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Top Downloads
(as of 2025-06-15)

All TimeLast 12 MonthsLast 30 Days
  1. RIV 242 - Fur Elise (Patter)
  2. RIV 347 - Ode To Joy
  3. RIV 1015 - Lone Ranger (Patter)
  4. RIV 524 - You Raise Me Up
  5. RIV 295 - Fuji Mountain Breakdown (Patter)
  6. RIV 506 - Mariah
  7. RIV 615 - Bollywood Patter
  8. RIV 426 - Lion Sleeps Tonight
  9. RIV 560 - Goodnight Sweetheart
  10. RIV 243 - Fiesta (Patter)
  1. RIV 1352 - Copperhead Road (Patter)
  2. RIV 1433 - Magnificent Seven (Patter)
  3. RIV 1393 - Whirlwind (Patter)
  4. RIV 242 - Fur Elise (Patter)
  5. RIV 1373 - Summer Sounds
  6. RIV 1387 - Black Is Black
  7. RIV 1365 - Mother Of Dragons (Patter)
  8. RIV 1386 - Sold!
  9. RIV 1416 - Traveling (Patter)
  10. RIV 1430 - I Fought The Law
  1. RIV 1446 - Great Escape Patter, The
  2. RIV 1456 - God Only Knows
  3. RIV 1453 - Happy Farmer, The (Patter)
  4. RIV 426 - Lion Sleeps Tonight
  5. RIV 1025 - I Just Called To Say I Love You
  6. RIV 1310 - Carol Of The Bells Patter
  7. RIV 1349 - Love Story
  8. RIV 1360 - Grand Old Flag
  9. RIV 1361 - Achy Breaky Heart
  10. RIV 1458 - Dancing In The Street

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!

book cover Lois Elling

Now Available

Lois Elling's book, Teaching Clogging is now in its second edition. Buy a downloadable PDF copy here for $25

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May Releases

Posted on Wednesday May 28, 2025

It's almost the end of May, but we do have seven new releases for you, including three new patters:

"God Only Knows" was by the Beach Boys in 1966, and Renee makes another guest appearance to lend her vocals to it. "Down To The River To Pray" is an old spiritual song dating back to before the Civil War. "Dancing In The Streets" is a 1965 song from Martha and the Vandellas, while "Oktoberfest Is Coming" has a polka beat that'll liven up your fall parties!

We've released a number of patters based on classical music: Ode To Joy and Fur Elise to name a couple. "The Happy Farmer" (also known as "The Merry Peasant") comes from Robert Schumann's 1848 "Album For The Young," composed for his three daughters. The melody was used as the basis for a number of popular songs, such as "Red Wing," as well as part of the score for the 1939 movie "The Wizard Of Oz." Undoubtedly, you'll recognize it!

Several of our staff callers will be at the National Square Dance Convention in Shreveport next month, and at the USAwest Convention in Spokane the following month. Look us up!

April Releases

Posted on Wednesday April 23, 2025

Our April releases are here! Three patters and four singing calls make up this batch:

Brent Mawdsley has been busy, and has supplied harmony/background vocals on two of the four singing calls this month. We have a nice gospel number from Fine Tune / Gold Wing's Renee Ruud, and Tim Tyl gives us one of his trademark fast-paced humorous songs. Be sure to check out our patters this month, especially The Great Escape!

Memorial Day is coming up next month, so if you haven't already, check out our patriotic-themed patters and singing calls. They're listed under 4th of July, but they're good for any patriotic holiday...especially the one where we acknowledge all those who have fallen while serving their country.

March Releases

Posted on Wednesday March 26, 2025

March is nearly over, but we have six new releases for you: three patters, and three singing calls, including one re-release from the classic Red Boot library

"Make A Little Magic" is a 1980 song by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, from the album of the same name. "I Ain't Never" was written by Webb Pierce and Mel Tillis and released by Pierce in 1959, then later by Tillis in 1972; both versions were hits. And Larry Marchese pulls "Dancing Through Life" from the stage play and recent motion picture musical Wicked to give us something fresh.

Please keep the family of the recently departed Tom Miller in your thoughts. Tom was a staff artist for ESP Recordings, but he lent his vocal to four titles in the Riverboat library: "Follow That Dream," "Please Help Me I'm Falling," "Say Hello" (with his great friend Bill Harrison), and "The Girl With Gardinias In Her Hair."

Our good friend Elmer Sheffield, Jr. also passed away, last month. Elmer was the owner and producer of ESP Recordings, but he had a hand (or throat) in nearly 70 Riverboat titles, including some that he originally recorded for Red Boot Records. Elmer may be gone,  but ESP is still going and still producing quality square dance music.

The 50th CALLERLAB convention is coming in April. Some of our staff will be attending. Please say hello, and let them know if you like our music!

January Releases

Posted on Thursday January 30, 2025

January is almost over, but we have eight new releases. Three are patters, and five are singing calls, including one re-release from the classic Red Boot library:

We welcome Scott Coon and Stephen Noseck to our Riverboat staff. Scott's first tune is Elvis Presley's "Hawaiian Wedding Song" from the movie "Blue Hawaii," while Stephen brings us "Stay," made famous by Maruice Williams and the Zodiacs. (Although this rendition leans more toward Jackson Browne.) "Two Sleepy People" was conceived as the followup to Bob Hope and Shirley Ross' Academy Award-winning "Thanks For The Memory" in 1938, and was a hit for Fats Waller that same year; Linda Rawlinson follows Shirley's example of performing both songs. And, of course, "Magnificent Seven" is the title song for the motion picture of the same name, from the hand of the incomparable Elmer Bernstein, who wrote so many memorable movie themes.

Groundhog Day is coming up...do you have a Groundhog Day song? I do...but I can't mention it here because it's not on Riverboat! Check out our love songs for Valentine's Day, instead! (See our Themes page, under Holidays.)

December Releases

Posted on Friday December 20, 2024

Merry Christmas! We have a bunch of releases for you, just before Santa makes his yearly run:

Erin Tennessee is a song about an Irishman coming to America and finding love in a small town, so you might think about it for St. Patrick's Day in a couple of months. Memory Lane is from a 2024 song by Old Dominion, while Swingin Doors was a Red Boot Star release based on a Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson song. And, of course, Thanks For The Memory won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1938, after Bob Hope and Shirley Ross sang it in The Big Broadcast Of 1938.

We also have a few new vocal tracks on older releases. Jason Raleigh provided a new yodeling vocal on RIV 368 - Climbing Them Golden Stairs, and Heather Reynolds added her take on RIV 1287 - Gone Gone Gone. Also, Dean Black adds a male vocal on last month's release of RIV 1414 - Boxcar Blues. As always, if you've purchased one of those titles and would like the new track, please contact Bob Elling directly.

We'll see you in the new year! (And don't forget RIV 1217 - Bringing In A Brand New Year or RIV 621 - Auld Lang Syne for New Year's Eve!)

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 Records
c/o Bob Elling
16000 Marcella St.
San Leandro, CA 94578
510-278-8621
bob.elling@gmail.com

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