BOBBY PICKETT AND THE ROLLING BONES

For Halloween yesterday, I posted some fun with a recording of "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, released in 1962. Reportedly, every October it has over 2 million streams on Spotify.

“It was an amazing time to be cutting records,” the record's producer Gary Paxton said in ‘95. “The day we cut ‘Monster Mash,’ Herb Alpert was in the same studio cutting ‘Brave Bull,’ and Jimmie Rodgers was recording his hit, ‘Honeycomb,’ at the studio, too. My attitude toward this project was, ‘Yeah, sure it’s a hit—just give me a check and some copies for my friends and family, and I’ll be happy.’ Gary Paxton did all the audio effects, like the straw in a glass of water to get that bubbling lab sound. Gary pulled the rusty nail out of a board to get the coffin creaking sound; he dragged chains across the linoleum floor to get the chain effects. My part of the record was done in a half hour.”

For those wondering what was on the B-side of the single, it was a song titled "Monsters' Mash Party". Leon Russell played piano on the track after arriving late and missed playing on "Monster Mash".

"The Monster Swim" was a follow-up to "Mash" released in 1964 and didn't do as well as its famous predecessor. This is from American Bandstand, October 31, 1964.

THE MONSTER SWIM

Bobby Pickett and the Rolling Bones

RCA Victor 1964

Producer: Al Schmitt

[Intro, Bobby "Boris" Pickett]

My name is Boris, and back in '62

The Crypt-Kickers and I brought The Monster Mash to you

But now it's a different bag, and mashing is a drag

When the lights grow dim we now do The Monster Swim

All you would-be monsters come on in

Boris is going to show you how to Monster Swim!

[Verse 1, Bobby "Boris" Pickett]

It's something like The Zombie, but not so slow

A lot like The Gravedigger, but not so low

We can't do The Monkey or even The Dog

'Cause they've both been eaten by the blob

[Chorus 1, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, The Rolling Bones]

We do The Swim

It's a poolside smash

The Monster Swim

It's bigger than Thе Mash!

[Verse 2, Bobby "Boris" Pickett]

Here we arе swimming under the full moon

The werewolf and the Creature from the Black Lagoon

Dracula, what do you think of my new smash?

"Whatever happened to The Monster Mash?"

[Chorus 2, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, The Rolling Bones]

It's now The Swim

It's a poolside smash

The Monster Swim

It's bigger than The Mash!

[Verse 3, Bobby "Boris" Pickett]

Frankie and Igor are a welcome sight

And Vampira flying in out of the night

Even the beetles are shaking their domes

Bouncing to the swim band of The Rolling Bones

[Chorus 3, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, The Rolling Bones]

They do The Swim

It's a poolside smash

The Monster Swim

It's bigger than The Mash!

[Outro, Bobby "Boris" Pickett]

"Hngrrr, grrr swim good!"

Give it a try, Igor!

"Rargh!"

"The Swim is a gas!

It's better than The Mash!"

"Rargh!"

Man, it's out of sight!

"Rargh!"