25 Holiday Records: 9: Christmas with The Chippers

We're counting down to Christmas Day with a list of 25 records we have in the shop at Royal Cat Records! Why? Because vinyl rules!

This next one is another novelty oddball record, with a Canadian twist.

#9

Christmas with The Chippers

by Various Nameless Artists

Arc Records

AX-3

196-???

This is another beautiful "Canadian vernacular" design from the anonymous staffer at Scarborough's Arc Records, the Canadian discount company responsible for so many weird and wonderful records in the 1960s and 1970s. The cartoon artwork is pretty charming, the colours all work together and combine with the font for a very striking package. Of course "The Chippers" are a rip-off of The Chipmunks, that creation of David Seville aka Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., the producer, writer, and performer who first came up with the idea to make little comedy records with sped up voices. The Chipmunks are still going strong, with a new movie in theatres this week, but The Chippers are long-gone.

Arc put out at least two versions of this record, with different covers but the same songs. The songs here are classic Xmas fare, with orchestral and big band accompaniment and the cute Chipmunk-sounding voices singing along. As background music it could almost be ignored if not for those voices! And you know the kids are just going to play this over and over until we go crazy!!! We're not sure if this was actually produced and recorded in Canada or if it was a package that Arc bought from a U.S. outfit. No credits as usual with these things. Check out the youtube clip below for the actual music.

Tracklist
A1 Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
A2 There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays
A3 Frosty The Snowman
A4 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
A5 Let It Snow
A6 White Christmas
A7 Jingle Bells
B1 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
B2 Winter Wonderland
B3 Sleighride
B4 Deck The Halls
B5 O Tannenbaum
B6 Good King Wenceslas
B7 Twelve Days Of Christmas