10.19.2005

Dinner with Drac (Halloween I)



John Zacherle Dinner with Drac, Parts 1 & 2 45 (Cameo, 1958)

Now is the time of year for Halloween songs! Next to April Fools Day, All Hallow's Eve is my favorite holiday. So in celebration, expect a whole bunch of scary monster songs.

"The Cool Ghoul" John Zacherle is a Philadelphia television and horror movie legend. After a few TV acting gigs, Zacherle moved back to his home town of Philly and took up an offer to host a weekly horror movie show called Shock Theater. He was so popular that producer Bernie Lowe suggested he do a novelty 45. That idea became the Igor b/w Dinner with Drac 45 on Cameo Records. Backed by Dave Appell & the Applejacks, Igor got some airplay, but what dejays really wanted to air was Dinner with Drac. Unfortunately, program directors, frightened by the Feds crackdown on horror comic books like those produced by EC, wouldn't air Drac because they thought it was too graphic. So The Cool Ghoul went back into the studio and cut a new version. A new 45 was pressed with the "less graphic" song as Part 1 and the "offensive" take as Part 2. Igor disappeared by over the next five years Zacherle cut 82 Tombstones, Scarey Tales from Mother Goose, Hurry Bury Baby, Monsters have Problems, and I was a Teenage Caveman. He hosted Shock Theater and other TV shows for years. Retired today, he makes regular appearances at horror conventions.


# posted by Scott Soriano : 11:08
Comments:
For some time in the late 60's (and again in the 80's) Zacherle did proressive FM radio in NYC.
# posted by Blogger Larry Grogan : 13:42
 
I have been looking for this high and low for some time... any chance you might be doing some seasonal postings again this year?
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 16:48
 
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