HORRORWITZ'S 8 NIGHTS OF HAPPENIN' HANUKKAH HITS! #4: "The Kosher Twist" by Benny Bell & The Pretzel Twisters

On the fourth night of Hanukkah I bring you one of my all time faves. This track speaks for itself. It's a 1960s recording by Benny Bell (aka Benjamin Samberg), the same novelty singer who brought you the Dr. Demento favorite "Shaving Cream". Enjoy!

HORRORWITZ'S 8 NIGHTS OF HAPPENIN' HANUKKAH HITS! #3: "Yamaka Mama" by The Ubangis

This next track comes from our in-house band The Ubangis. The complete title is actually "(She's A) Yamaka Mama (At Chanukah Time)"Originally released as a 7" holiday 45 in 1994 (a split by both Brutarian and DeCeased Records) and given away free with the then newest issue of Brutarian magazine as a split Christmas / Hanukkah record. Both tracks were also featured on the first volume of the CD compilation series "It's A Rockin' Christmas" (on the Run Wild Records label). I thought the idea was pretty funny at the time but I guess a couple of people found it slightly offensive. Luckily most of us Jews have a sense of humor. The Xmas side, incidentally, was a swingin' little rockabilly number called "chickens For Christmas". Enjoy!

HORRORWITZ'S 8 NIGHTS OF HAPPENIN' HANUKKAH HITS! #2: "Downtown" by Al Tijuana and his Jewish Brass

For our second night we have the zany parody of the Petula Clark hit "Downtown", originally written by Tony Hatch, but performed for us tonight by Al Tijuana and his Jewish Brass! Taken from the oddball Capital Records LP from 1966, back when major music labels had more of a sense of humor. (Remember, Capitol also released the Mrs. Miller records!) The Herb Alpert parody album performed by "Al Tijuana" (real name Lou Jacobi) has a bit of a Spike Jones feel if Spike had been raised in Queens by a Jewish family. Got all that? In the words of Al, "Now that's what I call Downtown!" Enjoy!

HORRORWITZ'S 8 NIGHTS OF HAPPENIN' HANUKKAH HITS! #1: "Hava Nagila Twist" by The Temples

For the first night of Hannukah we're gonna kick things off with an old Jewish classic "Hava Nagila". This tune is probably the most well known of all Jewish "party" music and has been covered a gazillion times. And so there have been many different variations including a well known surf guitar version by Dick Dale. But for me this Twist version by The Temples really kicks out the borscht! It totally swings and no other version I know of comes close to it. It comes from their 1960s LP on the New York based Ad Lib Records label called "Be Mir Twist Du Schön" which roughly translates to something like "Twist With Me Already". Enjoy!

DREIDELMANIA!

I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay
And if you think that's boring
Then give this list a play!

So, you think dreidel's are boring, eh? And what about that dumb little song we were forced to sing in Hebrew school? Well, just so happens there are a lot of cool variations of that tune that I found on Playlist.com . Some of them are less then 10 seconds long even. (Those are the best versions!) Okay, if you can make it through this entire playlist then you're a better Jew than I am. And if that happens then please give yourself an honorary "Mazel Tov!" on me!

Yes, tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. And since this little dreidel playlist doesn't completely cut the latke's, prepare yourself for Horrorwitz's 8 Nights Of Happenin' Hanukkah Hits! Yes, each night I will post 1 very cool Hanukkah tune for you to enjoy, and to show the world that there are some pretty cool Hanukkah song covers. Well... there's at least 8 of them that I know of! (I hope!)

"THANKSGIVING": FUN FOR THE WHOLE (MANSON) FAMILY!

This year I give thanks to the nice person who uploaded this trashy fake movie trailer (from the movie Grindhouse) to Youtube. GOBBLE GOBBLE!

FAREWELL COUNTESS DRACULA

I was just forwarded the email below that actress Ingrid Pitt has suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. I had the pleasure to meet her a few times and thought she was really down-to-earth and witty. As a young lad seeing House that Dripped Blood in the theater and Countess Dracula on tv she was one of the first sexy vampires that caught my eye. She once told me she lived for awhile in Silver Spring, Maryland - my home town! That blew my mind. I hadn't seen her in years. She will truly be missed by myself and the thousands of horror fans who've grown to love her from her film roles as well as her many convention appearances.

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From the BBC News 23 November 2010 Last updated at 17:55 :


Hammer horror actress Ingrid Pitt dies aged 73
Hammer horror actress Ingrid Pitt, best known for starring in cult classics such as Countess Dracula, has died at the age of 73. The Polish-born star passed away at a hospital in south London after collapsing a few days ago. She was regarded by many fans as the queen of Hammer Horror films. The star's death comes weeks after film-maker Roy Ward Baker, who directed Pitt in The Vampire Lovers, died at the age of 93. Pitt's daughter told the BBC News website that her mother's death had come as a "huge surprise". After the actress has collapsed recently, doctors told her was she suffering from heart failure. "She could be incredibly generous, loving, and she'll be sorely missed," Mrs Blake said. She added that she wanted her mother to be remembered as the Countess Dracula with the "wonderful teeth and the wonderful bosom".

'Gloriously uninhibited'

Official Hammer historian Marcus Hearn paid tribute to the star, calling her a "talented actress and fine writer".All fans of Hammer and of British horror are going to miss her terribly”. He added: "She was partly responsible for ushering in a bold and brazen era of sexually explicitly horror films in the 1970s, but that should not denigrate her abilities as an actress." A good friend of the actress, Mr Hearn said she was "gloriously uninhibited" and "great fun to be with". Although she was not the first female star of a Hammer film, Mr Hearn said she had always been "very proud" of becoming the first prominent female protagonist in a Hammer after her role in The Vampire Lovers. "All fans of Hammer and of British horror are going to miss her terribly," he said. She began her career with fairly minor roles in several Spanish films in the mid-1960s. But in 1968 she landed a supporting role in war movie Where Eagles Dare, appearing alongside Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. The actress got her breakthrough role two years later in the horror thriller The Vampire Lovers, which was a box office success. Several Hammer movies followed, firmly establishing her as one of the key women of British horror of the 1970s. Her other film credits included The Wicker Man (1973), Who Dares Wins (1982), Smiley's People (1982) and Wild Geese II (1985). Pitt made regular appearances at horror conventions and penned several books about her career in the genre.

Ingrid bares her fangs in House That Dripped Blood (1971)

A tense moment from the 1964 Spanish sci-fi thriller Sound of Horror also with Spanish actress and Jess Franco fan favorite Soledad Miranda.

Ingrid as the bloodthirsty Mircalla Karnstein in Hammer Film's The Vampire Lovers (1970)