Crazy chicken song original
“The synthesizer was a completely new instrument for me,” Thomas said. Titled “Tchip, Tchip,” this version of the tune was created via synthesizer-a fact that caught Thomas totally off-guard when he first heard their cover. In 1973, Rijmenant collaborated with a band called Bobby Setter's Cash & Carry to publish the song as a single. The next major development in the song’s history came in the early 1970s, when Belgian music producer Louis Julien van Rijmenant heard Thomas playing it at a hotel in Davos, Switzerland.
#CRAZY CHICKEN SONG ORIGINAL SERIES#
He then adapted these into a playful series of movements he called “Der Ententanz” or “The Duck Dance.” Skiers, he said, use certain hand movements that-at least to him-evoked “the beak of a duck.” Other gestures utilized by the winter sports enthusiasts reminded Thomas of flapping wings and waddling feet. While watching vacationers zip down the slopes with wild abandon, Thomas couldn’t help but note their resemblance to a certain water bird. The quirky routine he ultimately devised was inspired not by chickens but rather by skiers.Įven back in the 1950s, Switzerland was world-famous for its ski resorts, many of which Thomas frequented. Thomas spent the next few years revising his melody-and coming up with a dance to go with it. As he revealed in this German-language interview, the tune first popped into his head in 1955 or so. The story of this avian shimmy began with its melody, which was penned more than 60 years ago by a Swiss musician named Werner Thomas.īack in the 1950s, Thomas earned his daily bread playing the accordion at Swiss holiday resorts. A fun little jig with simple moves that can be learned in under a minute, "The Chicken Dance" is a staple at school parties, bar mitzvahs, and Oktoberfest celebrations. It’s silly, it’s catchy, and it’s everywhere.