Groove Barbers

Zombie Jamboree b/w Flat Tire

Tinker Tone Records

scum stats: 150 on black vinyl, 50 on graveyard glow-in-the-dark

I had no idea what record to write about today. I’ve got a pile of approximately 400 singles next to my desk, things I’ve bought, things sent to me unsolicited, records I’ve downright stolen from infirmed old folks…the whole gamut.

So I began to dig indiscriminately. Deep in the recesses I discovered this single…I have no recollection ever receiving it or have any idea who “Shane” is that sent it to me or why in the hell I didn’t look at it closer when it arrived.

What I do know is that “Zombie Jamboree” as sung by Rockapella was on hardcore repeat the first couple of months we opened TMR back in 2009. No idea how it came to our attention, maybe Jack and his kids (?) but Swank and I played the shit out of this video, to which I have no idea what the fuck is actually going on. Why is Spike Lee involved? Why the faux rap battle? I JUST DON’T GET IT, BUT I LOVE IT!

I don’t think our appreciation was insincere or in jest…it really is a compelling song and clip, in spite of our lack of understanding. As far as I can discern…this is an old-style calypso song.

So to confuse me even more is that Groove Barbers contain some former members of Rockapella. And they’re STILL doing some iteration of this song, thirty years later.

That, ladies and gentleman, is commitment.

One of my favorite jokes I’ve recently pulled was a few years back when Swank was in NYC for some work reason in October. I asked him if he had ever been to the “New York cemetery” and he said “no…but probably the right time of year to go” and then I followed up by saying “yeah, they’ve got a great zombie jamboree there” and he text-groaned so loud it felt like applause from hundreds of miles away.

I opened up the Rockapella wikipedia page and just don’t have the patience to read through it. I can’t find anywhere to even buy this record, but enjoy it in the spirit of the Halloween.