Witch Doctor (song)
1958 song by Ross Bagdasarian From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Witch Doctor" is a 1958 American novelty song written and recorded by Ross Bagdasarian (under the stage name of David Seville). Bagdasarian sang the song, varying the tape speeds to produce a high-pitched voice for the titular witch doctor;[2][3] this technique was later used in his next song, "The Bird on My Head",[4][5][6] and for the creation of the voices of his virtual band Alvin and the Chipmunks. The song became a number one hit and rescued Liberty Records from near-bankruptcy;[7] it held number one for three weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[8][9] ranked by Billboard as the No. 4 song for 1958.[10][11]
| "Witch Doctor" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Ross Bagdasarian | ||||
| from the album Sing Again with The Chipmunks | ||||
| B-side | "Don't Whistle at Me, Baby" | |||
| Released | April 1958 | |||
| Genre | Novelty[1] | |||
| Length | 2:15 | |||
| Label | Liberty | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ross Bagdasarian | |||
| Producer(s) | Ross Bagdasarian | |||
| Ross Bagdasarian singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In the song, the narrator asks a witch doctor for romantic advice because he has fallen in love with a girl; the witch doctor responds in a high-pitched, squeaky voice with a nonsense incantation which creates an earworm: "Oo-ee-oo-ah-ah, ting-tang, walla-walla-bing-bang."
History
Summarize
Perspective
Ross Bagdasarian, a Broadway actor who had been a pianist in Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 masterpiece Rear Window, wrote the song, inspired by a book titled Duel with a Witch Doctor on his bookshelf. Bagdasarian had spent $200, a significant sum at that time, on a specialized tape recorder;[12] while experimenting with the device, he had an idea of recording his voice at a different speed to create a dialogue between himself and the witch doctor. He sang in his own voice as normal, and then overdubbed the song with the voice of the "witch doctor", which is in fact his own voice sung slowly but recorded at half speed on the tape recorder, then played back at normal speed (the voice was therefore sped up to become a high-pitched, squeaky one).[5][6] Bagdasarian recorded the music first, and then experimented with the process for creating the singing voice for two months before recording it in the studio.[5][13] It was said that when Si Waronker from the financially-troubled Liberty Records label heard the resulting song, they released it to reach the shops within 24 hours.[14]
The same technique used to create the voice of the witch doctor was used in Bagdasarian's next song "The Bird on My Head", and then more significantly the highly successful Alvin and the Chipmunks, beginning with "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" released for Christmas 1958.[6] Initially released under David Seville alone, "Witch Doctor" was also released under the name of David Seville and the Chipmunks and re-recorded under the name Alvin and the Chipmunks. The technique was also imitated by other recording artists, such as Sheb Wooley in "The Purple People Eater".[13] The Big Bopper parodied both songs on "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor"; this song was originally released as a single, but it was its flip-side "Chantilly Lace" that became the hit.[15]
Chart performance
"Witch Doctor" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100, the predecessor to the Billboard Hot 100. The single was considered a major surprise hit on the chart, where it became Ross Bagdasarian and Liberty Records' first No. 1 single, and stayed in the position for three weeks. The single also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart even though it is not a R&B song – this is due to the R&B chart being a trade category at the time, reflecting the popularity of the song with African-American radio stations and customers.[16] The single had sold 1.4 million copies in the United States by December 1958.[8] Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1958.[17]
Charts
| Chart (1958) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[18] | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 11 |
| US Top 100 Sides (Billboard)[20] | 1 |
| US Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records[21] | 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[22] | 1 |
Cover versions
Summarize
Perspective
Alvin and the Chipmunks versions
The song has gained further popularity due to multiple covers performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks, another Ross Bagdasarian creation. The first was for their 1960 album Sing Again with The Chipmunks, which would be released as a single and adapted into a musical segment in The Alvin Show, which in turn was included on the eponymous soundtrack of the animated series. In 1983, they performed the song on the Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "The Chipmunk Story" and for their 1984 album Songs from our TV Shows. The Chipmunk Adventure also features the song, this time sung by Mrs. Miller. The song was used for the opening of the 1990 TV special Rockin' Through the Decades, with each verse being sung by one of the Chipmunks in the style of a different artist.
In 2007, a DeeTown remix cover featuring Chris Classic was recorded for the live-action/CGI film Alvin and the Chipmunks. This version reached No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2008.[23]
Cartoons version
| "Witch Doctor" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cartoons | ||||
| from the album Toonage | ||||
| Released | October 26, 1998 | |||
| Length | 3:06 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Ross Bagdasarian | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Cartoons singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Witch Doctor" on YouTube | ||||
Danish band Cartoons covered "Witch Doctor" for their 1998 debut album, Toonage. Released on October 26, 1998, their version charted well in Europe, reaching the Top 40 in several countries, and peaking at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1999.[24]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Witch Doctor" (Radio Mix) | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Witch Doctor" (Extended Mix) | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Witch Doctor" (Out of Africa Remix) | 5:09 |
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[40] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
Other versions
- English trombonist and singer Don Lang recorded a version similar to Ross Bagdasarian's recording. This cover reached No. 5 on the UK chart in June 1958.[43]
- Mexican actor and comedian Manuel "El Loco" Valdés performed a Spanish version of the song for the 1958 film Two Ghosts and a Girl, where he plays various stereotypical roles of African, German, Spanish, Russian and Chinese people. The performance was very well received by the Mexican public and is considered a classic of Mexican comedy. Manuel Valdés would reinterpret the song in other productions throughout his career, including the 2007 animated film La Leyenda de la Nahuala.[44]
- New wave band Devo recorded a version for the soundtrack of The Rugrats Movie. The verses were changed to be about how monkeys have more fun than humans.[45]
References
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