You remember “The Witch Doctor”, of course… who doesn’t? You probably learned it at summer camp.
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
But did you know that it’s not just a silly children’s song and that it topped the charts in 1958? Did you know that the high pitched voice of the witch doctor in the song is actually the same voice as the world famous Alvin and the Chipmunks?
The artist who had a #1 hit in 1958 with “The Witch Doctor” was David Sevilla; the same David Sevilla who about a year later was all over the airwaves (and soon on TV too) yelling “ALVIN!” (and won a Grammy in 1959).
David Seville was the stage name of Ross Bagdasarian Sr., born in Fresno, CA in 1919 (and died in 1972).
“The Witch Doctor” was not Seville’s first #1, although it was the song that propelled his career to international fame and fortune. In 1951, a song she co-wrote with her cousin and successful playwright William Saroyan, “Come On-A My House,” was a No. 1 hit for singer Rosemary Clooney (aunt of famous actor George Clooney).
“In 1958, my family had down to the last $200. Being a gamer at heart, my father did what any other prudent person would do. He took $190 and bought the latest state-of-the-art tape recorder, one that allowed him to change the speed As he was trying to decide what to write about, he saw a book on his desk, Duel with the witch doctor. In a burst of creative energy, fueled mostly by sheer panic, he wrote ‘Witch Doctor,’ a song about a boy who is hopelessly in love and goes to a witch doctor for advice…” –Ross Bagdasarian, Jr .
But how were the voice of the witch doctor and the voices of the squirrels actually created?
Since if you increase the speed of the tape, the TEMPO of the performance also speeds up, to get the desired result of correct tempo combined with the high voice, Sevilla had to record the songs singing them at approximately half speed. – a laborious task especially for Chimpmunks records that had multiple characters and harmony parts.
“Bagdasarian did all the vocals himself, a tedious process that took three days and nine tracks of tape in a recording studio. He named the Chipmunks after Al Bennett and Si Warnoker, the heads of his record company, Liberty, and Ted Keep, the recording director engineer for the session.” –StraightDope.com
As for “The Witch Doctor,” upon its release by the financially strapped Liberty Records, it reached No. 1 and sold over a million copies. Alvin and the Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song,” which premiered in November 1958, did even better.
“When the dust settled in mid-January 1959, “The Chipmunk Song” had sold four and a half million records in seven weeks. An all-time record in the music business…In 1964, the Beatles [“I Want to Hold Your Hand”] it eclipsed “The Chipmunk Song” as the best-selling song of all time. Thinking if you can’t beat them, join them, Pop visited the Beatles in London. And, with his blessing, he released The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles.” –Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.
the witch doctor lyrics
(Words and Music by David Sevilla)
I told the sorcerer that I was in love with you
I told the witch doctor you didn’t love me either
And then the witch doctor told me what to do
Said…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
I told the wizard that you didn’t really love me
I told the wizard you didn’t love me right
And then the witch doctor gives me this advice
told…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Now you’ve been hiding love from me
As if you were a miser
And I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart
So I went out and found myself
A guy who is so wise
And taught me the way to win your heart
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to say
My friend the witch doctor, he taught me what to do
I know you’ll be mine when I tell you this
Oh baby…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang…
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bang bang