Thirty-eight years after Ross Bagdasarian speeded up a recording of his voice to create The Chipmunks, the trio is leaving the family company for a major label.

MCA Inc. said Tuesday in Los Angeles that it has signed a long-term development deal with Alvin, Simon and Theodore.Bagdasarian, under the stage name David Seville, appeared with The Chipmunks on many of their songs. In December 1958, "The Chipmunk Song," now a Christmas standard, was the nation's No. 1 single for four weeks.

The Chipmunks sang and squabbled through the 1960s, and Ross Bagdasarian Jr. brought them back to popularity in the 1980s.

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They have been featured on 11 albums, 104 TV episodes, five TV specials, a 1987 feature film and videos.

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