The write-up on "Happy Ghoul Tide" in TCMS4 [[Disc 21, track 10) mentions that it was recorded in 1962 and that it was a Bruce Armstrong/Bert Haney collaboration, but makes no mention of any earlier release than its 1964 appearance on VIP. Indeed the notes speculate that it might have done better if released in 1962, due to having a similar theme to "Monster Mash", which suggests to me that the folks at Motown were unaware of any previous release.
Of course, possibly they are different recordings, is there anyone out there willing to put "taste" on hold and investigate further.
Roger
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