Here’s something you may not have previously known: Stephen King and his wife Tabatha are partial owners of a rock and roll radio station! Clearly the two have overlapping tastes on both stories and music, which probably helps when it comes to domestic harmony. However, this master of horror has made a revelation that could be perfect fodder for the world of upcoming Stephen King movies. Apparently he loves the song “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” so much that the author drove his better half crazy to the point of her threatening divorce.
Promoting his new novel Holly during an interview with Rolling Stone, King spun a web that’s hysterical, but also frightening in its own right. Flat out asked about his supposed fandom for Lou Bega’s 1999 hit, Stephen King professed his love for it thusly, revealing a terrifying tale in the process:
Oh, yeah. Big time. My wife threatened to divorce me. I played that a lot. I had the dance mix. I loved those extended play things, and I played both sides of it. And one of them was just total instrumental. And I played that thing until my wife just said, “One more time, and I’m going to fucking leave you.
First of all, let’s take a moment to appreciate that Mr. King is a fan of this one-hit wonder. Yes, it may not be the coolest song in the world, and Lou Bega is quite the interesting figure when you look into the rest of his career. But knowing the same man that warned his fans that Holly contains “a few fairly gruesome scenes” can also get down to just an instrumental version of this blast from the past is enough to be totally amusing. Though for the record, it is still a pretty entertaining song in its own right, and no, I will not be taking questions at this time.
As for the story about poor Tabitha King being driven mad by this tune, I can practically see the movie adaptation now. Kathy Bates and Will Patton are a kindly couple who, upon one fateful afternoon, get pushed to their breaking points. The wife threatens to leave, and the husband presses play once more. A dark glee spreads across his face, and his wife tries to leave in fright, but it’s too late. The mambo has taken him and his dwelling, and she’s next if she doesn’t make it to the door in time.
Heading back to reality, and lest you doubt the man who brought us Christine, which sees its film adaptation headed back to theaters this month, Stephen's more recent pop sensibilities are a further sign that he’s quite hip to the underrated joys out there. Especially when Stephen King recently proclaimed Babylon a future cult classic, which definitely sits well with us here at CinemaBlend HQ.
I sense that the subject of “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” would be more of a dividing discussion, but such is the path of defending your darlings. While he’s undoubtedly learned his lesson, Mr. King may still find himself longing for a hit Lou Bega’s interpretation of Perez Prado’s 1950 original from time to time. Honestly, don’t we all?
Should that be the case, I’d like to recommend that he indulge in the variant included below, which could satisfy his ears at the risk of antagonizing his wife a little more. You have to admit, what you’re about to listen to is definitely different, and it lends a much needed variety to this oft-played track:
In the realm of the serious, you can dig into the latest Stephen King book, Holly, as it’s currently available wherever you buy your reading material. As for the world of film, 20th Century Studios’ The Boogeyman, which is a four-star effort crowned by resident King expert Eric Eisenberg, is currently available on Digital HD for everyone to enjoy. “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)” is available wherever you seek it, but beware its oddly charming powers.
