Celebrating the Universal Monsters with the love song “Children of the Night”
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Gothic Rock Song Celebrates Classic Movie Monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and more.
“Maybe monsters aren’t so different from us after all. In the end, all we are looking for is love.”
First appearing on screen all the way back in the 1930s, the Universal Monsters are just as loved as ever. Almost a century after Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the rest first captured the hearts of moviegoers, we continue to see them all over—from movies and TV shows to decorations and Halloween costumes and more.
And now the new song “Children of the Night” has come out that shows love for the monsters. We talk to the songwriters and the vocalist, who share with us the background for the project.
Want even more info about the monsters? Scroll down for more about the history of Phantom of the Opera, the Invisible Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the rest.
In this article:
Falling in love with the Universal Monsters in “Children of the Night”
Q&A with lyricist Jason Ginsburg
Q&A with songwriter Eduardo García Rascón
Q&A with vocalist Brette Alana
History of Universal Monsters
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Falling in love with the Universal Monsters in “Children of the Night”
The new song “Children of the Night” celebrates the Universal Monsters as potential romances. Titled after the memorable line from the 1931 movie Dracula, the song is narrated by a woman so “bored with regular men” that she starts dating the classic monsters.
The first new song to feature the Universal Monsters since “Monster Mash” came out like 60 years ago, “Children of the Night” has been described as a cross between a gothic symphonic metal work and a Broadway showtune. The list of monsters the narrator discusses romantic possibilities with includes Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Phantom of the Opera, the Invisible Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein’s Monster. (She turns out to be the Bride of Frankenstein.)
The song was co-written by Jason Ginsburg (a former Universal Studios tour guide) and Eduardo García Rascón. The song’s vocalist is Brette Alana.
With all eight classic monsters referred to in “Children of the Night”—even more than showed up in 1962’s “Monster Mash”—the songwriters hope the song can become a Halloween tradition. They point out that there hasn’t been a spooky hit since the 1980s, the era of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the hit theme to “Ghostbusters.”
While Universal isn’t part of the project, Ginsburg hopes the song will spark a renewed interest in monster content—and would love for his song to become part of Universal’s legacy. “It would be a dream come true,” Ginsburg says, “to hear this song playing at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.”
Q&A with lyricist Jason Ginsburg
Producer and co-writer of “Children of the Night,” Jason Ginsburg is a former Universal Studios tour guide and creator of the comedy Twitter account @FakeThemePark. He has written content for Science Channel, Home Shopping Network, and Playboy, along with the screenplay for The Sorcerer Beast. He works for Discovery Channel. Follow him on Threads @jrginsburg.
Jason Ginsburg calls “Children of the Night” a love letter to the iconic Universal Monsters. The song’s lyrics include references to the monster films and their quirky sequels that should delight horror fans.
Ginsburg—a lifelong fan of the classic monsters—was thrilled that his work at Universal let him walk the historic sets where their movies were made. “I’ve always felt the monsters deserved their own anthem. As I started writing it, I realized the core of these movies is actually love, even if it’s misguided or unwanted. Though terrifying, the monsters are really sympathetic characters. This song tries to humanize them and show how relatable they really are.”
What are your goals with the song “Children of the Night”?
“This is a love letter to the monsters—literally, as listeners will find out. I hope it brings some joy to fans of the classic monsters around the world, whom I’ve written about. My dream would be to hear it played at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.”
What are the best ways for folks to hear the song?
“The song is on Spotify and iTunes, along with other stores and streaming sites.”
What inspired this song? What inspired its format and its content?
“The Universal Monsters are a brand, a franchise, an entire cinematic universe—but they don’t have anything close to a theme or an anthem. I thought the studio might concoct one for the Dark Universe, but those films fizzled out almost immediately. So if no one else was going to do it, I thought I’d take a stab.”
Your background includes being a tour guide for Universal Studios. The studio, of course, is responsible for LOTS of stuff—how much of what you did for them was related to Universal Monsters? (What did you do for it?)
“I not only gave the standard tram tour but also private walking tours. So I often took groups to Little Europe on the backlot, a generic village that was used for many exterior scenes of the monster films.
“I also showed guests Stage 28, which was used for the original Phantom of the Opera in 1926. The opera house boxes were part of the soundstage structure, and never removed. Unfortunately, Universal tore down the stage to expand the theme park in 2014. Supposedly the boxes were preserved, but no one has seen them.
“While I was there, the Studio Tour also included the Mummy’s Tomb, a spinning tunnel inspired by the Brendan Fraser movies. That was a fun way to end a tour!”
What is your background and history as a fan of Universal Monsters?
“I was introduced to the films through my dad, who’s a lifelong movie buff. When I got the job at Universal, I had access to the studio store, so I would buy the films for him on DVD.
“But after I went through all the originals, I started buying the sequels for him as well, movies like Son of Dracula and Ghost of Frankenstein. And of course my dad wanted me to watch them with him. So I was still discovering monster movies as an adult.”
How is the best way to keep track of your music or your other arts?
“I’m the creator of FakeThemePark, a parody of Universal and other parks. When I ended it in March of 2022, it was the longest-running comedy project on Twitter. I co-wrote two satirical songs for it, “I’m a Theme Park Princess” and “The Jimmy Jaguar Club March,” which I’m still proud of. And I’ve written articles about the classic monsters, which I’ve collected here. I’m also a screenwriter, and my most recent film is a fantasy adventure starring Corey Feldman and Jeffrey Combs.”
Q&A with songwriter Eduardo García Rascón
Composer for “Children of the Night,” film and video game composer Eduardo García Rascón can be heard on the upcoming video games Womg and Mogrimera: Disciple of Order as well as in short films like Mr. Chuckles by Mario Garza and The Challenge by Jacob Boyd. He has also composed a plethora of children’s music for the YouTube channel HiDino Kids Songs, the show The Incredible Adventures of Bimi Boo and Friends, and the album Fluke Horizon: A Journey, which is part of the book and audiobook The Orange and Ginger Soapy Shampoo. You can also follow his work on his studio’s website 8-Bit Studio.
Rascón says that from the beginning, this project “Children of the Night” sounded very appealing to him. “I loved the idea of creating sort of an ode to the classic monsters known and loved by so many throughout generations, a song unlike any other! I also embraced the challenge of creating a song that appropriately tells a story sort of like a Broadway song mixed with a symphonic metal feel.”
Attentive listeners will also hear the themes from Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941). The song includes “Swan Lake,” which served as the main title for both Dracula and The Mummy (1932). “Since the beginning,” notes Rascón, “it was very clear that we needed to, somehow, sneak in small snippets of the classic themes. Just small references for the fans out there, sort of like an easter egg.”
What are your goals with the song “Children of the Night”?
“Hopefully yes, I want this song to become a monster! (pun intended). I would love for it to become the official song of the Universal monsters loved by so many. To have this song (or some version of it) sound everywhere when it comes to the monsters. On theme parks, TV, ads, live performances and the like.”
What is your background and history as a fan of Universal Monsters?
“The Universal monsters have been part of my life since I can remember, just for the simple fact that they’ve been around for so many years. When I was a kid my siblings, cousins and I would have sleepovers and we would often make our own haunted houses. More times than I can remember, we would impersonate one of the monsters like the Mummy, Dracula, the Wolf Man or some version of one of them. It’s impossible to not know and like at least one of them!”
How is the best way to keep track of your music or your other arts?
“I have a lot of work spread out throughout the internet but the main place is on my studio’s website 8-Bit Studio.”
Q&A with vocalist Brette Alana
Vocalist Brette Alana, who brought the song to life, found the creation process to be a blast. “It was so satisfying to give a voice to the electrifying feminine point-of-view, in the world of classic monsters, in such a fun and relatable way. For me, the message is really highlighting the possibility that monsters aren’t that different from us at all, and could even be a mere reflection of the nature that runs through every being, dead or alive—and that’s love.”
Brette Alana is an up-and-coming recording performing artist and producer, based in California. She has been nationally awarded and recognized for her numerous projects by the National DownBeat Magazine. Her first release—written, produced, and mastered all on her own, “Sunday Afternoon”—is available on all music streaming platforms. Keep up with her @BretteAlana.
What are your goals with the song “Children of the Night”?
My goal was to bring to life and give a voice to the electrifying female point of view within the world of classic monsters. Along with hinting at the notion that maybe monsters aren’t so different from us after all. In the end, all we are looking for is love.
What is your background and history as a fan of Universal Monsters?
I have always been attracted to the dark, mysterious, and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night stories, especially Frankenstein. So getting the opportunity to immerse myself in that world, and through the eyes of Frankenstein’s beloved Bride, was really just a blast.
How is the best way to keep track of your music or your other arts?
You can follow my musical journey and work on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Spotify and more @BretteAlana For more info on my services and collaborations, visit my website.
More about the Universal Monsters
When you name the most fascinating monsters, many of them are part the classic Universal Monster movies. Often inspired by classic books, legends, and folk stories, these movies created a remarkably engaging series of stories which are scary and sincere.
If you want more articles on classic monsters—Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, Wolf Man, and more!—check out Monster Complex’s UNIVERSAL MONSTERS category for related movies, books, TV shows, comic books, and more!
More about Dracula
Vampire legend Dracula first appears in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. Undead for hundreds of years, he keeps his own life by sucking blood from his victims. He can turn others into vampires, and is able to change his form to become such things as a bat, a wolf, a fog, or mist. His weaknesses include religious symbols. Monster Complex offers more info about the novel and official follow-up books here.
Dracula has appeared in many adaptations, riffs, and parodies in all kind of media. More than 200 films have been made that feature Count Dracula, a number that is reportedly only second to films featuring Sherlock Holmes. The most popular version of the character comes from 1931’s Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. See the whole list of official Universal films here: Dracula: Complete Universal Monsters Movies.
Related links:
More about Frankenstein’s Monster
The character of Frankenstein’s Monster was first seen in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The creation of Victor Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Monster—who, since he is considered to be Frankenstein’s son, means it’s OK to call him by the same name—was a new kind of person stitched together from the body parts of dead humans.
Monster Complex has more info about the book here:
Frankenstein: Everything You Need to Know to Read Mary Shelley’s Novel
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: 13 Facts About One Of the Most Influential Books in Literature.
Frankenstein’s monster has been featured in lots of media, including films, television, stage productions, video games, and everything else. The most popular version of the character comes from his appearances in Universal Monsters films, starting with 1931’s Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff. See the monster’s whole film series listed here: Frankenstein: Complete Universal Monsters Movies.
Find Frankenstein movies at Amazon
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More about the Invisible Man
Legendary author H.G. Wells wrote the 1897 classic science fiction novel The Invisible Man. The title character is a scientist who invents the ability to becom invisible—and then finds his sanity driven away until he becomes a murderer and a terror to locals.
The 1933 Universal movie The Invisible Man was directed by James Whale and starred Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart and William Harrigan. Unlike some other Universal monster movie series, the sequels to The Invisible Man featured various characters who took invisibility in different directions.
These movies include The Invisible Man Returns (1940) with Vincent Price, Cedric Hardwicke, Nan Grey, John Sutton; The Invisible Woman (1940) with Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore, John Howard; Invisible Agent (1942) with Peter Lorre; The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944) with Evelyn Ankers; and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951).
Find Invisible Man movies at Amazon
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More about the Wolf Man
Although not Universal’s first werewolf picture, 1941’s The Wolf Man launched one of the most important series in the Universal Monsters movies canon, one infused as much with tragedy as with horror. It was through this series that the studio saw a way to combine together different franchises—crossing over the Wolf Man films with Frankenstein, Dracula, and even Abbott and Costello. See the list for his whole film series here: Wolf Man: Complete Universal Monsters Movies.
Inspired by folktales and legends, much of what we think about werewolves today came from the Universal Monsters. Their 1941 film The Wolf Man was written by Curt Siodmak, who introduced many elements of the legend. The film starred Lon Chaney Jr. as the man cursed to become a wolf when the moon was full. Although not Universal’s first werewolf film, this was the one that led to multiple sequels, as Chaney would replay his classic role four times.
Find Werewolf movies at Amazon
Related links:
More about The Mummy
Following the box office successes of Dracula and Frankenstein, Universal commissioned a new monster movie inspired by the media sensation caused by the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 and the “Curse of the Pharaohs.”
Since, unlike with Dracula and Frankenstein, there was no literary source material, there were a number of iterations before they got there. The end result was the original 1932 film The Mummy, directed by Karl Freund. The screenplay by John L. Balderston was from a story by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer.
The film is about an ancient Egyptian mummy discovered by a team of archeologists and brought back to life through a magic scroll. Now alive in modern day, the mummy searches for his lost love, whom he believes has been reincarnated into a modern woman.
The film led to a series of sequels, although the continuity that threaded them together was so loose that they never again referenced the mummy from the original film.
Related links:
More about the Creature From the Black Lagoon
The last of the classic Universal Monsters, the beast from 1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon is an amphibian humanoid at the center of a 3D monster horror film. The first in a trilogy, the story of the first movie followed a group of scientists who encounter the Gill-man in the waters of the Amazon. Of special note is that legendary composer Henry Mancini created the scores for the first and third film in this series.
The original movie also inspired the 2017 Oscar-winning movie The Shape of Water.
Find the Creature From the Black Lagoon movie trilogy at Amazon
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More about Phantom of the Opera
One of the oldest classic movie monsters, The Phantom of the Opera was introduced in Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the novel, the character is described as corpse-like and is referred to as having a “death’s-head” (human skull).
The character has been revisited several times, including films, television, and more than one stage production. He was the focus of one of the earliest of Universal’s horror movies, debuting onscreen with 1925’s silent film Phantom of the Opera.
Find Phantom of the Opera projects on Amazon
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More about the Bride of Frankenstein
In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein’s Monster feels alone, so he asks Victor to make him a wife—promising that he and his mate will disappear into the wilderness. Victor, afraid for his own family, reluctantly begins work on her. However, worried that the Monster and his mate might have children (and even raise a new species which could destroy mankind), Victor destroys the unfinished bride. (The monster sees it happen—so things get even worse.)
This is only a fraction of the novel, but the 1935 movie Bride of Frankenstein expands on this part of the story. We actually see the woman be created. However, when she rejects the Monster, that story ends badly for some of these people, too.
Find the Universal Monsters movies on Amazon
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More from Monster Complex
Monster Mash Parody: Frankenstein’s Monster vs Psychotic Killers
13 Movies Where Frankenstein Meets Dracula Meets The Wolf Man
27 Monster Musicals: From Addams Family and Spirited to Wicked and beyond
Universal Monsters Movies: The Original Shared Cinematic Universe
The Munsters: Is Herman Munster Really Frankenstein’s Monster? (Well…)
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”—listen to 60 cover versions here!
Everything Wrong with The “Trashfire Sequel” to Phantom of the Opera
Universal Classic Monsters: Debuts of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, and more
‘Young Frankenstein’ Original Broadway Cast Recording—listen now!
Dark Corners Q&A: Universal’s Invisible Man—Horror’s Anti-Hero
He’s Back! Beetlejuice The Musical + Alternate Versions of “The Whole Being Dead Thing”
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018): Behind the scenes of the musical Christmas zombie movie
Making ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN: Behind the scenes of the classic movie
Further reading online
4 Universal Monsters Soundtracks That Stand The Test of Time (UniversalMonstersUniverse.com)
19 songs influenced by horror movies (Alternative Press Magazine)
DRACULA To Kick Off The Return Of The Universal Monsters (In Comic Book Form) (Fangoria)
Danny Elfman Rumored "Monster Music" for New Universal Project (Inside the Magic)
The 66 Greatest Movie Monsters: From Dracula To The Thing (TimeOut)
Creepy Country Songs: 15 Tunes That Give Us Chills (Wide Open Country)
54 Best Horror Movies of All Time - Scariest Horror Films Ever (Men's Health)
Monster Mash Musical Based on the Hit Song Is Happening at Universal (MovieWeb)
10 Horror Movie Gems Ripe for Video Game Adaptations (FandomWire
The 20 scariest pieces of classical music for Halloween (Classic FM)
Want to see some monster movies that are technically bad but are fun to watch? These may never live up to the standards of applauded horror movies, but you can’t say they aren’t fun to watch…