Great tune and not just for All Hallow's Eve either. One of the best Doo Wop songs to come along. I can still imagine the kids on American Bandstand doing the stroll to this. It's rumored that one of the reasons for the song title change from "Dead Man's Stroll" to "Midnight Stroll" was that Dick Clark wouldn't play it on American Bandstand as "Dead Man's Stroll".
Norgolde Records....My dad Harold Nussbaum, changed to Hal Norton and partner Bill GOLDstein....Hence Norgolde records Norton and Goldstein....NORGOLDE....Still get emails about their work from the day....Over production of some of the songs is what finely did the record label in.....Too much productions and magic blurred the final product.....They paid for it in the end....Sad but true....
Long one of my favorites. Never managed to coral the 45 of this even though it was high on my want list back in my collecting days. Nice to hear it again. Great novelty number.
Every year at Halloween I did a Halloween Spooktacular and this record was played. Always liked the sound of Big Ben in the background. They had a followup I believe called Fu Man Chu.
Larry N. Boyington, aka Larry Neal, former curator of the Wax Museum on the big 1520 KOMA
Dick Clark actually had the title & song line changed so his dancers could do the stroll to it on Bandstand. The whole country was stroll happy at that time.
"Dead Man's Stroll" was the original title when the Norgolde label released this tune, but it got changed to "Midnight Stroll", which, I guess, made it easier for the radio censors to deal with. Anyway, it did well enough to reach the Billboard Pop Top 40, and earned the group an appearance on "American Bandstand". Love it!
I will ditto "oldbiddie": OH MY GOODNESS! I'm finding all my favorite Oldies lately! Just added this and "False Alarm" to my faves, never realizing that this was the same group. What astonishing music, harmony, etc.!! This one is amazing! "phunkyjunction": a GREAT BIG HUGE thank you for posting!!! Cheers!
My Goodness!! What a memory. I was 8 or 9 years old and this group was on TV dressed in the costumes above. They were dancing w/skeletons in a grave yard! It scared me to death but I loved the song and doing the stroll. Love this!!! Thanks
John Henry Jones, an original member passed away 08-09-2011.
stripemister 2 months ago
Great tune and not just for All Hallow's Eve either. One of the best Doo Wop songs to come along. I can still imagine the kids on American Bandstand doing the stroll to this. It's rumored that one of the reasons for the song title change from "Dead Man's Stroll" to "Midnight Stroll" was that Dick Clark wouldn't play it on American Bandstand as "Dead Man's Stroll".
Thanks so much for the post!
bellsys1 4 months ago
Shock of shocks...it reached #2 here in Minneapolis!
barrympls 5 months ago
Norgolde Records....My dad Harold Nussbaum, changed to Hal Norton and partner Bill GOLDstein....Hence Norgolde records Norton and Goldstein....NORGOLDE....Still get emails about their work from the day....Over production of some of the songs is what finely did the record label in.....Too much productions and magic blurred the final product.....They paid for it in the end....Sad but true....
jamesnussbaum 6 months ago
thinking of my late aunt and uncle doing the stroll to this...sad......
exgroupiefromelmont1 1 year ago
Utterly FANTASTIC! Do someone have the lyrics?
GaetanoCozza 1 year ago
Comment removed
gregzsidisin 1 year ago
Just got off from work, it was awful late.
I had to pass the cemetery gate.
The sky was dark, and the moon was bright.
It was a very, very cold, cold night.
I never thought I could see such a sight -
A poor soul doing the Dead Man’s Stroll.
Dressed in a top hat, cane and all,
Must have been going to a dead man’s ball.
May not believe it but it has to be told:
A poor soul doing the Dead Man’s Stroll.
gregzsidisin 1 year ago
Nodded his head, with a finger he led.
I wasn’t sure there was nothing to dread.
We went on strolling for miles and miles,
Just before I realized
The time had passed when I was cold.
I was now doing the Dead Man’s Stroll.
gregzsidisin 1 year ago
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Nodded his head, with a finger he led.
I wasn’t sure there was nothing to dread.
We went on strolling for miles and miles,
Just before I realized
The time had passed when I was cold.
I was now doing the Dead Man’s Stroll.
gregzsidisin 1 year ago
@GaetanoCozza Nodded his head, with a finger he led.
I wasn’t sure there was nothing to dread.
We went on strolling for miles and miles,
Just before I realized
The time had passed when I was cold.
I was now doing the Dead Man’s Stroll.
gregzsidisin 1 year ago
Comment removed
gregzsidisin 1 year ago
Long one of my favorites. Never managed to coral the 45 of this even though it was high on my want list back in my collecting days. Nice to hear it again. Great novelty number.
bklyncal 1 year ago
Every year at Halloween I did a Halloween Spooktacular and this record was played. Always liked the sound of Big Ben in the background. They had a followup I believe called Fu Man Chu.
Larry N. Boyington, aka Larry Neal, former curator of the Wax Museum on the big 1520 KOMA
larrynealwaxmuseum 1 year ago
@larrynealwaxmuseum The bass singer is actually doing the evil laughing.
Persian1Cat 1 year ago
Dick Clark actually had the title & song line changed so his dancers could do the stroll to it on Bandstand. The whole country was stroll happy at that time.
106732 2 years ago
"Dead Man's Stroll" was the original title when the Norgolde label released this tune, but it got changed to "Midnight Stroll", which, I guess, made it easier for the radio censors to deal with. Anyway, it did well enough to reach the Billboard Pop Top 40, and earned the group an appearance on "American Bandstand". Love it!
57Will 2 years ago
This rocks, big time, trying to get the 45 right now on ebay...
CrisVangel 2 years ago
I will ditto "oldbiddie": OH MY GOODNESS! I'm finding all my favorite Oldies lately! Just added this and "False Alarm" to my faves, never realizing that this was the same group. What astonishing music, harmony, etc.!! This one is amazing! "phunkyjunction": a GREAT BIG HUGE thank you for posting!!! Cheers!
chalomirof63 3 years ago
My Goodness!! What a memory. I was 8 or 9 years old and this group was on TV dressed in the costumes above. They were dancing w/skeletons in a grave yard! It scared me to death but I loved the song and doing the stroll. Love this!!! Thanks
oldbiddie 3 years ago
oh. my. god. thank you! this was on YT before but under the other title "midnight stroll"
i love this song!
raunharris 3 years ago
@raunharris Censors made them change the title to Midnight Stroll. The bass is doing the laughing
falsetto, it is a fact.
Persian1Cat 1 year ago
You gotta love the bass. Thanks again for the posts Phunky.
hubiethesaint 3 years ago
@hubiethesaint
the bass also did the the falsetto laugh part.
Persian1Cat 1 month ago