Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep

"Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep" is a song recorded in 1970 by its composer Lally Stott,^[1] and made popular in 1971 by Scottish band Middle of the Road for whom it was a UK #1 chart hit.^[2] That version is one of fewer than fifty singles ever to have sold in excess of 10 million physical copies worldwide.^[3]

"Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep"
Single by Lally Stott
from the album Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep
B-side	"Henry James"
Released	September 1970
Recorded	1970
Genre	Bubblegum pop
Length	2:53
Label	Philips
Songwriter(s)	Lally Stott
Producer(s)	Lally Stott
Lally Stott singles chronology
"Signora Jones" (1969) "Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep" (1970) "Jakaranda" (1971)

"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep"
Single by Middle of the Road
from the album Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep
B-side	"Rainin' 'n Painin'"
Released	October 1970
Recorded	1970
Studio	RCA Studios, Rome
Genre	Bubblegum pop
Length	2:56
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Lally Stott
Producer(s)	Giacomo Tosti Italo Greco
Middle of the Road singles chronology
"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (1970) "Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum" (1971)

"Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep"
Single by Mac and Katie Kissoon
from the album The Beginning
B-side	"Walking Around"
Released	28 May 1971
Genre	Bubblegum pop pop soul
Length	2:50
Label	Young Blood ABC
Songwriter(s)	Lally Stott
Producer(s)	Miki Dallon
Mac and Katie Kissoon singles chronology
"Acts of Violence" (1970) "Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep" (1971) "Pigeon" (1971)

History

The original recording of the song by Lally Stott was first released in September 1970 in Italy, where he had been living for several years. It was a hit, becoming a top-twenty hit at the beginning of October. However, the record company, Philips, was reluctant to release the song overseas, and apparently offered it to two other groups: Scottish folk-pop group Middle of the Road, who were working in Italy at the time, and the Trinidadian brother-and-sister duo Mac and Katie Kissoon. Philips did eventually release Stott's version elsewhere and it topped the charts in Australia and Zimbabwe, as well as being a top-ten hit in South Africa. It was also a minor hit in the US, peaking at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100, something that Middle of the Road never achieved.^[4]

Middle of the Road released their version in October 1970 in Italy, though it failed to chart there.^[5] It was released in the UK on 15 January 1971 and initially became a hit in continental Europe only, before later growing in popularity in the UK. It entered the UK Singles Chart in the final week of May and reportedly got a boost from DJ Tony Blackburn, who favoured this version over the one by Mac and Katie Kissoon (which had recently been released), and topped the charts three weeks later for five weeks.^[6] Mac and Katie Kissoon's version, released in May 1971, had the most success in North America, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Canadian RPM chart.

At the time, the song was dismissed by critics^[who?] as bubblegum, a view initially held by band leader Ken Andrew: "We were as disgusted with the thought of recording it as most people were at the thought of buying it. But at the end of the day, we liked it."^{[citation needed]}

In 2006 "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" topped a list of unintentionally creepy songs in The Observer.^[7] Despite its popular appeal and popular chorus, the song has a theme of child abandonment.

Appearances

The song was featured on the Top of the Pops, Volume 18 album.

In popular culture

The song was sampled in the Denim song "Middle of the Road" on their 1992 album, Back in Denim.

The song's title has sometimes been parodied:

• "Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep", a 1998 episode of the Irish sitcom Father Ted.
• "Slurpy Slurpy Sleep Sleep", a song on Scottish band Biffy Clyro's 2022 album, The Myth of the Happily Ever After.

Included on the soundtrack in The Guard (2011) performed by Middle of the Road.

The character Frank Gallagher references the Middle of the Road version in an episode of the UK TV series, Shameless

Included on the soundtrack of the Shudder exclusive film, "The Power" (2021), which takes place in 1974 London.

Charts

Lally Stott version

Weekly charts Chart (1970–71) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[8] 1 Italy (Discografia Internazionale)^[9] 11 Italy (Musica e dischi)^[10] 11 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[11] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[12] 15 Rhodesia (Lyons Maid)^[13] 1 South Africa (Springbok)^[14] 9 US (Billboard Hot 100)^[4] 92

Year-end charts Chart (1970) Position Italy^[15] 58 Chart (1971) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[16] 21 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17] 83

Middle of the Road version

Weekly charts Chart (1971) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[18] 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[19] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[20] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)^[21] 1 Denmark (IFPI)^[22] 1 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[23] 3 Ireland (IRMA)^[24] 1 Israel (Galei Tzahal) 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[25] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[26] 2 Malaysia (Rediffusion)^[27] 2 Mexico (Radio Mil)^[28] 3 New Zealand (Listener)^[29] 8 Norway (VG-lista)^[30] 1 Singapore (Rediffusion)^[31] 2 Spain (Promusicae)^[32] 1 Sweden (Kvällstoppen)^[33] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[34] 1 UK Singles (OCC)^[6] 1 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[35] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1971) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[16] 28 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[36] 9 Denmark (IFPI)^[37] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[17] 29 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[38] 30 Spain (Promusicae)^[32] 5 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[39] 1 UK Singles (OCC) 3 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[40] 2

Mac and Katie Kissoon version

Weekly charts

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[41]	10
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)^[42]	11
UK Singles (OCC)^[43]	41
US Billboard Hot 100^[44]	20
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[45]	10
US Cash Box Top 100^[46]	18

References

1. "Lally Stott – Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at". Last.fm. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
2. "Top of the Pops 2 - Where Are They Now?". BBC. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
3. Moore-Gilbert, Bart (11 March 2002). The Arts in the 1970s: Cultural Closure. Routledge. ISBN 9780415099066.
4. Whitburn, Joel (1994). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1993. Record Research. p. 577. ISBN 9780898201048.
5. Middle Of The Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep / Rainin' 'N Painin (1970, Vinyl), retrieved 17 November 2021
6. "Middle of the Road: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
7. "This is hardcore". TheGuardian.com. 15 October 2006.
8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 296. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 17 October 1970. p. 66. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
10. "M&D: Classifiche". musicaedischi.it. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Lally Stott" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
12. "Lally Stott – Chirpy Chirpy, Cheep Cheep" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
13. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
14. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Rock.co.za. 2 April 1971. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
15. "I singoli più venduti del 1970". hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
16. "AMR Top Singles of 1971". Top100singles.net. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
17. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1971". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
18. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (15 June 1985). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 83. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
19. "Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
20. "Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
21. "Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (in French). Ultratop 50.
22. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 22 May 1971. p. 52. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
23. Timo (13 August 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit MEN - MIK". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
24. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep". Irish Singles Chart.
25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Middle of the Road" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
26. "Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
27. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 6 November 1971. p. 61. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
28. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 12 June 1971. p. 49. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
29. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
30. "Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep". VG-lista.
31. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 18 September 1971. p. 59. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
32. Salaverri, Fernando (September 1971). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
33. "Låtarna från Kvällstoppen 4 maj 1971". NostalgiListan.se. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
34. "Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep". Swiss Singles Chart.
35. "Offiziellecharts.de – Middle of the Road – Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep". GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Middle of the Road"
36. "Jaaroverzichten 1971". Ultratop. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
37. . 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
38. "Jaaroverzichten - Single 1971". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
39. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1971". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
40. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
41. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7585." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
42. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7531." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
43. "Mac & Katie Kissoon: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
44. "Mac and Katie Kissoon Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
45. "Mac and Katie Kissoon Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
46. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 19, 1971". Cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.