Formation

Founding members Gunnar Madsen and Matthew Stull decided to form an a cappella group when they left their jobs as deliverers of singing telegrams in San Francisco.^[2]

Members of the group are always credited with "Bob" as their middle name. The name is often described as an acronym for "Best of Breed", an award given out at dog shows.^[3] Another story that the Bobs give is the name was shortened from "The Oral Bobs" in the first months the group performed together.

Approach and notable performances

Instead of singing more traditional doo-wop songs, The Bobs started out with original arrangements of their own songs and songs like "Helter Skelter" and "Psycho Killer". Although two of their albums are dominated by songs written by others, the overwhelming majority of their repertoire is original, with songs discussing a diverse array of humorous subjects.

The Bobs have broken with a cappella tradition several times by including instruments. The majority of the 1995 album Plugged is backed by toy drums. Plugged also made heavy use of studio equipment to make the voices sound more like guitars and bass guitars. Coaster includes a rock rhythm section on one song. Rhapsody in Bob features their arrangement of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with pianist Bob Malone playing most of the original piano concerto as The Bobs become a vocal orchestra. But this original "band without instruments" usually uses just their mouths, hands, feet and "other body parts".

Several anniversary concerts were held in Berkeley, California in January 2006 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Bobs. These concerts featured seven of the eight singers who have ever been in the band.

The Bobs gave their final performance on October 21, 2017, at The Barns at Wolf Trap, Virginia. It was broadcast live at Acaville.org.

Soundtrack contributions

The Bobs performed "Psycho Killer" on the revival of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1988. The Bobs supplied the opening music for the documentary "I'm from Hollywood" starring inter-gender wrestling champion Andy Kaufman, directed by Lynne Margulies and Joe Orr. The song was played at the beginning of the Kaufman biopic, Man on the Moon

The Bobs' recording of the Jimmy Cliff/Guilly Bright song "Sittin' In Limbo" was featured in the 1991 movie Cool As Ice.

The Bobs' recording of the song "Barbara Ann" was used in the 1993 movie Surf Ninjas.

In the 1995 Jason Alexander movie For Better or Worse, the Bobs performed most of the soundtrack, including the background music that occasionally interacted with the story. During the 1995 Emmys they performed a medley of television themes with Alexander.

In 1996, the Bobs performed several original songs and provided the character voices for the online video game Castle Infinity.

Recognition

Their arrangement of "Helter Skelter" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1984.^[4]

A documentary about the group, called Sign My Snarling Movie: 25 Years of The Bobs was released in summer 2007.

Compilations

• The Best of the Bobs (1990)
• Songs at Any Speed (2008)

Videography

• The Bobs on PBS's Lonesome Pine Special (1989)
• The Bobs on PBB's Lonesome Pine Special - ISOBOBS (with the dance group ISO) (1990)
• Live at the 20th Century (1998)
• The Bobs Sing! (And other Love Songs) (2000)
• Sign My Snarling Movie: 25 Years of the Bobs (2007)