# Riva Records

Riva Records was a British record label founded in the UK in 1975 by Billy Gaff, manager of Rod Stewart.
Rod Stewart signed to the label in the UK, but stayed with Warner Bros. Records in the US and the rest of the world. Another well-known artist on the label was John Cougar Mellencamp, distributed by PolyGram in the US, and WEA in most other countries. After Stewart and Mellencamp left the label, it stopped operating. Billy died in Dublin on 25 April 2022.
Stewart left in 1982 (last issue "How Long"), whereas Mellencamp stayed a little later. A variety of acts then had singles released on Riva in the UK (see below); the last known UK release was RIVA 51 (Glory with "Hearts Will Sing" / "As It Is") in 1987. Other acts to have releases on Riva included:
* Lewis Sisters / Lewis
* Blinding Tears
* Phil Thornalley
* Carmine Appice
* The Lookalikes, with Sean O'Connor

## Discography

List of 7" issues on Riva Records in the UK [please fill in the blanks] :
| Riva No | Date | Artist | Tracks |
| 1 | 1975 Nov (No PS) | Rod Stewart | This Old Heart of Mine / All in the Name of Rock 'n' Roll |
| 2 | 1976 April (No PS) | The Atlantic Crossing Drum & Fife + | Skye Boat Song / Skye Boat Song (instr.) |
| 3 | 1976 May (No PS) | Rod Stewart | Tonight's the Night / The Ball Trap |
| 4 | 1976 Aug (No PS) | Rod Stewart | The Killing of Georgie Parts 1 & 2 / Fool For You |
| 5 | ? (No PS) | Frankie Laine / Lou Reizner & Will Malone | Maxwell's Silver Hammer / You Never Give Me Your Money |
| 6 | 1976 Dec (No PS) | Rod Stewart | Get Back / Trade Winds |
| 7 | 1977 Apr (No PS) | Rod Stewart | The First Cut Is the Deepest / I Don't Want to Talk About It |
| 8 | 1977 | Faces | Memphis (4 track) / stay with me +3 |
| 9 | 1977 Jun | Rod Stewart | Sailing / Stone Cold Sober |
| 10 | 1978 Jan (No PS) | Rod Stewart | Hot Legs / I Was Only Joking |
| 11 | 1977 Oct (No PS) | Rod Stewart | You're in My Heart / You Really Got A Nerve |
| 12 | 1977 (No PS) | Window | Bandit / Rose and Thorn |
| 13 | ? | ? | ? |
| 14 | 1978 Feb | Johnny Cougar | I Need A Lover / Born Reckless |
| 15 | 1978 May | Rod Stewart | Ole Ola (Mulhera Brasileira) |
| 16 | 1978 May | Johnny Cougar | Factory / Alley of the Angels |
| 17 | 1978 Nov (No PS) | Rod Stewart | Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? / Dirty Weekend |
| 18 | 1979 Jan (No PS) | Rod Stewart | Ain't Love A Bitch / Scared and Scarred |
| 19 | 1979 April (No PS) | Rod Stewart | Blondes (Have More Fun) / The Best Days of My Life |
| 20 | 1979 June | John Cougar | Miami / Do You Think That's Fair |
| 21 | 1979 Sep | John Cougar | Taxi Dancer / Small Paradise |
| 22 | 1980 | The Lookalikes | Can I Take You Home Tonight / Radio / Don`T Cry For Me |
| 23 | 1980 May | Rod Stewart | If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right) / Last Summer |
| 24 | 1980 | The Lookalikes | Call Me If You Really Want Me / Just What You Got |
| 25 | 1980 | Johnny Cougar | This Time / Don't Misunderstand Me |
| 26 | 1980 Oct (No PS???) | Rod Stewart | Passion / Better Off Dead |
| 27 | 1981 | The Lookalikes | Baby Don`T Leave / Why Didn`T I Think of That |
| 28 | 1980 Dec | Rod Stewart | My Girl / Dance With Me |
| 29 | 1981 March | Rod Stewart | Oh God I Wish I Was Home Tonight / Somebody Special |
| 30 | 1981 Feb | John Cougar | Hot Night in a Cold Town / Tonight |
| 31 | 1981 May | John Cougar | Ain’t Even Done with the Night / To M.G. Wherever She May Be |
| 32 | 1981 | Carmine Appice and the Rockers | Be My Baby / Leave It Up To You |
| 33 | 1981 Oct | Rod Stewart | Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me) / Sonny |
| 34 | 1981 Dec. | Rod Stewart | Young Turks / Tora Tora Tora (Out with the Boys) |
| 35 | 1982 Feb | Rod Stewart | How Long / Jealous |
| 36 | 1982 May | John Cougar | Hurts So Good / Close Enough |
| 37 | 1982 Oct | John Cougar | Jack And Diane / Danger List |
| 38 | 1983 Jan | John Cougar | Hand To Hold on To / Hurts So Good (picture Disc available) |
| 39 | ? | ? | ? |
| 40 | ? | ? | ? |
| 41 | 1983 | Phil Thornalley | So This Is Love / Last Too Long |
| 42 | ? | ? | ? |
| 43 | 1983 | Manteau | Promise / Love Let Down |
| 44 | 1986 | Lewis | Can't Wait Another Minute / ? |
| 45 | 1986 | Lewis Sisters | If The Love Fits / Can't Wait Another Minute |
| 46 | 1986 | Lewis | Man in the moon / Sure Don't Come Easy – extended versions |
| 47 | 1986 | Lewis Sisters | Melting Point / Devil Made Me Do It |
| 48 | 1987 | Lewis Sisters | So Good, So Right / Dangerous |
| 49 | 1987 | Blinding Tears [Cawley And Storie] | Heaven Only Knows / Call of the Wild |
| 50 | ? | ? | ? |
| 51 | 1987 | Glory | Hearts Will Sing / As It Is |
(No PS) indicates that the record was issued without a Picture Sleeve
List of LP issues on Riva Records in the UK [please fill in the blanks] :
| Riva No | Date | Artist | Album Title |
| 1 | 1976 Jun 18 | Rod Stewart | A Night on the Town |
| 2 | 1976 | Various Artists | All This And World War II |
| 3 | 1977 | Faces | The Best of the Faces |
| 4 | 1977 | Rod Stewart | Atlantic Crossing (Re-issue) |
| 5 | 1977 Oct 28 | Rod Stewart | Foot Loose & Fancy Free |
| 6 | 1978 Mar | Johnny Cougar | A Biography |
| 7 | ? | ? | ? |
| 8 | 1978 Nov 17 | Rod Stewart | Blondes Have More Fun |
| 9 | 1979 July | John Cougar | John Cougar |
| 10 | 1981 July | John Cougar | Nothin' Matters And What If It Did |
| 11 | 1980 Nov 21 | Rod Stewart | Foolish Behaviour |
| 12 | ? | ? | ? |
| 13 | ? | ? | ? |
| 14 | 1981 Nov 9 | Rod Stewart | Tonight I'm Yours |
| 15 | 1982 | Carmine Appice | Carmine Appice |
| 16 | 1982 June | John Cougar | American Fool |
| 17 | 1982 Nov 6 | Rod Stewart | Absolutely Live |
| 18 | 1983 | John Cougar | Uh-Huh |
| 19 | 1985 | John Cougar | Scarecrow |
| 20 | 1986 | Blinding Tears [Mark Cawley And Carl Storie] | Blinding Tears |