Jump to content

Monster Mash

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 162.84.200.170 (talk) at 06:48, 14 November 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Pickett was an aspiring actor who sang with a band called The Cordials at night while going to auditions during the day. One night, while performing with his band, Pickett did a monologue in imitation of horror movie actor Boris Karloff while performing The Diamonds' "Little Darlin'". The audience loved it and fellow band member, Lenny Capizzi encouraged Pickett to do more with the Karloff imitation.

Pickett and Capizzi composed "Monster Mash" and recorded it with Gary Paxton, Leon Russell, Johnny McCrae, Rickie Page and Terry Berg, credited as "The Cryptkickers". This song was partially inspired by Paxton's earlier novelty hit "Alley Oop", as well as by the Mashed Potato dance craze of the era. A variation on the Mashed Potato was danced to "Monster Mash," in which the footwork was the same, but monster gestures were made with the arms and hands.

The song is narrated by a mad scientist whose monster, late one evening, rises from a slab to perform a new dance. The dance becomes "the hit of the land" when the scientist throws a party for other monsters. The producers came up with several low-budget, but effective sound effects for the recording. For example, the sound of a coffin opening was imitated by a rusty nail being pulled out of a board. The sound of a cauldron bubbling was actually water being bubbled through a straw and the chains rattling were simply chains being dropped on a tile floor. Pickett also impersonated the horror actor Bela Lugosi as Dracula when he said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"

The song was released as a single on Paxton's Garpax Records label in October 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes. The "Monster Mash" single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 20 of that year, just in time for Halloween. It has been a perennial holiday favorite ever since.

Pickett, before live performances of the song, would claim that Elvis Presley had once called the song "the dumbest thing he'd ever heard", to which Pickett would retort "So Elvis if you're out there listening, we're still here" [1]

The single was re-released twice, first in 1970 and again in 1973, the latter reissue peaking at #10 on the Billboard chart. It was also released in the UK in 1973, where it peaked at #3 in early October. (The BBC had banned the record from airplay in 1962 on the grounds that the song was "too morbid".) It re-entered the British Charts again on November 2 2008,at #60.

"Monsters' Holiday", a Christmas-themed follow up, was recorded by Pickett and released in December 1962, peaking at #30 on the Billboard chart. The tune was penned by the renowned novelty song composer Paul 'Oops! upside ya head' Harrison.

In 1985, with American culture experiencing a growing awareness of rap music, Pickett released "Monster Rap", which describes the mad scientist's frustration at being unable to teach the dancing monster from "Monster Mash" how to talk. The problem is solved when he teaches the monster to rap. Then, once again, the skill is shared with other monsters.

In 2005, "Climate Mash", a version with re-written lyrics about global warming and new vocals by Pickett, was released on the Internet by the organization Clear the Air.

In April 2007, Bobby "Boris" Pickett died of leukaemia in Los Angeles aged 69. Pickett was still performing his 'Three Hit Wonder' until 2006. He often joked at his shows, "And now I'm going to do a medley of my hit".

Cover versions

  • Horror punk group The Misfits covered this song on their album Monster Mash, and Project 1950.
  • British ska band Bad Manners released a cover of the song on their 1980 debut album, Ska 'n' B.
  • Vincent Price recorded a version of the song in 1977.
  • The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band covered the song for their 1969 album Tadpoles. Their performance of the song on the set of the British television series Do Not Adjust Your Set is also contained in a DVD compilation of the series.
  • Horror film actor and DJ Mike Raven performed a version of the song on the music show 2 G's and the Pop People, in 1972.
  • Cult reggae band The Toyes recorded "Monster Hash", a cover with the lyrics altered to be about marijuana use.
  • The Beach Boys covered the tune on their 1964 album Beach Boys Concert.
  • The Bollock Brothers covered it.
  • Kidz Bop Kids covered the song on the 2004 album Kidz Bop Halloween
  • Horror rock group Zombina and the Skeletones covered this song on a Halloween 2007 EP released for download from their MySpace page.
  • The Mexican surf band Lost Acapulco covered the tune with alternative lyrics on their EP titled Que Monstruo son, the song was retitled as the album.
  • A parody entitled Do The Freak appeared in the animated series Captain N: The Game Master.
  • The Ill Repute covered the song on their 1985 album Omelette.
  • An unofficial remixed version with a backbeat from a "Love Generation" remix was released by DJ Kris Fresh on Oct. 30, 2008.

Occurrences in the media


References

  1. ^ YouTube - Bobby 'Boris' Pickett - Monster Mash
  2. ^ The Simpsons Archive: I Love Lisa episode capsule
  3. ^ YouTube - Mannheim Steamroller - Monster Mash - official video
  • Bathroom Reader' Institute (1991). Uncle John's Fourth Bathroom Reader. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-06484-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number one single
October 20, 1962 (two weeks) 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monster_Mash&oldid=251724308"