Here's another entry in the high-pitched singers collection, this one features the trio of Shirley, Squirrely and Melvin. Here's how it came about: In 1980 the late David Seville's (real name: Ross Bagdasarian) son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. decided to revive the Chipmunks with an album called "Chipmunk Punk" for Excelsior Records. When the record proved very successful, the Chipmunks moved over to RCA Records. Excelsior decided to have their own squeaky rodent singers, and Shirley, Squirrely and Melvin were born. This is their second album (I think the first one might have been a Christmas album) which came out in 1981. According to one of the entries in Wikipedia, this album is unfinished vocal tracks from the sessions of the previous Shirley and Squirrely album combined with outtakes from the sessions for "Chipmunk Punk" and "Urban Chipmunk". I don't think this is likely, because as decent as much of this album is (and it really isn't too bad, I think), I don't believe any of these songs were performed by the newly reformed Chipmunks. And in case you were wondering, "Live" in this case means a lot of fake cheers and applause added in. So here it is. Hope you like it!
Here's the track list:
- Introduction
- Back in the U.S.A.
- It's So Easy
- The Gambler (Guest Vocalist: Denny Richards)
- Mercedes Benz
- Boulevard
- Soul Man
- Blue Suede Shoes
- I Like Reggae Too
- Get Back
- Love Lives On
I remember hearing a Shirley, Squirrely & Melvin CB radio song on Dr. Demento. So I always assumed they had an album out in the mid 1970's. You mean to say they didn't come out until 1980? Wasn't the CB Radio fad over by then?
ReplyDelete"Hope you like it!"
ReplyDeleteA joke act that went stale 30 years ago? Uh-uh. If this is your idea of fun, I pity you.
wow i jus got a link to yur site, and i'm super stunned to see this, (not to mention all the other cool stuff here), this album tho takes me back, i very much had this
ReplyDeleteand ive got to snag it on GP,thx for the way out junk!!
DrOK http://forrealheadz-anditdontstop.blogspot.com/
feel free to stop by...
Ahh, I was hoping to find the punk album that inspired this. Doesn't look like it'll be easy to come by! ;)
ReplyDeleteShirley and Squirrely were the 1st cut on an album put out on a Realistic (Radio Shack) album about 1976 that had nothing but CB novelty songs that no one ever heard of ("Hey Shirley, This Is Squirrely", "Honeybee Please Answer Me (On The Radio)") and several other songs. The limited release album was a promotional thing that R/S did, so copies are hard to come by.
ReplyDeleteThe Realistic album you are talking about is called "All Ears"
ReplyDeleteYou can find it (with audio clips) at http://recordrobot.blogspot.com/2006/02/all-ears.html
I know this is an old post, but I just found it yesterday. That first anonymous comment kills me....lol. There's always one in every crowd isn't there Tony? Again I recall what should be every blog readers motto - "don't like it, don't read it, but move one and keep your smart aleck comments to yourself...".
ReplyDeleteDave
CB id not dead. It is not as popular, but on any given day I can speak to many, many people. The next solar cycle has began and in a couple of years when it suppose to peak, which just happens to be 2012, radio waves will be bouncing and traveling all over the universe again. Oh the 2012 thing could be +- a couple of years for you 2012 theorist. Does anyone have all the tracks for this album that would be willing to share?
ReplyDeletei finally found them!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteive been looking for these guys for years....and now i find them....i just loved them...thank you to the one who did this pg.i told my kids about them and they didnt belive me....now i can show them...heehee......thx