Record sleeve for the 1962 single.
"Monster Mash" is an American novelty song released on August 25, 1962 by Bobby "Boris" Pickett[1] and the Crypt-Kickers. The lyrics were written by Bobby Pickett and Lenny Capizzi. It was released both as a single and as a full-length LP known as The Original Monster Mash, containing several other monster-themed songs.
Summary[]
One evening, a mad scientist named Boris sees the monster that he has created rise from his slab and perform a dance called the Monster Mash. The dance quickly becomes popular with other monsters. Ghouls come to Boris' castle to join in the fun and "get a jolt" from the mad scientist's electrodes.
A party is organized which is attended by zombies, the Wolf Man, Dracula and his son. At the party, Boris' assistant Igor plays the "Monster Mash" song on chains while howling dogs accompany him. The song is also played by bands called the Coffin Bangers and the Crypt-Kicker Five.
Dracula briefly becomes angry because the Monster Mash has overtaken the dance that he created, the Transylvania Twist, in popularity. He soon, however, comes to accept the situation. Boris tells listeners that the Monster Mash is also a dance that living humans can perform. He invites the listeners to come to his castle.
The song ends with the sound of Igor enjoying the dance and Boris calling him a "mad impetuous boy".
Reception[]
The song became #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for two weeks beginning October 20, 1962 and has since become a Halloween classic. The song has been re-released on numerous occasions and has re-entered the Hot 100 at least three times: in 1970 (#91), 1973 (#10) and again in 2021 (#37). It has been covered by numerous other artists over the years.
The song was not an immediate hit in the UK. In 1962 it was originally banned by the BBC as being "too morbid", though the song was later featured on a BBC TV show called Juke Box Jury and performed by a novelty group called The Children of the Night. It was re-released as a single in the UK in 1973 and peaked at #3 that October.
Composition[]
The song is in G major with 70 BPM and the singing range is G major, A minor, E minor and D major.
Footnotes[]
- ↑ The name is a reference to British actor Boris Karloff, who became famous after playing Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein. In the song's vocals, Pickett imitates Karloff's voice.