Music: But, seriously though, what did happen to his Transylvania Twist?

The Bonzo Dog Band (originally the Bonzo Dog Dada Band and then, briefly, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band) was the creation of a group of Brit art-school students in the mid-1960s. Their sound was a deliberately comical and awkward mix of jazz, pop, rock, and out-of-date vaudeville influences. Part corny joke and part art house provocation, they are either the laughing fringe of the psychedelic crowd or the visionary forerunners of the post-punks, depending on how you like to take your rock history.

Most importantly, they were good, goofy fun. Here’s their cover of the novelty classic “The Monster Mash.”



The Bonzo Dog Band got some mainstream attention when they hooked up with the Beatles. Paul, under the Bonzian pseudonym “Apollo C. Vermouth,” produced the BDB’s “Urban Spaceman.”



The BDB also appeared in the Beatles flick Magical Mystery Tour, performing their tune “Death Cab for Cutie.” Sadly, this tune also provided the name of certain emo outfit, revealing that, in this fallen world, there are no human acts of unalloyed good.



The BDB broke up in 1969. Members of the group later collaborated with Monty Python, including writing the music for the Python’s Beatles parody The Rutles.