Liza Minnelli - "Maybe This Time"

Kander & Ebb wrote this haunting melody that feels oh so accurate for tonight’s presidential election.

There have been many many versions of this song and many more Sally Bowles’ but somehow this song never fails to stir hope and desperation within me. Aching, crying, need-filled hope. So here’s to hoping.

OH … and if you haven’t GO VOTE!

So today, with hope holding on by a thread, I choose Liza Minnelli’s version of “Maybe this Time” from Kander & Ebb’s “Cabaret” as my, keep believing, hold on to hope, cling to the possibility, song for a, twist the knife, be gentle with each other, save the sorrow for the sadness, Tuesday, Election Day.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - "I Put A Spell On You"

And sometimes a little spellcraft is exactly what you need to lift a curse and begin a new chapter.

Jalacy "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of songs such as "I Put a Spell on You", he sometimes used macabre props onstage, making him an early pioneer of shock rock.

Hawkins' most successful recording, "I Put a Spell on You" (1956), was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. According to the AllMusic Guide to the Blues, "Hawkins originally envisioned the tune as a refined ballad." The entire band was intoxicated during a recording session where "Hawkins screamed, grunted, and gurgled his way through the tune with utter drunken abandon." The resulting performance was no ballad but instead a "raw, guttural track" that became his greatest commercial success and reportedly surpassed a million copies in sales, although it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.

So today with magic materializing around me, I choose Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You” as my, make your you magic moments, call the corners, summon the spirits, song for a, the power is always within you, channel the gift, like sparks and lasers Friday of All Hallow’s Eve.

Happy Samhain Everyone.

Panic! At The Disco - "This is Halloween"

You better get ready because it’s coming whether you like it or not!

The Nightmare Before Christmas (also known as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas) is a 1993 American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of "Halloween Town" who stumbles through a portal to "Christmas Town" and becomes obsessed with celebrating the holiday. Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score, and provided the singing voice of Jack.[8] The principal voice cast also includes Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, and Ed Ivory.

The Nightmare Before Christmas originated in a poem written by Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator at Walt Disney Productions. With the success of Vincent in the same year, Burton began to consider developing The Nightmare Before Christmas as either a short film or 30-minute television special to no avail. Over the years, Burton's thoughts regularly returned to the project and in 1990, he made a development deal with Walt Disney Studios. Production started in July 1991 in San Francisco; Disney initially released the film through Touchstone Pictures because the studio believed the film would be "too dark and scary for kids".[9]

The film met with both critical and financial success, grossing $90 million since its initial release and garnering a cult following. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a first for an animated film. The film has since been reissued by Walt Disney Pictures, and was re-released annually in Disney Digital 3-D from 2006 until 2009, making it the first stop-motion animated feature to be entirely converted to 3D.

Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American composer, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He first became well known as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s,[4] and has since garnered international recognition for writing over 100 feature film scores,[5] as well as compositions for television, stage productions, and the concert hall.

Elfman has frequently worked with directors Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, and Gus Van Sant, with notable achievements the scores for 16 Burton-directed films including Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, and Dumbo;[6] Raimi's Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Oz the Great and Powerful;[7] and Van Sant's Academy Award-nominated films Good Will Hunting and Milk.[8] He wrote music for all of the Men in Black and Fifty Shades of Grey franchise films, the songs and score for the Burton-produced animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the themes for the popular television series Desperate Housewives and The Simpsons.[9]

Among his honors are four Oscar nominations, two Emmy Awards,[10] a Grammy,[11] six Saturn Awards for Best Music, the 2002 Richard Kirk Award, the 2015 Disney Legend Award,[13] and the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award in 2017.

Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith and Brent Wilson. They recorded their first demos while they were in high school. Shortly after, the band recorded and released their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005). Popularized by the second single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", the album was certified triple platinum in the US. In 2006, founding bassist Brent Wilson was fired from the band during an extensive world tour and subsequently replaced by Jon Walker. The band's second album, Pretty. Odd. (2008), was preceded by the single "Nine in the Afternoon". That album marked a significant departure from the sound of the band's debut. Ross and Walker, who favored the band's new direction, departed because Urie and Smith wanted to make further changes to the band's style. Ross and Walker subsequently formed a new band, the Young Veins, leaving Urie and Smith as the sole remaining members of Panic! at the Disco.

Continuing as a duo, Urie and Smith released a new single, "New Perspective", for the movie Jennifer's Body, and recruited bassist Dallon Weekes and guitarist Ian Crawford as touring musicians for live performances. Weekes was later inducted into the band's lineup as a full-time member in 2010. The band's third studio album, Vices & Virtues (2011), was recorded solely by Urie and Smith in 2010, produced by John Feldmann and Butch Walker. Crawford departed once the tour cycle for Vices & Virtues ended in 2012.

As a three-piece, Urie, Smith, and Weekes recorded and released the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, in 2013. Prior to the release of the album, Smith unofficially left the band due to health and drug-related issues, leaving Urie and Weekes as the remaining members. The duo recruited guitarist Kenneth Harris and drummer Dan Pawlovich as touring musicians for live performances.

In 2015, Smith officially left the band after not performing live with the band since his departure in 2013. Shortly thereafter, Weekes reverted to being a touring member once again, resulting in Panic! transitioning to a solo project presented by Urie. In April 2015, "Hallelujah" was released as the first single from Panic! at the Disco's fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor (2016). In December 2017, Weekes officially announced his departure from the band. In March 2018, Panic! at the Disco released "Say Amen (Saturday Night)", the lead single from its sixth studio album, Pray for the Wicked (2018), which was released in June.

With Halloween so close we can taste it, it’s time to start celebrating every spooky aspect of it, even the ones we don’t always love. The creepy crawlies are a darker part that we have to love. You need the tricks to get the treats.

So today, a chill wind at our backs, we choose Panic! At the Disco’s version of Danny Elfman’s “This Is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas" as my, haunts & hollows, spooks & spirits, devils & darlings, song for a, walk on the wicked side, a darker shade of magic, one spell over the line, Thursday.

Rockwell - "Somebody's Watching Me"

Kennedy William Gordy (born March 15, 1964), better known by his stage name Rockwell, is an American former musician and singer-songwriter who was signed to the Motown label. He is best known for his 1984 hit single "Somebody's Watching Me".

Some days, you’ve got be on the lookout, because the spirits are watching.

So today, looking over my shoulder, I choose Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” as my, if you feel it, it is, you already know, song for a, walk a little faster, shake off the chill, skip a step, Wednesday.

Ray Parker Jr. - "Ghostbusters"

We all have ghosts that need exorcizing. You just have to buckle up and do the work.

Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. He also performed with his band, Raydio, and with Barry White.

So today, ectoplasm everywhere, I choose Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” as my, somethin’ Strange, I thought I knew you well, little earthquakes, song for a, slimed, keep running, think your happy thoughts, Tuesday.

Bette Midler - "I Put A Spell On You"

Iconic. Hilarious. Over the Top. Fun.

Not much more needs to be said about this gem. If you haven’t watched it yet this season, go ahead and do so, because we just got the good news that an official sequel is going to happen.

So today, with happy memories swirling around me like leaves, I choose, Bette Midler’s iconic rendition of “I Put A Spell On You” as my, magic in the air, hope on the horizon, dreams in our eyes, song for a, sing us the songs of our ancestors, remind us of our majesty, listen to the wisdom that you’ve gained in the process, Monday.

As a treat I’ll give you her incredible 2015 live version as well.

Patina Miller & the RBC of "Pippin" - "Magic To Do"

To quote another incredible song:

“When you're weary, feeling small

When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all, ”

It’s the day after the battle that’s the hardest. Pull yourself back up, get your gear together, and remember that there is still the journey onward to your victory. Though you may feel covered in anxiety, rage, frustration, and anger, though you may feel them around you like heavy wet blankets clinging to you, though difficulty seems to be your constant companion, reach out, and find the warm hands waiting to help you to your feet.

Only together can we create the magic that swirls in our souls. Remember that the power lies within you and merely needs to be tapped. Reach out. Your love will catch you.

So, sloughing off my yesterdays, I choose Patina Miller and the Revival Broadway Company of Pippin’s “Magic To Do” as my, look forward, find the sparkle in the starlight, let go and lighten up, song for an, in front of you is your strength, remember your majesty, you are divinity in human form, Friday.

Modest Mussorgsky - "Night on Bald Mountain"

Some days you just need to hunker down and weather the $#!% storm as it washes over you in waves. You can’t always avoid the messy parts of life, so do the best you can to be prepared when you’ve got to wade through the quagmire.

Much like the wild ride of Disney’s Fantasia you’ve got to just hold on and make sure you make through with as many parts of yourself intact as possible.

Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five". He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period. He strove to achieve a uniquely Russian musical identity, often in deliberate defiance of the established conventions of Western music.

Many of his works were inspired by Russian history, Russian folklore, and other national themes. Such works include the opera Boris Godunov, the orchestral tone poem Night on Bald Mountain and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition.

For many years Mussorgsky's works were mainly known in versions revised or completed by other composers. Many of his most important compositions have posthumously come into their own in their original forms, and some of the original scores are now also available.

So today, holding on for dear life, I choose Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” as my, hold on, hunker down, look for the sunrise cresting the horizon, song for a, darkness cannot destroy light, remember to stand your ground, this storm too shall pass, Thursday.