Today’s classic song of the day is just this close to being classified as a novelty song, for its title alone. The song is “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” and it was a worldwide hit—for three different artists.
“Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” was written by Lally Scott, a singer from Liverpool who was living in Italy at the time. He was the first to record the tune; released in September of 1970, his single was a #1 hit in Australia and Rhodesia and peaked at #11 in Italy.
The next and arguably most successful version of “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” was recorded by the Scottish group Middle of the Road. Their single, released throughout Europe in January of 1971, was a true global phenomenon, hitting #1 in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. It also hit the top five in Australia, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and West Germany.
Notice that neither of those versions made a splash in the U.S. or Canada. Here on these shores, the song was covered by Mac and Katie Kissoon, a brother/sister duo from Trinidad. Their single, released in May of 1971, went to #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, #18 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #10 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. It also hit #10 in Canada.
The song itself is pure bubblegum nonsense, but it has a catchy melody and an infectious beat. You can’t top that combination, which is why the song did that well back then. It’s little remembered today, however, probably because it is so lightweight. Still, it dominated radio for several months, especially in Europe. Do you remember it—and, if so, which version?
