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Top Downloads
(as of 2022-06-29)
NOTE: RIV 1062 - Silent Night does not appear in its proper location in this listing because it had to be split up into several smaller downloads. It is currently by far the top download for the year 2019!
Now Available
Lois Elling's book, Teaching Clogging is now in its second edition. Buy a downloadable PDF copy here for $25Breaking News!
2022 April Gold
Posted on Friday April 22, 2022
We have a new package of ten (10) singing calls for this month: 2022 April Gold...
- RIV 1189 - Emerald City (Vocal by Jack O'Leary of Silver Sounds Music, and Elaine Davis)
- RIV 1190 - Yodeling In Heaven (Vocal by Jason Raleigh)
- RIV 1191 - Sing Away The Blues (Vocal by Jack O'Leary of Silver Sounds Music)
- RIV 1192 - Pick Her Up (Vocal by Brent Mawdsley)
- RIV 1193 - Star Spangled Banner
- RIV 1194 - Locklin's Bar (Vocal by Max Masao Ringe)
- RIV 1195 - Please Help Me I'm Falling (Vocal by Tom Miller of ESP Recordings)
- RIV 1196 - Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This (Vocal by Linda Rawlinson, Scott Smith)
- RIV 1197 - Leighann Loves To Dance (Vocal by Jack O'Leary of Silver Sounds Music)
- RIV 1198 - You Decorated My Life (Vocal by Jack O'Leary of Silver Sounds Music)
"Emerald City" was originally done by the Seekers, and is about the Land of Oz (Baum, not Australia), set to the tune of "Ode To Joy." Elaine Davis (who IS from Australia) provides an alternative female vocal.
"Sing Away The Blues" is not actually from the Disney movie "The Princess And The Frog," but was on an album that Disney released to accompany the movie, with songs in a similar style, and was originally recorded by the movie's star, Anika Noni Rose. It's fun!
Jason Raleigh provides a song for yodelers, "Yodeling In Heaven." It has very simple cuesheet...provided that you can yodel! (But, as Daryl Clendenin once observed, "Good Callers Don't Have To Yodel!")
ESP's Tom Miller provides a vocal for a new take on a classic, "Please Help Me I'm Falling," while Silver Sounds' Jack O'Leary voices the Kenny Rogers classic "You Decorated My Life" from the Red Boot library.
"Pick Her Up," "Locklin's Bar," "Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This" and "Leighann Loves To Dance" are all lively, upbeat tunes to give your floor a lift.
Last, but not least, is a perfect song for the upcoming patriotic holidays: our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." We're releasing it without a reference vocal, because the staff caller assigned it hasn't been able to record...but Lawrence assures us that he'll get it done as soon as he's over his current cold, and if you purchase the song before the vocal is released, you can request it for free when it's available.
The package of ten songs is now available for $50. As always, you can buy single tunes out of the package for $10 each...but if you like four of them, you might as well spend ten dollars more and get all ten!
2022 Spring Patter Gold package
Posted on Sunday March 27, 2022
For April, we're introducing a packge of 10 new patters:
- RIV 1179 - Frog Prince, The (Patter) (Vocal by Jason Raleigh)
- RIV 1180 - Sea Chanty (Patter)
- RIV 1181 - Good Luck Patter
- RIV 1182 - Barging In (Patter)
- RIV 1183 - Umpire, The (Patter)
- RIV 1184 - My Girl (Patter)
- RIV 1185 - Centaur Man (Patter)
- RIV 1186 - Johnny O'Leary (Patter)
- RIV 1187 - Irish Delight (Patter)
- RIV 1188 - Home Of The Brave (Patter)
"The Frog Prince" includes a vocal by Jason Raleigh; the others are music only. There are two Irish-style patters (unfortunately, just too late for St. Patrick's Day, but you can have them ready for next year!) and one with a patriotic theme for the 4th of July.
As with all of our most recent packages, you can either buy the entire 2022 Spring Patter Gold package for one price (in this case, $50), or buy individual titles from the package for $10 each. After two years, the titles will join our regular catalog at our regular single-title price (currently $7).
Looking forward to an increase in dancing, now that the masks are off here in California!
February Releases
Posted on Thursday February 10, 2022
It's been a few months since our last releases...seems that Covid has been preventing some of our callers from getting in front of the microphone. We have three new patters and three new singing calls for you, plus three re-releases from the Red Boot library:
- RIV 1178 - Smoky Mountain Dew (Patter)
- RIV 1177 - Blarney Stone, The (Patter)
- RIV 1176 - Campfire Memories (Patter)
- RIV 1175 - If I Give My Heart To You (Basic, Plus, and A1 vocals by Mel Wilkerson; formerly RB 2996)
- RIV 1174 - Timber (Vocal by David Cox; formerly RB 249)
- RIV 1173 - Johnny Boy (Basic, Mainstream, Plus and A1 vocals by Mel Wilkerson; formerly GS 706)
- RIV 1172 - Undercover Angel (Vocal by Max Masao Ringe and Noriko Shinogaya, with harmony by Max)
- RIV 1171 - Steel Guitar And A Glass Of Wine (Vocal and harmony by Duke Okada)
- RIV 1170 - That Country Girl (Vocal by Kumi Takahashi and Mitchell Osawa [courtesy Elite Records], with harmony by Kumi)
Give a special listen to Duke's unusual opener/break/closer sequence on "Steel Guitar And A Glass of Wine" -- it's not difficult, but it is a little different!
October Releases (on Halloween!)
Posted on Sunday October 31, 2021
It's been a couple of months since we've had any new music to post. (Although our 2019 Christmas Gold package became available as regular-priced singles in September - check it out!)
In any case, we've saved up a bit and we have 13 releases for you -- some brand new, including 3 patters, and some from the classic Red Boot library and the Riverboat archives:
- RIV 1169 - Footprints (Patter)
- RIV 1168 - Irish Eyes Smiling At Christmas (Vocal by Jack O'Leary of Silver Sounds Music)
- RIV 1167 - Touch Of Ireland (Patter)
- RIV 1166 - Turn Turn Turn Patter
- RIV 1165 - Don't Be Angry (Basic, Mainstream, Plus and A1 vocals by Mel Wilkerson; formerly RIV 103)
- RIV 1164 - Fly Away (Vocal by David Cox; formerly RB 3060)
- RIV 1163 - Blue Heartache (Vocal by David Cox; formerly RB 250)
- RIV 1162 - We Can Sing (Vocal by Ted Kennedy; formerly RBS 1309)
- RIV 1161 - All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) (Vocal by Ko Iwata)
- RIV 1160 - Sailing (Vocal and harmony by Duke Okada; Japanese vocal and harmony by Kumi Takahashi)
- RIV 1159 - Down In Louisiana (Vocal by Mitchell Osawa (of Elite Records) and Kumi Takahashi, with harmony by Kumi)
- RIV 1158 - Cajun Party Time (Vocal by Noriko Shinogaya, Kumi Takahashi, with harmony by Kumi)
- RIV 1157 - Ghost Of Danny Boy (Vocal by Duke Okada)
If the only version of "All I Want For Christmas" you've heard is the whistling Spike Jones version, give this one a listen -- it's based on the gentle swing of Nat King Cole's recording. And with three Irish-themed tunes, you can stock up for March...even though one of them is a Christmas song! Take a look at all of them, including the haunting "Ghost Of Danny Boy" that we're posting right on Halloween!
There's also a new female vocal by Nelda Eaton on RIV 557 - Summer Sounds. But, wait — there's already a female vocal by Nelda! Well, this is a female vocal for Christmas Sounds, the winter lyrics for Summer Sounds. Check out the "E" version -- and as always, if you've already bought the title and want the new track, contact Bob Elling directly.
July Releases
Posted on Thursday July 08, 2021
Between the National Square Dance Convention and a few other events, what should have been our June releases got pushed back to July. We have eight songs this time around, two of which are new patters, and one is a re-release from the Jay-Bar-Kay side of the classic Red Boot library:
- RIV 1156 - Baby Baby (Vocal by Mitchell Osawa of Elite Records, and Kumi Takahashi)
- RIV 1155 - Part Of Your World (Vocal by Gaku Nakagawa and Kumi Takahashi)
- RIV 1154 - Country Folk (Patter)
- RIV 1153 - Waikiki Beach (Patter)
- RIV 1151 - Tuam Beat (Vocal by Duke Okada)
- RIV 1150 - I'm An Old Fashioned Girl (Vocal by Hiromi Kaneko and Kuniko Kawashima)
- RIV 1149 - Trucking Queen (Vocal by Max Masao Ringer and Noriko Shinogaya)
- RIV 1148 - Nothing Could Be Finer (Vocal by Nelda Eaton; formerly JBK 113)
"Nothing Could Be Finer" is a little unusual. It was originally recorded at a time when the 7 x 64-beat singing call structure was not as near-universal as it is today. Like classics such as the original "Running Bear," "Pickle Up A Doodle" and "Grand Colonel Spin," it was made for a 128-beat figure done four times. Nelda has reproduced the original figure almost exactly here, but you could also treat it as an 8 x 64-beat piece and use more standard choreography by throwing in an extra middle break. But, why? There's charm in the original!
Also, at the end of June the 12 titles in our 2019 Summer Gold package joined the main catalog as regular-price singles. Check them out!
About Riverboat Records
Riverboat Records was purchased in the 1980s by Bob Elling in the San Francisco Bay Area. His love of both square dancing and good music has driven his dedication to create the finest square dance music available. The early years produced several square dance records using top-notch musicians, including Phil Aaberg and Norton Buffalo.
Due to the priorities of raising a family, there was no new music produced for almost 20 years. Around 2005 Bob began to teach and call square dancing to local 3rd and 4th graders once a week. He loves teaching the kids and has a desire to use music that they could relate to.
A good friend and caller, Ken Bower, encouraged Bob to start recording square dance music again, and so he did. Ken then recorded the vocal for the first "new" recording on Riverboat, Misty.
Bob enjoys producing many types of songs and especially ones appropriate for grade schoolers. Some of his more popular songs for all ages include: Mickey Mouse, Oh Johnny Oh, Y.M.C.A., Heigh Ho, Funky Town, Best Years of Our Lives, Big Pig Jig, American Land, and On With the Show. Most of these recordings include alternate choreography that can be taught in just a few minutes to kids or adults. The kids have responded with amazing enthusiasm.
In addition, there has been a great deal of support from some of the best talent in the country to bring variety and more life to the music. These fun square dance tunes are fun for both kids and adults. Bob's dream is to have this music used in the classroom by school teachers all over the world.
Riverboat Records also has modern patter music with a great dance beat. The variety of music ranges from bluegrass to funky, so there's something for everyone.
In 2010, Riverboat introduced its Gold subscription series. For just $100, a package of 20 new hoedowns and singing calls is made available exclusively to subscribers. At the end of the year those titles enter the regular Riverboat catalog and a new package is made available to Gold subscribers.
Bob would like to acknowledge the help and support that he has received from Elmer Sheffield (ESP Records), Jack O'Leary (Silver Sounds), Michael Salacuse (Circle Left Recording), Bobby Kennedy, Carl Kaye, Tracy Brown, Rich Reel, and Lawrence Johnstone. He also wants to thank his wife, Lois, for her support in this endeavour that he loves so much.
Contact Us
Riverboat Recordsc/o Bob Elling
16000 Marcella St.
San Leandro, CA 94578
510-278-8621
bob.elling@gmail.com
This page address is: www.riverboat.com/records/index.html
Last modified/updated on: Thursday 2017-10-26 09:15 MST
(other pages on this website will have different dates)
(music listings are generated dynamically and do not affect the page dates)
This website is owned and copyright © 2012-2022 by Bob Elling, owner of Riverboat Records.
Webmaster: Lawrence Johnstone