Our squeakiest Record of the Week to date
This is the record that started it all, again. Chipmunk Punk.
As the story goes, in 1980 a DJ played Blondie's song "Call Me" at 78 RPM and said it was the new Chipmunks record.
The Chipmunks had of course been retired since the death of Ross Bagdasarian in 1972, but listeners seeking a dose of nostalgia flooded request lines and the rest is history.
That's only part of the story.
What we do know is Ross Bagdasarian Jr had been considering reviving his father's creation with the help of his wife Janice Karman. The 1960's series "The Alvin Show" was in reruns and had been doing exceptionally well.
The news of this new Chipmunk single apparently reached the ears of Ross Jr and in no time an entire album had been recorded with Ross and Janice supplying all the voices.
The album was a huge hit, there were follow up albums, a Christmas special, a TV series, an arena tour, an animated feature film and more recently, three live action feature films.
It's almost as if Alvin, Simon and Theodore had never gone away.
Here's the record that started the revival. The Chipmunks sing "Call Me" backed by a version of Tom Petty's "Refugee".
The Chipmunks - Call Me - Picture Sleeve
The Chipmunks - Call Me - Picture Sleeve Back
The Chipmunks - Call Me - Vinyl 45
The Chipmunks - Refugee - Vinyl 45
Not just Punk - Chipmunk Punk
Chipmunks Know How to Rock!
Chipmunk Punk went on to sell over a million copies
'til Alvin, Simon and Theodore go out on another world tour
Keep the Adventure Alive,
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