The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

The Chipmunks, Alvin & the Chipmunks

About The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" is a novelty Christmas song written by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (under the stage name of David Seville) 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 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).  


Year:
2007
2:21

Lyrics currently unavailable…


The Chipmunks

Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks and billed for their first two decades as the Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for novelty records in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks named Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. Bagdasarian provided the group's voices by producing sped-up recordings of his own, a technique pioneered on the successful "Witch Doctor". Later in 1958, Bagdasarian released the similarly engineered "The Chipmunk Song" for which he came up with the chipmunk characters and their human father, attributing the track to them. David Seville and the Chipmunks released several more records over the following decade unti… more »

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10 facts about this song

Historical Background
"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," performed by the fictional animated singing group The Chipmunks, was released in 1958. This novelty Christmas song is considered a timeless classic.
Creation
The song was written by Ross Bagdasarian Sr., the creator of the Chipmunks. He used the pseudonym David Seville and is the voice behind the Chipmunks, which he created using varied speed tape recording.
Popularity
The song gained incredible popularity very quickly. It became number one on Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles chart in just a few weeks after its release.
Award
The song won three Grammy Awards in 1958: Best Comedy Performance, Best Engineered Record - Non-Classical, and Best Children's Recording.
Commercial Success
"The Chipmunk Song" is one of the few Christmas songs to achieve a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Over the decades, it has sold more than 25 million copies.
Chart Presence
It remains to be the only Chipmunks' song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 several times, last appearing in 2012.
Signature Song
This was The Chipmunks' first song and it quickly became a signature recording for the group; it has been included in every Chipmunks' compilation album.
Animated Series Influence
"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" has been featured in various Chipmunks TV series and movies, solidifying its cultural impact over time.
Lyrical Content
The song's lyrics depict the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon, and Theodore) hoping that Christmas won't be late. The first half of the song is sung without instrumental accompaniment, while the second half features the melody of "Jingle Bells".
Follow-up Songs
After the success of "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," Seville and the Chipmunks released many more songs and albums, including other Christmas tunes, but none ever repeated the success of their first hit.

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