"Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" is a song recorded in early 1971 by its composer Lally Stott, and made popular later that year by Scottish band Middle of the Road for whom it was a UK number one chart hit. That version is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold in excess of 10 million physical copies worldwide.
The original recording by its composer Lally Stott, was a hit in France (Top 15), a minor hit in Italy, Australia and in the United States. Stott's 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 Mac and Katie Kissoon. While it is unclear which group Stott offered his song to first, Mac and Katie Kissoon produced their cover version first. Middle of the Road's version then initially became a hit in Continental Europe only, but later grew in popularity in the United Kingdom, reportedly via DJ Tony Blackburn favoring this version over the previously-produced version by Mac and Katie Kissoon. However, Middle of the Road's version didn't even chart on the United States Billboard Hot 100, and nearly flopped in the UK also, because it followed the Kissoon's previously-produced version. Middle of the Road's version eventually reached #1 in the UK and stayed there for five weeks in June 1971, while the Kissoons' version only reached #41. In the USA the Kissoon's version was a greater success, reaching #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Lally Stott's original version reached #92.
The song was dismissed by critics as bubblegum at the time, a view initially held by band leader Ken Andrews: "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.
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