Well, if you ever listened to Dr. Demento, you’d know that the “Witch Doctor” still has many fans (and I’m one.) i’m not sure how many people have re-recorded this song, but I’ve heard a number if different versions.
I grew up with Dr. Demento. Now that you mention it, I likely heard this song first on his radio show. Thanks for reminding me of what was probably the original source for me!
Great one Steve! I haven’t seen Mary Poppins since I was a kid, that was a blast from the past! That animated Chipmunks version of the Witch Doctor song, which I’d never heard before, is certainly problematic. But it’s also so “of it’s time”. Looking back it’s amazing how badly some TV shows and movies have aged (and what audiences were willing to accept in the first place).
There’s a gibberish song that’s a REAL earworm for me: The Ying Tong Song by The Goons. My dad had the single and my sister and I would listen to it a lot as kids. The Goon Show was a British radio comedy show in the 50s, primarily starring Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers. The song peaked at #3 in the British chart.
It still pops to mind regularly for me and once it starts I often can’t get it out of my head for days: https://youtu.be/33-fVsL5Kdc
Ha, I watched a bunch of Mary Poppins' clips when I was researching this piece. Also, my wife's cousins are the Shermans, of which Richard and Robert wrote all the music to Mary Poppins (as well as many other Disney films). I met them at a wedding ten years ago. There's a lovely documentary about them.
Thanks for sharing The Goons song "Ying Tong Song." I have to admit I've never heard it before! Maybe it was a British thing. I of course know of Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers (not sure if I know Harry Secombe). It's quite a schizophrenic song! So odd and like a cartoon come to life! Even with a chipmunky section! I feel like it would have scared me as a young kid!
Thanks for reading - part two of the gibberish series to be posted hopefully tomorrow. Hard to find time to write lately....
This was a lot of fun, especially the list of reasons why you stopped reading. I laughed out LOUD.
As for children's gibberish songs, I have nothing substantial to contribute other than I suspect I would enjoy them more now than I did when I was a kid. I didn't take it very well when I didn't fully understand anything linguistic. "But what does it mean?" "Nothing in particular, they're just being silly" "But why? Why those words and not others?". It would take years of linguistics education for me to grasp that language can be arbitrary and that's where much of the fun lies (but still to this date, I look at the whole concept with suspicion... what did they mean, really?) 🤣
Thanks Andres! I'm glad that list made you laugh. It's not even that much of an exaggeration! We have a running joke, me and my wife, where if one of us messes something up (drops something, forgets something, etc.) we immediately blame the other person. It's become like second nature by now and it always makes us laugh.
I think I probably cared about meaning when I was younger too. One of those kids who would always ask, "Why?" I still want to understand everything, but I don't get attached to meaning anymore which is a huge relief. I realized that is a lot easier to be playful when meaning is not attached.
This was so well researched and curated, Steve! I have only ever been aware of the Seville/chipmunk version of "Witch Doctor"....I guess the original. I know Dad must've had the album (I was 5 in 1960), and this would've been the perfect song for him to pull out to play for my bro and me!
I've never heard (or heard of) "Tikki Tikki Tembo", which amazes me. "Rikki Tikki Tavi"? Yes, but not "TTT"....great find of that comedian on the subject!
Yeah, the comedian clip was a great discovery. It pretty much sums up what I took 1000 words to illustrate. It is fun to do a more research focused piece every once in a while! It does take a lot more time, and usually gets less likes and comments, but still a blast.
It's usually just that "one more Google search" that unearths the gold! But, I know it's time-consuming, but I'm thankful I've got the time; I'm also glad you delve into it as you're able, from time to time, when airing out bow-wows allows!
Shit, I'm sorry, Steve. I was referring to at least one song of his that refers to Indigenous Australians with a term that is probably akin to the "N-word" for Americans (it's a "p-word"). I didn't know that for years, but when I found out, I lost respect for Harris. The more recent stuff turned it into outright disgust.
Oh don't be sorry. I put earworms in people's head on a weekly basis. I did read a bit about Harris and some possible very bad behavior, but a lot of people are saying none of it was substantiated so I dunno what to think. Nor do I really care at this point. Thanks, as always, for reading!
Probably just asking people first if they were exposed to nursery rhymes and then ask about Earworms? I need to research whether Earworms are measurable via CT scan or MRI.
Before the Chipmunks, Bagdasarian had been modestly successful as an actor (the frustrated musician in Hitchcock's "Rear Window") and a songwriter ("Come On A My House", "Hey Brother, Pour The Wine"), but his novelty success kind of made it impossible for him to do anything serious again. Not that he probably minded considering how financially successful (and remarkably durable after his death, as you show) it ended up being.
Cool info, David! I never knew Bagdasarian was an actor (and I saw "Rear Window"), or a songwriter.....certainly didn't know he wrote "Come On a My House"----Rosie HATED that song, and hated having to sing it! But, if memory serves, Columbia A&R head, Mitch Miller, kinda forced her! He loved novelty and corny pop songs!
Yes, thanks David for the deeper info! I did learn about Bagdasarian's earlier career but was trying to keep this concise. I hadn't known about him at all until researching this piece, which is always fun to discover our musical history!
Well, if you ever listened to Dr. Demento, you’d know that the “Witch Doctor” still has many fans (and I’m one.) i’m not sure how many people have re-recorded this song, but I’ve heard a number if different versions.
I grew up with Dr. Demento. Now that you mention it, I likely heard this song first on his radio show. Thanks for reminding me of what was probably the original source for me!
Great one Steve! I haven’t seen Mary Poppins since I was a kid, that was a blast from the past! That animated Chipmunks version of the Witch Doctor song, which I’d never heard before, is certainly problematic. But it’s also so “of it’s time”. Looking back it’s amazing how badly some TV shows and movies have aged (and what audiences were willing to accept in the first place).
There’s a gibberish song that’s a REAL earworm for me: The Ying Tong Song by The Goons. My dad had the single and my sister and I would listen to it a lot as kids. The Goon Show was a British radio comedy show in the 50s, primarily starring Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers. The song peaked at #3 in the British chart.
It still pops to mind regularly for me and once it starts I often can’t get it out of my head for days: https://youtu.be/33-fVsL5Kdc
Ha, I watched a bunch of Mary Poppins' clips when I was researching this piece. Also, my wife's cousins are the Shermans, of which Richard and Robert wrote all the music to Mary Poppins (as well as many other Disney films). I met them at a wedding ten years ago. There's a lovely documentary about them.
Thanks for sharing The Goons song "Ying Tong Song." I have to admit I've never heard it before! Maybe it was a British thing. I of course know of Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers (not sure if I know Harry Secombe). It's quite a schizophrenic song! So odd and like a cartoon come to life! Even with a chipmunky section! I feel like it would have scared me as a young kid!
Thanks for reading - part two of the gibberish series to be posted hopefully tomorrow. Hard to find time to write lately....
Good stuff, Steve! Fun.
Thanks, Paul!
This was a lot of fun, especially the list of reasons why you stopped reading. I laughed out LOUD.
As for children's gibberish songs, I have nothing substantial to contribute other than I suspect I would enjoy them more now than I did when I was a kid. I didn't take it very well when I didn't fully understand anything linguistic. "But what does it mean?" "Nothing in particular, they're just being silly" "But why? Why those words and not others?". It would take years of linguistics education for me to grasp that language can be arbitrary and that's where much of the fun lies (but still to this date, I look at the whole concept with suspicion... what did they mean, really?) 🤣
Great post!
Thanks Andres! I'm glad that list made you laugh. It's not even that much of an exaggeration! We have a running joke, me and my wife, where if one of us messes something up (drops something, forgets something, etc.) we immediately blame the other person. It's become like second nature by now and it always makes us laugh.
I think I probably cared about meaning when I was younger too. One of those kids who would always ask, "Why?" I still want to understand everything, but I don't get attached to meaning anymore which is a huge relief. I realized that is a lot easier to be playful when meaning is not attached.
Humour and playfulness certainly go a long way!
My brain has just been ruined. Again.
You're welcome! And great Tune Tag by the way! My next one I think is in November.
I thorium enjoyed that game of tag!
This was so well researched and curated, Steve! I have only ever been aware of the Seville/chipmunk version of "Witch Doctor"....I guess the original. I know Dad must've had the album (I was 5 in 1960), and this would've been the perfect song for him to pull out to play for my bro and me!
I've never heard (or heard of) "Tikki Tikki Tembo", which amazes me. "Rikki Tikki Tavi"? Yes, but not "TTT"....great find of that comedian on the subject!
This one was fun!
Yeah, the comedian clip was a great discovery. It pretty much sums up what I took 1000 words to illustrate. It is fun to do a more research focused piece every once in a while! It does take a lot more time, and usually gets less likes and comments, but still a blast.
It's usually just that "one more Google search" that unearths the gold! But, I know it's time-consuming, but I'm thankful I've got the time; I'm also glad you delve into it as you're able, from time to time, when airing out bow-wows allows!
I can't listen to anything by Rolf Harris.
I can understand why. I had to look him up, and now I can't unlisten....
Shit, I'm sorry, Steve. I was referring to at least one song of his that refers to Indigenous Australians with a term that is probably akin to the "N-word" for Americans (it's a "p-word"). I didn't know that for years, but when I found out, I lost respect for Harris. The more recent stuff turned it into outright disgust.
Oh don't be sorry. I put earworms in people's head on a weekly basis. I did read a bit about Harris and some possible very bad behavior, but a lot of people are saying none of it was substantiated so I dunno what to think. Nor do I really care at this point. Thanks, as always, for reading!
Interesting theory. I’d have to see if there is any way to measure that
Probably just asking people first if they were exposed to nursery rhymes and then ask about Earworms? I need to research whether Earworms are measurable via CT scan or MRI.
Before the Chipmunks, Bagdasarian had been modestly successful as an actor (the frustrated musician in Hitchcock's "Rear Window") and a songwriter ("Come On A My House", "Hey Brother, Pour The Wine"), but his novelty success kind of made it impossible for him to do anything serious again. Not that he probably minded considering how financially successful (and remarkably durable after his death, as you show) it ended up being.
Cool info, David! I never knew Bagdasarian was an actor (and I saw "Rear Window"), or a songwriter.....certainly didn't know he wrote "Come On a My House"----Rosie HATED that song, and hated having to sing it! But, if memory serves, Columbia A&R head, Mitch Miller, kinda forced her! He loved novelty and corny pop songs!
Yes, thanks David for the deeper info! I did learn about Bagdasarian's earlier career but was trying to keep this concise. I hadn't known about him at all until researching this piece, which is always fun to discover our musical history!