Occult & Bizarre Spoken/Narrative
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The secret knowledge of all mankind, the Black Arts, witchery, otherness, ethereal powers, parapsychology, paranormal activity, cosmic overlords, mystic forces, "outsider art," inspired dementia, enlightened hallucinating, transcendental meditation, kooky cults, alien torturers, cattle mutilation, rains of frogs, the zodiac -- all of these and more are the Stuff of Life for a few eccentric people who happened to have tuned into a different station. Whether "spoken word" (narrative) or music or some combination of the two, occult records can be impossible-to-find cult documents or 1960s camp classics. Most of the best and strangest narrative records have occult themes. And dark, spooky musical records run the range from serious attempts at Satanic rock (Black Widow) to hip, electronic "Black Mass" material (Mort Garson's Moog LPs, a Les Baxter soundtrack) to the ubiquity of astrological references and songs. But nothing beats the craziness of a lone southern voice ranting against the "Cosmic Watergate" or the "Red Torture" of communists firing laser beams from satellites. Space is the place. Mort Garson, Bruce Haack, Moondog, Sun Ra, Eden Ahbez, Harry Partch, Marlin Wallace, John Rydgren, and others all explored various musical terrain "where no man had gone before" and likely could never return, at least not easily. And there are others, from accomplished musicians with a penchant for astrology to the elite, "Fortean event" crowd of paranoid eccentrics. Apart from Haitian and Cuban sacred cult music, and quirky Christian evangelists, this is the Twilight Zone of records. THE WORLD ENDS TOMORROW AND YOU MAY DIE! |
Occult/Bizarre Spoken LPs
| Rating | |
| 7 | Cannonball Adderley Presents Love, Sex, & the Zodiac; Fantasy F-9445; 1972 (spoken w/music) |
| 7 | Cannonball Adderley Presents Soul Zodiac; Capitol SVBB-11025; 1972 (2-LP; spoken w/music) |
| 8 | Cannonball Adderley Presents Soul of the Bible; Capitol (2-LP; spoken w/music) |
| 6 | Yogi Adonaiasis: Getting It Together; Universal Awareness Record Corporation UA-722 (2-LP; lounge act/occult) |
| 6 | American Society for the Occult Sciences: How to Develop Your ESP/The Facts About Witchcraft; ASFOS LP-OS-119; 1973 |
| 9 | Arica; 1972 (NYC meditation group; occult/exotic/out/psyche/sitar; 2-LP, no label or #; Side 4 is "Water Music") |
| 9 | Arica: Audition; 1972 (same as above except Side 4 is 6-part "Mantram") |
| 8 | Arica: Heaven; Just Sunshine JSS-11; 1973 ("Arica Rhythm & Movement Band") |
| 5 | William P. Ayers: Directed Relaxation; Columbia [custom] XCTV-9306 (same-sided LP) |
| Hubert J. Bernhard, narrator: Life Among the Stars; Stellar Ventures "The Planetarium Lecture Series No. 1" (Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences) | |
| Hubert J. Bernhard: The Christmas Star; Stellar Ventures "The Planetarium Lecture Series No. 2" | |
| 9 | Hubert J. Bernhard: The UFOs; Stellar Ventures "The Planetarium Lecture Series No. 3"; 1967 |
| Hubert J. Bernhard: The Mysteries of Mars; Stellar Ventures "The Planetarium Lecture Series No. 4" | |
| 8 | Black Widow: Sacrifice; United Artists UAS-6786; 1970 (satanic rock; 2 cuts also on "The Occult Explosion"--see below) |
| -» | Blowfly (spoken w/music; nasty party rap) |
| 8 | Bob B. Blue: Are UFO's a Reality--The B.B. Blue Project; B&A 1001; 1974 (spoken w/music; FM radio DJ w/KNAC--CA) |
| 6 | George L. Boston (narr.): The Final Houdini Seance; Mark56 691; 1975/1936 (occult; spoken; featuring the voices of Mrs. Harry Houdini & Dr. Edward Saint) |
| -» | Kent Bowman (stories in Pidgin English) -- see Vinyl Safari/Hawaiian |
| 8 | Neil Brahe, D.D.S.: The Magic Power of Enthusiasm in Dental Practice; Project D 2680 (spoken; motivational) |
| 6 | Russ Burgess: Developing Your ESP Powers; APB Records ABP-3268 (spoken; self-produced; Massachusetts) |
| 4 | Kasey Casem: Astrology for Young Lovers |
| 8 | Robert & Earlyne Chaney: Out of Time Into Eternity; Astara Foundation; 1960 (spoken; organ intro/finale by Donna Morgan; somewhat Christian but definitely out-there/SubGenius California cult; "Astara Esoteric Record Library, Church Service Extension--Record No. 1") |
| 7 | Bonita Claudian/Bob Goemann: Godzilla--King of the Monsters; Wonderland WLP-312; 1977 (kids tales: "Godzilla vs. the Alien Invasion" & "Godzilla vs. Amphibion") |
| 6 | Pat Collins (the hip hypnotist): Sleep with Pat Collins!; GNP Crescendo GNP-93 (spoken/lounge-act) |
| 6 | Miss Pat Collins (the hip hypnotist): Turn On [The Power of the Mind--Songs & Self Suggestions]; Warner Bros. WS-1721 (spoken/music/lounge-act) |
| 7 | Frank Edwards Presents Flying Saucers--Serious Business; RCA Victor LPM-3749; 1966 (spoken; UFOs) |
| 1 | Harvey Sid Fischer (lounge act/astrology) |
| -» | Mort Garson (occult Moog) |
| 7 | Venerable Mahathera Henepola Gunarathan: Buddhist Devotions--Theravada Tradition; Sheikh Tapes and Records SRLP-002 (spoken; English translations by Edwin H. Kaplin; not strictly occult but best fits the idiom) |
| 9 | Johnny Gunn w/Don Ralke: Introspection IV; Warner Bros. WS-1372; 1960 (spoken w/music; WILD poetic narrations "flip-end vignettes") |
| 7 | Louise Huebner's Seduction Through Witchcraft; Warner Bros. WS-1819 (occult; spoken w/music; "cybernetic music by Louis & Bebe Barron") |
| 7 | Iasos: Inter-Dimensional Music Through Iasos; Unity UR-700; 1978 (early New Age, nearly spiritual soul jazz) |
| 9 | Will Jima: The UFO Message; Jima AE-1974; 1974 (spoken w/electronic effects) |
| 9 | Will Jima: Revelation 666; Jima AMD-1975; 1975 (spoken w/electronic effects) |
| 6 | Kreskin: The Basic Principles of Kreskin's ESP; Shelby Singleton SSS International LP-100; 1976 (spoken) |
| 5 | Timothy Leary, PhD.: L.S.D.; Pixie CA-1069 (spoken) |
| 8 | Timothy Leary: You Can Be Anyone this Time Around; Douglas 1 (spoken w/music; w/Jimi Hendrix) |
| 8 | Victor Lundberg: An Open Letter; Liberty LST-7547 (spoken w/music; right-wing but intriguing, as if Charlton Heston were John Rydgren channelling Art Linkletter) |
| 6 | Tom Mains & Johnny Temple: Techniques for Meditation; Plantation PLP-18; 1976 (spoken) |
| 9 | Malachi: Holy Music; Verve V6-5024; 1966 (Allen Ginsberg-endorsed; mouth-harp) |
| 6 | Roy Masters: Your Mind Can Keep You Well, Part 1 (Psychocatalysis Part 2); Foundation of Human Understanding ACA-4151; 1968 (Los Angeles; spoken; stress-relief instruction) |
| 6 | Charles McKinley: The Voice of Charles McKinley in a Dynamic Concept of Self-Hypnosis; McKinley-Smith LP-1962; 1962/1959-60 |
| 7 | Long John Nebel Reveals the Flying Saucer Story; American Music Library AML-201 (spoken; UFOs) |
| 8 | Long John Nebel: Highlights of Long John Nebel's World--About Flying Saucers/Rudolph Valentino Seances; Fog Hill M-102 (spoken; UFOs/occult) |
| 8 | John Newland (narrator): UFOs--The Credibility Factor; CBS/Columbia House 1P-6422; 1975 (spoken, several speakers; UFOs) |
| 8 | [Anthony] Norvell: 20th Century Philosopher; Horoscope HR-158 (spoken w/piano; "Transcendental Meditations") |
| 7 | Vincent Price: Withcraft-Magic; Capitol SWBB-342 (2-LP; spoken) |
| 8 | Don Robertson: Dawn; Mercury/Limelight LS-86067 (exotic/out/psyche/sitar) |
| 7 | Richard Russell: Discover Yourself Through Astrology; Uni 73011/3011 ("The Story of Your Sign in Words & Music"; words by Roger Christian) |
| 6 | Tony Scott: Music for Yoga Meditation & Other Joys; Verve V6-8742 |
| Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 1; EK (spoken) | |
| Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 2; EK (spoken) | |
| 6 | Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 3--Reincarnation & Karma/The 3 Jewels of Eck-The Doctrine of Eckankar; EK (spoken) |
| 6 | Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 3--Reincarnation & Karma/The 3 Jewels of Eck-The Doctrine of Eckankar; EK (spoken) |
| 6 | Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 4--Eckankar is Life/Death is the Doorway of Life; EK (spoken) |
| 6 | Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 5--The Dream Master/The Vairag-The Detached State of the True Chela; EK (spoken) |
| 6 | Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 6--The Dangers of Prophecy/The Eck Vidya-The Signs of the Akashic Records; EK (spoken) |
| 6 | Paul Twitchell: The Voice of Paul Twitchell on Eck Vol. 7--The Eternal Concepts of Divine Wisdom/The Power & the Glory; EK (spoken) |
| 7 | Anton Szandor La Vey: The Satanic Mass; Murgenstrum MM-6660; 1968 (recorded live at the Church of Satan, San Francisco, Friday the 13th) |
| -» | Marlin Wallace (outsider music) |
| 6 | Alan Watts: Om--The Sound of Hinduism; Warner Bros. WS-1723 (spoken w/music) |
| 8 | Martha Wentworth as The Old Sea Hag: Terror Tales!; Liberty LST-7025; 1959 (Louise Heubner-esque original horror tales w/effects) |
| 8 | Henry Wolff/Nancy Hennings: Tibetan Bells; Island SMAS-9319; 1972/1971 (w/Drew Gladstone; gatefold; non-gatefold reissue: Antilles AN-7006; 1973) |
| 7 | Henry Wolff/Nancy Hennings: Tibetan Bells 2; Pacific Arts PACR7-110; 1979/1978 |
| 7 | Henry Wolff/Nancy Hennings: Tibetan Bells 3--The Empty Mirror; Celestial Harmonies CEL-027; 1988 |
| 5 | Uncredited: The Gift of Tongues [Glossolalia]; Scepter/Mace MCM-10040 |
| 7 | Various: Here History Began--Sound & Light--Pyramids & Sphinx; Republic of Egypt Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities; 1961 (2-LP; spoken w/music; "From the Maxims of Itah-Hotep") |
| 8 | Various/Nat Freedland: The Occult Explosion; United Artists UA-LA067-G2; 1973 (2-LP; spoken/music; Nat Freedland-introduction, Louise Huebner-witchcraft, Stanton T. Friedman-UFOs, Barbara Birdfeather-astrology, Peter Hurkos-psychics, Craig Carpenter-Indian magic, Anton LeVey-satanism, Alan Watts-meditation, Dr. Thelma Moss-ESP, Indra Devi-yoga, Rosemary Brown-Spiritualism/"Grubelei", Black Widow-"satanic inspired rock recordings") |
Partly Occult/Bizarre Spoken LPs
| Rating | |
| 7 | The Aquarians: Jungle Grass; MCA/Uni 73053; 1969 (music; w/Aguabella; "The Aquarians") |
| 6 | Eddie Gale: Black Rhythm Happening; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84320 ("Look at Teyonda" features William Norwood; trumpet-led but mainly vocal) |
| -» | Rudy Ray Moore (nasty party rap; spoken w/music) |
| 4 | Jimmy Smith: In a Brown Paper Wrapper; Verve V6-8800; 1971 (music; "Astrology Song") |
Hyp Records is a 3-part guide:
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