October 31st is a very special night. It's the night that devils, demons, vampires and ghouls come out of their haunted houses and graveyards and do a Satanic dance to the light of the moon. And what song do they do this eerie and mysterious dance to? Well there's been one record that's been dusted off and played by every radio station, at every Halloween party and masquerade dance since 1962. That song is, of course, "The Monster Mash". You all know the song. It's become one of the most famous novelty songs of all time. Written and performed by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kicker 5, the Monster Mash is a yearly hit. In fact, it has gone down in music history as being the only song to hit the top 10 on Billboard's Top 40 on two occasions: first in 1962, and again after its re-release in 1972. However, while all the attention is turned to the song every year, very little is known about its composer and singer Bobby "Boris" Pickett. We know that Bobby Pickett was a multi-talented singer, songwriter, impressionist and actor. However, information on the man behind the Monster Mash is rarer than an albino werewolf. So when Verne and I were granted an interview with the performer in the fall of 2006 we jumped at a chance to crack the enigma that is Bobby "Boris" Pickett and to make an attempt to separate the man from the Mash. However, if we were entirely successful remains to be seen. Now read for yourself the story of a man, a monster and a Mash as

CONFESSIONS OF A POP CULTURE ADDICT PRESENTS

A VISIT WITH BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT:

HE WROTE THE MASH. HE WROTE THE MONSTER MASH. THE MONSTER MASH. IT WAS A GRAVEYARD SMASH!

Verne and I contacted Mr. Pickett via telephone in September of 2006.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett: Hello?

Sam: Hi! We're looking for Bobby "Boris" Pickett.

Boris: Speaking.

Sam: Hi! I'm Sam Tweedle and I'm here with Verne Pickford and we're from "Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict". We were in touch with you last week.

Boris: Yes.

Sam: About talking about your career?

Boris: How much time have you got?

Sam: Well how much time can you give us?

Boris: I can give you ten minutes.

Sam: Alright. No problem. Okay then, can you tell us the story of the Monster Mash? Where did the song come from?

Boris: : Well I can tell you the story and then you can go ahead and look it up.

Sam: Alright, but we'd like it in your words...

Boris: You can read about it in my book. But anyways the book is called "Monster Mash: Half Dead in Hollywood" and it's available on my website www.themonstermash.com. I was in Hollywood in 1961. I ran into four Italian-American boys from my neighborhood of Somerville Massachusetts. They were forming in an acapella doo-wop singing group. I joined the group. We did a song called "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds. I used to do the monologue as Boris Karloff. The audience would crack up. Lenny Capizzi, the leader of the group, said we ought to do a novelty record with that voice. I thought it'd do well. We met one Saturday afternoon in 1962 and the song wrote itself in about an hour and twenty minutes. We took it to the only person we knew in the music business, Gary Paxton who had recorded "Alley Oop" as the Hollywood Argyles. He was a hot young producer and he took one listen to it and he said, "This is a number one. I'll produce it. I'll get Leon Russell to play piano. I'll record it next Saturday," and the rest is history.

Sam: Do you remember where you were when you heard that the song had hit number one?

Boris: I was on an airplane.

Sam: And were you surprised?

Boris: I was eagerly anticipating it because it kept shooting up like a bullet so I was kind of anxious about it.

Sam: Now on your website you have quotes about the song by guys like Vincent Price and Elvis. What celebrity were you the most surprised to have learned listened to your song?

Boris: Elvis.

Sam: Elvis, eh?

Boris: Oh yeah. Sure. He's the king. The king of rock and roll.

Sam: Did you ever see the performance on American Bandstand when Boris Karloff actually recorded your song?

Boris: Yes I did.

Sam: Yeah? Did you know it was to happen, or do you have any thoughts on that?

Boris: I didn't know it was going to happen and I was watching TV and I saw it and I was pleased.

Sam: Did you ever meet Boris Karloff?

Boris: No I didn't. I'm in touch with his daughter Sara.

Sam: Oh yeah. Have you known her long?

Boris: Couple of years.

Sam: Do you do the horror convention circuit at all?

Boris: I do. I will be appearing at Chiller in New Jersey this coming Halloween.

Verne: Great convention. Mr. Pickett. It's Verne Pickford here.

Boris: Yes, Verne.

Verne: I was wondering with the "Mad Monster Party" and even in the 1970's with "Mad Mad Monsters", obviously they were inspired by your song. Did they contact you about that?

Boris: Well they don't contact me. They contact the publisher and the publisher gives them permission to use the song.

Verne: Did you know that they were going to use the songs? Because it seems like the movies themselves were inspired by the song. Were you aware they were going to do that?

Boris: No. Not until it happened.

Verne: And what did you think after you'd seen it?

Boris: I never did see them.

Verne: You've never seen "Mad Monster Party"?

Boris: No.

Verne: Oh...

Sam: Well, the Monster Mash is one of the greatest novelty songs in music history but do you feel that once you did the Monster Mash that you were slotted into the role of doing similar recordings like "The Werewolf Watusi" and "Bela's Bash?"

Boris: For awhile. Yes.

Sam: Did you ever manage to break out of that mold?

Boris: Yes I did.

Sam: Can you tell us about your later career?

Boris: Well my later career was more novelty records but not in the monster vein. I did a thing called "Star Drek" with Peter Ferrara, "King Kong, Your Song." Then I got back into it in the 90s with Frank Kellar. I did a think called "It's Alive."

Sam: Now you recently recorded something called "The Monster Slash"...

Boris: Yes. That was for the environmental people out of Washington D.C.

Sam: Do you have interests in the environment?

Boris: Yes.

Sam: Can you tell us a little about the song or the issue?

Boris: Well not to much about it because they had written out the lyrics and asked me if I would do it and I said I would. It had to do with slashing forests for oil and that sort of thing and I'm against that.

Sam: Now did you ever hear if George W. Bush and his administration had ever heard the song?

Boris: Oh, I doubt very much if they had ever paid much attention to such things.

Sam: Now did the song get any airplay? Was there any popularity for it?

Boris: It was popular on the internet.

Sam: We were also able to dig up on the internet a performance of the Monster Mash by rapper Bobby Brown and former boxing champ Mike Tyson...

Boris: Doing the worst version of the Monster Mash that I've ever heard or seen in my life. But funny. Very funny.

Sam: Yes, it was funny. Now, again, was that a surprise for you?

Boris: Yes it was.

Sam: But when you see icons like that performing your song do you find it at least flattering?

Boris: No I don't, but I hear the cash register ringing.

Verne: That's good enough.

Sam: That's one way of looking at it. Now we also read that you performed on the same stage as Van Halen when they were first starting out. Is that true?

Boris: I worked one Halloween with Van Halen in Hollywood in the late 70s. It was an okay experience, though I found David Lee Roth to be operating on a hyper level.

Verne: Mr. Pickett, I was wondering about The Monster Mash in the 1960s when there was the big monster craze. Did you do any tie ins with "Famous Monsters" or Forrest J. Ackerman?

Boris: I've known Forry Ackerman for many years but I've never done anything tied in with him other than the conventions where I'd run into him occasionally. He is a very big fan of a monster musical that I'd written with Sheldon Allman who had written "George of the Jungle". We wrote a musical called "I'm Sorry The Bridge is Out. You'll Have to Spend the Night." It was later made into a movie called "Monster Mash: The Movie" which is also available on my website, www.themonstermash.com.

Verne: I've seen the movie. I enjoyed it.

Boris: Oh. Thank you.

Verne: Now are you still in touch with Forry Ackerman?

Boris: No. I haven't seen him in many years.

Verne: Because I know he still does the convention circuit.

Boris: Yes. He did a book signing just before I did in a place called Dark Delicates in Burbank.

Verne: What about the Aurora plastic models that were, once again, popular in the 1960s? Did they contact you with anything to try to promote their product?

Boris: We have to make this clear. I was the artist and the writer of the song. They don't contact me for anything except to let me know that it's been licensed. Alright? The publishers handle all of that. The publisher handles the licensing and the use of the song and the use of the name. Very seldom... well... once in a while I'll get an e-mail but I forward it to the publisher. So I don't get any information until after the fact.

Verne: But you don't remember anything with Aurora plastics back in the 60s?

Boris: No. I wasn't paying much attention then. I was trying to become a serious actor.

Verne: Now can we talk about that then?

Boris: Well I've got about two minutes left but I'll talk about that briefly. I did a lot of episodic television and commercials and stuff like that but it never materialized for more than four and five obscure low budget films.

Sam: What films were those?

Boris: "It's a Bikini World". "Deathmaster". All the questions you're asking guys are all available on the website.

Verne: Now you were in "Lobster Man from Mars" and "Strange Invaders". I love and own both those films. Could you tell us what it was like working with Tony Curtis and Charles Lane? And did you enjoy making those films?

Boris: I had great fun doing "Lobster Man", but unfortunately, on the day my scenes were shot, Tony and Charles were not on the set. I did however meet Patrick Macnee of the British "Avengers" TV sensation. I was completely edited out of "Strange Invaders" and this was not a fun gig in any sense of the word.

Sam: Now according to the Internet Movie Database you guest starred on two of my all time favourite TV series, Petticoat Junction and Bonanza. You also did a spot on The Beverly Hillbillies. Can you share any memories from working on those programs?

Boris: Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies, they were good times. I was thrilled to work with Edgar Buchanan and the girls were very comely. Bonanza was unique, in that I played a corpse for five days, while Lorne Greene and 'the boys' held court on the set.

Sam: I have one last question. We read that your interest in films really started when your father managed a movie theatre.

Boris: He managed several of them. Yes.

Sam: Now were you mainly interested in horror films? Or was it all genres of films?

Boris: It was all genres of films, but horror films were my favourite.

Sam: What were your favourite films or monsters growing up?

Boris: Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Werewolf...

Sam: So the Universal monsters.

Boris. All the Universal ones.

Sam: And when you were doing impersonations on stage, besides Boris Karloff who else was in your repertoire?

Boris: You know, it's been a long time but I used to do Clark Gable, Walter Brennan, Truman Capote... many, many voices but it's been a long time since I've done them.

Verne:  Did you ever meet Rich Little or Frank Gorshin? And did they ever give you any advice ?

Boris: I never met Rich Little, but did run into Gorshin in New York and we had a nice conversation about Boris Karloff impressionists. No advice was requested and thank God, none given.

Sam: Well sir, thank you so much for your time.

Boris: Okay, and have a safe and Happy Halloween.

Thus ended our conversation with Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Did we come out knowing him better than we did before the interview? I don't really think so. I realized that Mr. Pickett's non-committal offering of information was the reason that very little information on his life and his career existed on the internet. Thus, Bobby Pickett is to remain and mystery and an enigma for another day. However, as long as kids are dressing up and looking for candy every October 31st we'll still be movin' and a groovin' to the Monster Mash. Bobby Pickett's song will be the ever-lasting testament to his show business career.

All content copyright Sam Tweedle 2006.