Dinner With Drac

Album: Halloween Tales (1958)
Charted: 6
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In the '50s and '60s, John Zacherle served as the host on TV stations in Philadelphia and New York City when they would run horror movies - his program was called Shock Theater. He developed a spooky persona, and delivered this song in the spoken word style he used on television. The song finds Zacherle having dinner with the famous vampire Count Dracula, where he finds out that Dracula plans to eat him. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • Zacherle had a recording deal with the Philadelphia record label Cameo. On this track, he was backed by Cameo's house band, Dave Appell And The Applejacks.
  • Dick Clark played this on his American Bandstand TV show, but made Zacherle record a less violent version. When audiences demanded the Bandstand version, Cameo released the single with the original listed as "Dinner With Drac, Part 1" and the toned-down alternate version as "Part 2."
  • Zacherle never had another hit. His follow-up song was "Lunch with Mother Goose," and it laid an egg.

Comments: 3

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 4th 1958, John 'The Cool Ghoul' Zacherle entered Billboard's Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #6 and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    Mr. Zacherle will celebrate his 96th birthday this coming September 26th (2014).
  • Richard Benjamin from Dania Beach, FlThe Children or The Night from Long island, NY recorded this song in two versions: One on the LP "Dinner With Drac" on Pip records, and a different version as Monsters on H&L Records.
  • Lester from New York City, NySaw a Halloween Night Mott the Hoople concert at Radio City Music Hall in the mid-'70s (the Ariel Bender version of Mott), and Zacherle was on stage, rising from his coffin, to introduce the group.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Billy Gould of Faith No More

Billy Gould of Faith No MoreSongwriter Interviews

Faith No More's bassist, Billy Gould, chats to us about his two new experimental projects, The Talking Book and House of Hayduk, and also shares some stories from the FNM days.

Motley Crue

Motley CrueFact or Fiction

Was Dr. Feelgood a dentist? Did the "Crüecifixion" really happen?

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs About Movies

Songs About MoviesSong Writing

Iron Maiden, Adele, Toto, Eminem and Earth, Wind & Fire are just some of the artists with songs directly inspired by movies - and not always good ones.

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.