Monster Mash

by

Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Cryptkickers

Album: The Monster Mash      Released: 1962

US Chart: 1     UK Chart: 3

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Pickett was a nightclub entertainer who performed with a group called The Cordials. He wrote this with his friend Lenny Capizzi. They were both big horror movie fans, and Pickett would do an impression of actor Boris Karloff (known for playing the monster in many Frankenstein movies) during the speaking part of "Little Darlin'" that went over well in his act. As Capizzi played the piano, he and Pickett put together this song with his Karloff impression in mind. They came up with the plot about Frankenstein's monster starting a dance craze.

Pickett took the song to Gary Paxton, who was lead singer of The Hollywood Argyles, who had the hit "Alley Oop." They recorded the song Paxton and studio musicians Leon Russell, Johnny McCrae and Rickie Page, who were credited as "The Cryptkickers."

This is a dance song based on the "Mashed Potato" dance craze, which is where The "Mash" in the title comes in.

This being 1962, many of the sound effects had to be created in the studio. The songs effects on the song were done as follows:
The coffin being opened was made by pulling a rusty nail out of a lump of wood with the claw of a hammer.
The bubbling sounds came from blowing through a straw in a glass of water.
The sounds of the chains was made by dropping chains onto plywood planks on the record studio floor. (thanks, Graham - Windsor, Australia)

This is arguably the most successful novelty song of all time. Bobby Pickett accomplished the rare feat of reaching the top 100 music chart 3 times with the same song. On October 20, 1962, the original release hit #1 in the US. The song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 on August 29, 1970 peaking at #91, and then again on May 5, 1972 when it went all the way to #10. The song has sold over 4 million copies and continues to be a Halloween favorite. (thanks, Mike - Mountlake Terrace, WA)

In the UK this song was felt to be offensive and was banned from the airwaves until 1973. It was re-released in 1973 and the song rose to #3 in the charts in the UK. By this time Boris Pickett was a 32-year-old part time New York cab driver. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

Paul Harrison, who went on to write "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," came up with a Christmas version of this song called "Monster's Holiday," which was released in December 1962.

This has been used in several TV shows, including Cheers, The Simpsons and Happy Days. It's also been used in the movies Halloween III and Sweetheart's Dance. In 1995, Monster Mash: The Movie was released, starring Pickett as Dr. Frankenstein.

Boris Karloff loved this song. He performed it on a special Halloween edition of the variety show Shindig! on October 30, 1965.

Artists who have covered this song include The Beach Boys, The Misfits, Mannheim Steamroller and Sha-Na-Na. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France, for above 2)

"Monster Mash" was the nickname of basketball player Jamal Mashburn.

Pickett was diagnosed with leukemia in 2000 and died in 2007. In his autobiography Monster Mash: Half Dead In Hollywood, he wrote: "Gone is that conditioned, morbid fear of physical death. I feel that psychological death is much more grueling and painful. Besides, to quote the great Bela Lugosi as Dracula, 'To be dead... to be really dead... that must be glorious!' Poor guy. A vampire's half-life must really suck."

Around Halloween in 2004, Pickett re-recorded the song as "Monster Slash." The new version was a protest against President George W. Bush and his support for logging, mining and other environmental policies Pickett felt were harmful. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

The third re-release for this song in 1973 was a #1 hit in Australia, spending over 20 weeks on the Top 40 charts. (thanks, Graham - Windsor, Australia)

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Comments:

Bobby Pickett was a big fan of Boris Karloff . It was known that while Karloff was still living at the time Boris had recorded the song ; he walked into a music store (sinced he had heard the song himself), and a friend of Mr. Pickett ( a girl ) walked up to the actor and said , "Mr. Karloff , I know who wrote the song the 'Monster Mash' ; and he's a big fan of yours. " Karloff answered back saying , "I love his song!"
- Mike, Franklin County, PA

Sometime around 1980 (1982?) there was a parody of Newsweek magazine written by the Harvard Lampoon. One of its finer articles consisted of the lyrics to this song, but written as a news story.
- Mark, Lancaster, OH

I find it interesting that after the first hit with the song, neither of the other two times it made the Billboard Hot 100 was around Halloween, which you would assume would be the most likely time.
- Allan, Vanderhoof, Canada

This was greatest Halloween song of all time. I stil enjoy hearing it every year, especially the brief drum solo near the end. Over 20 years after its initial release, Pickett recorded a sequel that I remember hearing on The Dr. Demento Show titled Monster rap. It was also a graveyard smash.
- Howard, St. Louis Park, MN

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