“A Halloween classic, a familiar tune, and a generous dose of silliness: Sheldon Mashugana is here to remind us that sometimes the best music is the kind that makes us smile.”
Some songs become part of Halloween just because they’re so damn much fun you can’t possibly leave them out and Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash” is one of those. Over 60 years since the original came out, Sheldon Mashugana is bringing his own brand of comedy to the seasonal classic with a version released on 18th September 2026. The intention with this one is very simple really; to take a song that he’s enjoyed for years and do it in his own way in a manner that is funny and in keeping with his general approach to things. The end result is a song that takes the familiar nostalgia of a classic Halloween track and combines it with the inherent silliness of Sheldon Mashugana. The best bit is in the chorus where “Mashugana” takes the place of “Pickett” and that brings it all into Sheldon’s own world. It’s a very simple concept but it works because the name “Mashugana” is inherently ridiculous. Rather than try and re-invent a song that people already know and love, Sheldon just goes with the spirit of it and makes it his own. That’s the whole point of the track really. It’s not a serious attempt to rework a classic Halloween song. It’s a silly, fun performance which is built on familiarity and the sheer joy of doing something you know and love in a slightly different way.
Behind Sheldon Mashugana is Dean Morgan, a performer out of Dallas whose comedy catalogue consists of 18 slapstick films on YouTube. His whole thing is goofy, feel-good entertainment and it’s all about providing people with a way to just get away from it all and have a bit of fun. “Monster Mash” is very much in that vein. Halloween is already a time when people are in a state of ‘you can be ridiculous’ so there’s no reason not to have a bit of a monster dance song. Morgan sees that as a perfect opportunity to bring his character into that world and he’s created a seasonal release that really does sit within that world. The recording process is also very much in keeping with the independent spirit of the project. He recorded it at Justin Pierce Music in Dallas (where he’s worked with Justin Pierce on a number of projects) and Justin helped with the recording and mixing. Rather than a live band they used a karaoke track as the backing. The focus was on Dean’s vocal performance and his take on the song. He admits it took a bit of work at the beginning to get the timing right. Once he’d got his head around how to do it though it was actually quite easy. That’s the little detail that shows you what the work involved in creating a piece of entertainment that’s supposed to be effortless and fun.
Morgan has had a long-standing admiration for Pickett’s original “Monster Mash” and has always wanted to do his own version as Sheldon Mashugana. This release finally enables him to do that. It’s a case of taking a piece of music that people already know and doing it in a way that is uniquely his own. There’s a general feeling that entertainment can be of value in its own right without having to be anything more. As Morgan puts it “in this day and age there’s a lot of depression and problems and Sheldon Mashugana just makes it a lot nicer and happy feeling”. That’s the whole point really. It’s not about making some profound statement, it’s about giving people something to laugh about and to enjoy. With TV appearances scheduled in Santa Fe in October and November, Sheldon Mashugana is continuing to take his character into new areas. “Monster Mash” is the musical addition to that, a seasonal track that fits with the overall approach. It’s based on a song people will have heard before, but the “Mashugana” version is distinctly his. For anyone in the market for a bit of silliness to add to their Halloween playlist, this is the version to get. It’s a familiar tune, a fun performance and a good example of the idea that a little bit of laughter can go a long way.
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