FANS:

MEMORIES:

PHOTOS:

Cast:

Studio:

Release History:

Sometimes, you never know where one little novelty song is going to take you. For Ross Bagdasarian, it was the beginning of a pop culture phenomena that would last over thirty years.

 

Under the name David Seveille, songwriter Bagdasarian recorded the novelty hit “Witch Doctor” in 1957. It featured a sped-up chorus of "oo-ee-oo-ah-ah" that became the song’s trademark, and he decided to take that to the next level. He recorded his voice on four separate tracks and sped up three of the voices. The result was “The Chipmunk Song”, a Christmas number that went on to sell five million copies. He had gotten the chipmunk idea from his children and the names Alvin, Simon and Theodore from the Liberty Records executives - Al Bennett, Si Warnoker, and Ted Keep.

 

Format Films brought the Chipmunks to television, and after the success of prime time series The Flintstones in 1960, CBS brought The Alvin Show to 1961’s prime time schedule. In the program, the Chipmunks had adventures and sang musical numbers each week, dressed in their floor-length sweaters. Alvin was the leader, Simon wore glasses and was the smart one and Theodore was the pudgy one who was always giggling. It was David’s job to keep them in line.

 

Clyde Crashcup, a wacky inventor, shared the half hour time slot with the Chipmunks. He was joined by his silent assistant Leonardo, who would only whisper in Crashcup’s ear. The inventor would give lectures to his audience on various “inventions”, such as birthdays, bathtubs, etc.

 

The Alvin Show had it’s challenges in prime time, being up against the hit show Wagon Train. As the characters were very popular with kids, CBS decided to move the show to Saturday morning in 1962, where it was a hit for three seasons.

 

Over the next several years, the show ran in syndication, and Bagdasarian released several more Chipmunk albums. He died in 1972, and in 1979, NBC started airing repeats of The Alvin Show. In 1980, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. put out the hit album, Chipmunk Punk, and the Chipmunks rocketed to fame once again. NBC developed a new cartoon with them called Alvin and the Chipmunks, a new hit for the network, and another vehicle for keeping the Chipmunks alive and well in popular culture three decades after their first appearance.