Whatever happened to Spooky stories recordings?

[HardyGirl]

I know that sometimes you can still find Spooky Sounds CDs here and there, but I haven't seen any Spooky stories recordings in a long time. I also know that today's generation are very visual, but are listening to spooky stories at this time of year really a thing of the past? Do your kids listen to them? What was your favorite spooky story record/tape when you were a kid?

[Hedji]

Oh, I love them. LOVE them. Famous Monsters Speak. Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Ghostly Sounds. Headless Horseman (Karloff). Sounds to Make You Shiver. Haunted Mansion.

Halloween records were my bread and butter as a kid. What fuel for the imagination!

In answer to your question, what happened to them is the internet. Now, kids can get freaked out by viral ghost videos, or internet memes of creepy girls in mirrors who will get you if you don't share the pic on Facebook. Blecch.

I have gotten to the point of collecting more Halloween music and stories than I have time to listen to. It's a bit of an obsession with me. I used to make a mix CD every year just for my family members. And as I was inspired by the storytelling aspect, I would record my own audio drama skits with my Wife and Daughter.

Here's one that we recorded a few years ago. (I think this is the first time I shared this with the "world", so yeah… enjoy.

[HardyGirl]

That was pretty darn cool! I can tell a lot of effort went into that. Your family is pretty funny, too! Well done!

Oh, I love them. LOVE them. Famous Monsters Speak. Chilling Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Ghostly Sounds. Headless Horseman (Karloff). Sounds to Make You Shiver. Haunted Mansion.

Halloween records were my bread and butter as a kid. What fuel for the imagination!

In answer to your question, what happened to them is the internet. Now, kids can get freaked out by viral ghost videos, or internet memes of creepy girls in mirrors who will get you if you don't share the pic on Facebook. Blecch.

I have gotten to the point of collecting more Halloween music and stories than I have time to listen to. It's a bit of an obsession with me. I used to make a mix CD every year just for my family members. And as I was inspired by the storytelling aspect, I would record my own audio drama skits with my Wife and Daughter.

Here's one that we recorded a few years ago. (I think this is the first time I shared this with the "world", so yeah… enjoy.

[Werewolf]

I also know that today's generation are very visual, but are listening to spooky stories at this time of year really a thing of the past?

I would say the reason is it is cheaper and easier to slap together a CD of seasonal cover songs and sound effects then go to the effort of writing a story and hiring a voice cast.

[HardyGirl]

Maybe...but there are plenty of spooky stories that have already been written. And Boris Karloff, Alfred Hitchcock, and Wade Denning all did their own narration and some spooky sounds. With today's technology, I would have thought someone might have thought to do that.

I would say the reason is it is cheaper and easier to slap together a CD of seasonal cover songs and sound effects then go to the effort of writing a story and hiring a voice cast.

[Mikey]

James Earl Jones should be doing these in his retirement years.

Shame the powers that be don't see this.

[wayne foundation 07]

Our library carries a good selection of them on audio books. You remember "The Halloween Tree" ?