Advent, Day 6

[kyburg]

I warned you. I did.

I got my first record player for Christmas when I was five years old. It was a seminal event, and I track a lot of my music tastes to that first record player in 1965. It was mint green and white, did not have an automatic drop spindle, so you had to change each record by hand, was ostensibly a portable player (but did not run on batteries) and I named it Singer.

It also played in four speeds - 16, 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm.

I got some Disney records to play on it, sure - but my older brother handed me some 45's, saying he 'was tired of them.'

Gerry & The Pacemakers, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Four Seasons, Beatles...I still have some of them. Yup. Though three house fires, two burglaries and *taps chin* 41 years.

Oh, and a couple of Alvin & the Chipmunks LPs. That's what we were watching back then - it would be like getting a soundtrack from Lilo & Stitch these days.

I lurved me some Chipmunks. Yes, I had the Beatles-sung-by-the-Chipmunks album. The bright red vinyl Christmas album. (I understand it also came in green, and is extremely rare.)

Me and the sibs were avid watchers of the television show, too.

*sigh*

I picked up a collections CD about eight years ago, on sale most likely - and listening again, I am entertained once again from my current perspective. And discovered something.

Damn, they were Good. The production values are absolutely flawless. The pitch, phrasing and performances are incredible. The harmonies are even spot on - and the musical arrangements are irresistable. They're good - all in and of themselves. The jokes work and remain funny - everything.

And you have one guy doing all the voices, slooooooowly - with only two tracks to do all the work. Listening to the interview with Ross Bagdasarian's son, I found out they had won technical Grammys for the Chipmunks - which I'd never known. Oh, my.

So here. Have some of my favorites off the album:

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Alvin's Orchestra
Alvin and the Chipmunks - Alvin's Harmonica

And because it's the season for it:

Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Christmas Song

Enjoy - see you tomorrow!

Comments

[scrapyard.livejournal.com]

I remember the harmonica one from long ago, when my cousin had the record. She played it for me, and I loved it.

Then whenever someone mentioned "The Christmas Song," I thought they meant the harmonica one, although I never heard it on the radio until I was an adult, and the first time I did, which didn't happen until I was an adult with my own car, I was devastated with disappointment when it wasn't the one I remembered.

So thank you, I was beginning to think I had imagined it.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

CHA CHA CHA

[makeitepic.livejournal.com]

i used to watch alvin & the chipmunks back in the 80s. in fact, one of my favorite christmas specials is the alvin & the chipmunks one where alvin wants the "golden echo harmonica". i wish i could find it on tape somewhere.

[sithdragn.livejournal.com]

Oh, the memories. Thank you.