Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian (January 27, 1919 – January 16,
1972), otherwise known by his stage name David Seville, was an American
pianist, musician, actor, voice actor, and record producer of Armenian descent.
He created Alvin and the Chipmunks and was the founder of Bagdasarian
Productions (formerly Bagdasarian Film Corporation).
He was born in Fresno, California, the youngest child of
Dick and Virginia (nėe Saroyan) Bagdasarian, Armenian immigrants from the
Ottoman Empire. He enlisted in the United States Army one month after the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and served until the end of World War II.
Ross worked as an actor and spent two years acting in
Saroyan's The Time Of Your Life. The two of them wrote a song they called Come
On-A My House while they were driving across New Mexico in 1939. The song was
used in an off-Broadway play called The Son in 1950 before it was recorded by
Kay Armen. In 1951 a recording by Rosemary Clooney of Come On-A My House became
a huge hit. Ross continued with his acting career and appeared in some films,
including Stalag 17, Viva Zapata and most notably, Alfred Hitchcock's 1954
masterpiece Rear Window.
He decided to use the name David Seville for his work in
recording studios, which was becoming more frequent and more interesting to
him. He took the professional name Seville because he'd been stationed in
Seville, Spain, during World War II and liked the area. He continued with his
songwriting, and composed and recorded an instrumental titled Armen's Theme in
1956. He had a moderate hit in 1956 under the name Alfi and Harry with the
novelty record "The Trouble With Harry," a song with the same title
as the then-recent Alfred Hitchcock comedy-thriller movie.
He had been writing songs and recording at Liberty
Records. On April 14, 1958 what proved to be his first big hit entered the
charts: Witch Doctor. Seville had read a book titled Duel With The Witch
Doctor. He spent $190 on a tape recorder that would allow him to change tape
speeds. He experimented with recording at half speed and then playing his tapes
back at full speed. The result was Witch Doctor, and the public liked it. It
shot up the charts until it could go no higher, resting in the #1 position for
three weeks of its eighteen week run.
That success led to him to record "The Chipmunk Song
(Christmas Don't Be Late)" with The Chipmunks, for which he won two Grammy
Awards in 1959: Best Comedy Performance and Best Recording for Children. Ross
named the three Chipmunk characters after record executives: Simon Waronker,
Ted Keep (Theodore), and Alvin Bennett.
After the success of "The Chipmunk Song", a
series of follow-up hit singles were quickly released, also on Liberty Records.
"Alvin's Harmonica" was the second, "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"
the third and "Alvin's Orchestra" the fourth, with instrumental
B-sides (like "Mediocre" and "Almost Good") sometimes
featuring non-chipmunk semi-comedic concepts. Albums continued this trend, the
first album being released on red vinyl, successfully continuing well into the
60s with an album of the Chipmunks singing various early hits of the Beatles in
1964. The enormous popularity of the Chipmunks wound down but their place in
the entertainment world endured. By 1970 they had sold over thirty million
records.
Following his hit records, Ross provided the voice for
David Seville and Alvin in the Chipmunks' short-lived 1961–62 animated
television series The Alvin Show. The Chipmunks' recordings had the performers
often labelled as "David Seville and the Chipmunks" and the composer
typically listed as "Bagdasarian". Bagdasarian's last album was The
Chipmunks Go to the Movies, released in 1969, almost three years before his death.
Bagdasarian, not yet 53, died of a heart attack suddenly
on January 16, 1972, and was cremated at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in
Los Angeles, California. His ashes were removed many years ago by his son. All
Chipmunk activity ceased until 1980, when his son began to release Chipmunks
recordings. Ross Jr. also assumed the voice for David Seville and the Chipmunk
characters, except for those performed by Ross Jr.'s wife, Janice Karman, such
as Theodore and all of The Chipettes.
The 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks was dedicated to
his memory. A title card shown in the middle of the end credits reads
"This film is dedicated to Ross Bagdasarian Sr., who was crazy enough to
invent three singing chipmunks nearly fifty years ago. (Edited from Wikipedia
& an article by Tom Simon)
6 comments:
For “DAVID SEVILLE - LET'S ALL SING WITH THE CHIPMUNKS / SING AGAIN WITH THE CHIPMUNKS” go here:
http://www102.zippyshare.com/v/AYfM2Wrt/file.html
01 - Yankee Doodle
02 - Chipmunk fun
03 - The little dog
04 - Old Mac Donald cha cha cha
05 - Three blind folded mice
06 - Alvin's harmonica
07 - Good morning song
08 - Whistle while you work
09 - If you love me (Alouette)
10 - Ragtime Cowboy Joe
11 - Pop goes the weasel
12 - The Chipmunk Song
13 - Sing again with The Chipmunks
14 - Coming 'round the mountain
15 - Home on the range
16 - I wish I had a horse
17 - Swanee River
18 - When Johnny comes marching home
197 - Sing a goofy song
20 - Swing low sweet chariot
21 - Witch doctor
22 - Working on the railroad
23 - Row your boat
24 - Alvin's Orchestra
I would love to find a comp of the b-sides you mentioned in your article. They were actually quite good. "Sack Time" "Mediocre" Do you happen to know if they've been issued on CD?
Hello Jobe, The only comp of Sevilles "other" works is here:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/music-of-david-seville-mr0000585882
I wouldn't mind a copy myself.
Regards, Bob
Another one from my childhood, lol
may i ask for a re-up?
thanks, Denis
Hello D, You're in luck as I found it on one of my old flash drives.
Here's a new link:
https://www.upload.ee/files/12746414/David_Seville.rar.html
Made my Sunday, lol
Thanks for the nostalgia.
Be well.
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