Chipmunk Punk

Chipmunk Punk is a New Wave music album by The Chipmunks. Despite the title, none of the songs covered were considered in their original form to be punk rock songs. It was released on June 15, 1980 (see 1980 in music). The album peaked at #34 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 14, 1980, becoming the Chipmunks' first gold record. In 2005, it was re-released on CD, although the CD was only available through the official Chipmunks website.

History

The inspiration for the album came when KMET DJ Chuck Taylor played the 12" version of the Blondie song "Call Me" at double speed and announced, in jest, that it was the Chipmunks' latest single. So many requests came for this "new" Chipmunks release, that Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and his collaborator Steve Vining rushed to record this album.

Chipmunk Punk essentially marked the rebirth of the Chipmunk franchise. It was the first new Chipmunk release since 1969's The Chipmunks Go To The Movies. Chipmunk creator/producer Ross Bagdasarian Sr., who also provided the voices for the characters, died of a heart attack in 1972, bringing all Chipmunk activity to an abrupt halt.

Though this release followed a long dormancy record-wise, the characters had returned to public view via Saturday morning repeats of the cartoon series The Alvin Show on NBC in 1979. The album sparked a second run of the characters and led to another Saturday morning cartoon series, Alvin and the Chipmunks, which...
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