Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are the three cute -- but mischievous -- little critters that thousands of children lovingly know as a singing trio called Alvin & the Chipmunks. These appealing characters were first brought to life in the '50s by singer and songwriter Ross Bagdasarian, who was writing songs and recording under the name David Seville. When his music career seemed to be floating in place, he came up with a plan and recorded a Christmas song using high-speed tracks to achieve a sound that he considered a good impersonation of what a cartoon chipmunk should sound like.