The Chipmunk Song

Album: Very Best Of The Chipmunks (1958)
Charted: 1
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  • Before they were TV stars, The Chipmunks were rendered as rodents - not what you want around the house on Christmas morning. Their look was soon softened, making them appear less likely to chew up your furniture. They got more human-looking over the years, complete with five fingers on each hand and less pronounced snouts. By 2015, they were wearing shoes - apparently these chipmunks don't have to climb trees.

Comments: 12

  • Riley from Gmsi love the song
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyDavid Seville rode the Chipmunk craze for a number of years; he charted in 1959 with "Alvin's Harmonica" & it peaked at #3, 1960 with "Alvin for President", in 1960 with "Alvin Orchestra" and in 1962 with "The Alvin Twist" {Also charted in 1961 & 1962 with a re-release of "Alvin's Harmonica"}
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyAlso made the Top 100 in 1959, 1960, 1961, & 1962 during the Christmas season. In '59 peaked at #41, '60 is was #45, '61 was #39, and finally in '62 it reached #40...
  • Mike from Franklin County, PaThe Chipmunk voice techniques was done using a tape recorder Ross Bagdasarian ( David Seville)used. He wanted the chipmunks to sound like little people ; so he recorded his own voice on the tape , then played it back on fast - forward . This is the same technique he used for making the voice of the "Witch Doctor" on the song by the same name.
  • Reed from New Ulm, MnI still have this 45[rpm]in my record collection!
  • Greg from Alsip, IlHe also had to sing "Loo the loo" because when the "P" sound is slowed down it makes a rather loud thump.
  • Carl from Eugene, OrThe change in voice pitch with the Chipmunks is different from a song such as, for example, "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha Ha!"
    They're Coming To Take Me Away... is done using phase shifting. The Chipmunks is done by recording the music and then slowing the tape speed by 1/2, which lowers the music track by one octave. Bagdasarian would then record talking and songs (he did the voices and singing of all 3 Chipmunks) and when the music track was brought back up to speed you had Chipmunk voices and singing that was in key with the music! I believe he won a Grammy for this effect.

    The first time he used this effect was for a pre-Chipmunks song, "The Witch Doctor."
  • Jonnie King from St. Louis, MoAlthough it's been forgotten due to the passage of time, Ross Bagdasarian also wrote Rosemary Clooney's BIGGEST hit of all-time: "Come On-A My House". His co-writer was none other than his Cousin, William Saroyan, one of the most famous writers/playwrights of the 30's-50's time period.
    BTW: Bagdasarian took the professional name "David Seville" because he was stationed in Seville, Spain during World War II and really liked the area.
  • Patrick from Tallapoosa, GaRegained popularity in the mid-1990s when featured in "Look Who's Talking Now" in which it was played with John Travolta & Kirstie Alley lip-synching to the song, after Mikey discovered the mall Santa to be a fake.
  • Tiffany from Dover, FlAlso, this song was spoofed off in a Smokey Bear ad in which the same artist thanked the people who prevented wildfires. Cooool!
  • Tiffany from Dover, FlI heard it on the radio during the holidays and it was extremely droll!
  • Steve from San Jose, CaRoss Bagdasarian has a non-speaking part in the Hitchcock thriller "Rear Window". He is the piano player in the apartment across the way.
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