Ghost Ballads

Description

Every Halloween, at Real Gone Music, we delight in exploring all the cultural, ghostly, and other manifestations of the holiday. And in doing so, we follow a tradition centuries old, if not as old as humanity itself.This 1957 album on the Riverside label takes you back to merry old England for a collection of 12 ballads about the supernatural, many of which are drawn from Francis James Childs' legendary book, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, and sung with gusto by folklorist and singer Dean Gitter. One interesting thing to note about these songs: unlike the Hollywood version of ghosts who "live" to frighten the living, many of the poor souls in these songs have returned to soothe the grief of their loved ones.This gives a very different "twist" to your typical Halloween record, and a most haunting listen. And you get to gaze at the incredible album cover by legendary New York cartoonist Charles Addams while you do it!