The House Of Horrors – Various Artists
Released August 2024 on Bear Family Records - Various Artists CD: The House Of Horrors - 27 Spooky Tales For Your Halloween Party (CD) - Bear Family Records (bear-family.com)
Prepare yourselves for horror: Bear Family Records guides you through a visit to the House of Horrors! Creaking floorboards, squeaking door hinges, cobwebs, dust and indefinable noises ... and we add to the horror with an R'n'R and R&B soundtrack bursting with Halloween smashes. Spooky liner notes by Roland 'Heinrich' Rumtreiber in the illustrated booklet and originals carefully remastered for this CD album round off the album for foggy, stormy autumn evenings!
Reviewed September 2024
Review
Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. In 1962, on his way to making his fortune he recorded “House Of Horrors” for the Mercury label. The track itself is an organ lead instrumental supplemented by some strange sound, and vocal effects. At times I do wonder what exactly was going on during the recording session! Track 2, “Screamin’ Ball” by the Duponts is a good group vocal R&B track with a solid beat, that is good to stroll to. This is followed by the classic “Little Demon” from the “Head Horror Man”, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. A great jiver at any time of the year.
“Frankenstein’s Den” by the Hollywood Flames was recorded for the Ebb label in 1958 a mid-paced R&B group vocal featuring the bass voice of Don Wyatt. The pace quickens with track 5. The Castle Kings turn up with a good rocker, “You Can Get Him – Frankenstein”. The Monotones are best known for their hit “The Book Of Love” get into the Halloween spirit with a slow novelty tune, “Zombi”. Lon Chaney is best known as an actor in horror movies but track 7, “Monster Holiday” has him providing the spoken vocal on a track that is very similar to Bobby Boris Pickett’s “The Monster Mash”. Screamin’ Jay makes his second appearance at track 8 with his biggest selling release “I Put A Spell On You”. It was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll despite it not actually getting in the charts.
Frankenstein’s Party by Swinging Phillies is a steady rocker that was released on the De Luxe label in 1958, good up-tempo doo-wop. Track 10, “Horror Show” by Sharkey Todd and The Monsters. This was another name used by the English skiffle group, The Vipers. This UK recording was first issued on the Parlophone label during 1959 with the producer listed as “Dracula’s Mother” who may have been George Martin. It was issued in the USA on Capitol. “Knives And Lovers” by Frankie Stein And Ghouls is a fairly horrific title but that’s as far as the horror imagery goes as this is rocking instrumental featuring some good sax playing plus some female screams. Brian Cassar is the real name of Casey Jones, the lead vocal on this 1960’s cover of “Jack The Ripper” Brian was born in Liverpool but lived a lot in Germany where he recorded this cover of the song best known by Screaming Lord Sutch. Track 13, “I’m The Wolfman” has some rather wild guitar playing to drive this 60s R&B novelty track. I don’t think Henri Mancini appears on many rock ‘n’ roll compilations but he earns his place here with the slow and moody instrumental “Spook”.
Track 15 is a spooky group vocal “The Creature (From Outerspace)” by Jay Hawks that was released on the Aladdin label in 1957. The track has more than a passing resemblance to another of their recordings, “Stranded In The Jungle”. Swedish singer, Little Gerhard gives a fine rocking performance from 1958 with “Rockin' Ghosts”. Lord Luther aka Luther McDaniels was born in Panola County Texas. In the mid 50’s he started a Doo Wop group, the Four Deuces. Based out of California, they recorded a few singles in 1956, including the hit single W-P-J-L. After the group disbanded in late 1956, he continued recording and releasing records under the name Lord Luther. “(I Was A) teenage Creature” was his second solo release in 1958. It has the requisite screams, sinister laughs and lyrics along with a good backing to make it a good rocker whilst still being a very suitable inclusion here. At Track 18 there is another suitably weird instrumental from one of the top pedal steel guitarists, Pete Drake. Bo Diddley’s “Bo Meets The Monster” is a slow rocker and another opportunity for Bo to do some more self-promotion – I can’t think of any other artist that sings about themselves so often! Track 20, “It” by the Regal-Aires is a slow, moody instrumental that with some great sax playing and demonic laughing. “Horror Pictures” from Calvanes is another macabre novelty track that manages to name check all your favourite movie monsters. It was released in 1958 on the Deck label. Track 22 is also from 1958, “At The House Of Frankenstein” by Big Bee Kornegay is a good rocker with some great guitar riffs and a wild sax break. “Mad Witch” is a track that rocks with a great “steam train rhythm. Dave Gardner (aka Brother Dave Gardner) is best known as a comedian from Tennessee and he recorded this in 1957 for the OJ label. Storm sound effects and sound of an animal howling set the scene for “The Vampire” by Orvin Yoes. It’s a slow, eerie track with a spoken vocal warning of the presence of a killer on the prowl that’s heavy on the sound effects and light on actual sound quality.
Track 25, “Purple People Eater” by Pete Pepper is not the same as Sheb Wooley song. It’s about another monster who is looking the Purple People Eater because he’s a “purple, purple people eater, eater! A novelty rocker. The penultimate track, “Yes Baby I'm Scared” is a good rocker with a wailing sax from Dick Barton's Rebels. Bringing the collection to it’s close is a spooky track from Count Stephen called “Spooky”.
Summary
I found this to be an entertaining and enjoyable set of songs all of which fit the bill for a Halloween Party soundtrack.
Recommendation
A well packaged CD, as we have come to expect from Bear Family, released in time for this year’s Halloween so get your copy now – if you’re not too easily scared! Buy it for the ghoul in your life.
Reviewed by Jailhouse John Alexander
Track List
Track, Title - Artist
1, The House That Rocks - Merv Griffin
2, Screamin' Ball - Duponts
3, Little Demon - Screamin Jay Hawkins
4, Frankenstein’s Den - Hollywood Flames
5, You Can Get Him - Frankenstein - Castle Kings
6, Zombi - Monotones
7, Monster Hoilday - Lon Chaney
8, I Put A Spell On You – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
9, Frankenstein’s Party - Swinging Phillies
10, Horror Show - Sharkey Todd
11, Knives And Lovers - Frankie Stein And Ghouls
12, Jack The Ripper - Casey Jones And Governors
13, I'm The Wolfman - Round Robin
14, Spook - Henry Mancini
15, The Creature (From Outerspace) - Jay Hawks
16, Rockin' Ghosts - Little Gerhard
17, Teenage Creature - Lord Luther
18, The Spook - Pete Drake
19, Bo Meets The Monster - Bo Diddly
20, It - Regal-Aires
21, Horror Pictures - Calvanes
22, At The House Of Frankenstein - Big Bee Kornegay
23, Mad Witch - Dave Gardner
24, The Vampire - Orvin Yoes
25, Purple People Eater - Pete Pepper
26, Yes Baby I'm Scared - Dick Barton's Rebels
27, Spooky - Count Stephen
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