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Witch Doctor (song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Witch Doctor'" is a 1958 American novelty song written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian, under his stage name David Seville. It became a number one hit and rescued Liberty Records from near-bankruptcy. In the song, the singer asks a witch doctor for romantic advice, the witch doctor responds with a nonsense incantation which creates an earworm.
Recording
The voice of the "Witch Doctor" in the song is Bagdasarian/Seville's own voice played at a higher speed, the same technique used later in 1958 to create the Chipmunks (also known as Alvin and the Chipmunks) beginning with "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)". The song was later re-recorded under the name Alvin and the Chipmunks. However, at the time of the original release of "Witch Doctor", the Chipmunks concept did not exist.
Chart performance
The song peaked at 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 Seville's first single and stayed in the position for three weeks. The single also peaked at on the 'Billboard' R&B chart and on the 'Cash Box' chart as well. The single sold over one million copies in the United States. 'Billboard' ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1958.
Alvin and the Chipmunks versions
The song has gained further popularity due to multiple covers performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks. The first was for their 1960 album 'Sing Again with The Chipmunks', which would later be adapted into a musical segment on 'The Alvin Show'. In 1983, they would perform this song on the 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' episode "The Chipmunk Story" and the soundtrack 'Songs From Our TV Shows'. 'The Chipmunk Adventure' (1987) featured the song when sung by Mrs. Miller. The song was used for the opening of the 1990 TV special 'Rockin' Through the Decades' in the style of various artists. In 1996, a dance mix cover was recorded for the album 'Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes'. In 2007, a DeeTown cover (featuring Chris Classic) was recorded for the live-action/CGI 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' movie. In 2012, they released a duet cover with the Chipettes entitled "Witch Doctor 2.0" available for digital download on the iTunes Store (although iTunes only credits the Chipmunks).
Cartoons version
{{Infobox song
| name = Witch Doctor
| cover = Witch Doctor Cartoons.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Cartoons
| album = Toonage
| released =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:07
| label =
| writer = Ross Bagdasarian
| producer = Sponge, Toonie, Michael Pfundheller
| prev_title = DooDah!
| prev_year = 1998
| next_title = Yoko
| next_year = 1998
| misc =
}}
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, including peaking at on the UK Singles Chart in March 1999. A Spanish version and an Italian version both appear on the album 'Toontastic', while an Italian version also appears on the album 'More Toonage'.
The Cartoons' cover was also featured in the Dancemania compilation series and 'Dance Dance Revolution' game series, starting with 'DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix'.
Track listings
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
DEVO version
The new wave band DEVO recorded a version for the soundtrack of The Rugrats Movie. Although the title, chorus and tune are the same, the verses were changed to be about how monkeys have more fun than humans, a fitting theme for both the films monkey characters and DEVO itself.
References
Category:1958 debut singles
Category:1998 singles
Category:1958 songs
Category:Alvin and the Chipmunks songs
Category:Cartoons (band) songs
Category:Novelty songs
Category:Songs written by Ross Bagdasarian
Category:Music published by Bourne Co. Music Publishers
Category:Liberty Records singles
Category:EMI Records singles
Category:Bertelsmann Music Group singles
Category:Universal Records singles
Category:Warner Records singles
Category:Billboard Top 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:The Muppets songs
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