In the 1950's and 1960's, John Zacherle served as the host on TV stations in Philadelphia and New York City when they would run horror movies. His program was called Shock Theatre. He developed a spooky persona, and delivered this song in the spoken word style he used on television. The song finds Zacherle having dinner with the famous vampire Count Dracula, where he finds out that Dracula plans to eat him.
Zacherle had a recording deal with the Philadelphia record label Cameo. On this track he was backed by Cameo's house band, Dave Appell and the Applejacks.
Dick Clark played this on his American Bandstand TV show, but made Zacherle record a less violent version. When audiences demanded the Bandstand version, Cameo released the single with the original listed as "Dinner With Drac, Part 1" and the toned-down alternate version as "Part 2".
Zacherle never had another hit. His follow-up song was "Lunch with Mother Goose," and it laid a huge egg.
The actual recording date was 1958, and his friendship with Dick Clark lasted for years. Be sure to click on the arrow to hear this great old halloween classic - TURN UP THE SOUND!!
The following poster and still from the 1931 film still haunts us to this day, as Bela Lugosi still remains one of the most frightening persona of the silver screen!!!!
Happy Halloween 2012....
Be safe and keep an eye on your children....
....and finally check out the other halloween post I did around the beginning of October then com back...CLICK HERE http://hotrodsandjalopies.blogspot.ca/2012/10/happy-halloweenwhat-we-saw-at-intercity.html
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment