Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Rockin' Through the Decades

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Directed by
  
Steve Karman

Original language(s)
  
English

First episode date
  
1990

Genre
  
Television special

Country of origin
  
United States

Running time
  
19 minutes

Program creator
  
Ross Bagdasarian Sr.

Language
  
English

Rockin' Through the Decades httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb4

Created by
  
Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. (characters)

Starring
  
Will Smith (host) Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. Janice Karman Ben Vereen Richard Moll Kenny Loggins Raven-Symoné Shelley Duvall Markie Post Little Richard

Networks
  
NBC, CBS, American Broadcasting Company

Cast
  
Will Smith, Raven‑Symoné, Kenny Loggins, Ben Vereen, Richard Moll

Similar
  
A Chipmunk Reunion, Little Alvin and the Mini‑Munks, Alvin and the Chipmun, The Chipmunk Adventure, Alvin and the Chipmun

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, premiered on NBC on December 9, 1990. 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.

Contents

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 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" (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 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.

    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

    Rockin' Through the Decades Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA