A Brief History of “The Monster Mash”
Chances are that the majority of those reading this don’t know me in person - so appropriately enough, it’s only fair that I disclaim one thing: I’m an unabashed fan of Halloween and the scary movies, and downright bizarre music that tag along with the last day of October (my Mom’s even born on the holiday!).
So I thought it could be a nice break from the regular, up-to-the-minute posts of the happenings of celebrity, movie, and music culture that BSC brings you daily, to introduce you to some of Halloween’s most familiar theme songs.
First up? The classic (and arguably the biggest) of them all - 1962’s novelty song “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett.
Pickett, a wannabe actor was making a living touring with bandmates in the group The Cordials, when one Boris Karloff-inspired monologue later, a schtick was created that the audience (and some certain songwriters) loved so much, the end result became one of the most beloved (albeit compltely campy) “Monster Mash”
It’s of course narrated by a mad scientist who was working in his lab late one night, when a posthumous recreating of a corpse arose “from the slab” and began to teach the twisted doc a new swagger - the mash.
According to Pickett (considering the guy said it before every live performance of his hit), Elvis Presley himself called the song “the dumbest thing he’d ever heard”, and the song was even banned by BBC (UK) for being ‘too morbid’ in ‘62.
To say that since its release the record has become a part of pop culture is an understatement. Everyone from Ron Howard (on Happy Days) and castmembers of The Simpsons, to Mike Tyson and Bobby Brown (yes– collaboratively) and Mannheim Steamroller have contributed their versions.
Pickett himself sadly succumbed to leukemia complications on April 25, 2007 in Los Angeles and is survived by a daughter and two grandchildren.
POSTED BY: DJ Sidekick
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