The Chipmunks Take the Country Route : Recordings: Billy Ray Cyrus, Waylon Jennings and Tammy Wynette are among the guests on the ‘Chipmunks in Low Places’ album.
A musician may sell millions of records and be idolized everywhere, but he has never truly “made it†until four little critters with squeaky voices invite him to collaborate on their album.
That’s why country music superstar Billy Ray Cyrus, whose debut album topped the pop charts for 16 weeks this year, can now rest easy. He has a guest slot on the Chipmunks’ country album, “Chipmunks in Low Places,†and Cyrus is thrilled.
“I never dreamed as a kid that the Chipmunks would ever cut one of my songs and I just think that’s really cool,†Cyrus said.
The Chipmunks’ helium-voiced version of Cyrus’ dance floor megahit “Achy Breaky Heart†has been on the charts for more than two months with barely any promotion. Also singing along on the 11-track, Nashville-recorded album are Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Daniels, Aaron Tippin and Alan Jackson.
The lovable animated characters--who have sold more than 40 million albums, won five Grammys, and are as busy as ever--celebrate their 35th anniversary next year.
Alvin, Simon, Theodore (and lately Brittany) have ventured into most musical forms--punk, ragtime, the twist, rock, Christmas and Beatles songs. It can only be a matter of time before a Megadeth or Bob Marley song gets the Chipmunk treatment.
Their mentor, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., says another Christmas record is slated for production next year and will feature carols sung to reggae, pop and country accompaniments.
On top of all this, the Chipmunks, TV stars since the 1960s, have just released a selection of adventures on video--including “Funny, I Shrunk the Adults,†“Back to Alvin’s Future†and “Batmunk.â€
But it’s the album, a worthy successor to 1981’s platinum smash “Urban Chipmunk,†that is making waves in the music industry. College radio and fraternities are jostling with country dance clubs to get their hands on it and country music stations are playing virtually all the tracks.
How could anyone resist Wynette’s reworking of her classic “Stand by Your Man†with Alvin’s opinionated girlfriend Brittany? Or Tippin berating Simon when he tries to sing a grammatically correct version of “There Ain’t Nothing Wrong With the Radio�
“I’m not sure whether country music has arrived or the Chipmunks have arrived, but they’re sure doing something special together,†Bagdasarian said.
The Chipmunks were created by Bagdasarian’s father, Ross Sr., who, as David Seville, had a hit in the late 1950s with “Witch Doctor,†which featured a speeded-up voice. That provided the impetus for his follow-up, “The Chipmunk Song,†which sold more than 4.5 million copies in just seven weeks.
Platinum albums, Grammys, extensive merchandising and the animated television series ensured that the Chipmunks held their own, if not surpassed, some of the live acts they emulated.
Ross Sr.’s retirement and then his death in 1972 forced the Chipmunks into hibernation until 1977 when Ross Jr., a lawyer by training, and wife Janice Karman relaunched them to even greater acclaim.
Ross Jr. supplies the voices for Alvin and Simon, while Janice plays Theodore and Brittany.
Each Chipmunk has his own personality: Alvin, the leader, is sassy and mischievous; Theodore is naive and very sensitive; bespectacled Simon is the brains with a dry sense of humor. Brittany, who was added when the Chipmunks were revived, is more than a match for Alvin, a cross between Tanya Tucker and Madonna, Bagdasarian says.
The records may sound like fun, but it’s not just a case of speeding up normal voices.
“We slow the tape down and sing slow. It’s the toughest thing in the world,†Bagdasarian says. “You can barely understand what the key is because you’re hearing the music at half speed-- bonngg-da, bonngg-da. “
Fashions may change, but one of the biggest novelty acts of them all keeps plowing ahead into new musical fields.
“It’s a little bit of Americana now for people who grew up with it,†Bagdasarian says. “It’s like anyone else who can stand the test of time. You take a personality like a Frank Sinatra or Paul Simon and as long as you give them good material to work with . . . then they’re always going to continue to do well.â€
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