The Ghouls

The Ghouls were an in-studio-only creation of writer and producer Gary Usher, designed to cash in on two current crazes in 1964, hot rod tunes and campy monster movies. Bobby "Boris" Pickett had just hit big with "Monster Mash," so Usher -- who had tremendous success stamping out Beach Boys-like hot rod tracks -- decided to combine the two genres in one package, and the Ghouls were born. Officially one album, Dracula's Deuce, was issued on Capitol in 1964. Among the veteran L.A. session players Usher used on the project were Rick Burns, Chuck Girard, Joe Kelly and Richard Podolor, with Burns providing most of the lead vocals. Goofy and offbeat, the album is mostly a historical curio, but its cartoonish veneer, with songs like "Little Old Lady From Transylvania" and "Be True to Your Ghoul," gives it a special and loopy appeal. ~ Steve Leggett