Session #9
Artist: Bobby (“Boris”) Pickett and The Crypt Kickers : The Original Monster Mash
Time: 30 minutes
Calories: 201
Songs: 12
Calories burned per minute: 6.70
Calories burned per song: 16.75
Robert George Pickett was known by the pen name Bobby “Boris” Pickett and was an American singer, best known for co-writing and performing the 1962 hit novelty song “Monster Mash.” His father was a theater manager and as a nine-year-old, he watched many horror films. This undoubtedly influenced him with his later aforementioned novelty tune. The song was a spoof on the dance crazes popular at the time, including the Twist and the Mashed Potato, which inspired the title. The song featured Pickett’s impersonations of veteran horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (the latter with the line "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?”). It was passed on by every major record label, but after hearing the song, Gary S. Paxton agreed to produce and engineer it. Among the musicians who played on it was pianist Leon Russell. Issued on Paxton’s Garpax Records, the single became a million seller, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks before Halloween in 1962. It experienced a few surges throughout the years, but it is basically Bobby Pickett’s legacy. He also did some film work and other attempted parodies (one on Star Trek) but only “Weird Al” Yankovic dominates in that category. So essentially “Monster Mash” starts off the whole album, and truly it is a scene setting. You know the tune (it WAS a graveyard smash after all! #seewhatididthere )and have heard it, so after hearing it, the supposition is that the listener understands it is an international super hit and all the monsters want to write a similar (apparently similar SOUNDING) tune to cash in, too. You get a first hand account of this through the next tune “Graveyard Shift “ as told through the eyes of Igor and “master”. It really is just a filler over some background music. Bug out music, daddy-o! “Blood Bank Blues” is next and comes from Dracula’s POV. He needs some blood man! The thing is, this record is decent, the music is good, but it is just so dated and almost juvenile. It really only holds one place and that is on your turntable for a Halloween party. Family friendly fun. More comedy Halloween skits are performed via “Rabin-The Fiendage Idol”. This time the werewolf Rabian chimes in. Tons of terrible puns, so of course I love it. “Monster Holiday” quickly comes behind. Gotta hit the Christmas market too, you know! Even the undead like to celebrate Christmas! No $#!+ it sounds exactly like the “Monster Mash” part two. Followed, of course, by another skit type tune called “Monster Minuet”. Not Monster Minute - which is about the length of this song. This one is all about the rise of Pickett and his song. Boy, SOMEBODY is really up on themselves… Side two appears to be more of the same. Draco gets to chime in about his “Transylvania Twist “. It’s basically an instrumental tune, but it IS catchy…for a bloodsucker. “Sinister Stomp” is finally another actual tune, but again a Monster Mash re-hash. Bobby, Boris, baby…you gotta get a new shtick man! At the very least a stomp should be surfer similar. I think all of these various characters are meant to be the Crypt Kickers, but it’s not 100% clear. “Me and My Mummy” is a love crooner that follows and it’s set up between Drac and a lady Mummy. I feel like Drac is a poor lamenting schlub who gets the short end of the stick on a lot of these tunes. Poor dude’s just out for blood, man. “Monster Mash Party” is literally a skit about the…successful run of “Monster Mash” where…all the monsters…celebrate it’s/their success?? Definitely good for your Halloween party, though. “Bellas’ Bash” is another instance where Drac attempts to create another #1 hit. I don’t know, maybe I was wrong about Drac…maybe he’s just a spiteful, obsessive, vengeful Monster (#seewhatididthere ). He needs to chart a hit, man! The album ends with “Let’s Fly Away”- which is really just talking between Vampyra (spelling?) and Dracula that sounds suspiciously like sex. I am going to be honest here, I am not entirely sure I fully comprehend what is happening here. So, yeah, it’s a fun, but emphasis on the juvenile Halloween record. It’s pretty much only worth it for “Monster Mash”. The rest is just unnecessary filler.
Bobby (“Boris”) Pickett and The Crypt Kickers : “The Monster Mash”
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