The Munsters, From Type O Negative to Fall Out Boy

Back in the swingin' 60s during the heart of Beatlemania, the British Invasion, and Garage Rock - a groovy TV show hit the air waves - The Munsters! They looked like Horror Movie Stars, but they acted like Vaudeville Comedians. They were the All American family, with a twist. Mindless comedy eased the worried minds of Vietnam War weary viewers who saw riots in the streets on the Nightly News and lived with the ever present fear of the Cold War turning hot, nuclear hot.

One of the cool aspects of The Munsters was their theme song. Although words were written, the song was performed as an instrumental. With a fast beat and both crisp and droning horns, the moving melody was played on guitar in a manner similar to the surf music of the day with some Garage Rock thrown in for good measure. Written by Jack Marshall, here is a video of The Munsters Theme!

With their outfits, the Munsters could be mistaken for some Goths from the 90s. One of the better Goth Rock bands from the 90s was Type O Negative. Late singer Peter Steele had the stage presence of a Vampire and could produce vocal sounds reminiscent of Bela Lugosi. The band made a name for themselves with their Bloody Kisses album and with MTV videos like Christian Woman which is about as strange as they come! "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" is the other big hit from this album by Type O Negative and they do use a bit of The Munsters Theme and even mention Lily Munster. This is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the Goth lifestyle, so you can enjoy it whether you are a fan of this genre or not. Check out the music, and the lyrics! "She's in love with herself, she likes the dark. On her milk white neck, the devil's mark!" Listen for the Munsters at the 0:30 mark!

Fall Out Boy is a New Rock band that has had much success in recent years. They are out with their latest release, American Beauty / American Psycho. On the radio right now, you'll hear their song Uma Thurman. Uma Thurman played a gangster's wife in the popular movie Pulp Fiction, and did a famous dance scene with John Travolta. So the Fallout Boys talk about a girl who wants to dance like Uma Thurman, in this new single. The video is out less than 2 weeks but already has nearly 3 million views. Sarah wins a contest to be a Fall Out Boy assistant, and mayhem ensues. Almost from the start, we get to hear a very lightly processed original sample from The Munsters Theme. Enjoy the song and the sample, and DO NOT turn off the video too soon! What an ending, very cool!