Bobby (Boris) Pickett

The Stompers (2) (Los Angeles)
aka The Cordials (3)

Personnel :

Bobby (Boris) Pickett

Leonard "Lenny" Capizzi

Bill Capizzi

Ron Deltorto

Lou Toscano

Discography :

The Stompers (2)
1962 - Quarter To Four Stomp / Foolish One (Landa 684)

The Cordials (3)
1962 - Eternal Love /  The International Twist (Reveille 106)

Biography :

Bobby (Boris) Pickett was born in Somerville, Massachusetts. After high school, he spent three years in Korea in the US army signal corps. Upon demobilisation, Pickett headed for Hollywood, where he wanted to break into movies and stand-up comedy - his first nightclub act included a horror film routine. His initial success was modest, and in 1961 he joined a vocal group called the Cordials.  The Cordials were Leonard "Lenny" Capizzi, Bill Capizzi, Ron Deltorto, Lou Toscano and Bobby Boris Pickett. It specialised in the doo-wop close-harmony style and occasionally Pickett would enliven shows by intoning the spoken section of Little Darlin', a hit by the Diamonds, in his Karloff voice.

The Cordials soon came to the attention of the record producer and songwriter Gary Paxton. Under his guidance, the Cordials, a white group in a mainly black genre, recorded "Eternal Love"  and "The International Twist" both written By the Capizzi brothers .  Gary Paxton produced the Next single "Quarter To Four Stomp", a surf-orientated adaptation of Garу US Bonds’ “Quarter To Three” . The single was released under the name of the Stompers. 

Shortly after this release Bobby Boris Pickett left for a solo career and co-wrote "Monster Mash" with Cordials/Stompers member Leonard Capizzi to take advantage of the Mashed Potato dance craze. Pickett's half-spoken, half-sung narration includes a brief snatch of a heavily accented Bela Lugosi impersonation as well as the Karloff voice. The refrain ran, "He did the mash/ He did the monster mash/ The monster mash/ It was a graveyard smash".

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

The Cordials (3)

  
Eternal Love                      The International Twist 


The Stompers (2)

  
Quarter To Four Stomp                            Foolish One


Bobby Pickett


Monster Mash

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