David Seville and the Chipmunks - "The Chipmunk Song"
Hit Number 1: December 22, 1958
Stay at Number 1: 4 Weeks
I wish I could begin to explain how this even happened, but I can't. For 4 weeks (yes, FOUR!) in 1958-1959 there was a song by 3 "chipmunks" named Simon, Theodore, and Alvin singing a song about Christmas and how they didn't want it to be late. I think the saddest part about this dreck is not only did it hit #1 and stay there for 4 weeks, but someone actually had the brilliant idea of enhancing their voice really high, and calling themselves a chipmunk. And I guess back in 1958, that was appealing to people. I can't even begin to understand.
Well, that someone was named Ross Bagdasarian Sr. David Seville wasn't even a real person. He was Bagdasarian's stage name, and was the "manager" of this Chipmunk group. What he would do, is he would use a high-pitched and sped up vocal technique, that he had actually used once before when he did "Witch Doctor", a funny Halloween song. ("Witch Doctor" is a 6) Though that technique actually worked with "Witch Doctor". This stuff in "The Chipmunk Song" and the whole chipmunk phenomenon is just annoying. But somehow and someway, it took off, and "Alvin and the Chipmunks" are still around today, covering almost every song known to man. A few years back, they even took it a step further with a trio of female "chipmunks" called the Chipettes. You just can't make this stuff up, man.
Anyway, in case I didn't already give it away, "The Chipmunk Song" freaking sucks. It has this high pitched singing throughout the whole thing, Seville yelling "ALVIN!" cause Alvin is being a little asshole in the song, and then the ending. Oh my god, the ending. Basically, the three chipmunks start talking over each other, and Dave wanting them to stop, cause they are wanting to sing this piece of crap again. The ending is the worst part of the song, and that is saying something. The whole thing is just nightmare inducing.
"The Chipmunk Song" started up a career full of chipmunk crap for Bagdasarian. Alvin became a national phenomenon, and Alvin figures were even made. The Chipmunks of course made several songs too. They even had an album in 1964 called "The Chipmunks sing the Beatles Hits" in the midst of the British Invasion. You couldn't pay me enough money to listen to that. And I'm sure the Beatles were just thrilled. For a brief time in the early 60s, there was even a cartoon called "The Alvin Show". Bagdasarian later died in 1972 of a heart attack, but the whole chipmunk thing lived on. And you can still hear this song today. How unfortunate.
GRADE: 1/10
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