Casey’s Really Scratchy Record Collection Presents: Monster Mash. Bobby"Boris" Pickett

In 1962, Bobby Pickett was an aspiring actor in Los Angeles who also sang with a local rock n roll band called the Corsairs. One night while goofing around on stage, Pickett sang a couple of songs imitating  Boris Karloff. The audience loved it and soon after Pickett  and band member, Len Capizzi wrote ba song called, the Monster Mash, which would hit #1 Halloween weekend 1962 and become a horror music standard.

The Monster Mash was recorded and released by Garpax records, a southern California label owned by the legendary, Gary S. Paxton. Paxton had earlier produced a big hit with another legendary novelty record called, Alley Oop.

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In addition to the single, Garpax released a whole album of horror rock tunes sung by Pickett called, The Original Monster Mash. Among the various studio musicians who allegedly can be heard on the record are Leon Russell and Mel Taylor, The Ventures longtime drummer.

The single not only hit #1 on the U.S Billboard Chart in 1962 but charted again in 1970 and hit #10 in 1973. Although it was banned in Britan when it was first released in '62, for being "too morbid", it went to #3 in '73 and, amazingly, charted again in 2008. To date, Monster Mash has sold over 4 million copies.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett went on to release more horror related singles to little notice. He appeared in small roles in  several tv shows and movies and wrote and produced two musicals, The Bridge Is Out, You'll Have To Spend The Night and Frankenstein Unbound. The former was made into the 1994 film, Monster Mash: The Movie.

Pickett made appearances throughout the years, sometimes performing the song live. He remembers singing the song once at an event back in the seventies backed by a then unknown rock band named, Van Halen.

He passed away in 2007 but his song lives on every Octiber. Take a listen and have some fun, it's Halloween, for crying out loud.

--Casey Redmond
   October 31, 2017
   Shangri-La, Ohio

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