The world of horror literature is surley getting inovative, first came movie type trailers for books, and now Greg Lamberson is releasing a theme song for his book Johnny Gruesome. Sounds like fun to me read on for more details.
Canadian songwriter/musician Giasone Italiano has recorded a new song, “Gruesome,” to promote the upcoming horror novel Johnny Gruesome, written by Gregory Lamberson. Lamberson is the author of Personal Demons, winner of the Anubis Award for Horror, and is best known as the writer and director of the cult horror film Slime City.
Lamberson wanted a unique method to promote his new novel, which deals with a murdered teenager who returns from the grave for revenge. Because of its heavy metal motif, Lamberson hit on the idea of giving the novel its own theme song.
“I’d just discovered that a Milwaukee band called The Holy Mary Motor Club had recorded a tribute song to Slime City,” Lamberson says. “It was a real catchy tune, and I thought, ‘Why not do a song about Johnny Gruesome before the novel comes out, to build awareness of the character? But I don’t sing or play any instruments.”
So Lamberson turned to Italiano. “Giasone is a songwriter who sings on his own demos, which cover numerous musical genres. He’s also the biggest ‘Friday the 13th’ fan I know, and we share an appreciation for Alice Cooper. I told him I wanted an Alice-type song for Johnny Gruesome and he sent me a demo a few days later. The final mix kicks ass, and really captures the spirit of the novel, which I’m still fine tuning.”
Italiano co-wrote the song with his wife Marcy, author of the horror novel Pain Machine. He composed the music, sang the vocals (as Johnny Gruesome), played guitar and bass, and produced the song.
“The plan is to spend a couple of months raising interest in the song,” Lamberson says, “then premiere it in January, 2007. There’s a bigger audience for horror-themed music now than ever before. I’ve compiled a list of 300 radio shows and on-line shows that specialize in this kind of music, and I want to get this song played on as many of them as possible.”
The Italianos are so pleased with the song, they’ve decided to collaborate on an entire CD album that will serve as a companion piece to Lamberson’s novel. “The “Johnny” character is the catalyst and inspiration behind the music,” says Italiano. “It will be “Johnny” singing, but not always as the growling creature featured in the “Gruesome” song; his persona will shift depending on each song’s vibe. A couple of songs will reflect events of the novel, like the title track, but others will just be fun, horror-based, hard rock.”
Brett Savory, author of the new horror novel The Distance Traveled, and an editor for the respected horror fiction webzine Chizine, will play drums on some of the tracks.
Lamberson says, “Johnny Gruesome began life as an un-produced screenplay I wrote years ago. When I decided to turn the script into a novel, I thought it would be a solitary experience, but it’s turned out to be as collaborative as a film. Giasone has given Johnny his voice, and Zach McCain, who’s illustrating the novel, has given him his face. And now two other horror writers are working on the songs.”
Updates on “Gruesome” and Johnny Gruesome will be posted on Lamberson’s website, www.slimeguy.com, and in his newsletter, The Gruesome Gazette, as well as on Italiano’s website, www.giasoneitaliano.com.
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