Well, here we are! It’s been a great week! And after a week of hand-wringing… pearl clutching… and great deliberation, you have decided! The toppermost ghoulie tune ever is:
“Let’s just say that it has paid the rent for 43 years.”
Bobby “Boris” Pickett in 2004
Monster Mash Facts:
👻 The 1962 song was somewhat inspired by the “Mashed Potato”, a dance celebrated by Dee Dee Sharp on her record, Mashed Potato Time.
👻 On the recording, Pickett does impressions of three famous horror movie icons: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi (as Count Dracula) and Peter Lorre (as Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant Igor.)
👻 One of the backup singers on the record was Darlene Love.
👻 The BBC banned the record in the UK, calling it “too morbid”.
But in 1973, more rational heads prevailed, and the song reached # 3 in Britain.
👻 For reasons unknown, Pickett waited 25 years after his big hit release – until 1989 – to finally license the song for TV and movie use.
👻 In 1985, Pickett recorded a follow-up called Monster Rap, where the mad scientist attempts to teach his creation… how to rap:
👻 Pickett continued to perform continuously until 2006, just five months before he died of leukemia at the age of 69.
Congratulations to Bobby “Boris” Pickett for a silly graveyard smash that will likely be a part of Halloween for generations to come.
And thanks to all for participating in the week’s fun! Happy Halloween!
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I had a lot of fun coming up with conceptual posts. I will miss this, lovethisconcept.
Thanks so much. Your comments were a highlight of the entire contest.
Congratulations on the creativity for these posts, LTC. I couldn’t vote in all of them, but it was fun to read.
I am so glad that you enjoyed them. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone’s choices and reading the comments. And, of course, looking to see what MT came up with for illustrations!
Mash good!
I’m picturing/hearing this from Peter Boyle.
That was a great series! Hopefully there’s one on Christmas songs too!
I had actually been considering that as the next one, only because there just aren’t enough Thanksgiving songs to make a contest. I mean, there’s Alice’s Restaurant and…Alice’s Restaurant. Makes for a short contest.
Well, let’s not forget this classic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqGkbVXSaKU
And then there’s…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AORGKS6y_qI
Well done love. This was a fun ride this past week.
Thanks! I had a lot of fun with it.
I wish we had gone darker or more contemporary, but you can’t argue with the classics. Monster Mash is a fun song and I hope it keeps living on. But I hope we can anoint some new legends too!
I have a good feeling that this will be next year’s winner:
https://youtu.be/VVD7hRWdUVM
My hat’s off (with my head in it) to LTC for a fun week of songs and comments!
Licensed in 1989 makes sense because it was sure part of this millennial’s childhood. Congrats to Monster Mash, it’s a graveyard smash!
Actually heard “Monster Mash” at a public park; a post-Little League game potluck/Halloween party combo. It dawned on me. “Rawhead and Bloodybones” isn’t really a party song.