Your MC49 note - Bobby "Boris" Pickett
Music Connects Halloween Edition: Monster Mash
Dear Friends,
I can’t say I truly appreciated Halloween until I moved to California. My memories of Chicago Halloween’s are that I was either a clown or a witch and it was rainy, windy and cold more often than not. Trick-or-treating door-to-door was the norm and the candy hauls were great! I think there was some light mischief afoot toilet-papering trees and the like. My long residency in NY affords no Halloween memories at all. Though I’m sure there were designated neighborhoods and apartment buildings in Manhattan and other boroughs that organized for safe trick-or-treating, mine wasn’t one of them.
Then I moved to California, living first in Pasadena where, on a scale of 1-to-10, Halloween observance was an 11. Kids did costumes in schools, of course, but everybody, all ages, seemed to get into Halloween. Fabulous make-up and costumes were the norm, including by day and at work. Night-time events were the best – with Hollywood special effects, lighting and other geniuses in residence – there were houses that stupefied if they didn’t full-out scare you to death. It was great. If Covid slowed it down, I bet it’s back this year.
As to Ventura County, it seems to be very pro-Halloween, from farm-based Harvest events and Haunted Houses to Santa Paula Theater’s long-running Ghostwalk, to designated, safe door-to-door trick-or-treating in many areas.
Music Connects is happy to contribute the great Halloween classic “Monster Mash” to the celebration! It opens with singer-writer Bobby Pickett channeling Boris Karloff as he performs his hit song in 1962. His approach and the infectious music propelled the novelty song to # 1 in the pop charts. Our mash-up intersperses film clips of dancing skeletons, Dr. Demento and Morticia Adams, among others, and includes Mr. Pickett in a lovely, graceful benefit performance 45 years later for an area high school.
AN INVITATION: Music Connects plans to celebrate the coming Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas holidays with special editions and invites your input.
(1) Think about the songs, compositions, artists you enjoy most or associate uniquely with a particular holiday or season.
(2) If it’s an artist or composer, narrow it to a specific piece or two. Include video if available.
(3) Tell us why you love it.
For now – Mash-up your Halloween weekend any way you like,
