As I mentioned in my post about Rewind Christmas programs a couple of days ago, one of the key elements in my holiday season is the music. One of my most memorable childhood experiences with music came courtesy of Alvin & The Chipmunks.
I can remember listening to my two Chipmunk Christmas albums on my room for hours at a time. This was back when I was in kindergaten or 1st grade.
When I mention the Chipmunks, most of you only think of one song, The Chipmunk Song. That's the one where Alvin says he wants a hula hoop and the trio plead "Please Christmas don't be late."
Let me assure you that Ross Bagdesarian (aka David Seville) and his 3 harmonizing rodents covered variety of holiday favorites on the two albums I am referring to. They include classics like: Jingle Bells, Here Comes Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and Silver Bells. Some of my favorites were: It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Over the River and through the woods, and the non-traditional Wonderful Day and Hang Up Your Stocking.
Even into my teen years I enjoyed Alvin, Simon, and Theodore during the holidays. Both my dad and I were Chipmunk fans. But the records wore out due to constant playing and lack of care. Eventually they were too scratched to be played or were broken and thrown away.
As an adult, each December, I longed to listen to my beloved Chipmunks sing their unique style of Christmas classics. But no matter what format I purchased, (cassette tapes at first and later on CDs) I could not reassemble the complete collection of songs on my original two albums. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never have them all again.
But this week that all changed. Once again missing my complete Chipmunk Christmas collection I searched the ITunes store on my computer. I compared the songs on the 2 Chipmunk Christmas albums I found online with the 2 CDs in my Christmas music collection. I downloaded the songs I didn't have.
I now had the two dozen plus songs of Chipmunk Christmas music collection back in my possession. You would think I would be satisfied at that point...but I wasn't.
It still bothered me that the songs were not in the same order as I remembered them. Trouble was I couldn't remember the exact order. You know how it is when you listen to an album or CD over and over. You get used to the order in which the songs play. You expect to hear them in that order all the time. I wanted to restore that order. I decided to turn to the Internet.
Fresh off the experience of finding a copy of yet another album I used to have as a kid on EBay (it was album of Disney songs by Mary Martin and the Do-Re-Mi Children's Choir) I decided to go there for some help with song order issue.
I looked on EBay to see if any Chipmunks albums were currently being auctioned. Luckily there were several. I looked for an ad where the seller showed detailed pictures of the album cover, especially the back. That's where the order of the songs would be listed. I was in luck. An auction offering both of the albums had the pictures I needed. I read the back of the cover from the pictures and rearranged my song order.
I now have my childhood Christmas music companions back and in the correct order. I'm glad to, once again, be able to enjoy a portion of my holiday season listening to Alvin and his brothers singing the music that returns me to my days of Christmas past. Musically speaking, all is well this Christmas.
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