festival of the harvest, a color of autumn is used. Orange, being the most prevalent autumn tone, is derived from the pumpkin and leaves.

Many people use pumpkins hollowed out as urns or vases to hold masses of fall mums or carve them into ghoulish or scary jack-o-lanterns with lit candles or mini electric lights inside to cast an eerie glow.

The color orange also signifies strength and endurance. We don’t know if that is for the holiday or strength and endurance at the harvest time. Since the Celtics were involved in wars with Julius Caesar, they may have believed the color orange gave courage to those who wore the color during battle. Little is know about this idea.

Halloween was once (and still may be in some areas) a festival of the dead. Death is usually associated with darkness and absence of light signified by the color black.

Black cats, witches hats, cauldrons, and streamers are a few of the items that are reminders of the holiday. Most candies at this time of year are in black and orange wrappers.

Traditionally, Halloween is always celebrated after sunset. The blackness of the night cloaks the revelers and hides their misdeeds or tricks if they don’t receive any treats.

Walking into any retail store that carries Halloween costumes, candy, or decorations, you will find masses of black and orange items. You know that it’s Halloween time, because the distinctive color combination is only used for this season. Not too many people use this color combination for their house or clothing!

The exact origin of Halloween colors is unknown, but we all know that with practice and use, the uncommon becomes commonplace."

Happy Haunting!

Mark Harvey

October 17th, 2026...The History of the Jack O'Lantern.

Greeting friends and fiends...

Here's a little story for you...

The History of the Jack O'Lantern
The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.
Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.


Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 16th, 2026..Richard McGhee ***Star Vocalist*** an October favorite

Greetings and salutations,

Around this time of year, I get really lonely for Richard McGhee. Here is a FREE MP3 download of Witchcraft (click here) by Richard McGhee *Star Vocalist* recorded at the Rain Station's Halloween Bash that we had many years ago. This tune features Richard McGhee *Star Vocalist* (click here to check him out LIVE). The track was taken from a live recording (off the board) at a Halloween party at the Rain Station. We hired Richard McGhee *Star Vocalist* to be the entertainment at our party, and I got a first-class recording of his show.

Such a perfect time of year to celebrate Richard's life (see what I wrote about him in a previous post by clicking here). Such a perfect song for the Halloween season. His spirit lives on in my memory, and his determination to be THE *Star Vocalist* that he was inspires me every day to live my life to the fullest.
Your comments are appreciated.

Enjoy!

Mark Harvey

Click here if you can't figure out where you're supposed to click to download the song.

October 15th, 2026...Against The Knife

Greetings and salutations,

This may not be a Halloween-time post, but this track came on today, and I felt like I needed to post it.

Have a listen. Enjoy the track.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey

October 14th, 2026...Halloween Cartoons!

I'm sure you've noticed that Halloween is my favorite time of year. Something about the October sky. The air. The rustling leaves. The Halloween cartoons!

If you haven't already purchased them, be sure to buy "Mad Monster Party", "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" this season. Sure beats waiting around for them to air on TV!


I can remember when I was a kid (before VCRs and DVDs) sifting through the TV Weekly trying to find out when "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was going to be on TV. "Mad Monster Party" hardly ever played on TV (due to its running time) so I was elated when it became available on DVD. "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" really captures what Halloween was like for me growing up. The story line: Charlie Brown is thrilled to have been at last invited to a costume party. His costume consists of a bed sheet with far too many holes in it (very befitting of Charlie Brown). Snoopy's costume consists of the goggles and scarf of a World War I flying ace. He is in search of his nemesis, the Red Baron. Linus prepares for the arrival of The Great Pumpkin, whom he believes will rise from the pumpkin patch and deliver presents to all good little boys and girls who believe in him. In the end, Charlie Brown finds himself with a treat bag full of rocks; Snoopy once more fails to bring the Red Baron down; and Linus spends the entire night in a pumpkin patch, waiting in vain for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. This the second of Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez' animated Peanuts specials, the 30-minute "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" was first telecast October 27, 1966.

Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is based on characters created by Burton, the former Disney animator best known as the director of "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", "Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", and the first two "Batman" movies. This a story of Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington (voice by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs), who stumbles on a strange and fascinating alternative universe called ... Christmastown! Directed by Henry Selick (who later made the delightful "James and the Giant Peach"), this PG-rated is suited for kids of all ages. As Roger Ebert noted in his review, "some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen."

For some homegrown Halloween fun be sure to check out the animated cartoons by Jay Moores for Rain Station's Halloween spectacular, DARK RIDE...and visit JackOLantern.org!






See the spooky animations for the songs:
CANDY
TRICK OR TREATIN'
MONSTER HUNTER
THINGS
DAY OF THE DEAD
TOMB OF DOOM
HAUNTED MAN
DARK RIDE
and a BONUS track NOT found on DARK RIDE...IT'S HALLOWEEN and SCIENCE!!!

Happy Haunting!

Mark Harvey

October 13th, 2026...Rain Station's DARK RIDE turns 26...

Greetings and salutations,

TWENTY-SIX years ago Jay and I released Rain Station's DARK RIDE, and after all these years I'm still as excited about this CD as I was when it was released.  Let's rewind the clock...here's the backstory (for those who don't know).
Back in the Fall of 2000 (Due to my online presence on 13thTrack.com Halloween Radio), I was invited to The Universal Studios Hollywood Eyegore Awards. The Universal Studios Hollywood Eyegore Awards are presented for achievement in the horror and sci-fi genre. So, on Friday, October 13th, Jay and I trekked down to LA to be there, interview some folks, and get some station IDs for 13thTrack.com, as well as interview some of the winners for an article that I wrote.  I can't find the article yet, but I'll keep looking and post it here.

The winners that night were:
* Joss Whedon
* Casts of Buffy and Angel
* Karen Black
* Gloria Stewart

* "The Undertaker"

I knew I was going to be meeting some people that night (Rob Zombie, Karen Black, Alyson Hannigan, Bill Moseley, Joss Whedon and more) and I figured it would be cool to record a Halloween CD to hand out to the folks we meet - you know, see if we can land that big record deal or get our music placed in a horror film, on TV...something. Rob Zombie had recently launched his Zombie A-Go-Go Record label (now inactive), and since I've always been a fan of HALLOWEEN and rockabilly (gothabilly), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to push out another CD in 2000 (we had released "Stonedozer" earlier that year). So Jay and I put this together quick style and did what we set out to do. Funny how I remember working at the Gelb Music consignment shop and writing lyrics.  I had rough mixes on cassette and an old tape player. In between customers and phone calls, I'd try to pen lyrics.  I remember being a bit frantic because I knew we had a deadline, and I'd agreed to work extra shifts to cover a vacation. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when I record - or at least I try to be - and in this case DARK RIDE just wasn't going to get the time I would normally put into a CD.  Amazing enough, the disc turned out despite the lack of time. Once we got back to the Bay Area from the "gig," we decided that the CD was pretty good, so we mastered the disc with George Horn (Chief Mastering Engineer) at Fantasy Records in Berkeley, CA.

It still amazes me that we recorded this entire CD in probably two or three weeks. The disc got some great reviews as well...and although I know I've blogged this far too many times, here goes again (the reviews):

Underground DJ from Haunted Attraction Magazine

Now it is time to run away and join the carnival. "Step right up and see the amazing, the unbelievable, the available for your attraction CD, DARK RIDE by Rain Station." A journey through a veritable midway of new music written for old pretzel rides. The use of sound effects is limited only to those that help create the feel of the piece. The styles of music range widely from Heavy Metal beats through old time Rock and Roll to the almost cutesy Trick Or Treatin'. This nostalgically fun selection, took me back to my early days as a young zombie, heading out on Halloween with the lust for candy in my heart. The CD would be great for line entertainment or a party, with a little bit for every taste and some of the beats are infectious.

Larry McKenzie HalloweenMagazine.com

DARK RIDE by Rain Station is one of the most unique Halloween music CDs I have ever heard. DARK RIDE has 13 music tracks. Each track is a good mixture for Halloween. A bit mysterious and dark, yet very fun. The DARK RIDE CD would be great for an adult Halloween party. If you are a Halloween enthusiast and are looking for more Halloween music for your collection, you should visit http://www.NobodyRecords.com/ and listen to the MP3 samples from the DARK RIDE CD. I am happy to have this CD as part of my Halloween music collection. I sincerely recommend visiting Nobody Records and listen to a track or two.

Underground Entertainment

(This) offering is more of a Halloween party CD, especially suited to be played in queue lines or on the midways of Scream Parks. It contains thirteen tracks of rock/alternative style music with Halloween themes. You'll find titles such as "Monster Hunter", "Haunted Man", "Black Lagoon", "Trick or Treatin'", and "Broom Hopping". This one is fun and is a CD that should be added to the collection of anyone interested in assembling a music anthology of Halloween related material.

Chaotic Order

Curious mix of Porno for Pyros and White Collar Crime with a penchant for Halloween. Best use would be on the soundtrack for the upcoming Scooby Doo movie.

Happy Halloween Magazine

Looking for a Halloween CD with an edge, this is the one to get. Available from Nobody Records, Rain Station's Dark Ride packs a gritty, heavy metal sound that conjures an auditory image of purgatory. While this is not normally the type of music I listen to, for Halloween...it works! The raspy vocals lend a dark, almost visceral feel to the accompanying music. Contains 13, new, original hits...

Jay made some "videos" for some of the tracks on DARK RIDE. Check all of them out here.
DARK RIDE is one of my all time favorite projects. Perhaps it is because we didn't over analyze it, we had a timeline and had to bang it out. Perhaps it was because we got to be completely goofy. Rain Station music can sometimes be awfully serious and this disc is nothing but pure fun. Perhaps it was the thrill of getting to give copies of our CD to folks like Rob Zombie and Karen Black. Perhaps it was the Halloween theme.
The road trip to Universal Studios with Jay is a very fond memory for me. It felt like we were on tour.

Watch DARK RIDE cartoons HERE
JackOLantern.ORG Animation from J.E.Moores on Vimeo.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DARK RIDE!!!

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey