The Nutty Squirrels
| The Nutty Squirrels | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Shirley & Squirrely |
| Genres | Jazz, pop |
| Years active | 1959–1981 |
| Labels | Hanover, RCA, GRT |
| Past members |
Don Elliott Alexander "Sascha" Burland |
The Nutty Squirrels were a scat singing virtual band, formed in imitation of The Chipmunks, that had a Top 40 hit in late 1959 with the song "Uh-Oh". The Squirrels actually preceded the Chipmunks on television in an animated cartoon, but with much less success.
Biography
After the Chipmunks' initial success in 1958, plans were almost immediately made to make them into an animated cartoon series. Unfortunately, there were some initial art direction snags (specifically with the character designs) and the show was delayed. This gap resulted in a race between the Chipmunks and an imitative group created by jazz musicians Don Elliott and Alexander "Sascha" Burland, which they called the Nutty Squirrels.
Both musical groups featured the defining sped-up voices, but Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.'s Chipmunks favored popular music while the Squirrels favored jazz, particularly of the bebop variety. Ultimately, the Squirrels made it to television first, in the animated series The Nutty Squirrels Present (appearing in September 1960), but they were not as popular as the originals.
"Uh-Oh (Part 1)" peaked at #45 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart, while "Uh-Oh (Part 2)" peaked at #14.[1]
In 1976 Bob Milsap resurrected the act, at first with a novelty single based on the current CB citizens band radio craze, "Hey Shirley (This Is Squirrely)", and followed by two albums (one a Christmas release). Due to legal reasons, his version of the creation went credited under the individual character names, Shirley and Squirrely.
In the 2007 live-action/animated movie Alvin and the Chipmunks during the credits Ian Hawke (David Cross) is trying to get three squirrels to sing.
Personnel
- Don Elliott: vocals, trumpet, vibraphone, possible other instruments
- Alexander "Sascha" Burland: vocals
Among the New York-based session musicians playing on these albums were Cannonball Adderley,[2] (alto sax), Bobby Jaspar (flute), and Sam Most (clarinet)
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | The Nutty Squirrels | Hanover |
| 1961 | Bird Watching | Columbia |
| 1964 | The Nutty Squirrels Sing A Hard Day's Night and Other Smashes | MGM |
| 1976 | Hey Shirley! The Album (as Shirley & Squirrely) | GRT |
| Christmas with Shirley & Squirrely (and Melvin Too!) (as Shirley & Squirrely) | ||
| 1981 | Shirley, Squirrely and Melvin: Live (as Shirley & Squirrely) | Excelsior |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1959 | "Uh! Oh! Part 1" | 45 | — | — | — | The Nutty Squirrels |
| "Uh! Oh! Part 2" | 14 | 9 | — | — | ||
| 1960 | "Eager Beaver" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Uh-Huh + 3" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Please Don't Take Our Tree for Christmas" | — | — | — | — | singles only | |
| 1963 | "Hello Again" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1976 | "Hey Shirley (This Is Squirrely)" (as Shirley & Squirrely) | 48 | — | 28 | 15 | Hey Shirley! The Album |
| "A Squirrely Christmas" (as Shirley & Squirrely) | — | — | — | — | Christmas with Shirley & Squirrely (and Melvin Too!) | |
References
External links
- Podcast - includes samples of the Nutty Squirrels
- Links to mp3s of Nutty Squirrels/Cannonball Adderley session and a slowed-down Elliott scat solo