Richard Cheese
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Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine | |
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 Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine performing live in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | Coverage Records (current), Surfdog, Oglio |
| Members | Richard Cheese (Mark Jonathan Davis) Bobby Ricotta (Noel Melanio) Frank Feta (Brian Fishler) Billy Bleu (Ron Belcher) |
| Website | richardcheese |
Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine (or simply Richard Cheese) is a cover band and comedy act, performing popular songs in a lounge/swing style. Lounge singer Richard Cheese is a character created and portrayed by Los Angeles–based actor/comedian/singer Mark Jonathan Davis.
History
[edit]Davis had previously worked as Director of Comedy Network Programming for Premiere Networks. [1] He developed the Richard Cheese lounge singer idea in the mid-1990s.[citation needed] The band's work was first broadcast in 2000 by KROQ-FM and the Dr. Demento show.[2]
Releases
[edit]Since 2000, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine band has released 28 albums.[citation needed]
The band's debut album Lounge Against the Machine was released in 2000 by Oglio Records.[3] Cheese's second and third albums, Tuxicity and I'd Like a Virgin were independently released in 2002 and 2004 by Cheese's own label, Ideatown Entertainment (later renamed to Coverage Records).[citation needed] From 2004 to 2006, Surfdog Records released three Richard Cheese CDs: Aperitif for Destruction, a studio album, Silent Nightclub, a collection of songs tangentially related to the holiday season, and The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese, which included newly re-recorded versions of six covers from previous albums, plus four new studio recordings. Surfdog also re-released the Richard Cheese albums Tuxicity and I'd Like a Virgin on their label.[citation needed]
Beginning in 2007, the band returned to releasing its own albums, through Davis's independent Coverage Records label.
Film work
[edit]Richard Cheese's cover of Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness" was featured in the 2004 Zack Snyder-directed remake of Dawn of the Dead.[4]
In 2016, the band had two songs in the motion picture Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and released a one-track parody album called Live at Wayne Financial Tower in which the band's performance is cut short by Superman's heat vision.[4] Warner Bros. included the band as animated LEGO mini-figs in the 2017 film The Lego Batman Movie.[4]
The character of Richard Cheese appeared in the Kristen Wiig comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, released in February 2021.[4]
In May 2021, Snyder's Army of the Dead movie featured Richard Cheese singing the opening song "Viva Las Vegas" in a duet with Allison Crowe.[4]
Band members
[edit]As of 2015, the lineup of the Lounge Against The Machine band was:
- Richard Cheese – vocals
- Bobby Ricotta – piano, keyboards
- Frank Feta – drums, percussion
- Billy Bleu – upright bass, bass
The names are all pseudonyms that refer to types of cheese (ricotta, feta, bleu).[2]
The role of pianist and musical director Bobby Ricotta is currently[when?] played by Noel Melanio. The band's first drummer, Buddy Gouda, was played by Todd LaValley, and then by Charles Byler. Byler left the band in 2004; he was replaced by Brian Fishler, and the drummer's stage name was changed to Frank Feta. The current bass player, Billy Bleu, is portrayed by Ron Belcher.[citation needed]
Discography
[edit]All self-released as Coverage Records except where noted.
Studio albums
[edit]- Lounge Against the Machine (2000) (Oglio Records)[5]
- Tuxicity (2002) (Surfdog Records)[5] [A]
- I'd Like a Virgin (2004) (Surfdog Records)[5] [B]
- Aperitif for Destruction (2005) (Surfdog Records)[5]
- The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese (2006) (Surfdog Records)[5]
- Silent Nightclub (2006) (Surfdog Records)[5]
- Dick at Nite (2007)[5]
- Viva la Vodka (2009)[5]
- OK Bartender[5] (2010)[6]
- Lavapalooza[5] (2010)[citation needed] (as Richard Cheese presents Johnny Aloha)
- Richard Cheese: Live at the Royal Wedding[5] (2011)[citation needed]
- Cocktails with Santa[5]
- A Lounge Supreme[5] (2011)[citation needed]
- Back in Black Tie[5] (2012)[citation needed]
- The Lounge Awakens[5] (2015)[citation needed]
- Supermassive Black Tux[5] (2015)[citation needed]
- Bakin' at the Boulder [Live at the Boulder Theater][5] (2015)[citation needed]
- Licensed to Spill[5] (2017)[citation needed]
- The Royal Baby Album[5]
- Richard Cheese's Big Swingin' Organ![5] (2019)[citation needed]
- Numbers of the Beast[5] (2020)[7]
- Big Cheese Energy (2021)[8]
- Live From Hollywood (2023)[citation needed]
- Blue No Matter Who (2024)
- ^ originally released in 2002 by Ideatown/Coverage Records[citation needed]
- ^ originally released in 2004 by Ideatown/Coverage Records[citation needed]
Compilation albums
[edit]- The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese (2006) (Surfdog Records)[5]
- Hail to the Cheese: Richard Cheese's All-American Greatest Hits (digital only) (2012)[citation needed]
- Down With the Dickness: Richard Cheese's Dirtiest Greatest Hits (digital only) (2012)[citation needed]
- Lord of the Swings: The Best of Richard Cheese, Vol. 2 (digital only)[5] (2018)[citation needed]
- Snappier Than Ever: The Original Songs (2021)
- Besame Queso (vinyl only) (2022)
- Pussy Party (vinyl only) (2022)
- Microphone Colossus: The Best of Richard Cheese, Vol. 3 (digital only)[5] (2025)
Film soundtracks
[edit]- Dawn of the Dead “Down with the Sickness” (2004, Universal)
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice “Night and Day”, first meeting of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent (2016, Warner Bros.)
- The Lego Batman Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017, Warner Bros.)
- Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar Soundtrack (2021, Milan/Sony)
- Army of the Dead soundtrack (2021, Milan/Sony)
Charts
[edit]- The Sunny Side of the Moon – No. 9 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, March 17, 2006[9]
- OK Bartender – No. 15 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, April 9, 2010[6]
- Numbers of the Beast – No. 6 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, August 15, 2020[7]
- Big Cheese Energy – No. 10 on Billboard Comedy Album Chart, March 13, 2021[8]
See also
[edit]- The Lounge Kittens, an English comedy band who performed rock and heavy metal songs in a lounge music style.
- Black Velvet Flag, an American trio who performed punk rock songs in a lounge music style.
- Frank Bennett, an Australian jazz singer who recorded several big band arrangements of popular songs.
References
[edit]- ^ "Premiere Radio Networks (1990-1992)".
- ^ a b Stapleton, Susan (February 3, 2015). "Cheese whiz Richard Cheese slices two sets in Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ Turner, Katherine (March 3, 2016). This is the Sound of Irony: Music, Politics and Popular Culture. Routledge. p. 171. ISBN 9781317010548. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Richard Cheese Film & TV Appearances". Richard Cheese Official Website. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Richard Cheese discography at AllMusic
- ^ a b "Comedy Albums (week of April 10, 2010)". Billboard. April 10, 2010. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Comedy Albums (week of August 15, 2020)". Billboard. August 15, 2020. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Comedy Albums (week of March 13, 2021)". Billboard. March 13, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ "Comedy Albums (week of March 18, 2006)". Billboard. March 18, 2006. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
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