Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian (January 27, 1919 – January 16, 1972), American pi… Read Full Bio ↴Rostom Sipan Bagdasarian (January 27, 1919 – January 16, 1972), American pianist, songwriter, actor, and record producer was born in Fresno, California, and was of Armenian ethnic descent. During his professional life he was better known by the stage name David Seville, which he used on his recordings featuring The Chipmunks.
His first musical success was Rosemary Clooney's "Come on-a My House", which he based the lyrics on dialogue from his famous cousin William Saroyan's novel The Human Comedy. He had a moderate hit in 1956 under the name Alfi & Harry with the novelty record "The Trouble With Harry." As David Seville, he had another #1 record in his song, "The Witch Doctor", which was also his first experiment with the technique of speeding up the playback of an audio track to get the "most-distinctive" higher pitched squeaky comical sound. This success led to his recording of "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" with The Chipmunks.
Bagdasarian also appeared in minor film roles, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), in which he plays an obsessed, piano-playing songwriter who composes, plays, and sings a song called "Lisa." Bagdasarian's dialogue is not clearly heard, and he appears only in long shots, but he is the only other person seen during Hitchcock's notorious cameo appearance. He also had bit parts in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Viva Zapata! (1952), Destination Gobi (1953), Stalag 17 (1953), Alaska Seas (1954), The Proud and Profane (1956), Three Violent People (1956), Hot Blood (1956), The Deep Six (1957), and The Devil's Hairpin (1957).
He also provided the voice for the David Seville character in the Chipmunks' 1961 animated television series The Alvin Show.
Bagdasarian died of a heart attack at the age of 52. He was subsequently cremated at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, California. His son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., continued to release Chipmunks recordings and took over as the voice for the Chipmunk characters in subsequent iterations of the cartoon.
His first musical success was Rosemary Clooney's "Come on-a My House", which he based the lyrics on dialogue from his famous cousin William Saroyan's novel The Human Comedy. He had a moderate hit in 1956 under the name Alfi & Harry with the novelty record "The Trouble With Harry." As David Seville, he had another #1 record in his song, "The Witch Doctor", which was also his first experiment with the technique of speeding up the playback of an audio track to get the "most-distinctive" higher pitched squeaky comical sound. This success led to his recording of "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" with The Chipmunks.
Bagdasarian also appeared in minor film roles, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), in which he plays an obsessed, piano-playing songwriter who composes, plays, and sings a song called "Lisa." Bagdasarian's dialogue is not clearly heard, and he appears only in long shots, but he is the only other person seen during Hitchcock's notorious cameo appearance. He also had bit parts in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Viva Zapata! (1952), Destination Gobi (1953), Stalag 17 (1953), Alaska Seas (1954), The Proud and Profane (1956), Three Violent People (1956), Hot Blood (1956), The Deep Six (1957), and The Devil's Hairpin (1957).
He also provided the voice for the David Seville character in the Chipmunks' 1961 animated television series The Alvin Show.
Bagdasarian died of a heart attack at the age of 52. He was subsequently cremated at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, California. His son, Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., continued to release Chipmunks recordings and took over as the voice for the Chipmunk characters in subsequent iterations of the cartoon.
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Alvin's Harmonica
David Seville Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Alvin's Harmonica' by these artists:
Alvin & The Chipmunks Note: David Seville is D, Alvin is A, Simon is…
Alvin and The Chipmunks Note: David Seville is D, Alvin is A, Simon is…
David Seville & Chipmunks Note: David Seville is D, Alvin is A, Simon is…
David Seville and The Chipmunks Alvin, put that harmonica down Why? Because we're gonna si…
Devid Seville & The Chipmunks Alvin, put that harmonica down Why? Because we're gonna si…
The Best of Alvin and the Chipmunks Alvin, put that harmonica down Why? Because we're gonna si…
The Chipmunks Alvin, put that harmonica down Why? Because we're gonna si…
The Chipmunks and David Seville Alvin, put that harmonica down Why? Because we're gonna si…
The Chipmunks feat. David Seville Alvin, put that harmonica down Why Because we're gonna sin…
We have lyrics for these tracks by David Seville:
Chipmunk Song All right you Chipmunks! Ready to sing your song? I'll say w…
Christmas Don't Be Late All right you Chipmunks! Ready to sing your song? I'll say w…
Gotta Get To Your House Gotta get to your house Big brown eyes, pretty pink dress G…
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be lig…
Jingle Bell Rock Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock Jingle bells swi…
JINGLE BELLS Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock Jingle bells swin…
Little Brass Band Oh the piccolo plays and the banjo plunks and the…
Ragtime Cowboy Joe Out in Arizona where the bad men are, And the only…
The Bird On My Head I'm just sittin in a vacant lot with a bird…
The Chipmunk Song All right you Chipmunks! Ready to sing your song? I'll say w…
The Witch Doctor I told the witch doctor I was in love with…
Witch Doctor I told the witch doctor I was in love with…
Witchdoctor I told the witch doctor I was in love with…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
@user-ww7ec2ot4n
Lyrics:
[Dave]: Alvin, put that harmonica down
[Alvin]: Why?
[Dave]: Because we're gonna sing, that's why!
[Alvin]: Not again!
[Dave]: Nevermind,
Now look fellas, this is a pretty song
So let's try not to good it up
Are you ready, Simon?
[Simon]: Sure, let's go!
[Dave]: All set, Theodore?
[Theodore]: Hot dog, you bet!
[Dave]: Are you ready, Alvin?
[Alvin plays his harmonica]
[Dave]: Ready, Alvin?
[Alvin keeps playing]
[Dave]: ALVIN!
[Alvin]: Aw, nuts!
[Chipmunks]:
We sure like girls
All kind of girls
From Annie to Veronica!
We like 'em small or fat or tall…
[Alvin]:
I wanna play my harmonica!
[Dave]: Now cut that out!
[Chipmunks]:
And if we want to get a kiss
We take them fruit or popcorn
Because they always fall in love…
[Alvin]:
When I play my harmoni-corn!
[Dave]: Alvin!
[ instrumental interlude ]
[Alvin plays his harmonica]
[Dave]: Will you put that thing down and sing?
[Alvin]: OK!
[Chipmunks]:
We sure like girls
All kind of girls
From Annie to Veronica
We like 'em small or fat or tall…
[Alvin]:
I'm gonna play my harmonica!
[Dave]: All right, Alvin!
Make a fool of yourself
Play the harmonica
[Alvin plays few bars of harmonica music, orchestra joining in]
[Simon and Theodore]:
Cha-cha-cha!
[Dave]: Now wait a minute, you guys!
Alvin, you're goofing it all up!
This was a pretty song
It's not supposed to be a…
[Simon and Theodore]:
Cha-cha-cha!
[Alvin continues to play]
[Simon and Theodore continue with "cha-cha-cha" while Dave speaks]
[Dave, speaking; getting increasingly irritated]
Now look what you did!
You got them all cha-chaing and singing and wrecking the song!
Theodore…Simon…orchestra, will you cut that out?!
Alvin, put that harmonica down! Alvin! AAAAAALVIN!
@karenbarker1229
My grandparents bought this for me on a record when I was a little girl back in the 60s.. brings back happy memories
@nickhirst999
I've got the single of 'Ragtime Cowboy Joe' on 45 in my collection!
@maxfranklinmeans
The ending gets me every time!!!
"Alvin, put that harmonica down! Alvin! ALLLLLVIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN!!!!!!!!!"
@jeffmitchell9214
I bought this record when it was new. Still have it...........yes, i'm old
@frosty1865
damm
@ColonelMarcellus
Mine disappeared while I was in government service.
@cbsteffen
When I was growing up, I could somewhat hear David Seville’s voice through The Chipmunks’ squeaky voices.
@loisraymcinnis6006
I remember this cute song.
@TheDejael
I love David Seville's cool jazz tune "Almost Good" released in 1958.
@astraluna6is9
Born in ‘64 I played this over and over when I was a kid. Funny thing is, I think either my mom or her parents bought this in 59. I’m almost sure it was my mom cuz in 59 she was 20. But she, like her parents, were the limit from Erie county Pa. My brother still has the 45. Ahhhhhh those chipmunks. Talk about rebels with a cause. Somehow slightly responsible (in a small way) for the unruly youth of the decade to come.