Bob Rivers
Encyclopedia
Bob Rivers is a well-known American
rock and roll
radio
on air personality
in the Pacific Northwest
as well as a prolific producer
of parody
song
s, most famous for his Christmas song parodies.
Rivers' most recent radio program, The Bob Rivers Show with Bob, Spike and Joe, is broadcast on Seattle oldies
station
KJR-FM
after a previous iteration was aired on another local Seattle radio station KZOK-FM
, ending in 2010.
Previously, between late 1989 and August 2000, the show aired on Seattle, Washington Active Rock
radio station KISW-FM under the title Bob Rivers Twisted Radio. The Bob Rivers Show was also simulcast
on Portland, Oregon
"1980s Rock Hits" radio station KVMX (now KXJM)
"Mix 107.5" from 20 March 2006 until 5 October 2006, when the station dropped the morning show and switched to a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
format under the new branding "Movin' 107.5".
in Worcester
, Massachusetts
(in the Boston market), as part of their successful Bob and Zip morning show with fellow on air personality Peter "Zip" Zipfel.
During his tenure with WAAF, Rivers started producing parody and novelty song
s, both for the station and for the KATZ/Newcity "American Comedy Network", a radio syndication service that provided comedy material to local U.S. and Canadian
radio stations. One of the first parodies he produced was "Breakin' Up Is Hard On You", about the lawsuit
and the resulting Bell System divestiture
, the court order
ed split up of U.S. telecommunications company AT&T
's Bell System
. The song was sung to the tune of Neil Sedaka
's #1, 1962 hit "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
" and peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100
pop music
chart. He followed it up with "Just a Big Ego," a parody of David Lee Roth
's version of "Just a Gigolo
." It went on to be included on Volume 2 of The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
and had a music video produced by Steve Rotfeld
for Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
.
In 1987, Rivers released Twisted Christmas
, which contained the Christmas music
radio hit "Twelve Pains of Christmas", a parody of the holiday standard "The Twelve Days of Christmas
." "Twisted Christmas" was certified a gold record by the RIAA
.
losing streak. He vowed to remain on the air until the Orioles won a game. He kept his vow and became a local celebrity among Orioles fans for his pledge.
During his time at 98 Rock, he and WIYY radio collaborated with Sheffield Recording Studios to continue his campaign of 'Twisted Tunes.'
's song "Iron Man
"). Since then, three other Christmas-themed albums have been released, including: More Twisted Christmas
(1997); Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire
(2000); and White Trash Christmas
(2002).
Bob Rivers and his Twisted Radio show have also produced a countless number of regular, non-holiday parodies covering anything from pop culture to politician
s, to the various sport
s teams and players in the Seattle area. These "Twisted Tunes" can be heard for free on his website. CD
compilation album
s are also available.
.
The Bob Rivers Show cast at 95.7 FM includes Spike O'Neill, "Downtown" Joe Bryant, newswoman Jodi Brothers, director Arik Korman and producers Luciana Bosio, and Pedro Bartes.
was stolen from the airport at which it was based by Colton Harris-Moore
, who flew it to Yakima, Washington
, landing the plane excessively hard and then fleeing the scene. The Cessna was declared a write-off by Rivers' insurance. Rivers publicly condemned the theft and decried Harris-Moore's legend status, stating, "I'm not a fan of the media frenzy because I don't like the whole cult hero thing, but if keeping it alive helps solve it, then I think it's worth it."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
on air personality
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
as well as a prolific producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
of parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, most famous for his Christmas song parodies.
Rivers' most recent radio program, The Bob Rivers Show with Bob, Spike and Joe, is broadcast on Seattle oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
KJR-FM
KJR-FM
KJR-FM is a Seattle, Washington,radio station that is broadcasting a classic hits format. It operates at 95.7 MHz at 98 kW, and also on the Internet via streaming audio. KJR-FM is owned by Clear Channel Communications, Inc.- KJR :...
after a previous iteration was aired on another local Seattle radio station KZOK-FM
KZOK-FM
KZOK-FM is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington, broadcasting on 102.5 FM. It is owned by CBS Radio and airs a classic rock music format.-History:KZOK signed on in 1964 as KTW-FM and simulcasted KTW-AM...
, ending in 2010.
Previously, between late 1989 and August 2000, the show aired on Seattle, Washington Active Rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
radio station KISW-FM under the title Bob Rivers Twisted Radio. The Bob Rivers Show was also simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
"1980s Rock Hits" radio station KVMX (now KXJM)
KXJM
KBFF is an Adult Top 40 radio station licensed to Portland, Oregon, USA, and serving the Portland area. The station is currently owned by Alpha Broadcasting.-Current Lineup:* Mornings 6a-10a: More Music Mornings with CJ & Nikki...
"Mix 107.5" from 20 March 2006 until 5 October 2006, when the station dropped the morning show and switched to a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic adult contemporary is a format used on stations in the United States and Canada. It usually gears toward an older audience, ages 25 to 54. Stations using this format play disco from the 1970s and early 1980s, dance/pop music, adult-friendly hip hop/old school tracks, R&B, dance/freestyle...
format under the new branding "Movin' 107.5".
WAAF Bob and Zip
Bob Rivers spent almost 6 years at WAAFWAAF (FM)
WAAF is a Boston, Massachusetts, area commercial Album Oriented Rock/Active rock radio station that mixes music that is popular in the modern rock, heavy metal and classic rock genres....
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(in the Boston market), as part of their successful Bob and Zip morning show with fellow on air personality Peter "Zip" Zipfel.
During his tenure with WAAF, Rivers started producing parody and novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
s, both for the station and for the KATZ/Newcity "American Comedy Network", a radio syndication service that provided comedy material to local U.S. and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
radio stations. One of the first parodies he produced was "Breakin' Up Is Hard On You", about the lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
and the resulting Bell System divestiture
Bell System divestiture
The Bell System divestiture, or the breakup of AT&T, was initiated by the filing in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Justice of an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The case, United States v...
, the court order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
ed split up of U.S. telecommunications company AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
's Bell System
Bell System
The Bell System was the American Bell Telephone Company and then, subsequently, AT&T led system which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984, at various times as a monopoly. In 1984, the company was broken up into separate companies, by a U.S...
. The song was sung to the tune of Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
's #1, 1962 hit "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a song recorded by Neil Sedaka, and co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Sedaka recorded this song twice, in 1962 and 1975, in two vastly different arrangements.-1962 version:...
" and peaked at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
chart. He followed it up with "Just a Big Ego," a parody of David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
's version of "Just a Gigolo
Just a Gigolo (song)
"Just a Gigolo" is a popular song, adapted by Irving Caesar in 1929 from the Austrian song "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo", written in 1928 by Leonello Casucci and Julius Brammer .-History:...
." It went on to be included on Volume 2 of The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records is a compilation album released by Rhino Records in 1983. It features mostly novelty songs, parodies and cover versions of popular songs, performed very poorly...
and had a music video produced by Steve Rotfeld
Steve Rotfeld
Steve Rotfeld is an American television producer. His programs have appeared in national broadcast syndication on TLC, ESPN, ESPN Classic, Animal Planet, truTV, Golf Channel and the Travel Channel...
for Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
The Lighter Side of Sports
The Lighter Side of Sports is a long-running syndicated American sports blooper program produced by Steve Rotfeld Productions. It is currently hosted by ESPN personality Mike Golic...
.
In 1987, Rivers released Twisted Christmas
Twisted Christmas
Twisted Christmas is a humorous Christmas album recorded by Bob Rivers and his Comedy Corp. It is the first in a line of Christmas-themed parody albums from Rivers, with later entries including I Am Santa Claus, More Twisted Christmas, Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire, and White Trash...
, which contained the Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
radio hit "Twelve Pains of Christmas", a parody of the holiday standard "The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Although first published in England in 1780, textual evidence may indicate the song is French in origin...
." "Twisted Christmas" was certified a gold record by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
WIYY "98 Rock"
In the spring of 1988, at Baltimore radio station "98 Rock" WIYY-FM, as a lead morning show personality between 1987 and 1989, Bob Rivers gained national attention for an 11-day, on-the-air marathon during a Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
losing streak. He vowed to remain on the air until the Orioles won a game. He kept his vow and became a local celebrity among Orioles fans for his pledge.
During his time at 98 Rock, he and WIYY radio collaborated with Sheffield Recording Studios to continue his campaign of 'Twisted Tunes.'
KISW Twisted Radio
After arriving at KISW in Seattle in 1989, Rivers released a second album of humorous holiday-themed music in 1993 entitled I Am Santa Claus (the title track was a parody of Black SabbathBlack Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's song "Iron Man
Iron Man (song)
"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll , as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations.-Writing and...
"). Since then, three other Christmas-themed albums have been released, including: More Twisted Christmas
More Twisted Christmas
More Twisted Christmas is the third Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It was released in 1997, four years after I Am Santa Claus, and three years before Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire...
(1997); Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire
Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire
Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire is the fourth Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It was released in 2000, three years after More Twisted Christmas, and two years before White Trash Christmas.-Track listing:# The Twisted Chipmunk Song - 2:01...
(2000); and White Trash Christmas
White Trash Christmas
White Trash Christmas is the fifth Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It was released in 2002, two years after Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire...
(2002).
Bob Rivers and his Twisted Radio show have also produced a countless number of regular, non-holiday parodies covering anything from pop culture to politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, to the various sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s teams and players in the Seattle area. These "Twisted Tunes" can be heard for free on his website. CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s are also available.
KZOK The Bob Rivers Show
In 2001, the cast and show moved to KZOK where it played through September 30, 2010.KJR-FM
On January 2, 2011, It was publicly announced that the show would return to the air on April 1, 2011 on KJR-FMKJR-FM
KJR-FM is a Seattle, Washington,radio station that is broadcasting a classic hits format. It operates at 95.7 MHz at 98 kW, and also on the Internet via streaming audio. KJR-FM is owned by Clear Channel Communications, Inc.- KJR :...
.
The Bob Rivers Show cast at 95.7 FM includes Spike O'Neill, "Downtown" Joe Bryant, newswoman Jodi Brothers, director Arik Korman and producers Luciana Bosio, and Pedro Bartes.
Plane theft
In 2009, Bob Rivers' Cessna 182Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....
was stolen from the airport at which it was based by Colton Harris-Moore
Colton Harris-Moore
Colton A. "Colt" Harris-Moore is a criminal and former fugitive from Camano Island, Washington. He was charged with the thefts of small aircraft, a boat, and two cars and in the burglaries of at least 100 private residences in various locations around the Pacific Northwest of the United States...
, who flew it to Yakima, Washington
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
, landing the plane excessively hard and then fleeing the scene. The Cessna was declared a write-off by Rivers' insurance. Rivers publicly condemned the theft and decried Harris-Moore's legend status, stating, "I'm not a fan of the media frenzy because I don't like the whole cult hero thing, but if keeping it alive helps solve it, then I think it's worth it."
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Holiday | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Country | |||
| 1988 | Twisted Christmas Twisted Christmas Twisted Christmas is a humorous Christmas album recorded by Bob Rivers and his Comedy Corp. It is the first in a line of Christmas-themed parody albums from Rivers, with later entries including I Am Santa Claus, More Twisted Christmas, Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire, and White Trash... |
Critique | ||||
| 1993 | I Am Santa Claus I Am Santa Claus I Am Santa Claus is the second Christmas album by Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio. It was released in November 1993 by Atlantic Records , five years after Twisted Christmas, and four years before More Twisted Christmas.-Track listing:... |
23 | 106 | 1 | Atlantic | |
| 1994 | Twisted Tunes | |||||
| 1997 | More Twisted Christmas More Twisted Christmas More Twisted Christmas is the third Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It was released in 1997, four years after I Am Santa Claus, and three years before Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire... |
13 | ||||
| 2000 | Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire is the fourth Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It was released in 2000, three years after More Twisted Christmas, and two years before White Trash Christmas.-Track listing:# The Twisted Chipmunk Song - 2:01... |
|||||
| 2002 | White Trash Christmas White Trash Christmas White Trash Christmas is the fifth Christmas album by Bob Rivers. It was released in 2002, two years after Chipmunks Roasting On an Open Fire... |
42 |
Compilations
| Year | Album | US Holiday | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Twisted Christmas | 19 | Atlantic |
| 1997 | The Best of Christmas Tunes, Vol. 1 | ||
| The Best of Christmas Tunes, Vol. 2 | |||
| The Best of Twisted Tunes, Vol. 1 | |||
| The Best of Twisted Tunes, Vol. 2 |
Film appearances
- Bob Rivers appeared as an extra in two Star Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
episodes. The first being "Zero HourZero Hour (Enterprise episode)"Zero Hour" is the title of an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise; it was the season finale for season three. The episode was the end of a season-long story arc in which the crew of the Enterprise try to stop the Xindi-Reptilians from destroying Earth....
" along with KZOK contest winner Amy Ulen, filmed April 29, 2004. The other episode was the series finale in 2005, "These Are the Voyages...These Are the Voyages... (Enterprise episode)"These Are the Voyages..." is the series finale of the UPN television show Star Trek: Enterprise. The 22nd episode of the fourth season and the 98th of the series overall, it first aired on May 13, 2005, in the United States...
"