Christmas Don't Be Late
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"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" is a 1958
novelty Novelty (derived from Latin word ''novus'' for "new") is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual. Novelty may be the shared experience of a new cultural phenomenon or the subjective perception of an ...
Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a Carol (music), carol on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas and holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...
written and recorded by
Ross Bagdasarian Ross S. Bagdasarian (; January 27, 1919 – January 16, 1972), known professionally by his stage name David "Dave" Seville, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor best known for creating the virtual band, cartoon band Al ...
(under the stage name of
David Seville David "Dave" Seville is a fictional character, the adoptive father and producer and manager of the fictional singing group ''Alvin and the Chipmunks''. The character was created by Ross Bagdasarian, who had used the name "David Seville" as his ...
). Bagdasarian sang the Christmas carol, varying the tape speeds to produce high-pitched "
chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...
" voices, with the vocals credited to
Alvin and 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 ...
, Seville's cartoon
virtual band In entertainment, a virtual band (also called a virtual idol, virtual singer, virtual group, virtual artists, cartoon group, cartoon idol, cartoon singer or cartoon band) is a band or music group whose depicted members are not people, but animate ...
and later
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...
. The song was nominated for
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
in the
1st Annual Grammy Awards The 1st Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Two separate ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day: one in the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, C ...
, where it also won three Awards. After the success of "
Witch Doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...
" in early 1958,
Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous rev ...
asked Bagdasarian to create another successful novelty record. He then came up with three singing chipmunks named after Liberty Records executives. The song begins with Dave asking the Chipmunks if they're ready to sing the song. Simon and Theodore both say they are, but Alvin does not answer, causing Dave to get his attention by yelling "ALVIN!". After the first verse, Dave compliments Simon and Theodore for their singing, but tells Alvin that his performance was "a little flat". Again, Alvin does not respond and Dave again yells "ALVIN!" to get his attention. In the outro, the Chipmunks want to sing the song again. However, David is against this, telling them not to overdo it. The song fades out with spoken lines from Dave and the Chipmunks. "The Chipmunk Song" has been a staple on the Billboard charts and saved Liberty Records from near-bankruptcy. It has been featured in many movies and television shows, including a prominent appearance in the successful 2007 live-action film ''
Alvin and 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 ...
''. The song helped launch the multimillion-dollar Alvin and the Chipmunks brand and has been ranked by ''Billboard'' and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' as one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.


Background


"Witch Doctor"

In the early stages of his career,
Ross Bagdasarian Ross S. Bagdasarian (; January 27, 1919 – January 16, 1972), known professionally by his stage name David "Dave" Seville, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor best known for creating the virtual band, cartoon band Al ...
, a Broadway actor who had played a pianist in
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
's 1954 ''
Rear Window ''Rear Window'' is a 1954 American mystery film, mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes, based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "After-Dinner Story, It Had to Be Murder". Originally released ...
'', was down to his last $200 when he purchased a specialized tape recorder that could adjust the speed of recordings. Experimenting with the device, he discovered a technique in which he recorded his slowly-sung voice at half speed and then played it back at normal speed, creating a high-pitched squeaky voice. This technique was pioneered on his successful 1958
novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...
“Witch Doctor”. In the song, the narrator asks a
witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...
for romantic advice because he has fallen in love with a girl; the witch doctor responds in a high-pitched squeaky voice with a nonsense
incantation An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial ri ...
which creates an
earworm An earworm or brainworm, also described as sticky music or stuck song syndrome, is a Catchiness, catchy or memorable piece of music or saying that continuously occupies a person's mind even after it is no longer being played or spoken about. In ...
. He used this technique on another pre-Chipmunks track, "Bird on My Head." The song held number one for three weeks in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, ranked by ''Billboard'' as the No. 4 song for 1958.


The Chipmunks

Bagdasarian later conceived the idea of Alvin and the Chipmunks, who were named, as an inside joke, after executives at Liberty Records; Alvin (named after Al Bennett), Simon (named after
Simon Waronker Simon Waronker (March 4, 1915 – June 7, 2005) was an American violinist and record producer from Los Angeles, California, best known for co-founding Liberty Records. Biography Graduating from high school at 13 years old, he won a scholarshi ...
), and Theodore (
Ted Keep Theodore Gene Keep (20 January 1924 – 21 May 2007) was an American audio engineer and record producer. As a co-founder of Liberty Records, he was the namesake of the character of Theodore from The Alvin Show and ''The Chipmunks'',. Biography ...
). After its release on November 11 of that year, "The Chipmunk Song" remained on the charts for 13 weeks, including four weeks at number one. The song earned three Grammy Awards and was later adapted into a short for ''
The Alvin Show ''The Alvin Show'' is an American animated television series that aired on CBS in the early 1960s. This was the first series to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks. ''The Alvin Show'' aired for one season, from October 4, 19 ...
'' (1961–1962). In 2007, following the release of the live-action ''
Alvin and 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 ...
'' film, the song reappeared on the charts nearly five decades after its initial success. Bagdasarian performed as both David Seville and the voices of all three Chipmunks.


Context and performance

The song was released on November 17, 1958. Although initially featured on ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
''s "Rate-A-Record" segment with the lowest possible rating of 35 across the board, "The Chipmunk Song" became a number one hit by
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
. One phrase in the chorus has Alvin wishing for a
hula hoop A hula hoop is a toy hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. It can also be wheeled along the ground like a wheel with careful execution and practice. They have been used by children and adults since ...
, which was that year's hot new toy. The novelty record was highly successful, selling 4.5 million copies in seven weeks, eventually selling 12 million copies. Bagdasarian performed the song at ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
''. As of 2011, total sales were estimated at 867,000 copies, making "The Chipmunk Song" among the top 20 Best-Selling Christmas songs of all time. The song was the 23rd most performed Christmas song of the 20th century.


Chart performance

It spent four weeks at Number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart from December 22, 1958, to January 12, 1959, succeeding " To Know Him Is to Love Him" at Number 1 on the same chart by
the Teddy Bears The Teddy Bears were an American pop music group. They were record producer Phil Spector's first vocal group. History Following graduation from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California, Phil Spector became obsessed with " To Know Him Is ...
. It was also number one for four weeks in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, December 15, 1958, to January 5, 1959. "The Chipmunk Song" appeared on the Chipmunks' debut album, ''Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks'', in 1959, and was repeated on ''Christmas with the Chipmunks'', released in 1962. It was the only Christmas record to reach No. 1 on the same chart until
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's "
All I Want for Christmas Is You "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fourth studio album and first holiday album, ''Merry Christmas'' (1994). She wrote and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff. It was released a ...
" did so 61 years later in 2019. In 1958, it won Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Performance, Best Children's Recording, and Best Engineered Record (non-classical). The song was certified Gold by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
as one of the best-selling physical Christmas singles in the United States. Between 1958 and 1962, the single re-entered the Hot 100 several times, peaking at No. 41 in 1958, No. 45 in 1960, and No. 39 in 1962. (Starting in 1963, ''Billboard'' would list recurrent Christmas songs on a separate chart.) The song charted on the Hot Digital Songs for the first time in 2005, peaking at No. 35. With the release and popularity of the live-action film ''
Alvin and 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 ...
'' in 2007, "The Chipmunk Song" re-entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at No. 70. At the same time, a remixed version of the song that appears on the Chipmunks' 2007 album (and soundtrack to the film) '' Alvin and the Chipmunks: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'', peaked at No. 66.


In popular culture

The original recording of the song is included in ''
Look Who's Talking Now! ''Look Who's Talking Now!'' is a 1993 romantic comedy film, a sequel to 1990's '' Look Who's Talking Too'', and the third film and final installment overall in the ''Look Who's Talking'' franchise. Directed by Tom Ropelewski from a script writt ...
'' (1993), ''Donnie Brasco'' (1997), an episode of ''
The King of Queens ''The King of Queens'' is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007, with a total of 207 half-hour episodes spanning nine seasons. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who al ...
'' (1998), ''
Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It tells the story of a teenage journalist, played b ...
'' (2000), and ''
The Fate of the Furious ''The Fate of the Furious'' (also known as ''F8'' or ''Fast & Furious 8'') is a 2017 action film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to '' Furious 7'' (2015) and the eighth installment in the ''Fast & Furiou ...
'' (2017).
Bob Rivers Robert Rivers (July 7, 1956 – March 11, 2025) was an American rock and roll radio on-air personality in the Pacific Northwest, as well as a prolific producer and songwriter of parody songs, most famous for his Christmas song parodies. His al ...
released a parody of the song for his 2000 Christmas album '' Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire''.
Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
recorded a cover of the song for her 2021 Christmas album, '' I Dream of Christmas''. *
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...
recorded a cover of the song for her 2016 release '' Tennessee Christmas''. *The Chipmunks performed a
smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...
version of the song with
Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selli ...
on the saxophone for their 1994 album '' A Very Merry Chipmunk''. *The
Goo Goo Dolls The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band based in Buffalo, New York, composed of lead vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik, bassist and vocalist Robby Takac, as well as several rotating members since its formation in 1986. After starting ...
recorded a cover of the song for their 2020 album '' It's Christmas All Over''. *
The Philly Specials The Philly Specials are an American musical group formed by three football players from the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League: offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Jordan Mailata. They are known for recording thre ...
covered the song for their 2024 charity album ''
A Philly Special Christmas Party ''A Philly Special Christmas Party'' is the third and final studio album from The Philly Specials, a vocal trio composed of Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Jordan Mailata. The album was released on November ...
''.


Track listing


Original 1958 release


1959 reissue


1961 reissue


See also

* List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1958 (U.S.)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipmunk Song 1958 songs Alvin and the Chipmunks songs American Christmas songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Songs written by Ross Bagdasarian Christmas novelty songs Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Liberty Records singles