Bobby "Boris" Pickett released the "Monster Mash" (and other monster-themed tunes) in 1962, and we’ve been dancing along with Dracula and his son ever since! Although the public loved the Halloween hit, several record labels rejected it, and the BBC banned it for over a decade for being "too morbid."
Nonetheless, it climbed to the top of the charts that October, and soon everyone was doing the “Monster Mash” (even though the lyrics never actually describe a dance) well past Halloween! Keeping the holiday spirit alive, Pickett decided one "Monster Mash" wasn’t enough. Thus, "Monster's Holiday" was born.
'MONSTER MASH' VS. 'MONSTER'S HOLIDAY'
Capitalizing on the success of “Monster Mash,” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers gave it another spin; a holly-jollier spin. Just four months after the monsters and ghouls started partying, they moved on to a new activity: robbing Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Where "Monster Mash" tells the tale of a monster coming to life at the hands of a scientist and bringing the other monsters together to supposedly celebrate Halloween, "Monster's Holiday" follows those same creatures as they go to great lengths for the Christmas gifts they want. When they encounter Santa (with clever references to "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), Old Saint Nick gives them everything they’ve asked for, despite their attempt to steal his sleigh and bag of goodies. Realizing they never needed to rob Santa in the first place, the monsters look forward to his return the following year!
"Monster's Holiday" uses the same tune and melody as "Monster Mash," very much embracing the cliché “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” While the sounds differ, from a coffin’s creak to sleigh bells ringing, both songs call on the same cast of monsters and bring a lighthearted twist to creatures that are supposed to be scary.
'MONSTER MASH' AND OTHER VARIATIONS
But Pickett didn’t stop with Christmas! He also released songs like "Monster Motion" and "Monster Swim," each mirroring "Monster Mash" with new lyrics and updated monster scenes.
Twenty years later, with the world still under the spell of "Monster Mash," Pickett dropped "Monster Rap" in 1984. In 2004, he released "Monster Slash," a political parody criticizing George W. Bush’s environmental policies, followed by "Climate Mash" in 2005, which protested global warming and the government’s failure to act. The artist passed away in 2007.
Was Pickett onto something with this melody, or is it just infused with monster magic? Whatever the secret, generations after its rise from the grave in the early ’60s, we’re still playing "Monster Mash" on repeat every Halloween!
The real question is: can you do the mash? Can you do the “Monster Mash”? Or would you rather surround yourself with presents and Christmas cheer? Either way, Bobby Pickett has a song for you!