Casper The Friendly Ghost "Haunted House Tales" (Peter Pan, 8131, 1975), "Casper And The Demon Of Darkness - Book & Recording" (Peter Pan, 1976)
I've had a few requests for a non-rapidshare version of my rip that I circulated last October (the same file is being shared in my comments section), so here it is: Mr. Casper the Friendly Ghost as released on Peter Pan records in the mid-1970's. I had both the full LP and the book & record version of the first story as a kid (though for some reason "The Scariest Halloween Ever" off of Haunted House Tales became "Casper and the Demon of Darkness" when it was released as a stand alone single) and even given my propensity for "the scary stuff" I got a surprisingly large number of listens out of them. The Harvey world was such a strange mixup; characters based on devils, ghosts, and witches but all soaked to the core with edgeless cuteness. However much I liked this record though, I'm still kicking myself that I never ordered off for these:
(Click to expand)
Did anyone here buy them when they came out or (far better still) have them to pass around now? C'mon -- anyone?
Link Removed
Link Removed
posted by Jason at 3/15/2006 07:14:00 AM
27 Comments:
As much as I generally didn't like then, and don't like now - Casper -a one-note-samba if ever there was one - I have to admit I played this book & record to death (didn't have the LP) around Halloween! Ziggity-Zee, Ziggity-Zing! Demon of Darkness, come on the wing! I tried calling that chant out many times, the mutha never did show up at my house though. :)
3/15/2006 10:50 AM
Yeah, Hot Stuff was really the Harvey winner for me; he at least had a streak of mischief. I have a great issue of Devil Kids where he gives his Granpa Blaze (seen swearing up a storm in every panel) a tape player so he can listen to the "sweet sound of cussin'" all day long on his birthday. Now that's class!
3/15/2006 10:55 AM
Now, wouldn't it be cool if THAT is what was on that Hot Stuff record that you posted the ad for??!!!
3/15/2006 11:05 AM
Heh, yeah. The only other online mention of these records I've been able to find doesn't make it sound too likely though:
"In the 1970s, Harvey Comics put out a series of 7" singles with songs about their roster of kiddie cartoon stars, including Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, Sad Sack, Little Audrey, Baby Huey and more. The records (available by mail order only) were studio-produced pop with not too much effort put into either melody or lyric. A sample: "Hiding from Spooky/ 'Cause of the kooky/ Booing of Spooky/ The tuff (sic) little ghost." And yet somehow, all of these songs linger in my consciousness three decades later."
3/15/2006 11:08 AM
I guess they just re-named it to sell records beyond Hallowe'en.
Scariest Hallowe'en ever probably wouldn't sell well in December.
Dr.Terror
3/16/2006 1:22 AM
The Sad Sack and Nap Sack Song? Interesting. Sad Sack was my all-time favorite of the Harvey gang, but I'd also reach for the Hot Stuff and Spooky comics.
3/16/2006 5:50 PM
I loved every one of those Harvey comics. Intrestingly enough I just won a copy of the Casper "Haunted House Tales" LP off from ebay that hadn't even been opend yet. I wish I had seen your blog entry sooner I would have kept it sealed. Dang my timing some times. It was the first time I'd heard the LP. Thanks for the links. I never paid much attention to those ads in the comics becuase my parents wouldn't allow me to order any of them. My brother ordered that Charles Atlas program for body building. What a joke. Bunch of double talk, and BS near as I could tell as a 7 year old.
3/17/2006 10:18 PM
Just found this for sale on ebay:
Richie Rich & Casper Records Ad
Very much related to this topic.
3/17/2006 10:36 PM
Wow, cool -- thanks Dave. Never saw that ad or knew about those records at all! Hopefully they'll eventually worm their way out of oblivion too.
3/18/2006 11:28 AM
Ah, upon closer inspection these two songs look to be identical to the ones on the Casper/ Ritchie single pictured on the ad I posted (at least if that little space capsule behind Casper is any indicator, I'm guessing "The Casper Songs" & "Whatcha Doin' on the Moon" are one & the same). I guess that's at least ONE less thing to try & find.
3/18/2006 12:16 PM
I know somebody who ripped the Harvey Comics Rock and Roll songs a while back.
It was re-released on a CD compliation that has since gone out of print.
Ahhh!Memories!
6/23/2006 1:14 PM
I had the Harvey records, ordered from that very ad! Yup, they were pretty bad, and yup, I listened to 'em constantly when I was a kid.
From memory, possibly paraphrased:
"but the smile he brings / to our own heart strings / keeps us comin' back / to be with Sad Sack"
"pigtails and red dresses / in and out of messes / I guess she more or less is / the prettiest girl in town" (Little Audrey)
"richie rich and casper / joining together / hoping they can give you all a smile / richie rich and casper / joining together / hoping they can make your day worthwhile"
"don't food around / with Hot Stuff / just like a match / he'll burn"
"Casper, Casper / whatch'a doin' on the moon? (Lemme ask ya) / Casper, tell me why (Casper, Casper) / floatin' like a big balloon (only faster) / up there in the sky (Casper, Casper) / hey, diddle diddle / the cat and the fiddle / the cow jumped over the ghost on the moon / please find someone to pry him loose / I don't even care if it's mother goose..."
(The Moon song, as I recall, and even allowing for the difference in taste between an 6-year-old and a 36-year-old, was far and away the best of 'em, so if you have that already, I wouldn't expend too much effort finding the others...)
11/24/2006 5:07 PM
Oh, good lord:
This box set features eight of the tracks from that set - tracks 7-14 on Disc 2. Thanks to the magic of Amazon.com, you can listen to little snatches of those songs at the link above...
11/24/2006 5:10 PM
Thanks for posting this album. I loved this as a kid and it brings back good memories. I can't seem to find any information about harvey records..or the actual voice actors who recorded this. They did a fantastic job and it would be fun to learn a little history of the harvey players.
3/01/2008 4:51 AM
May be jumping ahead of myself but here is in 'chronological' order. After that early childhood scared by my brother playing 'sounds to make you shiver', I never know what to expect. So when I asked and got (when I was a kid originally) "Casper And The Demon Of Darkness - Book & Recording" (Peter Pan, 1976)" I remember imagining in my mind what it would sound like. Boy was I wrong when I got home, but I also remember that I didnt understand the storyline, and some 'pictures' didnt match 'audio'. I played it again and again. I know we don’t have the record, but I think we still may have the book. However, jumping ahead of myself, I remember something strange. The name of a childrens record called “WHERE DO YOU HIDE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE?” was not on a “Casper” but on this 45 rpm series: “Sesame Street A Treasury of TV Songs and Stories” remember this? A series of 45 rpm records with no further identification than the names of selections? My friend had them, I saw them elsewhere, and I found a stack of them at a used book sale many years ago. I think I still have them. Also now that I remember “Demon Of Darkness” I replayed the ZIP file after all these years…now I get it!!! You must understand, I have Attention Deficit Disorder. Also I may have heard “WHERE DO YOU HIDE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE?” half of it once or twice during childhood, but that is all. Also after hearing the audio files I gotta ask the question: WHERE DID YOU GET THE “CASPER” THEME MUSIC IN STEREO? Peter Pan did release records in Stereo, but I am not sure about this particular set.
11/02/2008 7:51 PM
Let me correct my english: "May be jumping ahead of myself but here is in 'chronological' order. After that early childhood scared by my brother playing 'sounds to make you shiver', I never knew what to expect...." at that time.
I LOVE STUFF LIKE THIS KEEP EM COMING. I have a ton of ideas for posts, that WILL blow your mind. I have allready made 2 annomous posts allready.
11/02/2008 7:52 PM
"Wow, I was about 8 years old when I had this album back in about 1977. I haven't heard these stories in over 30 years. When I played it for the first time the other night, I felt like a little kid again. 'Kudos' to whoever posted this old album." =) 'J'
2/24/2010 7:33 PM
I had the "where do you hid in a haunted house" and "the creeky staircase" and a song that had "friendly ghosts come out to socialize". I've been lookin for that album at junk/antique stores for years
2/26/2010 7:07 PM
I had the "where do you hid in a haunted house" and "the creeky staircase" and a song that had "friendly ghosts come out to socialize". I've been lookin for that album at junk/antique stores for years
2/26/2010 7:07 PM
and the back of the album had a game on it. you had to use a penny
2/26/2010 7:09 PM
THESE RECORDS WERE INGRAINED IN MY BRAIN!!! "HERE'S RICHIE RICH-THE RICHEST KID IN THE WORLD" IF ANYONE HAS ANY OF THESE IN MP3 FORM I'LL GO NUTS!!!!
4/02/2010 10:55 AM
I bought the first of the 45s which had "Richie Rich, the Richest Kid in the World" on one side and "Casper, Casper, Whatcha Doin' on the Moon" on the other. I probably still have them somewhere, but nothing to play them on.
12/21/2010 4:49 PM
My dad has the Hot Stuff record. I've recently been singting the song in it's entirety for my friends and I need to find it online.
2/22/2011 5:43 AM
Casper A Trip To Ghostland is tge lp you all are looking for.
7/31/2015 10:41 PM
Do you have any more info on this cd?
4/07/2017 3:28 AM
Halloween Favorites: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf6e8gGa_DPNqJTiDGpiM5WWC0gSXgDM-
4/07/2017 3:32 AM
I made a playlist of all the pertinent audio recordings I have found on Youtube so far:
Halloween Favorites: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf6e8gGa_DPNqJTiDGpiM5WWC0gSXgDM-
4/07/2017 3:34 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home