Rockin' Through the Decades

Rockin' Through the Decades is a live-action and animated television special based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was directed by Steve Karman, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, and premiered on NBC on January 18, 1991. It was released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Video in 1992 as Rockin' with the Chipmunks. Most recently, the special has been released September 8, 2009 by Paramount Pictures on the DVD The Very First Alvin Show along with A Chipmunk Reunion.

Cast

• Will Smith - Himself (credited as Fresh Prince)
• Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. - Voice of Alvin & Simon
• Janice Karman - Voice of Theodore & Brittany
• Ben Vereen - Himself
• Richard Moll - Himself
• Kenny Loggins - Himself
• Raven-Symoné - Herself
• Shelley Duvall - Herself
• Markie Post - Herself
• Little Richard - Himself
• Trey Parker - Additional voices
• Michael Jackson - Himself
• Thomas H. Watkins - Soda Jerk

Rockin' With The Chipmunks

Rockin' With The Chipmunks made significant changes to the featured songs.

1. "Witch Doctor"
   1. Intro medley, done by Alvin in various styles
      1. Little Richard (style of "Tutti Frutti")
      2. Elvis Presley (style of "Blue Suede Shoes")
      3. Jimi Hendrix (style of "Foxy Lady")
      4. Bob Dylan (style of "Like a Rolling Stone")
      5. Michael Jackson (style of "Billie Jean")
      6. Bruce Springsteen (style of "Born in the USA")
2. "Tutti Frutti"/"Heartbreak Hotel" (fifties)
3. "Surfin' Safari"/"She Loves You"/"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (medley, sixties)
4. "Crocodile Rock" (seventies)
5. "Smooth Criminal"/"Beat It"^[1] (medley, Alvin added to the original music videos, eighties)
6. "Sleigh Ride" (original Christmas-themed hip hop song, nineties)

Segments from two episodes of The Alvin Show, A Chipmunk Christmas, and an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show are also featured. "Alvin's Harmonica" can be heard in the background while Will Smith is on the fifties set. Smith also does a rap introduction to the "Sleigh Ride" segment, giving his perspective on what to expect of the nineties.

Soundtrack album release

Rockin' Through the Decades
Soundtrack album by The Chipmunks
Released	January 18, 1991
Recorded	November 1988 (track 1), July–September 1989 (tracks 2-11), December 1990 (track 12)
Genre	Children's music
Label	EMI America (US), Virgin (International)
Producer	Tom Chase, Steve Rucker (track 1), Ross Bagdasarian, Janice Karman (tracks 2-11), Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis (track 12)
The Chipmunks chronology
Born To Rock (1989)Born To Rock1989 Rockin' Through the Decades (1991) The Chipmunks Rock the House (1991)The Chipmunks Rock the House1991

Rockin' Through the Decades is also the name of a soundtrack music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by Chipmunk Records in 1991, and contained all of the songs from the documentary, along with three added tracks.^[2]

1. "Witch Doctor (Decades Mix)"
2. "Tutti Frutti"
3. "She Loves You ('90s Reprise)"
4. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
5. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - The Chipettes
6. "Beat It ('90s Remix)"
7. "Heartbreak Hotel"
8. "Crocodile Rock"
9. "Surfin' Safari"
10. "Oh, Pretty Woman"
11. "Johnny B. Goode"
12. "Sleigh Ride"

References

External links

• Rockin' Through the Decades on IMDb