Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian is a fictional character portrayed by an American actor and songwriter named Ross Bagdasarian Sr. He is most famous for his novelty song called "Witch Doctor," which was released in 1958. Bagdasarian created a unique voice for the character, using a high-pitched, sped-up technique. The song "Witch Doctor" features catchy lyrics and a memorable tune, making it a hit during the late 1950s. It tells the story of a man seeking advice from a witch doctor to win the heart of a woman he desires. The witch doctor claims that he can help by casting a spell, leading to humorous and upbeat verses.
Witch Doctor (Bagdasarian)
Alan Keown’s humorous arrangement of Witch Doctor, as heard on the classic cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks, gives beginning percussion students a great opportunity to let their hair down and have a blast! The piece incorporates an array of nontraditional percussion instruments like a duck call, a siren whistle, a slide whistle, and a police whistle. These instruments are engaging for the students as well as the audience and can provide a welcomed relief from studying the more traditional instruments. Keown suggests that the most extroverted performer be given the duck call and make the most of it; let them be the star of the show!
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and a set of printed parts.
Instrumentation
• Glockenspiel
• Marimba—low A
• Drums 4 concert toms, snare drum, bass drum)
• Cymbals & gongs (ride cymbal, hi-hat, opera gong)
• Accessories (cowbell, siren whistle, bulb horn, police whistle, slide whistle, duck call, vibraphone slap)
Reviews
Alan Keown’s arrangement of Ross Bagdasarian’s “Witch Doctor,” as heard on Alvin and the Chipmunks, is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The arrangement is full of energy, variety, and creativity. At the beginning of the score, Keown includes program notes as well as very helpful performance considerations about such things as mallet choice and how parts can be doubled (hence 9–11 players). A very clean and detailed suggested setup diagram is included with the score.
The music is the tune as we know it with a percussion break in the middle. The snare drum and bass drum players often emulate a drumset “boom-chick” part, marimba is the bass line, and the glockenspiel and xylophone players carry the melody. What is particularly fun about this arrangement is the arranger’s use of sound effect interjections (whistles, blocks, etc.) and his decision to pass solos around the ensemble.
Where the arrangement really comes alive is the percussion break in the middle. It is essentially a trap solo passed around six players. Cowbell, whistles, and sirens are featured as well as a snare and tom solo. However, as Keown mentions in the performance notes, the duck call player shines here.
I would recommend this arrangement with the highest enthusiasm for a middle school or high school percussion ensemble that is looking for something challenging, yet fun and exciting. This one is guaranteed to get laughter and robust applause from the audience.
–Justin Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 2, November 2017
Description
Alan Keown’s humorous arrangement of Witch Doctor, as heard on the classic cartoon Alvin and the Chipmunks, gives beginning percussion students a great opportunity to let their hair down and have a blast! The piece incorporates an array of nontraditional percussion instruments like a duck call, a siren whistle, a slide whistle, and a police whistle. These instruments are engaging for the students as well as the audience and can provide a welcomed relief from studying the more traditional instruments. Keown suggests that the most extroverted performer be given the duck call and make the most of it; let them be the star of the show!
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and a set of printed parts.
Instrumentation
• Glockenspiel
• Marimba—low A
• Drums 4 concert toms, snare drum, bass drum)
• Cymbals & gongs (ride cymbal, hi-hat, opera gong)
• Accessories (cowbell, siren whistle, bulb horn, police whistle, slide whistle, duck call, vibraphone slap)
Reviews
Alan Keown’s arrangement of Ross Bagdasarian’s “Witch Doctor,” as heard on Alvin and the Chipmunks, is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The arrangement is full of energy, variety, and creativity. At the beginning of the score, Keown includes program notes as well as very helpful performance considerations about such things as mallet choice and how parts can be doubled (hence 9–11 players). A very clean and detailed suggested setup diagram is included with the score.
The music is the tune as we know it with a percussion break in the middle. The snare drum and bass drum players often emulate a drumset “boom-chick” part, marimba is the bass line, and the glockenspiel and xylophone players carry the melody. What is particularly fun about this arrangement is the arranger’s use of sound effect interjections (whistles, blocks, etc.) and his decision to pass solos around the ensemble.
Where the arrangement really comes alive is the percussion break in the middle. It is essentially a trap solo passed around six players. Cowbell, whistles, and sirens are featured as well as a snare and tom solo. However, as Keown mentions in the performance notes, the duck call player shines here.
I would recommend this arrangement with the highest enthusiasm for a middle school or high school percussion ensemble that is looking for something challenging, yet fun and exciting. This one is guaranteed to get laughter and robust applause from the audience.
–Justin Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 57, No. 2, November 2017
Songful Style | “Witch Doctor” by Ross Bagdasarian & Link Up On the Edge #322
When we first began this songful series in February, I was sharing a detailed post about the next song prompt the day following my outfit post for the previous song prompt. But then I realized that the whole thing is forgotten long before it’s time to share the next musically inspired outfit for anyone who wants to play along with us. So I decided to push these posts out to the middle of the month as a reminder if you want to join the fun. Even if you don’t want to join the fashion fun, this next song prompt is sure to get your body moving for the day!
It was my turn to choose the song and I originally had something entirely different in mind. When I sat down at my computer to email Suzy and Marsha my song pick, my kids starting singing the chorus to Witch Doctor which prompted me to play the song in full. Within about 15 seconds, my entire family was bouncing around and singing along at 6:00 a.m. It was definitely a super fun way to energize ourselves for the day. I dare you to listen to the song and try not to dance and sing along! And then I challenge you to create an outfit inspired by it.
About Songful Style
Songful Style is an ageless style challenge series hosted by Suzy of The Grey Brunette, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Marsha of Marsha in the Middle.
Each month we will share a song with the lyrics and video and we invite you to use whatever aspect of the song that inspires you to create an outfit.
It is similar to Style Imitating Art where we use artwork to inspire our outfit creations. Except Songful Style gives you lyrics, music, video, and album artwork to inspire your fashion creativity. You may even find inspiration in a memory triggered by the selected song. It is all open to your own personal interpretation and just a fun way to discover new music and get a little bit more creative with your wardrobe.
Anyone is welcome to join us on a permanent basis or you can just play along without any obligation to do anything other than feel inspired. We are flexible and fun and just want to find more ways to play dress up because it’s what we enjoy doing!
We will be posting on the last Monday of each month and will announce our song choice for the following month at the end of each post.
Video Inspiration
From Sha Na Na
Spanish Version
The Lyrics
Witch Doctor by Ross Bagdasarian
Hey witch doctor, give us the magic words All right, you go ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang All right Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting ting walla walla bang bang Doh, doh, doh, doh I told the witch doctor, I was in love with you Doh, doh, doh, doh I told the witch doctor, I was in love with you Doh, doh, doh, doh And than the witch doctor, he told me what to do He told me Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang wall awalla bang bang Doh, doh, doh, doh I told the witch doctor, you didn't love me true Doh, doh, doh, doh I told the witch doctor, you didn't love me nice Doh, doh, doh, doh And than the witch doctor, he gave me this advice Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang You can keep your love from me just like you were a miser And I'll admit it wasn't very smart (ey-ey-ey-ey) So I went out to find myself a guy that's so much wiser And he told me the way to win your heart Doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh Ooh ee ooh ah ah (doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh) Ooh ee ooh ah ah (Doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh) Ooh ee ooh ah ah (Doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh, doh) Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Come on and Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bang bang
About the Artist and the Song
Witch Doctor is a 1958 novelty song written by American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor Ross Bagdasarian who is best known by his stage name David Seville. Bagdasarian was born on January 27, 1919, in Fresno, California, to Armenian-American parents. He served 4 years as a control tower operator during World War II, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. A duty station in Seville, Spain, inspired his future stage name.
Bagdasarian began his acting career on Broadway in 1939 followed by a few minor film roles in the early 1950s. However, his major success came not through acting but through singing and songwriting. In 1958, he created the cartoon band Alvin and the Chipmunks which grew into a media franchise worth $300 million. In 1958, he released two Billboard number one singles, Witch Doctor and The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late).
Bagdasarian and his wife, Armenouhi “Armen” Kulhanjian, had three children and a grape ranch in California named Chipmunk Ranch. On January 16, 1972, just 11 days before his 53rd birthday, Bagdasarian died from a heart attack in his home in Beverly Hills, California. He willed the Chipmunk franchise to his wife and children with his son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. currently at the helm. Ross Jr. and his wife are currently seeking buyers for franchise with a price tag of $300,000,000.
Witch Doctor was inspired by a book titled Duel with the Witch Doctor on Bagdasarian’s bookshelf. The narrator of the song goes to a witch doctor for love advice and the witch doctor replies with the gibberish line: “Oo-ee, oo-ah-ah, ting-tang, walla-walla bing-bang”.
Bagdasarian purchased a $200 ($2000 today) tape recorder after he conceived of the idea to record himself at different speeds in order to create a dialogue between the two distinct voices of the singer and the witch doctor. For his parts, he sang in his normal voice, but for the witch doctor lines, he overdubbed the song with his own voice recorded at half speed then played back at normal speed which created the high pitched squeaky voice. The resulting effect and the catchy tune with earworm lyrics were an instant hit peaking at number one on the Billboard Top 100 and becoming Bagdasarian’s and Liberty Records’ first number one single. The song remained in the number one spot for three weeks. It was released in April 1958 and had sold 1.4 million copies in the United States by December of the same year saving Liberty Records from bankruptcy.
How David Seville And The Witch Doctor Rescued Liberty Records
Liberty records was an American record label formed in 1955. Started by former 20th Century Fox music producer Simon Waronker, by 1957 the label had had a string of successful hits including recordings by the likes of Julie London, Patience and Prudence, Eddie Cochran, John D. Loudermilk, and many more.
In 1958 a couple of years of slow movers sent Liberty on the fast track to the poor house. That was, until the day was saved by a young pianist / voice actor named Ross Bagdasarian Sr. or David Seville. Ross had already started to make a name for himself in the music biz with a couple of minor hits under various pen names. One instrumental piano ballad called Armen’s Theme and another song called Trouble With Harry… A novelty record based on the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name.
With Liberty hinging on bankruptcy Ross had successfully convinced the execs to allocate the remaining vinyl pucks and labels in the warehouse to pressing his new record “Witch Doctor”. The song was an enormous number one hit and rescued the company.
Witch Doctor is a love song, in which a gentleman seeks advice from a witch doctor, when the woman of his affection will not requite his love. The Witch doctor simply replies “Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang”. (Allegedly the Walla Walla bing bang part was a low key shout out to his uncle, who had recently moved Walla Walla, Washington… how cool is that). Witch Doctor utilizes experimentation of tape speed to create the doctor’s high pitched voice (David’s own voice recorded at half speed, then played back normally), a technique he would use to create all of the records for the rest of his career, including his next and lesser known novelty record “Bird on My Head” (1958)
This one is about a disgruntled man sitting in a parking lot, lamenting the lack of his life’s achievements with a similarly disgruntled bird sitting on his head. The characters in Seville’s arrangements never seem to come to resolution, which I find to be super intriguing.
The disgruntled character angle is another popular formula to be found in Seville’s records Including the earlier “The Trouble With Harry”
The entire Trouble With Harry record seems to be the narrator (David) complaining about how the Harry the piano player just plays the same song over and over. It’s a playful exchange with the listener in a sort of Looney Tune, or Woody Allen sort of way. Even though this is an earlier song, before his tape experimentation method, and under a different name (Alfi & Harry) this song is an important one in the trajectory of David’s career. The voice over instrumental tool is one very much in the tool kit of David’s Swan Song… Alvin and the Chipmunks.
At the end of 1958, David Seville applies all of his learned skills in to one perfect idea and creates The Chipmunks, “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)”. In another magical, low key shoutout, he names the Chipmunks after the founding members of Liberty Records Al Bennet, Simon Waronker, and Theodore Keep, respectively. The record comes just in time for Christmas… It’s a smash, selling 4.5 million copies in 7 weeks, and garnering the distinction of being the only Christmas record to ever reach number one on the charts.
Despite contrary belief David did the voice of all three Chipmunks. He and Liberty continued to make Chipmunks records until shortly before his death in 1972. But Chipmunk song would be his last #1 hit. In 1979 his son Ross Jr. took over the Chipmunk empire, became the voice of David Seville… and the rest is a billion dollar global success story that is ongoing to this day. All because Ross Bagdasarian Sr. convinced a few record execs to hang the fate of their company on pressing his record: a kooky, experimental, novelty song called Witch Doctor. Pretty Cool.
Witch doctor ross bagdasarian
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- Witch Doctor (Oo Ee Oo Ah Ah), Ross Bagdasarian, recorded by David Seville
The witch doctor claims that he can help by casting a spell, leading to humorous and upbeat verses. The success of "Witch Doctor" prompted Bagdasarian to create and develop the fictional character of Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian. He appeared in subsequent recordings and performances, further popularizing the song and character.
The unique voice and humorous lyrics helped solidify Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian's place in popular culture. Ross Bagdasarian Sr. went on to create other fictional characters, including his most well-known creation, Alvin and the Chipmunks. He used the same high-pitched, sped-up voice technique to voice the three chipmunk characters, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. The popularity of the Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian character and song have endured over the years, with the song being covered and referenced in various forms of media. It remains a nostalgic and entertaining piece of music history..
Reviews for "Unveiling the Enchanting Voodoo of Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian's Music"
1. Jane - 1 star - I was really disappointed with Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian. The show is supposed to be about a witch doctor, but it fails to capture the essence of what a witch doctor is all about. Instead, it focuses on cheesy magic tricks and silly jokes that don't add any substance to the show. The characters are also poorly developed, and the storyline is weak. Overall, I found the show to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone.
2. Mike - 2 stars - I had high hopes for Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian, but it fell flat for me. The humor was too juvenile and predictable, with the same cliched jokes repeated throughout the episodes. The animation was also lackluster and didn't bring any excitement to the show. Additionally, the voice acting was subpar, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, I found the show to be mediocre at best and wouldn't watch it again.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian didn't live up to my expectations. The plot was confusing and hard to follow, with random events happening without any clear explanation. The humor was also forced and didn't land most of the time. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any depth. I found myself bored and uninterested while watching the show, and I wouldn't recommend it to others looking for an engaging witch doctor-themed series.
4. Dave - 1 star - Witch Doctor Ross Bagdasarian was a huge letdown. The animation style was outdated and unappealing. The jokes seemed to be aimed at a much younger audience, making it hard for me as an adult to enjoy the show. The episodes also lacked any clear structure or coherence, leaving me confused about what was happening. Overall, I found the show to be a low-quality production and would not recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining witch doctor series.