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Alvin and the Chipmunks

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This article is about sing-along group. For information about the television series, see Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series).
For information about the 2007 film, see Alvin and the Chipmunks (film).

Alvin and the Chipmunks is a 5-time Grammy Award-winning, and 100-time American Music Award-winning animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated chipmunks:

Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group;
Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;
Theodore, the chubby, impressionable sweetheart.

The trio is managed by their human father and confidant, David Seville. In reality, David Seville was Bagdasarian's stage name, and the Chipmunks themselves are named after the executives of their original record label, Liberty Records:

Alvin Bennett (the president),
Simon Waronker (the founder and owner), and
Theodore Keep (the chief engineer).

The Chipmunks act began with recordings first brought to life in Bagdasarian's 1950s novelty recordings under the name David Seville and the Chipmunks. For stage purposes, such as during an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Bagdasarian lip lip-synched the words of "David Seville" in front of a small puppet theater, with puppets of the three Chipmunks also lip-synching. The puppets looked similar to the Chipmunk illustrations on the covers of some of the group's 45 RPM records. The characters were an unprecedented success, and the singing Chipmunks and their manager were given life in several animated cartoon series, using redrawn, anthropomorphic chipmunks, and eventually motion picture

The voices of the group were all performed by Bagdasarian, who sped up the playback to create higher pitched, comical, squeaky voices. This oft-used process was also not entirely new to Bagdasarian, who had also used it for two previous novelty song projects, including "The Witch Doctor," but it was so unusual and well executed it earned the trio two Grammy Awards for engineering. Although the characters were fictional, they did release a long line of actual albums and singles, with "The Chipmunk Song" becoming a number-one hit single in the United States. Since Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.'s passing on January 16, 1972, their voices were performed by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman in all subsequent incarnations except for the 2007 CGI/live-action film adaptation, when they were voiced by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney respectively.

Contents

HistoryEdit

"The Witch Doctor"Edit

Main article: Witch Doctor (song)

In early 1958, Bagdasarian released a novelty song, as David Seville, about being unlucky at love until he found a Witch Doctor who told him "What To Do" to woo his woman. The entire song was done by Bagdasarian in his normal voice, except for the "magic" words, done first in Bagdasarian's pitched-up, pre-Chipmunk voice, and then in a duet between his pitched-up voice and his normal voice. The words, of course, are nonsense: "Oo-ee, oo-ah-ah, ting-tang, walla-walla, bing-bang." The "Walla Walla" part of the song was just thrown in as a reference to Ross Bagdasarian's uncle who lived in Walla Walla, Washington. {C The song was a major hit, sitting at Number 1 in the Billboard Top 100, a predecessor to the Billboard Hot 100 chart which would be introduced that August, for three weeks during the spring, and the Witch Doctor's "magic words" were being sung by kids in many countries.[1] Nothing in the song makes any reference to chipmunks but the song is now sometimes included on Chipmunk compilations, as if the Chipmunks themselves had provided the voice of the Witch Doctor (Bagdasarian did record a "Chipmunks" version of "Witch Doctor," which appeared on the second Chipmunks album, Sing Again with The Chipmunks, in 1960). It gained new attention, when it was sung by Homer Simpson in an episode of The Simpsons in 2006. A followup song was recorded by Bagdasarian titled "The Bird on My Head" with Bagdasarian, again as Seville, singing a duet with his own sped-up voice as the bird. It also reached the Top 40, peaking at #34.[2]

"The Chipmunk Song"Edit

Main article: The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

The Chipmunks first officially appeared on the scene in a novelty record released in late fall 1958 by Bagdasarian. The song, originally listed on the record label (Liberty F-55168) as "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," featured the singing skills of the chipmunk trio. One phrase in the chorus has Alvin wishing for a hula hoop, which was that year's hot new toy. The novelty record was highly successful, selling more than 4 million copies in seven weeks, and it launched the careers of its chipmunk stars. It spent four weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from December 22, 1958 to January 12, 1959. It also earned three Grammy Awards and a nomination for Record of the Year. At the height of its popularity, Bagdasarian and 3 chipmunk hand-puppets appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, lip-synching the song. "The Chipmunk Song" appeared on the Chipmunks' debut album, Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks, in 1959, and was repeated on Christmas with the Chipmunks, released in 1962. The song also has been included on several compilation albums.

{C The first television series was produced by Format Films for Bagdasarian Film Corporation. Although the series was broadcast in black and white, it was produced and later re-run in color. 26 episodes each were produced for the Alvin and the Chipmunks and Clyde Crashcup segments, along with 52 musical segments.

A Chipmunk Christmas (1981)Edit

Main article: A Chipmunk Christmas

The final Chipmunks album in their original incarnation, The Chipmunks Go to the Movies, was released in 1969. After the death of Ross Bagdasarian in 1972 from a heart attack, the Chipmunks' careers stalled until NBC showed interest in the original show (the network carried Saturday morning reruns of The Alvin Show as a midseason replacement in 1979) and the following year, Excelsior Records released a new album of contemporary songs performed by the Chipmunks. The new album — Chipmunk Punk — featured Bagdasarian's son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., doing the voices of the characters. That album and the continued reruns of the series proved to be popular enough to warrant further new records as well as a new television production, and in 1981, the Chipmunks and Seville returned to television in the Christmas special A Chipmunk Christmas, produced by Chuck Jones, which was first broadcast on NBC on December 14 of that year.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983-1990)Edit

{C
Main article: Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)

The group's name changed from "The Chipmunks" to "Alvin and The Chipmunks" just like "Diana Ross & The Supremes". Alvin, just like Diana Ross, was the lead singer.The Chipmunks name change sparked rumors of a possible solo career for Alvin. By 1961, Alvin had his own show called "The Alvin Show" and released his first solo album which was also the soundtrack album to the show called,"The Alvin Show (album)". In 1983, the second animated television series, produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, was released. Titled simply Alvin and the Chipmunks, the outline of the show closely paralleled the original Alvin Show. A more sustained success than the original, the series lasted eight production seasons, until 1990. In the first season, the show introduced the Chipettes, three female versions of the Chipmunks — Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor, who each paralleled the original Chipmunks in personality (except Brittany was vainer than Alvin, Jeanette was smart like Simon, and Eleanor was fond of food like Theodore), with their own human guardian, the myopic Miss Beatrice Miller (who arrived for the 1986 season). The Chipmunks even sang a variation of NBC's Let's All Be There campaign for its Saturday-morning lineup in 1984. After 1988, the show was renamed just The Chipmunks to indicate that there were now two groups of them. Also introduced was the boys' "Uncle" Harry, who may or may not have actually been a relative. The show reflected current trends and historical events in pop culture; the Chipmunks sang recent hits, and wore contemporary clothing. One "documentary" episode spoofed John Lennon's 1966 infamous comment that The Beatles had become "more popular than Jesus", by recalling how the Chipmunks had fallen in popularity after Alvin boasted they were "bigger than Mickey Mouse!"

In 1987, during the fifth season of the show on television, the Chipmunks had their first animated feature film, The Chipmunk Adventure, directed by Janice Karman and Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., and released to theatres by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. The film featured the Chipmunks and the Chipettes in a contest traveling around the world.

In the 1988–89 season, the show switched production companies to DIC Entertainment, by which time the Chipmunks had truly become anthropomorphized. In 1990, the show switched titles again to The Chipmunks Go to the Movies. Each episode in this season was a spoof of a Hollywood, Hollywood film, such as Back to the Future, King Kong, and others. In addition, several television specials featuring the characters were also released. At the conclusion of the eighth season, the show was cancelled again.

In 1990, a documentary was produced about the show entitled Alvin and the Chipmunks/Five Decades with the Chipmunks. In that year, the Chipmunks also teamed up for the only time with other contemporary cartoons (such as Bugs Bunny, Garfield, etc.) for the drug abuse-prevention special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

Direct-to-video Chipmunks movies from UniversalEdit

Main article: Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein

In 1996, the rights to the characters were purchased by Universal Studios. This resulted in The Chipmunks' 1999 reappearance in the form of the direct-to-video movie Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein. The movie was successful enough to spark interest in a sequel, and in 2000, Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman appeared. Both movies featured the original cast of the second series reprising their roles and the tone of the movies are very similar to the series. These film titles reflect earlier horror spoofs by Abbott and Costello.

Little Alvin and the Mini-MunksEdit

Main article: Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks {C

A live-action movie called Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks [1] was released on April 27, 2004 (April 24, 2005 5Previewaccording Internet Movie Database(IMDb for short) [2]). It features puppetry used for the Chipmunks and Chipettes. In this movie, when Dave (Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.) goes out of town, he leaves the young Chipmunks and the Chipettes in the care of Lalu (Janice Karman), a friend who is happy to have six pre-schoolers stay with her. Lalu lives in a magic cottage with Gilda (a talking cockatoo), and PC (a talking frog who believes he is one kiss away from being Prince charming). There are also Sam and Lou, two gophers who report to the viewers about the feelings the characters are experiencing. While at Lalu's, the kids learn and sing about separation, jealousy, telling the truth, sharing, and other life lessons. Theodore learns about telling the truth, and not to put things into the toilet; Alvin learns about helping Eleanor (the infant); and Jeanette learns that she cannot "borrow" Brittany's lipstick. The direct to video feature was directed and co-written by Jerry Rees, who also animated all the CGI effects and voiced two characters. The budget for the project was unusually low, at $600,000. It was also the only live-action appearances of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman, respectively.

The Chipmunks' futureEdit

In 2002, Bagdasarian Productions sued Universal Studios for breach of contract, in order to recoup monetary damages and to regain control of the Alvin and the Chipmunks characters.

In 2004, 20th Century Fox, Regency Enterprises and Bagdasarian Productions announced a CGI/live action film adaptation of the popular musical group and animated series. The new film Alvin and the Chipmunks, directed by Tim Hill and starring Jason Lee as Dave Seville, was released on December 14, 2007. With Justin Long as Alvin, Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon, and Jesse McCartney as Theodore, it marks the first motion picture in which nobody related to Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. has performed as David or the Chipmunks. Though the critics gave it harsh reviews, audiences consisting of children and their baby boomer parents flocked to the theatres. As of February 14, 2008, it has mad
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e over $210 million in North America alone and a total of nearly $330 million worldwide.

In 2006, Bagdasarian Productions sued Thomas Lee, the creator of Chipmunks Gangsta Rap, a parody created by Bentframe and featured on Atom Films. The lawsuit is still in process. Also, The Chipmunk Adventure was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment, then later Trick or Treason, A Chipmunk Christmas: 25th Anniversary and A Chipmunk Valentine. The Chipmunks Go To The Movies was released on May 22, 2007.

The Chipmunks' newest album, Undeniable, was released in November 2008.[3].

ImitationsEdit

While the series was being prepared for broadcast, an imitation, The Nutty Squirrels, beat them to the market, but was less successful, despite catchy scat singing. Also, many people think that Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers are a "cheap imitation" of the Chipmunks. This, however, is incorrect, as Chip and Dale first appeared in the Disney cartoon Private Pluto in 1943, more than a decade before the creation of the Chipmunks--however, the cartoon series Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, the first appearance of them with different personalities and first appearance of them wearing clothes was created in 1989, well after the debut of Alvin and the Chipmunks in the fifties. Other than anthropomorphic chipmunks as main characters, the two franchises have little in common, other than the fact that Chip and Dale have squeaky voices created by the speeding up of records to 45 (or sometimes, but very rarely, 78) RPM.} The mice in the Universal Pictures live-action film Babe also have squeaky voices.

In the 1980s there was a "group" called The Happy Hamsters[4], which was an obvious attempt to cash in on the Chipmunks' popularity; it has since lapsed into obscurity.

In 1959, Russ Regan produced "The Happy Reindeer" by Dancer, Prancer and Nervous for Capitol Records.[5]

CharactersEdit

Main CharactersEdit

Alvin Michael SevilleEdit

Alvin is a roller coaster. Alvin can sometimes be considered an antagonist. His enthusiasm is boundless and his despair bottomless. The term look before you leap definitely doesn't apply to Alvin, who is impulsive, charming, musical and full of animal magnetism. The character, who is heavily based on former member James Sawyer always seems to make up hare-brained schemes to get what his goal at the ti
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me is, whether it be trying to help his brothers, or keeping Dave from figuring something out, or getting out of a sticky situation. However, Alvin seems to refer to his often illogical or crazy plans as "challenging the ordinary". Alvin's signature color is red, and he has blue eyes (although in the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks, he has brown eyes). He is the leader of the Chipmunks. Alvin and Brittany Miller of The Chipettes share their love-hate relationship. In the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks and in the 2009 Squeakquel, he is voiced by Justin Long.

Simon Peter SevilleEdit

In addition to having an IQ just north of Einstein, Simon possesses a very dry sense of humor as well as a keen wit. Alvin exploits Simon's master mind for his crazy schemes because he is smart enough to carry them out. In the end, Simon loves Alvin, although he secretly worries that they share the same gene pool. His signature color is blue, and he has blu
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e eyes and black glasses; his glasses had blue frames after the 1983 television series' second season up until the show's final season, and in The Chipmunk Adventure. He also has brown fur in the film. He plays the bass, bass clarinet, saxophone, bagpipes, tuba, and drums, among others. He is shown playing the keyboard in the original open for the 1980s series.. He was also shown playing guitar in a 1980s Hardee's commercial. Simon and Jeanette Miller of The Chipettes are very shy about their romantic relationship, but it's obvious he cares for her. In the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks and in the 2009 Squeakquel, he is voiced by Matthew Gray Gubler.

Theodore Carl SevilleEdit

Theodore is the child of innocence. He is shy, loving, sensitive, gullible, trusting, naive and cute. {C

In short, he is an easy target for Alvin's manipulations. In fact, Theodore often holds the swing vote between his two brothers' choices of action. Simon appeals to Theodore's better nature while Alvin goes straight to bribery. He is constantly craving snacks and in one episode, tried to eat Alvin's hand because of his hunger. Theodore's signature
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color is green, and has the same color eyes. He also has blonde/tan fur in the film. He plays the drums, the guitar, and others. He is the baby of the group. Theodore and Eleanor Miller of The Chipettes are the most open about their romantic relationship. In the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks and in the 2009 Squeakquel, he is voiced by Jesse McCartney.

David "Dave" SevilleEdit

David Seville, or "Dave" to his friends and the boys, has his patience tested on a daily basis.

Not only does he juggle his professional life as the songwriter for the musical trio, but he's also the Chipmunks' adoptive father and confidant. While Dave struggles to remain calm and objective, Alvin often irritates him, resulting in Dave's famous yell, "AAAALLLLVVVVIIIINNNN!!!!!!" to which Alvin often replies with a loud "OKAY!!" Dave plays piano and the guitar. Dave was the star of the first film, but in the second film he played a much smaller role. In the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks and in the 2009 Squeakquel, he is played by Jason Lee, the star of My Name is Earl.
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The ChipettesEdit

Other CharactersEdit

Ian HawkeEdit

The villain of the 2007 Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. He is Dave's friend turned rival, former college roommate, and the CEO of JETT Records. The Chipmunks sneaked off to his mansion to audition. He rockets them to the top of music business but secretly wants to lure them away from Dave for his own profit. His plan ultimately fails, as the Chipmunks have escaped him, thus leaving him broke and out of a job. In the deleted scene, he was arrested and jailed with his squirrels (as the replacement in the end credits). Ian returned in the Squeakquel. In the film he became The Chipettes' manager in hopes that they could put him "back on top". His plan fails, when Alvin saved the Chipettes. At the end of the film Ian sang for the Chipettes, but the audience booed him, and he was thrown in the dumpster. He is played by comedian David Cross.

Miss Beatrice MillerEdit

First appeared on the 1980s series. The Chipmunks' baby sitter who looks after them when Dave goes to work. Later becomes the legal guardian of the Chipettes. She was voiced by the late Dody Goodman.

Claire WilsonEdit

Claire is Dave's ex-girlfriend who adores the Chipmunks after she finally gets to meet them. She becomes good friends with Dave again by the end of the movie. She appears in the 2007 Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. However, she does not appear in the second and third film. She is played by Cameron Richardson.

Recording techniqueEdit

{C

The Chipmunks' voices were recorded onto audiotape by voice talent talking or singing at half the normal speed. When the tape was played back at double speed, they would sound a full octave higher in pitch, at normal tempo. The technique was by no means new to the Chipmunks. For example, the high and low pitched characters in The Wizard of Oz were achieved by speeding up and slowing down vocal recordings. Also, Mel Blanc's voice characterization for Daffy Duck was sped up to some extent. Now the same effect can be created digitally and in real time.

However, the extensive use of this technique with the Chipmunks, coupled with their popularity, linked this technique to them. The term "chipmunk-voiced" has entered the American vernacular to describe any artificially high-pitched voice. A similar effect could be obtained in playback by merely taking an LP recorded at 33 1/3 RPM and playing it back at 45 or 78 RPM, a trick sometimes tried out by ordinary record listeners. The instrumental portions of the song are sped up as well, however, making it obvious that the music is being played at the wrong speed (Bagdasarian recorded vocals and music at different speeds to combine properly on his recording). Also, doing so might damage the record being played.

The technique was frequently imitated in comedy records, notably "The Ying Tong Song" by The Goons , "Transistor Radio" by Benny Hill, "Bridget the Midget" by Ray Stevens, "The Laughing Gnome" by David Bowie, and on several tracks on Joe Meek and the Blue Men's album I Hear a New World. The technique also appears in the instrumental break in Bobby Lewis' 1961 US #1 hit "Tossin' and Turnin'". It was used extensively in the British puppet show Pinky and Perky.

Prince has used the technique on several of his songs, as well as Frank Zappa on We're Only In It For The Money and on the instrumental album Hot Rats, among others.

In the early 90's rave scene, many breakbeat hardcore productions would utilize the same studio tricks, often taking a cappellas from old soul soul and house records and speeding them up to fit the faster tempo. Vocals in songs that used this method would typically be referred to as "chipmunk vocals".

Guest appearanceEdit

The Chipmunks make a guest appearance on the Canned Heat song "The Chipmunk Song" (which is not the same song as the 1958 hit) that appeared on their Christmas single.[6]

DiscographyEdit

This is the complete discography of the fictional music group Alvin and the Chipmunks.

AlbumsEdit

Vinyl Reissue AlbumsEdit

  • 1974: Christmas With The Chipmunks (United Artists UA-LA352-E2) (2-LP repackage of Christmas With The Chipmunks and Christmas With The Chipmunks Vol. 2)
  • 1975: Christmas With The Chipmunks (Mistletoe MLP-1216)
  • 1975: Christmas With The Chipmunks Vol. 2 (Mistletoe MLP-1217)
  • 1980: Christmas With The Chipmunks (Pickwick SPC-1034) (reuses the cover artwork from the United Artists reissue, with the original front cover of Christmas With The Chipmunks Vol. 2 on the front and Christmas With The Chipmunks on the back)
  • 1980: The Twelve Days Of Christmas With The Chipmunks (reissue of Christmas With The Chipmunks Vol. 2, mono but labeled stereo, with new cover artwork by Doug Oudekirk, the artist who had drawn the Chipmunk Punk cover)
  • 1980: Christmas With The Chipmunks (Liberty LM-1071) (Without "Over The River And Through The Woods" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas")
  • 1981: The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles Hits (EMI Nut NUTM-31) (Mono UK reissue sold in the US as an import)
  • 1982: The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles Hits (Liberty LN-10177) (Without "Twist And Shout" and "I Saw Her Standing There") (Stereo)
  • 1982: Chipmunks à Go-Go (Liberty LN-10178) (Without "Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" and "The Race Is On")
  • 1986: Christmas With The Chipmunks Vol. 2 (Liberty)

SinglesEdit

  • 1958: "Witch Doctor/Don't Whistle at Me Baby" (Liberty F-55132) (US #1) (Credited solely to David Seville)
  • 1958: "The Bird on My Head/Hey There Moon" (Liberty F-55140) (US #36) (Credited solely to David Seville)
  • 1958: "The Chipmunk Song/Almost Good" (Liberty F-55168) (US #1)

(The first Chipmunks record. On this first release, the artist is credited as "The Chipmunks, Alvin, Theodore & Simon, with the music of David Seville." B-side is a non-Chipmunk David Seville track.)

Charting AlbumsEdit

Year Album Chart Positions Certifications
US US Country CAN CAN Country RIAA CRIA
1960 Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks 4
Sing Again with the Chipmunks 31
1962 Christmas with the Chipmunks 84 Platinum
1963 Christmas with the Chipmunks, Vol. 2 9
1964 The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits 14
1980 Chipmunk Punk 34 59 Gold Gold
1981 Urban Chipmunk 56 23 Gold Gold
1982 Chipmunk Rock 109 44
A Chipmunk Christmas 72 Gold Gold
1992 Chipmunks in Low Places 21 6 9 Platinum Platinum
1994 A Very Merry Chipmunk 147
2007 Alvin and the Chipmunks: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 5

Concert toursEdit

  • 2008: Get Munk'd Tour (The Chipmunks)

Awards and nominationsEdit

  • 1959, won three Grammy Awards for Best Recording for Children, Best Comedy Performance, and Grammy Award Best Engineered Record - Non-Classical for the song "The Chipmunk Song." (Was also nominated for Grammy Award for Record of the Year, but did not win.)
  • 1960, won a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical, for the song "Alvin's Harmonica."
  • 1961, won a Grammy Award for Best Album for Children for the album Let's All Sing with The Chipmunks. (It was also nominated for Best Engineered Record, Non-Classical.) The song "Alvin for President" was also nominated for both Best Comedy Performance - Musical and Best Engineered Record - Novelty, making two nominations in the latter category.)
  • 1962, was nominated again for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Record - Novelty for the television tie-in album The Alvin Show.
  • 1963, was nominated again for Grammy Awards for both Best Album for Children and Best Engineered Record - Novelty for the album The Chipmunk Songbook.
  • 1966, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children for the song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".
  • 1985, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Animated Program (Daytime)."
  • 1987, the second television series was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the category "Exceptional Family Animation Series or Specials."
  • 1987, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Animated Program (Daytime)."
  • 1988, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Animated Program (Daytime)* 1988, was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the category "Best Motion Picture - Animation" for the movie The Chipmunk Adventure.
  • 2000, won the Golden Reel Award in the category "Best Sound Editing - Direct to Video - Sound Editorial" for the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein.
  • 2008, Jason Lee won The 2008 Kids' Choice Awards in the category "Favorite Movie" for the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks
  • 2008, Alvin and the Chipmunks soundtrack won the American Music Award for "Best Movie Soundtrack"
  • 2010, June, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel was pre-nominated for the Mexico's Kids Choice Awards[7]

There were five Grammy Awards, a Golden Reel Award, and a Kids Choice Award in total.

List of VHS releasesEdit

Following the cult success of the Lorimar Home Video release of the previously unsuccessful movie The Chipmunk Adventure on VHS, select episodes of the show from 1983-1990, as well as several specials from the 80's and 90's, were released on VHS. Initially, in 1988, they were distributed by The Chipmunk Video Library. From 1992-1996, they were distributed by Buena Vista Home Video. From 1998-2000, they were distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

  • The Chipmunk Adventure (Released by Lorimar Home Video in 1987, by Warner Home Video in 1993, and by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in 1998)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks in Alvin and The Chipettes (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988)
  • The Greatest Showoffs on Earth
  • Sisters
  • Tell it to the Judge
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks in Chipmunk Classics (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988)
  • Snow Wrong
  • Cinderella? Cinderella!
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks in Chipmunkmania (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988)
  • Chipmunkmania
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks in The Chipmunk Family Tree (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988)
  • The Chipmunks Story
  • A Chipmunk Reunion
  • Around the World with Alvin and the Chipmunks (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988)
  • Maids in Japan
  • Alvie's Angels
  • The Mystery of Seville Manor
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks in Alvin's Wildest Schemes (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988)
  • Romancing Miss Stone
  • Snow Job
  • A Chip off the Old Tooth
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks in A Chipmunk Christmas (Released by The Chipmunk Video Library in 1988, and by Buena Vista Home Video in 1993)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Rockin' With the Chipmunks: Featuring Michael Jackson (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1992)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: It's a Wonderful Life, Dave (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1993)
  • Dave's Wonderful Life
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Alvin's Christmas Carroll (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1993)
  • Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Love Potion #9 (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Theodore and Juliet
  • Dr. Simon and Mr. Heartthrob
  • Dear Diary
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks SING-ALONGS: Ragtime Cowboy Joe (11 songs from The Alvin Show, released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks SING-ALONGS: Video Audio Fun-Pack Working on the Railroad (11 songs from The Alvin Show, released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: School's Out for Summer (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Going for Broke
  • Thinking Cap Trap
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Hair Raising Chipmunk Tales (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Babysitter Fright Night
  • Theodore's Life as a Dog
  • Unfair Science
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Nightmare on Seville Street (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Nightmare on Seville Street
  • No Chipmunk is an Island
  • Psychic Alvin
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Back to Alvin's Future (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Back to Our Future
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Kong! (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Kong!
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Batmunk (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Batmunk
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Funny, We Shrunk the Adults (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1994)
  • Funny, We Shrunk the Adults
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Easter Chipmunk (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1995)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Daytona Jones (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1995)
  • Daytona Jones and the Pearl of Wisdom
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Robomunk (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1995)
  • Robomunk
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1995)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Celebration (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1995)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Bigger! (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1996)
  • Bigger!
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Star Wreck: Absolutely Final Frontier (Released by Buena Vista Home Video in 1996)
  • Star Wreck: The Absolutely Final Frontier
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (Released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in 1999)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (Released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in 2000)

There were also VHS releases in the U.K. that included episodes that have yet to be released in the U.S. on DVD. They consist of "The Phantom", "The Wall", "Queen of the High School Ballroom", "Alvin's Not So Superhero", "Home Sweet Home", "All Worked Up", and "Phantom of the Rock Opera".

List of DVDsEdit

In 2005, Bagdasarian Productions struck a deal with Paramount Home Video to distribute their latest direct-to-video release, Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks on DVD. As a result, Paramount continues to distribute select episodes of the show from 1983-1990, as well as several specials from the 80's and 90's on DVD, except for Alvin And The Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein, Alvin And The chipmunks Meet The Wolfman (the Home Video rights to those are still owned by Universal Studios Home Entertainment), and the 2007 film (the Home Video rights to that are owned by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment). The DVD releases include episodes of the 80's Alvin and the Chipmunks animated series that were previously released on VHS, as well as episodes that have been previously unreleased on a Home Video format.

  • Monster Bash Fun Pack (Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein / Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet The Wolfman / Monster Mash / Archie & the Riverdale Vampires) (Released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in 2004)
  • Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2005)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2005, and again in 2008)
  • A Chipmunk Christmas
  • Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll
  • Dave's Wonderful Life
  • The Chipmunk Adventure (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2006, and again in 2008, 2008 reissue includes bonus CD)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Trick or Treason (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2006, and again in 2008)
  • Trick or Treason
  • Babysitter Fright Night
  • Theodore's Life as a Dog
  • Nightmare on Seville Street
  • No Chipmunk is an Island
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas: 25th Anniversary Edition (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2006)
  • Same as previous release, except with a bonus CD.
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Valentine (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2007, and again in 2009)
  • I Love the Chipmunks Valentine
  • Dr. Simon and Mr. Heart-throb
  • Dear Diary
  • Theodore and Juliet
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunks Go to the Movies (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2007)
  • Star Wreck: The Absolutely Final Frontier
  • Batmunk
  • Funny, We Shrunk the Adults
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Scare-riffic Double Feature: Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein and Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (Released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in 2008)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks(2007 film) (Released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2008)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Funny, We Shrunk the Adults (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2008)
  • Funny, We Shrunk the Adults
  • Back to Our Future
  • Bigger
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Daytona Jones and the Pearl of Wisdom (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2008)
  • Daytona Jones and the Pearl of Wisdom
  • Batmunk
  • Robomunk
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Alvinnn!!! Edition (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2008)
  • The Curse of the Lontiki
  • Mr. Fabulous
  • Unidentified Flying Chipmunk
  • A Horse of Course
  • New Improved Simon
  • Snow Job
  • Maids in Japan
  • Every Chipmunk Tells a Story
  • Romancing Miss Stone
  • Three Alarm Alvin
  • Alvin's Oldest Fan
  • A Chip Off the Old Tooth
  • Whatever Happened to Dave Seville?
  • Cadet's Regrets
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2008)
  • A Chipmunk Celebration
  • Food for Thought
  • Cookie Chomper III
  • Dave's Getting Married
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: Classic Holiday Gift Set (All the episodes from the DVDs "Trick or Treason", "Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration", and "A Chipmunk Christmas", released by Paramount Home Video in 2008)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipettes (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2009)
  • May the Best Chipmunk Win
  • Operation: Theodore
  • Sisters
  • The Greatest Show-Offs on Earth
  • My Fair Chipette
  • Tell It to the Judge
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Mystery of the Easter Chipmunk (Released by Paramount Home Video in 2009)
  • The Easter Chipmunk
  • Snow Wrong
  • Luck O' The Chipmunks
  • Special Kind of Champ
  • Thinking Cap Trap

ImitationsEdit

The "singing rodent" concept has been successfully imitated elsewhere, notably by the Finnish "singing squirrel" Pikku Orava.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ↑ IMDb on former trombone player Don Lang, performer of a cover version, which made the UK charts at No. 20 in July 1958.Accessed: 02-12-2009].
  2. ↑ http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/song_details.aspx?SongID=2024
  3. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Undeniable-Alvin-Chipmunks/dp/B001FRCP3M/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223268090&sr=1-12
  4. ↑ The Happy Hamsters Go Ghostbustin' at Way Out Junk
  5. ↑ http://www.nme.com/artists/dancer-prancer-and-nervous
  6. ↑ http://www.cannedheatmusic.com/bio.htm
  7. ↑ http://www.mundonick.com/concursos/mis_premios_mx/ (Nominees only)
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