This is one of those songs that reminds me of something else but I'm not sure what it is. It sounds a bit like some of the old Coasters songs, such as "Yakety Yak". But I'm not sure if there is a better match out there.
Jumpin' Gene Simmons (1937-2006) was from Itawamba County, Mississippi. He is not to be confused with Gene Simmons, the guitarist from Kiss, who chose his stage name in tribute to Jumpin' Gene (this Simmons's birth name was Chaim Witz).
"Haunted House" was originally recorded by Johnny Fuller; his version has more of a novelty feel to it. Simmons's version reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has since been covered by a number of performers, including Jerry Lee Lewis and John Fogerty.
After this, Simmons continued writing and recording, including co-writing "Indian Outlaw", which was a hit for country music singer Tim McGraw. He also travelled to Acapulco to appear as a diver in the Elvis Presley movie Fun In Acapulco, because why not?
Created January 8, 2026.