As a kid, I was a real fan of a recording artist named Ross Bagdasarian who sometimes went under the name David Seville. And as an adult, I'm still a kid and still an admirer of his clever, fun-to-listen-to records. He became most famous for The Chipmunks — Theodore, Simon and especially Alvin but he did non-Chipmunks records like his big hit, "The Witch Doctor" and my favorite single of his, "The Trouble with Harry."
I know a lot about him but I must admit I don't know as much about Mr. Bagdasarian-Seville as I'd like. This, I hope to rectify by reading a new book by our pal Mark Arnold, who writes great books about stuff I like. The new one is Aaaaalllviiinnn!: The Story of Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., Liberty Records, Format Films and The Alvin Show…and if you're going to read that title aloud, you'd better have them speed your voice up. You can order a copy at this link.
Mark will be discussing this book and its subject today on Stu's Show. He will be joined there by another pal, Scott Shaw!, who will tell you why the Chipmunks' 1961 prime-time series, The Alvin Show, was one of the best cartoon programs ever done for television.
Stu's Show, hosted by your genial host Stu Shostak, is a simulcast. You can stream the video on a Roku-enabled TV or device or on your computer or you can just listen to the audio. To find out how to do this, go to this page…and you can even watch it there at the appointed time. That time begins at 4 PM West Coast Time, 7 PM in the east and other times in other time zones. It'll run at least two hours, more likely three, maybe even more. If I were Stu, I'd pre-record the whole thing and speed it up.
Remember, it's live and it's free. After the webcast, you can download the show from a different section of the same website for a very modest price. And while you're there, check out some of the other fine episodes of Stu's Show. You have plenty to pick from.