Well, it had to happen. Only took over sixty years!
The song “Monster Mash,” is becoming an animated movie musical from Miramax!
Billboard has ranked the song as the “Biggest Halloween Song of All Time” as it rises up from the Crypt every Halloween Season since its Number One Charting in 1962.
"Mash" was written in less than two hours, was recorded in one take and generates over a million dollars in Royalties annually!
Not bad for a song about a mad scientist whose monster, late one evening, rises from his slab to perform a new dance that, as we are all well aware, becomes “the hit of the land” when the scientist throws a party for other monsters including Wolfman, Igor, Mummy, The Crypt-Kicker Five, Dracula and his son!
Maybe they should invite Linus' "Great Pumpkin" to the party!
Because you've probably had your fill of that song for another year, attached instead is the Two-week Number One Smash "Mash" Hit Song from earlier in 1962 that inspired, "The Monster Mash!"
CB!
KENT …
November, 2025, Wild Wayne Starts His 50th Year On WWUH Radio.
On His 11/2/25 "MEMORY MACHINE" For The First Time Ever He Announced His Favorite Oldie.
Drum Roll ...
Wild Wayne Said His Favorite Oldie Is "RUNAWAY" NY DEL SHANNON.
On April 21, 1961, It Became A #1 Billboard Hit For 4 Weeks.
I Thought For Sure He Was Going To Say "IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT" BY THE FIVE SATINS.
Wrong Again.
FRANK B.
Yes, my Grandmother used to listen to his show before I was born and then tell me all about it years later whenever she babysat me.
Congratulations, Wild Wayne … and Happy Anniversary!!!
(Think you’ve got another 50 in ya???) kk
Paul Rodgers says he is to ill to attend Bad Company's induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this Saturday Night so he sends his regards. Too bad ... this guy has had SUCH a great career and is one of the most recognizable voices in rock history. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, Simon Kirke has announced (thru a special band announcement) that HE will be there performing with an all-star cast of musicians ... so Bad Company (and their music) will be ceremoniously presented. (kk)
Hey Kent –
Here’s a couple more Beatles things for your scrapbook ...
A handbill for The Beatles’ August, '66, Dodger Stadium show …
And an ad for the first album.
Jim Roup
And a reminder from Harvey Kubernik ...
Beatles Rubber Soul Turns 60
Harvey Kubernik
https://www.musicconnection.com/the-beatles-rubber-soul-60-years-on/
Actually, this is about a month early ... the album was released December 3rd in Great Britain ... and December 6th here in The States ... with a slightly different song line-up ... as you'll see on our calendar pages for these dates ... but this was a landmark release that changed the way albums were made. "Rubber Soul" inspired "Pet Sounds" which inspired "Sgt. Pepper," a light-years leap over the span of about eighteen months. (Please note: Harvey's article DOES give the correct release date ... the article is just being published a month earlier.) kk
Got this from a few FH Readers …
Donna Jean Godchaux, female singer for The Grateful Dead, has passed away at the age of 78. She fought a long battle with cancer but died in hospice on Sunday, November 2nd.
Timmy adds that Donna also sang backup on hits by Elvis Presley and Percy Sledge, among others. (kk)
Political Statement: Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died, making the woods safe again for hunters everywhere I guess. Meanwhile, (The Artist Formerly Known As Prince) Andrew is still dealing with the fall-out of the whole Jeffrey Epstein debacle … shame he had to drag the rest of his family down with him. (kk)
Three time Oscar nominee Diane Ladd has passed away at 89. Seen here with daughter Laura Dern.
Jim Roup
The show is over ... in fact, you can read our review of the concert if you scroll back to yesterday ... but here is that Zoom Interview Video that I told you about a few days ago ... (I just found it!!!) ... Ron Onesti interviewing John Cafferty about his (then) up-coming appearance at The Arcada Theatre ...
FANTASTIC REVIEW!
dis
Hey Kent -
Thank you for such an incredible write up. It will surely help to spread the good word (and get a St. Charles return date in the books - Ha!)
This new album is us reconnecting with our friends and fans to let them know we're still here, still vital and have something both new and old to share that will bring a smile
Appreciate you!
John Cafferty
From Bob Merlis ...
ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons was delighted to discover that music legend Chubby Checker was in the house when the band played the Santa Barbara Bowl on Tuesday, November 4. After he spotted the singer who had the whole world not only twisting but twisting again, Billy stopped the show to salute him and make his august presence known to the audience who responded enthusiastically. After ZZ Top’s set concluded, Chubby spent time with Billy and the other members of ZZ and their crew. Billy revealed himself to be a long-time fan while Chubby, born in Spring Gully, South Carolina, referenced their shared southern roots during a lengthy backstage conversation.
ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards) in 2004 while Chubby Checker is slated to be inducted this Saturday.
As we all know, Chubby was inducted earlier this year at The Des Plaines Theatre ... and a filmclip of that event will be edited into Saturday Night's live show airing on Disney+.
But how cool is that ... two Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame legends together at the same show ...
And I was fortunate enough to have my picture taken with BOTH of them!!! (kk)
Firstly, what Wild Bill Cody has to say is largely nonsense: Shannon was Carl's dog, not Brian's.
Secondly, Carl's Shannon was a samoyed, not a red setter.
There are images online showing this, and in the mid-2000s I asked Carl's
ex-wife Annie about it and she confirmed that Shannon was a samoyed.
Regards,
Andrew G. Doe
Not sure which Wild Bill Cody quote you’re referring to … but it has to be from a long time ago ‘tho as he has no longer been with us for at least fifteen years now.
That being said, our goal has ALWAYS been to present THE MOST ACCURATE TRUTH possible based on the number of sources we have at hand.
In this case, I have to defer to Henry Gross, who wrote and sang this 1976 Top Five Hit.
Here is what he personally told me several years ago …
When I was twenty-one years old, a wonderful girl came into my life by the name of Kathy Reinmann. As if having her in my life as a friend, a wife and a friend again for the next twenty three years, until she died of lung cancer August 24, 1995, was not enough, she brought along with her into my heart her two year old Irish Setter, Shannon. While I was touring around the country in 1975 promoting my album called HENRY GROSS, I had the pleasure of doing long strings of dates with a group whose music always inspired me, The Beach Boys.
Carl Wilson, arguably the finest solo voice in the group, was warm and welcoming from the very first show I played with them on a freezing cold day at the University of New Hampshire. After getting to know each other, we realized we shared a love for much of the same music and a passion for fine vintage guitars. On a break from touring, while I was in Los Angeles, Carl invited me to his house to spend a day talking guitars, cars and rock & roll. While he was preparing lunch his two Alaskan husky dogs reached up on the counter and inhaled our food. I told Carl, while admiring the military perfection of the raid executed by his huskies, that I had an Irish Setter at home named Shannon. He was quite moved as he told me that he had an Irish Setter named Shannon that had been killed only recently when hit by a car. When I returned to New York City, I began work on my second A&M album, PLUG ME INTO SOMETHING. A few weeks later, just as we were about to master the finished album, I was sitting on my bed with Shannon strumming my guitar trying to write a song. In a matter of minutes, my thoughts drifted to Carl, The Beach Boys and with a glance at my girl Shannon, the indescribable sadness that losing such a beloved partner in life must be. The song seemed to write itself, taking no more than ten minutes and with almost no cross outs on the paper. I made a tape of it on my giant Sony cassette recorder and sent it off to Carl. And that is the true story of the song SHANNON.
(You can read the full text here: https://fhstoriesbehindthesongs.blogspot.com/2025/03/more-stories-behind-songs.html)
So, as you can see, Carl’s white huskies were his current dogs, after losing his Irish Setter (named Shannon) in a car accident shortly before. The fact that Henry’s dog named Shannon was ALSO an Irish Setter lends credence to his true inspiration for writing the song.
If you’ve ever lost a dog, you know what an emotional experience that can be. Henry conveys a most beautiful and loving mood when performing what would be his biggest hit. (kk)
One more from Chuck …
Deep Thoughts from Chuck Buell
