“The Haunted House of Rock” by Whodini
Ah, the puritan days of hip-hop. Yes, rappers may have been braggadocious since time immemorial. But back in the old days they were also tasked with being genuinely creative, i.e. making up songs centered on a variety of themes. And one such track is “The Haunted House of Rock”.
On this particular outing, Whodini is challenged with dropping a rap song with a whole bunch of references to the horror genre. Thus we have shoutouts to the likes of “Dracula”, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and even Wolfman Jack (1938-1995). But of course all of such references are ultimately meant to point back to “rock”, i.e. the power of the music.
This is the second single from Whodini’s first album, which is also entitled Whodini.
It was written by band member Jalil Hutchins along with Pete Q. Harris and Nigel Green. And the track was produced by the Willesden Dodgers, a trio consisting of the following:
- Pete Q. Harris
- Nigel Green
- Richard J. Smith
The official release date of this track is 1 October 1983. And it came out via Jive Records.
“The Haunted House of Rock” was a minor hit (especially for the early days of hip-hop), appearing on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Dance Club Songs charts.
