The Adventurers Club

The Chipmunks - 54 Years of Chart Success

Quick, in terms of chart longevity name one of the most successful musical artists of all time. I'm talking about the number of years between first charted record and most recent charted record.

What about 54 years? Not too many artists can top that one.

The answer is of course three furry little rodents, the brainchild of Ross Bagdasarian.

The Chipmunks.

The Chipmunks - 54 years of Chart success

 

2012 marks their 54th year of hitting the charts. From the 1958 debut of "The Chipmunk Song" to the current chart run of two Chipmunk's Christmas albums, The Munks have been scoring chart hits a very long time.

The Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Song - Picture Sleeve from the 1959 reissue

 

The Chipmunks - Chipmunks Christmas - 2012 release

With the three live action Chipmunks movies grossing over a billion dollars and a new animated series set for 2012 don't look for the streak to end anytime soon.

'til Alvin loses his voice

@Adventuretom (Card carrying member of the Chipmunk fan club) 

Related articles

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Alvin for President

The Chipmunks - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The Chipmunks - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Thankfully the political season is over, so let's lighten up our Record of the Week with
Alvin and the Chipmunks. 

This is The Chipmunks single for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang inspired by the Dick Van Dyke film. The flip side is another song from the film, Hushabye Mountain. Both songs were written by the Disney songwriting team of Richard and Robert Sherman who also wrote songs for Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, That Darn Cat, and many other Disney classics.

 

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Picture Sleeve

 

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Picture Sleeve

 

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - 45

 

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Hushabye Mountain - 45

 

A sampling of the mountain of Chipmunks merchandise generated in the sixties

 

Alvin and the Chipmunks sing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

'til Chitty Chitty Bang Bang appears in a Chipmunks film

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Alvin for President

Record of the Week, Election Edition.

We don't know about you, but with the sad state of U.S. politics we figure it's about time Alvin got another chance.

This single wasn't a huge hit for The Chipmunks, just sneaking into the Hot 100, but Ross Bagdasarian Jr. considers it the best thing his dad did with Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

During the 1960 campaign John F. Kennedy sent Ross Bagdasarian a note, "I'm glad to see I have one worthy opponent."  Indeed.

Chipmunks - Alvin for President - Picture Sleeve

 

Alvin for President - The Chipmunks - Dell Comic

 

From the Alvin for President campaign, here's some promotional material to support the Chipmunks single, "Alvin for President".

The Chipmunks - Alvin for President

 

The Chipmunks - Alvin for President

 

Alvin for President

 

Alvin for President peaked at 95 on the Hot 100

 

'til Alvin Wins the Election

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

The Chipmunks Mean Business

Quick, name a musical act that has been charting records on the Billboard charts for over 53 years.

Big hint. The list is short. Real short.

One of the very few with that longevity is The Chipmunks.

This ad, from 1965, hints that the Chipmunks were big business in the sixties. Little did Ross Bagdasarian and Liberty records know that 50 years later the Chipmunks would be a Billion Dollar Business.

Alvin and the Chipmunks mean big business

This year there were movies from The Muppets and The Chipmunks. I know a LOT of people seemed to be thrilled that The Muppets had a new movie, but having seen it, all I've got to say is the filmmakers were trying way too hard to make that movie something it wasn't.

What it was to me was a pretty big dissapointment.

Chipwrecked on the other hand tried to be nothing more than goofy fun and I liked it much more, but maybe that's just me. I guess I'll take Alvin every time.

I've always said that you know when you're a rock star when Weird Al and The Chipmunks both cover one of your songs.

'til Chipmunks IV

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

The Chipmunks - Chipmunk Punk - Call Me

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,

@Adventuretom

Get Punked with the Chipmunks

25 years after it's initial release, one of punks most essential albums is back.

Chipmunk Punk - Alvin and The Chipmunks

Okay, maybe not.

In truth, featuring tracks by Blondie, The Cars and three songs from The Knacks first album, it's more new wave than punk.

But this is the album that brought Alvin, Simon and Theodore back in a big way. It Zoomed up the Billboard charts, selling over a million copies, spawning two television series, tons of merchandise, more than a dozen new albums and a feature film.

All of this from three rodents that were born in 1958 to voice a novelty record by Ross Bagdasarian.

Ross Bagdasarian died in 1972, but the Chipmunks have been kept alive by Ross Jr and wife Janice Karman. For the past seven years Universal controlled the rights to The Chipmunks, producing two made for TV movies, but as the deal expired Ross and Janet have resumed control.

Janice and Ross Jr

This has led to a DVD release of The Chipmunk Adventure, reissues of CD's and there are even rumors of a live action feature film, with CGI versions of the Chipmunks.

'til Alvin, Simon and Theodore record a Ramones tribute album

Keep the Adventure Alive,

Adventuretom

Related articles

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Alvin for President

The Chipmunks - 54 Years of Chart Success

The Chipmunks - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang