A KOOL Day for Music

In the run-up to Halloween 2022, we compiled the short list of some of the Halloween favorites that hit the pop charts in the 1960’s.

With great apologies to Dr. Demento this week and in no particular order, here are some of the more popular Halloween tunes that hit the music charts in the 1960’s. (Your results may vary)

Napoleon XIV

They’re Coming To Take Me Away

Released 1966, it was written and recorded by Jerry Samuels who was an American singer, songwriter and record producer who went by his stage name Napoleon the 14th. His one-hit wonder single peaked at number three, selling over one million copies and has been re-issued twice.

The song used a bass drum, snare drum, tambourine along with hand clap rhythm. Most were performed by Samuels, but the name of the snare drum instrumentalist has been lost to the ages.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bad Moon Rising

Song that was released as the lead single from CCR’s 1969 album ‘Green River.’

Reportedly, John Fogerty wrote the song after watching the 1941 film, ‘The Devil and Daniel Webster starring Walter Huston on television.

Incorporating an upbeat rhythm with a somber theme was something that was unintentional according to Fogerty. The song was kept out of the number one spot by ‘Love’s Theme from the film Romeo and Juliet’ from Henry Mancini. However, ‘Bad Moon Rising’ gets more airplay these days.

Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett

Monster Mash

When people start to make lists of their favorite Halloween tunes, this will make the Top five list every time. From 1962, a song that was written and recorded by an American singer, songwriter, actor and comedian, Bobby Pickett, whos father was a movie theater manager. Bobby grew up the theater watching many of the classic horror movies. A little older, he developed a Hollywood nightclub act where he would incorporate impressions of those famous movie characters and wrote the novelty song that spoofed the dance crazes.

Every record label at the time rejected his song, until he brought the song to an independent label. Bobby made the stipulation that they could have the song if he used all the musicians that helped him record the demo. The label agreed. One of those musicians was keyboardist Leon Russell.

The song was an instant smash (sorry) and shot up to number one for the two weeks before Halloween.