Witch Doctor (song)
"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. 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 "". 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. 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".