The Bobs
Western Onion went broke. Say what? Yep, they went broke, leaving all the singing telegram deliverers broke and unemployed. That was the Great San Francisco Singing Telegram Depression of 1981. Two of the unemployed were Gunnar Madsen and Matthew Bob Stull. They placed a twenty-five-words-or-less ad in the free classifieds, looking for a bass singer. They got one call, from Richard 'Bob' Greene who was not only a bass but a songwriter and recording engineer. They rehearsed for six months. Gunnar remembers that their first gig was at an open mike in a Cuban restaurant where they were shuffled ahead of the line waiting flamingo guitarists by a manager aware of the patron's acute flamingo ennui. They sang "Psycho Killer", "A White Sportcoat" and a few others that night. The audience loved them.
At first all the arranging that Gunnar and Richard did was cover tunes. As they began writing their own songs, the need for another voice became an imperative. Auditions found Janie 'Bob' Scott. Lots of local appearances caused the stage show to gel. A record contract with a local record company, Kaleidoscope Records, produced the first album, The Bobs. A Grammy nomination for their arrangement of "Helter Skelter," a nation wide tour, and soon they were on radio, then TV, eventually traveling to Europe doing huge festivals and concerts. When the first CARA Awards were released in 1992, The Bobs won Best Arrangement for "Helter Skelter." (they also won the category - Signed Professional Best Album, 1992, and ever since, they've won CARA Awards too numerous to mention) The description of the song which accompanying the award was the following. "Rather than translating instrumental parts to voices or relying on cliched syllables and voicings, Gunnar and Richard created a new vocabulary of sounds and textures. The arrangement deconstructs the song line by line, transforming the Beatles classic into an a cappella, post-modern performance art piece." That's a definitive description, accurate too!
Another notable avenue of expression for the Bobs have been in collaboration with dance companies. Their first was the commissioning of a series of songs, "The Laundry Cycle" for the Oberlin Dance Collective. Later that year (1987) after returning from their first European tour they met the dance troupe named Momix, who later changed their name to ISO. Improvising with them was the source of creation for a show. Their continued work with ISO for a number of years was noticed sufficiently that they relieved a commission from Lincoln Center, a one-hour presentation on PBS and a spot in the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of American History! That's quite an honor for the only New Wave a cappella group in history. It's also a testimonial to just how important the Bobs have been to the flourishing world of contemporary a cappella music. They are among the elite handful of totally original creators who blaze the path which so many others follow it becomes a freeway.
After ten years of bob bob bobbing along, it began to feel flat to Gunnar who decided to retire (to the shock and dismay of his legion of fans). Could the group continue? The answer was an emphatic yes. Joe 'Bob' Finetti has been an amazing addition to the group. He added vocal percussion, sound effects and pyrotechnics never before heard, in addition to a finely trained voice and writing abilities. And so the Bobs have continued to add to their musical palette of possibilities as no other group. Another apparent disaster was the departure of Janie 'Bob' Scott whose shoes were briefly filled by Lori 'Bob' Rivera. Now those seemingly impossible to fill shoes belong to Amy 'Bob' Engelhardt whose personality has such a sparkle to be blinding (well, at least put on shades) and singing to match. After ten recordings released by the Bobs whose exclusive club now numbers six and some cameos, we eagerly await their next departure from the norm.
Note: You can now purchase a songbook of Bobs arrangements! Click here for more information.
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Silver Lining The Tight Pants Tango t Come Here Often? Sandwich Man Funk Shui Massacre Imaginary Tuba I Dreamt That David Mamet Buddha Bakes Never Date a Musician Silver Lining II Diappointment Pants Cow Tipping, Part II Howard Peterson Hit the Road, Greg Poverty Tom Spath Get Your Monkey off My Dog Party Arty Hope |
The Bobs' 14th CD is a stunning compilation of 18 new, original songs sprung from the dangerous minds of ASCAP-award winners (and Grammy nominations for vocal arranging) The Bobs. Recorded in Seattle, Berkeley and in Room 144 of the Best Western in Marshalltown Iowa (yep, that's right!), this collection features guest appearances by former Bobs Gunnar Madsen and Lori Rivera. What's the album about? Oh, the usual assortment of obvious topics. Tubas, fast food, feng shui, the wild west, vibration, lame pickup lines, the faux poor, wrong numbers, annoying simians, religious cooking, cow tipping, hope, David Mamet, giant bagels, dating, poverty, and the ability to par-tay... This is classic Bobs guaranteed to please both new and old fans alike.
Listen to "Never Date a Musician" in RealAudio.
| 2457 CD $15.95 |
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Dinner Bell (They Might Be Giants) (I Was A) Teenage Brain Surgeon (Spike Jones) There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens (Louis Jordan) Alabama Song (Kurt Weill/Bertold Brecht) Free Fallin' (Tom Petty) White Room (Cream) Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) |
From one of the most inventive vocal groups in history, Rhapsody in Bob has both a classic that truly rocks and classic rock. Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue concerto premered in New York in 1924 in a program called "An Experiment in Modern Music" alongside pieces incorporating barnyard calls and a tin can. Gershwin originally called the piece American Rhapsody because it was such a melting pot of varied musical elements. So, what better group of artists to revisit this auspicious beginning than The Bobs, with a killer combination of vocal chops, Grammy?-nominated arranging, and an inscrutable sense of humor that makes them impossible to categorize? Tallest Bob Ever Dan Schumacher (formerly of Kickshaw) debuts with The Bobs (replacing tenor Joe Finetti) on this album, which also features brand new recordings of six cover tunes ranging from Kurt Weill to Tom Petty to a new Bobs version of Cream's White Room.
Listen to "There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" in RealAudio.
| 2955 CD $14.98 |
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The Boxer Giant Robot Store Weekend in Cincinnati Bee Bop I Love You A Cappella Choir in the Sky Fluffy's Master Plan for World Domination Hey Coach, Don't Call Me A Queer Swingers Elwood Decker The Wind Cries Mary White Room Searchin Slow Down Krishna Share A Load Mopping, Mopping, Mopping Please Let Me Be Your Third World Country Helmet Art for Art's Sake Cowboy Lips Helter Skelter |
Musical malfeasants the Bobs are simply one of the most beloved and original a cappella groups ever, writing such classics as "Slow Down Krishna," "Kill Your Television" and "Drive By Love." Not only were the Bobs acclaimed for their original material, they were also beloved for their hilarious and technically masterful renditions of cover songs including "Psycho Killer," "Helter Skelter" and "Purple Haze." Along the way they were Grammy-nominated, appeared on PBS in their own one hour special and were added to the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of American History! "Best of the Bobs" a.k.a. "Twenty Songs from Twenty Years" is an instant collector's item, with rare outtakes, 12 previously unreleased tracks in all. No greatest hits re-hash, this CD takes you through dark and winding passages into the very center of the Bobs' twisted psyches, behind the scenes to the core of the Bobs' creative genius. A must have for any Bobs fan.
Listen to "A Cappella Choir in the Sky" in RealAudio.
| 2950 CD $14.98 |
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Caravan Drive Time Blues She Made Me Name Her Earl Loyal Officer Barber Lips A Vacant Stare Turtle Girl That Old Swamp Is Getting Me Down Rubber Girl Bring To Boil Believe In Love Bach To Bach Hidden Bonus Track The Druid Song Let's Adopt A Highway Light My Fire Fluffys Master Plan A Cappella Choir in the Sky |
The Bobs have left an indelible impression since their formation as a new wave a cappella group 20 years ago. "Coaster" swerves into the 21st century, with the same wanton desire to corrupt the minds of all who listen that have characterized the Bobs1⁄4 previous nine recordings. Musically, of course, the membership ? Matthew, Richard, Joe and Amy ? are exceedingly qualified, more than might be suggested by such lyrical perversions as "keeps me warm at night/she1⁄4s like a fire, she1⁄4s like a tire" ("Rubber Girl") and "rising from my coffin/for coffee and a muffin" ("Drive Time Blues"), while walking the high wire between classical, jazz, rap and rock. There1⁄4s even an accompanied pop tune ? "Believe In Love" ? that sets aside the musical malfeasance in favor of an unabashedly sincere performance by Joe Bob. The addition of Amy1⁄4s wickedly mischievous contributions such as "Bring To Boil" and "Fluffy1⁄4s Master Plan For World Domination" show that the Bobs had better not plan on retiring any time soon.
Listen to "That Old Swamp Is Getting Me Down" and "The Druid Song" in RealAudio.
| 2900 CD $14.98 |
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The Ambient One Hey Coach Don't Call Me a Queer Why Not Try Right Now Swingers Late Model Love The Crow Bongwater Day Is It Something That I Said? The Waiting Song The Vapor Carioca There's a Nose Ring in my Soup Bums in the Baseline Leisure Suit Like a Parrot The Gate |
The more things change... Janie Scott has retired to be replaced by Lori Rivera
who is a great compliment to the strength of voice, vision, and personalities
of Richard, Joe, and Matthew. As it turned out this will be the only album to
mark her participation in the band, drat! Extraordinary musical sophistication
is the hallmark of this CD, with, of course the wry view we've become accustomed
to sharing with Richard Greene in his songs. Typically, in "Hey Coach,
Don't Call Me A Queer," he explores the fascist tendencies found in high
school athletics. Increasingly greater sophistication is the hallmark of The
Bobs.
| 2459 CD $14.98 |
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When We Start to Sing Tattoo Me Now Kill Your Television Meat on the Moon Elwood Decker Cafe 47 Reasons Stranger Then Love Smoke Spray Too Cool to Care Bus Tours I.T.H.O.T.M.O.A. Andy Always Dreamed of Wrestling |
Kill your television! Good advice but that's not really the message in the
tune with that name, written completely from bumper sticker messages. That begins
material that shares sardonic and whimsical views of tattoos, coffee, love,
tagging, beat poetry and more. In the last album the Bobs began working with
Scott Matthews and this producer is a significant participant in the creation
of the all original work mostly written by Richard Green or a Green/Finetti
collaboration. This reviewer's personal favorite is the beat poetry with a fabulous,
very spare backing, "Too Cool To Care." Listen to When we Start to
Sing
| 2456 CD $14.98 |
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Drive By Love Mr. Duality Tweak Your Peak Naming the Band Sign my Snarling Doggie Spontaneous Human Combustion Rainbird Shut Up & Sing Angels of Mercy Something in my Ear Lady Cop/Take Me In Slow Down Krishna Synaesthesia |
Yea! Humor rules once again as the fab four return to their goofus roots. Though
still writing, Gunnar has nearly retired, with just a couple of appearances
as a guest vocalist. Joe Finetti is expanding the musical complexity with an
additional palette of sounds not heard before. Historical note: Andrew Chaikin
is the vocal percussionist on Mr. Duality. The Bobs have the courage to deal
with common social afflictions such as sports autograph sessions (the reggae
"Sign My Snarling Doggie") or "Spontaneous Human Combustion."
Poof, there goes another one!
| 2454 CD $14.98 |
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Yuleman vs. the Anti-Claus Mambo, Santa, Mambo Too Many Santas Christmas in Jail Santa's Got a Brand New Bag Fifty Kilowatt Tree The Night Before the Night Before Christmas Do You Hear What I Hear, Man? Christmas in LA Mrs. Claus Want Some Lovin' Rasta Reindeer All I Want for Christmas |
The Bobs have become rather a legend since their formation in 1982. Their self-written original material, which comprises the majority of their repetoire, is caustic, political, and delivers the maximum bang for the buck. "Too Many Santas" is a raccous wail with a funky groove, "Rasta Reindeer" bends Beach Boys harmonies around a lamp post and leaves them there. An "instrumental" version (vocal trumpet) of "Do You Hear What I Hear, Man" is a rum-soaked bop at the corner bar, which the Bobs do come by honestly (Joe "Bob" Finetti is an alum of Phil Mattson's P.M. Singers). "Christmas In L.A." is a modern standard, the grave insincerity of the lyrics offset by the lounge lizard arrangement, though them chords sure are pretty! The four Bobs - Joe, Richard, Matthew and Janie (yes, one gal) - keep it coming, so this is a Christmas get together you'll want to attend!
Listen to Christmas in LA in Real Audio
| 2458 CD $14.98 |
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Western Onion Cuban Restaurant Audition Janie Bob Naming The Band Early Years Prisoner of Funk Arranging Joe Bob Gigs Zappa! Lori Bob Amy Bob On Tour TV Medley VP Story Air Drum Dan Bob Plus lots and lots of songs |
The documentary SIGN MY SNARLING MOVIE chronicles the history of the Bobs, the original “band without instruments” as they rise from the ashes of San Francisco’s Western Onion Singing Telegram Company. Known for their vocal pyrotechnics, witty tunes, musical brinksmanship, and amazing live shows, the band evolves as they gain an audience, get nominated for a Grammy, tour the world, and manage to thrive for 25 years with no major label support, no hit records, and no instruments. Featuring music from the Bobs 25th anniversary concerts in Berkeley in 2006, rare and never-before-seen archival footage, new interviews with the band and their fans, and many surprises.
| 2408 DVD $24.95 |
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The Lonesome Pine Psychokiller Pounded on a Rock I Scare Myself Through The Wall Temptation You Can't Do That Rug Dance Welcome to My Fog Purple Haze Share A Load My Shoes |
Finally released on DVD the award-winning PBS "Lonesome Pine Special" (part of the Great Performances Series) pairing modern dance company ISO with the Bobs. This well-produced show, filmed and edited in a creative, imaginative, and certainly highly entertaining way. Originaly broadcast in 1990 the DVD features the original Bobs line up and is a must for all Bobs fans. Includes "Pounded On A Rock," "My Shoes," "Welcome To My Fog," "Psychokiller" (with amazing choreography), "Temptation," more.
| 2463 DVD $19.98 |
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Unchain My Heart Mess Me Up Again Searchin' Fever You Really Got A Hold on Me My Husband Was A Weatherman Banana Love Bach to Bach Drive By Love Johnny's Room A Cappella Choir in the Sky Bonus DVD only My, I'm Large, Excerpt from Up'nswutch, Excerpt from Multiple Choice Slow Down Kristina, Excerpt from Chickens The Druid Song Spray Signs on the Line Share a Load |
Feel the love in the room ignite when you play "The Bobs Sing!
(and Other Love Songs)" available now on VHS or DVD! Celebrating The Bobs' 20th
Anniversary year this is a must for music lovers, audiophiles and fans alike.
On VHS you get a one hour PBS TV special, recorded in Cincinnati on February,
2001, followed by a hilarious behind-the-scenes featurette revealing Amy, Joe,
Richard and Matthew's wacky spontaneity and the true history behind their 20
years of presenting "a cappella worth singing about!" On the DVD you get all
that with both a Stereo or Dolby 5.1 mix of the PBS concert plus nine, new and
vintage Bobs songs from performances taped around the world, including: "My
I'm Large," "Spray," "Druid Song," "Signs On The Line" and more!
| 2906 VHS VIDEO $24.98 | | | 2723 DVD $31.98 |
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Bus Plunge |
We all know by now that a Bobs show is the musical equivalent of a fire in a burning building - lots of energy, excitement and unpredictablity. Now, you can study how they do it at home! These original compositions, as arranged by the group themselves and adapted by Deke Sharon and Anne Raugh, offer plenty of suggestions for performance to get that Bobs feel. Generally TTBB, though with room for an extra voice and/or vocal percussion, and the occasional solo female lead (the quartet includes one alto).
| 2457 SONGBOOK $14.98 |
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"Low? Bottom? Me?" (Lobotomy, get it?) is Richard Bob Greene's first
solo CD, and it was recorded live in "living rooms, hallways and kitchens
in Berkeley, San Francisco, San Carlos, Alameda, and Pleasant Hill, CA,
Seattle and Scotland, using an Apple ibook and Emagic Logic Audio." Richard
is, of course a founder and driving force behind nu-wave a cappella pioneers
The Bobs, and he's a songwriter, composer, arranger and humorist extraordinaire.
Included on the 10 songs are 5 Greene originals, "Too Cool to Care," "Nobody's
Perfect," Searchin' for Poetry," "Growing Roses" and "Let's Go Wild."
The others are a manic remake of the Bob's cover of Lennon/McCartney's
"Helter Skelter," Antonio Carlos Jobim's Salsa-flavored "The Waters of
March," Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism," and the Mills Brothers' "Doin'
the New Low Down." Most of the songs on "Low?" are accompanied, but the
emphasis is on the lyrics and on Greene's powerful vocals; the solid rich
bass that has anchored the Bobs for so many years. "Too Cool to Care"
is a stream of consciousness beatnik coffee-house poem with cool jazz
clarinet, bass and drums, as is "Let's Go Wild" but the words are sung
rather than spoken. "Nobody's Perfect" is a bluesy, jazzy observation.
There's some wonderful vocal horns on "Doin' the New Low Down." "Low?"
is a smoky, Leonard Cohen-esque, surprising, poetic new direction for
Greene's music, which will please present fans and surely earn him new
ones!
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Gunnar Madsen is of course one of the founders of the legendary Bobs,
who celebrated their 20th anniversary by releasing the excellent CD "Coaster"
on PAC Records. This is his 2nd children's CD on G-Spot Records, the first
being the very well-received "Old Mr. Mackle Hackle." The kids are treated
to 13 innovative and funny original songs, the titles of which tell the
story: "Ants In My Pants" (sung by "Elvis"), "Welcome to my Fog", the
rollicking "Don't Shake Hands With A One-Eyed Pirate," "Tuna Fish" ("My
mom named me Tuna Fish..."), "Old Baloney," "Like Two Coconuts," the hilarious
"And the Children Rolled," "Ballad of the Lonesome Rider," "Lonely Dog
Tango," "I Am Loved," the eternal question, "Are We There Yet?," "Mayonnaise
and Pumpernickel Bread," and "Home on the Range." This is silly, slightly
irreverent give-kids-credit-for-being-intelligent-like-"Rocky and Bullwinkle"-did
stuff that will score bigtime with them. Go, Gunnar!
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