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'{{Refimprove|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox song | name = Alvin's Harmonica | cover = Alvin's Harmonica Single Cover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[David Seville]] and [[Alvin and the Chipmunks|The Chipmunks]] | album = [[Let's All Sing with The Chipmunks]] | B-side = Mediocre | released = February 20, 1959 | recorded = January 1, 1959 | studio = | venue = | genre = [[Pop music|Pop]] | length = 2:39 | label = [[Liberty Records|Liberty]] | writer = [[Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.]] | producer = Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. | chronology = [[Alvin and the Chipmunks|The Chipmunks]] | prev_title = [[The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)]] | prev_year = 1958 | next_title = [[Ragtime Cowboy Joe#The Chipmunks|Ragtime Cowboy Joe]] | next_year = 1959 }} "'''Alvin's Harmonica'''" is a song from the fictional musical group, [[Alvin and the Chipmunks]], which also features additional vocals by [[Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.]] who plays David Seville in the song. The song was released as the second single from the group's debut album, ''[[Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks]]'' in 1958. Like "[[Witch Doctor (song)|Witch Doctor]]" and "[[The Chipmunk Song]]", it was adapted as one of the musical segments featured in ''[[The Alvin Show]]''. ==Song== In the song, Alvin is playing his harmonica, when Dave tells him to sing with the Chipmunks. Alvin doesn't respond, so Dave yells his name. Dave eventually allows Alvin to play the harmonica, but he causes a rhythm change from a slow 2/4 beat to a "CHA CHA CHA" beat, in which the Chipmunks repeatedly intone "CHA CHA CHA". David angrily scolds the chipmunks for changing the innocent rhythm to a CHA CHA CHA beat, getting the people to dance as the song fades. ==The Recording Process== A contemporary writeup describes Bagdasarian’s production sequence: “It took nine perfect tapes, or tracks, and three days’ work in the recording studio, to transfer this work from the composer’s head to acetate. First, having set down a melody, he recorded it a simplified orchestra—two saxophones, four rhythm instruments—at normal speed. Then on a second tape he recorded two pianos playing at half speed. Played back at normal speed, the pianos had a tinkly, mandolinlike sound. Bagdasarian made a third tape of his own normal voice at normal speed, shouting ‘Alvin!’, ‘Stop that!’ and the like. The fourth tape was Simon, the lowest voiced of the three chipmunks in the song. His lines were recorded in a normal voice at half speed, then played back at normal speed to produce a squeaky tone. By this time the control booth of the recording studio was filling up with tape like a cauldron of spaghetti, so the first four tapes were combined on a fifth. The sixth tape was a variation for Theodore, the laughing chipmunk: ‘Ha…Ha…Ha’ spoken carefully at half speed in a tone pitched slightly higher than Simon’s. The seventh was Alvin’s, also at half speed and pitched highest of all. An eighth track was added for the harmonica, normal speed. Finally one master tape combined all the others in one glorious tonal conglomeration.”<ref>Alexander, Shana. “’Alvin!’: Composer’s yells at son inspire another chipmunk hit.” LIFE, 23 March 1959, 44.</ref> ==Chart performance== After the group's previous single, "[[The Chipmunk Song]]", reached No. 1 on the charts, it was hoped that "Alvin's Harmonica" would reach the Top Ten. The single peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's [[Billboard Hot 100|Pop Singles Chart]], becoming the group's second consecutive (and final) Top 10 single on the charts. Since the song was also credited to David Seville by [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]], the song became his third consecutive Top 10 single on the charts, although it was his first to not reach No. 1. "Alvin's Harmonica" sold more than 500,000 singles making it a certified gold record.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits - 7th Edition|year=2000|publisher=Billboard Books|location=Cincinnati, OH|isbn=0-8230-7690-3|pages=563|url=http://www.recordresearch.com/}}</ref> "Alvin's Harmonica" re-entered the charts in 1961 and 1962, peaking at No. 73 and No. 87, respectively. ==Track listing== {{tracklist | all_writing = [[Ross Bagdasarian Sr.]] | extra_column = Credited artist | title1 = Alvin's Harmonica | extra1 = David Seville and The Chipmunks | note1 = | length1 = 2:39<ref name=discogs>[https://www.discogs.com/David-Seville-And-The-Chipmunks-Alvins-Harmonica-Mediocre/master/351260 "Alvin's Harmonica"/"Mediocre"], Discogs.com</ref> | title2 = Mediocre | extra2 = The Music of David Seville | note2 = | length2 = 1:50<ref name=discogs/> }} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Alvin and the Chipmunks}} {{authority control}} [[Category:1959 songs]] [[Category:Songs about fictional male characters]] [[Category:Songs about mammals]] [[Category:Songs about musical instruments]] [[Category:Alvin and the Chipmunks songs]] [[Category:Songs written by Ross Bagdasarian]] [[Category:1959 singles]]'