NOVEMBER, 1985
Alvin: Well, it was around Thanksgiving. We were scheduled to perform at the Macy's Annual Thanksgiving Parade, when we got this call from Samual Goldwyn Studios. They said that they want to give us (The Chipmunks + Chipettes) a movie deal. We were thrilled!
Theodore: I was very excited! I was finally gonna be in a movie.
Simon: A movie starring The Chipmunks and The Chipettes. I loved it! I couldn't stop thinking about who would star with us.
Elanore: Finally!
Brittney: We were begging for an oppurtunity like this for a long time...
Dave: I litterally fainted. The moment they said that they want to make a movie starring us, I dropped dead. I thought I was dreaming. Alvin had to snap me out of it to accept the offer...
Alvin: Dave fainted when they told him about the offer. So, I used my water gun to wake him up. He thanked me. ^^
Dave: He squirted water from his water gun to get me back. I yelled at him. :(
Simon: We told them that we were due to do a performance at the Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, so we asked if we could set up an appointment after.
DECEMBER 2nd, 1985
GOLDWYN STUDIOS, BURBANK, CA
The boys and the Chippettes, along with Dave, sat down with the CEO, the producers and writers.
"So, what's the movie about?" Alvin asked. "Are we doing a James Bond type movie?"
"Are we doing a movie where we save the world?" asked Theodore.
"It's probably gonna be one of those documentaries where they follow rock stars around for a month," Simon said with his eyes rolling.
"Boring!" Alvin reacted. "We need excitement! Adventure! Music! Thrills!"
"How about we be superheroes?" Theodore suggested.
"Well, we were thinking of you munks getting kidnapped by the Mafia," the producer said. "See, you just finished a concert, and suddenly, there's a terrorist attack-"
"No!" Dave said. "No terrorists. We can't have it dark."
Alvin: Suddenly, a thought came upon me. Simon is always reading these cruddy old books, and one of them is called "Around the World in 80 Days." So, I thought, what if the Chipmunks and the Chipettes went around the world in 80 days?
"I got it!" Alvin said. "What if we all travel around the world in 80 days?"
"Hmm... Intersting," the producer said.
"For what reason?" Simon asked.
"What if it were a contest? Girls vs. Boys? We race around the world in hot air balloons? The winner would get $100,000!"
"I like it!" Theodore said.
"You had me at $100,000," said Brittney with a smirk.
"Boys vs. Girls. I love it," said Jennette.
"It's perfect!" Simon said. "Imagine: The Chipmunks and The Chipettes race around the world in 80 days in attempt to win a hundred thousand bucks!"
"Once again, you have thought of a great idea," said Dave.
"I'm not done!" Alvin said. "But... we don't know that it's a trick. They're ACTUALLY making us deliever diamonds to a group of smugglers!"
Dave: Diamond smugglers!? Where did Alvin learn about this?
Alvin: I've been watching these spy action movies, and that's where I got the diamond scam idea. I know. I'm awesome. :)
"Damn. Why did I never thought of that?" Simon said to himself.
"It's settled," the producer said. "We'll get to work on the script, and we'll send the first draft to you when it's done."
Alvin: In the meantime, we had to come up with songs to go for our new movie.
DECEMBER 1985 to FEBRUARY 1986
Simon: And so, on the day after Christmas, the writing of the songs for our movie began...
"2, 3, 4..."
*Sun goes down, I'm just gettin' up. I'm headin' for the city lights. Radio blastin' all the way to the club, gonna rock this town tonight!...*
Alvin: The first two songs we worked on were "Girls/Boys of Rock and Roll" (my personal favorite) and "Diamond Dolls".
Simon: "Girls of Rock and Roll" was actually from a recent movie at the time, "Malibu Bikini Shop". Alvin bought a record of the song home one day, and we listened to it...
Alvin: I've never seen the movie. It was rated R. But, the song was playing through the music shop one day. I liked the tune, and I thought, hey, we oughta cover this song. So, I bought the record of the soundtrack and we listened to the song. Brittney wanted to cover the song for the movie. And we were like, let's do that.
Jan. 12, 1986
"'Kay, take one!"
"2, 3, 4!"
Alvin/Brittney: *Sun goes down, I'm just gettin' up. I'm headin' for the city lights. Radio blastin' all the way to the club, we're gonna rock this town tonight!*
Chipettes: *You're livin' in a man's world they tell us. But we ain't gonna buy it, the things that they're tryin' to tell us NOW.*
"Nope! Take two!" Dave said.
"Gah!" Alvin reacted. "You're kidding!"
"Calm down, John," Simon said sarcastically. "Not everyone gets it right on the first take."
"Says who?" Alvin snapped back.
"Here we go again," Brittney said, rolling her eyes.
"Fellas, don't start," said Dave with an annoyed tone. "Look, let's try it again. Take two!"
"2, 3, 4!"
Alvin/Brittney: *Sun goes down, I'm just gettin' up. I'm headin' for the city lights. Radio blastin' all the way to the club, we're gonna rock this town tonight!*
Chippettes: *You're livin' in a man's world they tell us. But we ain't gonna buy it, the things that they're tryin' to tell us NOW. 'Cause we're the girls of rock n roll! ... Yeah, we're the girls of rock n roll! R-rock n roll roll yeah!*
Alvin: *WOAH YEAH!*
Chipmunks: *Curtain's up, I'm ready to go! My-*
"Stop!" Dave said. "Too early. Start again."
"WHAT!?" Alvin reacted. "Seriously?"
Simon lets out a moan. "It was a mistake, Alvin. Get over it!"
Theodore and Elanore couldn't take this anymore. They go over to a corner where they can talk.
"So..." Theodore began. "A movie. Can you believe it?"
"It's so exciting," Elanore said. "I mean, first we got a TV series, now we're going to silver screens!"
Theodore took off his headphones and blushes a little.
"Are you okay, Teddy?" asked Elanore. "You seem quiet lately."
"Umm..."
Theodore has been having these feelings for Elanore. Ever since they first met during the Chippette auditions, it was love at first sight. To quote Theodore: "She's like a beautiful, green gumdrop."
"I-uh.. I'm just thinking about where we're gonna go to film the stuff," he fibbed. "I mean, London, Mexico, China, Canada..."
"Yeah," Elanore replied. "It's gonna be fun. Not to mention that it's a race, boys vs. girls." She gives Theodore a wink, which causes him to blush even more.
"Take three!" Dave called out.
"Well, let's do it," said Theodore, shyly.
"I'm not gonna mess up this time!" Alvin said.
"Enough already!" Dave said, groaning.
...
Alvin: "Diamond Dolls" was our song. Since the film had something to do with diamond theives and all, we gotta do a song related to a situation like this.
Brittney: "Diamond Dolls" is one of my favorites, because it's one of the songs that represents girl power. When it comes to girl power, that's where I come in.
Jan. 8th, 1986
*Don't have to do what you want us to do no more... dun da da dun... We don't cry now. We don't know how.*
"Hey, that's good. Let's keep that," said Simon.
"Very femist right there," Alvin said. "Perfect."
"Okay uh..."
*We don't have to do what you want us to do no more... dun da da dun... dun da da dun...*
"We need to come up with something for that part," Simon said.
"I know that, and you know that," said Alvin with a glare.
Simon backs off. "I'm not in the mood for arguing, Alvin."
"Here, let me try it," said Brittney going over to the keyboard.
"Hmm... How about 'You have what you need, but you don't want it anymore'?"
"That'll work," Alvin said with a smirk.
*We don't have to do what you want us to do no more. You have what you need, but you don't want it anymore. We don't cry now. We don't know how. Da dun da dad dun...*
Theodore: "Diamond Dolls" was mostly written for the Chipettes. It was one of those rare occasions where all of us wrote a song together as a team.
*(AHH!) We're the one's on the run. We're the girls with the diamond dolls. (do do do wah!) It's a ravenous world and the celing is very tall. Yeah, yeah, yeah.*
Jan. 13, 1986
"Two, three, go!"
Chipettes: *We don't have to do what we want you to do no more. You get what you need but you don't want it anymore. We don't cry now. We don't know how. We heard what you said and we don't believe a word you say...*
Alvin: Watching the girls record their songs is always a good show. I wouldn't admit that in front of Brittney. Heh heh.
Theodore watches Elanore and her sisters sing "Diamond Dolls" with a loving look in his eyes.
Wow, she has a voice like an angel, he thought to himself. If only he were to say that to her in her face, but alas, he's too shy.
...
Alvin: Ah. "My Mother". That was actually Dave's song. I cried. No, seriously! I did! It brought me to tears hearing it for the first time he played it. And, uh, as much as the girls did a good job singing it... Still, it makes me sad. (I really hate to admit that.)
OCTOBER, 1981
Dave's mother just passed away. He sat at his piano and couldn't help but played sad music. Alvin didn't like hearing this misery music, so he put on his walkman to listen to rock n roll.
Dave: *So hard to remember, summer or winter, when she hasn't been there for me. A friend and compainion, I can always depend on... My Mother... That's who I mean...*
Dave: I was sad as hell that day. And those words just came to my head just thinking about her.
*I've taken for granted, seeds that she planted, she's always behind everything... A teacher, a seeker, a both-arms-to-reacher. My Mother, that's who I mean...*
Alvin: When I first read about the poor baby penguin in the script, *sigh* I felt like my heart stopped. She was all alone, with no mommy or daddy. I couldn't stop thinking about it throughout filming...
Simon: The mother song was one of the saddest songs we've ever done.
Dave: *Wish I could slow down the hands of time, keep things the way they are. If she said so, I would give her the world if I could... I would...
Elanore: As sad as the song was, I enjoyed singing that, despite the tears I had to hide...
Dave: *My love and my laughter, from here ever after, is all that she said that she needs...*
Brittney: Just singing the song to that penguin made me want to burst. But I didn't. I didn't want to in front of Alvin, or else he'll make fun of me...
Dave: *A friend and companion I can always depend on. My Mother, that's who I mean... My Mother, that's who I mean...*
Theodore: All I can say is that it was a sad song.
Dave: *That's who I mean...*
Dave lays his head down and starts to cry...