I obsess way too much about both horror films and novelty music to have gotten every song I thought of into last years list.
As usual, there will be a ridiculous amount of other trivial information written into the questions, many of which have two parts. Plus, they all have a bonus question (which may have two parts as well), because I can't help myself. Feel free to give yourself one point for each part. Heck, give yourself however many points you want for each part. It's not like there are awards, and I'm certainly not keeping count. I'd like to think if there was going to be comparisons with anyone else, everyone would use the same scoring method out of basic human decency.
On second thought, just stick to one point each.
Many of the links in the questions and answers lead to YouTubes of the songs and or scenes. (And, as always, some lead to a previous time I have talked about them.) The YouTube links will likely wither and die over time, but everyone knows how to use search engines now, right?
It's time to have some more fun probing the warehouse of useless stuff that is my brain with questions about several more haunted hits.
#1. Speaking of Haunted Hits. This was the title of an album from the Queen of Halloween herself- 1988's Elvira's Haunted Hits. She had no narration on the album, but it did come with a mail in offer of a poster of her, which may or may not have adorned my dorm throughout my stay at RPI. She did record one track for the album, obviously filled with entertainingly humorous innuendo, about a common phase for various horror flicks. What was the name of the song? Also, (since I learned some more stuff which filled up and took over the bonus question) what's Elvira's real name?
Bonus Question-
Her follow up album 1992's Elvira Presents Monster Hits, contained an intro and outro narration track by the Mistress of the Dark, and five songs by other folks. (Two of which were on the first album, which may be why I never bought it.) Elvira performed two really catchy numbers on this one. They are not question answers because the first time I heard them was making this list. (Proving I do have an ulterior motive. Hey, they're really good!)- "Here Comes the Bride (of Frankenstein)" was written by (and featuring) the B-52's Fred Schneider, and "Monsta Rap" was written by John Paragon. Oh right. I'm supposed to have a question here. Paragon was a fellow alumni of the famous Los Angeles improv group: The Groundlings. He appeared in the important (to my family) films Pandemonium and UHF. He was also a regular on the TV show of another Groundling, who Elvira was lifelong friends with and she had a cameo the first movie he starred in, playing not Elvira but "Biker Mama of Satan's Angels" and credited under her own name. What's the movie, which will also name that Groundling? A bonus bonus point for knowing the role John Paragon played on that man's TV and stage show.
#2 Speaking of horror hosts, I'll throw this one in for my Mom. (As my awesome parents are the source of both my horror and novelty song fandom.) This Cool Ghoul started in Philadelphia but in 1958 moved to make New York his home. He hosted television horror movie presentations on and off for well over a decade, has done both straight oldies and horror themed radio shows, played a non-ghoulish wizard on Captain Kangaroo, cameoed in multiple films including the important (Not even to my family... just me) Frankenhooker, and released a whopping four albums, where he talked through (and sang a bit) in various spooky numbers, with some mixed in sound effects. His biggest hit was from his first album the year he moved to NYC, (with the assistance of none other than Dick Clark who requested a less violent version for American Bandstand) detailing a meal with a Vampire. It went all the way up to number SIX on the billboard charts. Who performed this "song," reciting creepy poems along with rock n' roll backing and what is the title?
Bonus- After getting a degree in Illustration at Syracuse his daughter, Bonnie, worked for a greeting card company. Then, after becoming art director, changed jobs and went to Hasbro. With the patent submitted in August 1981 and approved in August 1983, she was one of the main designers of this famous Eighties toy line which not only took off in that decade and the one following (once "pretty" in its title was changed to "little") but had a huge (some might say "Magic") resurgence in the 2010s.
#3 While KISS has been often associated with Halloween, going back to their appearance on Paul Lynde's Halloween Special, with Margaret Hamilton and Witchie-Poo, people all rock bands should have met, this is not their song. Born Chiam Witz, one member of KISS took his stage name as a tribute to this rockabilly performer, predominantly known for one ridiculously catchy Halloween song, about a spooky home which was a 1964 cover of Johnny Fuller's 1958 release. (Apparently a good year for fun horror songs.) Who is he and what is the song?
Bonus- The performer of this song started on Sun records and before releasing anything with them spent a couple years as an opening act for which of his famous labelmates?
#4 To continue with ridiculously catchy, goofy, spooky songs- Returning (AGAIN!) to 1958, this "B" movie classic, featuring a growing amorphous monster, had a theme song with a killer sax solo, performed by a group of studio musicians named after five of the film's title monster, and peaked at number 33 on Billboard's charts. It was written by Hal David (Mack's brother) and a hugely important composer of twentieth century music, who garnered three Oscars, (Sadly, none for this film. Two in 1969 for the score and a song sung by B. J. Thomas in the same film and another in 1981 for a film's theme sung by Christopher Cross.) two Golden Globes, an Emmy, a Bafta and a Drama Desk award. What is the song and which famous composer co-wrote it?
Bonus- When my daughter saw this film as a tiny tot, her first reaction to the lead was "He's supposed to be in high school!!?!?!?!?!" It was the first starring role for this 1960's anti-hero, race car driver and "King of Cool." Who was he? An extra bonus point for knowing his age at the time.
#5 How about a wicked hard one, and a veer away from 1958, for the finish? In 1977 normal country music singer John Martin wasn't doing too well in Nashville. However, his more demented alter ego "Zilch Fletcher" was getting noticed. One of the nastiest sounding Halloween songs ever was his main claim to fame. (Or perhaps "fame.") I tried looking this one up for years and had no luck, but in 2022, his daughter found the dirt covered old master tape of his album "Nobody's Dreamboat," and cleaned it up both physically and electronically, leading to a digital release. What is this ballad celebrating innards that would make people "Boo and hiss and say 'What the hell is this?'"
Bonus- Considering this was almost completely unavailable, we still managed to play it on our college radio show in the early Nineties, asking "Who was that crazy old man?" when we accidentally let the cassette play too long and the DJ who ran the show we recorded the song off played on the air.
So... Who was that crazy old man?
Spoiler space
Answer 1
Elvira's (aka Cassandra Peterson's) song on the album, was written by "Craig." (No clue, but may explain why the two newer ones were better.) It was "Full Moon."
Bonus- The fellow Groundling was Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Rubens and the film was Pee Wees Big Adventure.
Bonus Bonus- John Paragon played Jambi (the Genie in the box) and did a bunch of writing for Pee Wee's shows.
Answer 2
The man was one of the original horror hosts, "Zacherly," at first he used the name "Roland." I have no idea why since he was blessed with the awesome name of John Zacherle. He had a hit with "Dinner with Drac."
Bonus- Bonnie Zacherle created "My Little Pony." I bet even my Mom didn't know that part!
Answer 3
Jumpin' Gene Simmons (aka, "No, not that Gene Simmons.") is best known for the super catchy "Haunted House." Speaking of KISS, thanx for the years of awesome riffs, solos, interviews and songs Space Man. Rest well, Ace.
Bonus- Jumpin' Gene was the opener for none other than Elvis Presley. Imagine having seen that double bill?
Answer 4
The Five Blobs recorded "The Blob," co written by none other than Burt Bacharach.
Bonus- High school student "Steve Andrews" was the first starring role of former Marine Steve McQueen at 28 years old.
Answer 5
Zilch's song was the wonderfully icky, "Ballad of Bloody Guts."
Bonus- The only way we heard it (and then played it) was courtesy of the great Doctor Demento! Barry Hansen has written about the birth of rock n roll in articles, liner notes, books and his Master's thesis. But he's best known to the world as the DJ who told us to "Wind Up Your Radios!" Doctor Demento. He played weird records and crazy comedy for fifty-five years before retiring this year. He switched from syndicated to streaming a while back. The last standard format original show was in March, and he played his final show on October 11 with a "Funny Forty." Enjoy your retirement Doc and thanks for everything, I wouldn't be who I am without what I learned from your show!
Extra Bonus Tie Breaker Question-
This is more of a movie than a music question, but since I have forgotten to put this 1986 comedy horror film that only my family likes (and, again, not even all of my family) on my other lists, and (more importantly) there is a song involved it is fair game. Gene Wilder decided to make a 1930's Universal Horror film (based on the flicks that didn't have their standard monsters in it, such as The Black Bat) with spooky radio show influences like The Inner Sanctum. It was Gilda Radner's last appearance on film, and Wilder's final directorial effort. While frequent Mel Brooks (and all his friends) collaborator John Morris did the score, the high comedy point is a Jazz number from 1913 that I knew pre existed this film only because my younger cousin was taught it by my Aunt and sang it (and many other songs) frequently. (We are a musical family.) What's the film and what's the wonderful song performed by Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise in drag?
Double Secret Musical Bonus- Another influence on this film was a 1946 surrealistic romantic fantasy, which seems to have influenced darn near every marginally spooky or gothic film I have ever liked. The thing is a masterpiece, beautiful and haunting. The "living arm candle holders" on the walls have been copied many places and a lot of the other visuals and ideas were incorporated into the Disney version of the tale during their renaissance period. It left a huge impression on me when I saw it in my youth one late night on PBS. I always remembered it as a silent film. However, it is in French, which to my young self would have been the same thing. What is this movie?
Extra bonus spoiler space.
Extra Bonus answer-
This wonderfully ridiculous outing (which sadly failed at the box office and won Razzie awards) with a talented cast including Jonathan Pryce, Jim Carter and many other recognizable British and US performers was Haunted Honeymoon. How people could have seen Gilda and Dom perform "Ballin the Jack" and not loved this movie as much as I do, I do not know.
Double Secret Bonus Answer- The massively influential and beautiful telling of this famous fairy tale is Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Beta, (Beauty and the Beast.)
And now, the time for Halloween song trivia has pissed.
Will it continue next year?
Hey, I didn't know it was going to continue this year until about a week ago!
Then again, there's one song that sparked the idea for this outing I just realized I forgot to include, so... very possibly.
[Later edit- two weeks before this went live, I already figured out four of the subjects for next year's questions PLUS the bonus, and Christmas Music Trivia for this year...
So, I guess it's an ongoing feature now].
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