Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks or simply the Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band created by Ross Bagdasarian for a novelty record in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual; and Theodore, the chubby, shy one. The trio is managed by their human adoptive father, David (Dave) Seville.
The Chipettes are a fictional group of three female anthropomorphic chipmunk singers—Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor—first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes. The title of the show was changed from Alvin and the Chipmunks to simply The Chipmunks in 1988 to reflect this. In the cartoon series and the accompanying feature films, all of the Chipettes were voiced by their creator, Janice Karman, the wife of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.. Karman also wrote and voiced the Chipettes' dialogue on their studio albums, while studio singers such as Susan Boyd, Shelby Daniel, and Katherine Coon provided their singing voices. In Alvin and the Chipmunks, Eleanor is voiced by Vanessa Chambers, the daughter of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman and wife of Brian Chambers.
Rostom Sipan "Ross" Bagdasarian, known professionally by his stage name David Seville, was an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor, best known for creating the cartoon band Alvin and the Chipmunks. Initially a stage and film actor, he rose to prominence in 1958 with the songs "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song ", which both became Billboard number-one singles. He produced and directed The Alvin Show, which aired on CBS in 1961–62.
"Alouette" is a popular French-language Canadian children's song, commonly thought to be about plucking the feathers from a lark. Although it is in French, it is well known among speakers of other languages; in this respect it is similar to "Frère Jacques". Many US Marines and other Allied soldiers learned the song while serving in France during World War I and took it home with them, passing it on to their children and grandchildren.
"Do You Want to Know a Secret" is a song by English rock group the Beatles from their 1963 album Please Please Me, sung by George Harrison. In the United States, it was the first top ten song to feature Harrison as a lead singer, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1964 as a single released by Vee-Jay, VJ 587.
A Chipmunk Christmas is a 1981 animated Christmas television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Chuck Jones Enterprises, it first aired on NBC December 14, 1981, nine years after the death of Alvin and the Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.. This was the first time that Alvin, Simon and David Seville were voiced by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and the first time that Theodore was voiced by Janice Karman.
Chipmunk Punk is an album by the Chipmunks, as well as being the first album released by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., after he took over the voices of the Chipmunks after the death of his father in 1972. Despite the title of the album, none of the songs listed are considered to be in the style of real punk rock music. It was released on June 15, 1980. The album peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard 200. It was certified gold by the RIAA on October 14, 1980, becoming the Chipmunks' first gold record. In 2005, it was re-released on CD, although the CD was only available through the official Chipmunks website.
"Witch Doctor" is a 1958 American novelty song written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian, under his stage name David Seville. It became a number one hit and rescued Liberty Records from near-bankruptcy.
Let's All Sing With the Chipmunks is the debut album of Alvin and the Chipmunks. It is an interactive children's novelty album. The songs on the record are a mixture between cover versions of children's songs in the public domain and customized original musical material. It contains the A-sides of the Chipmunks' first three singles: "The Chipmunk Song ", "Alvin's Harmonica" and "Ragtime Cowboy Joe". The artist credit on the original release was listed as Ross Bagdasarian. First pressings of the album were on red vinyl. Despite the album's success, it was one of four original Chipmunks albums not included in a 1987-1990 CD reissue program. On April 8, 2008, Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks finally was reissued on compact disc.
The Very Best of The Chipmunks with David Seville is a 1975 music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by United Artists, containing ten tracks, and apparently re-released in 1995 by Capitol Records containing nine tracks.
"The Chipmunk Song " is a novelty Christmas song written by Ross Bagdasarian in 1958. Bagdasarian sang and recorded the song, varying the tape speeds to produce high-pitched "chipmunk" voices, but the recording credits the vocals to Alvin and the Chipmunks, Seville's cartoon band. The song won three Grammy Awards in 1958, for Best Comedy Performance, Best Children's Recording, and Best Engineered Record (non-classical).
Sing Again with The Chipmunks is Alvin and the Chipmunks' second album, released by Liberty Records in January 1960. The album follows the same format as their first album, and contains the group's fifth and sixth singles—"Alvin's Orchestra" and "Comin' 'Round the Mountain". Since its initial release, Sing Again with The Chipmunks has appeared twice on CD; both releases utilized the revised 1961 cover artwork, minus the song lyrics printed on the original back cover.
The Alvin Show is a music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks. It is the soundtrack album to the Chipmunks' first animated television series The Alvin Show. Upon the release of the album, the Chipmunks' first three albums were reissued with revised album cover art that utilized the cartoon redesigns of the characters.
"Alvin's Harmonica" is a song from the fictional musical group, Alvin and the Chipmunks, which also features additional vocals by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. who plays David Seville in the song. The song was released as the second single from the group's debut album, Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks in 1958. Like "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song", it was adapted as one of the musical segments featured in The Alvin Show.
Oobu Joobu was a radio show created by Paul McCartney in 1995 and described by McCartney as "wide-screen radio". The program aired on the American radio network Westwood One and its name was inspired by a BBC production of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Cocu. Because the show's material included demos, rehearsals, live performances, and unreleased recordings of Paul McCartney and The Beatles, many of the programs have been bootlegged. Now, The Beatles Channel on Sirius XM often plays Oobu Joobu clips.
The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits is a tribute album of Alvin and the Chipmunks singing the hits of the Beatles. It was originally released in 1964 by Liberty Records on vinyl record, and consists of Chipmunk renditions of early Beatles hits.
Rockin' Through the Decades is a live-action/animated TV special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was directed by Steve Karman, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, and premiered on NBC on January 18, 1991.
This is the complete discography of the fictional music group Alvin and the Chipmunks.
I Wanta Sing is an album by country singer George Jones. It was released in 1977 on the Epic record label.
Here's Looking At Me! is a compilation music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was released on CD and cassette by Sony in 1994 and was one of two 35th anniversary compilation albums by The Chipmunks, despite being released 36 years after the group's debut. Various tracks on Here's Looking At Me! were re-recordings and various changes to previous recordings were made, notably the omittance of Billy Ray Cyrus' speaking role in "Achy Breaky Heart" from Chipmunks in Low Places.
