David Riordan

David Riordan
Occupation Interactive Media Executive, Documentary Television Producer, Songwriter

David Riordan is an interactive media executive, producer and designer, a documentary television producer and a professional songwriter. He co-wrote the number-one hit "Green-Eyed Lady" for the band Sugarloaf in 1970, and released his first solo album in 1974 called Medicine Wheel. In the early 1980s, while working as a consultant for Lucasfilm, producer of the Star Wars franchise, he began his career as an interactive media designer, producer and director that continued until the late 1990s. During that time he directed interactive entertainment groups for Cinemaware, Philips Media, Time Warner and Disney. He later became a producer for television shows that appeared on the A&E network. He is currently the VP of Media at Integral Life and the director of the Ken Wilber Biography Project.

Music career

Riordan began his recording career in 1968, as a member of The Yankee Dollar, singing vocals, playing guitar and writing songs for the band's debut album, Yankee Dollar. In 1970 he was a songwriter on the Sugarloaf albums Sugarloaf in 1970, Spaceship Earth in 1972, and I Got a Song in 1973.[1] On the band's debut album, Riordan was the co-writer of the number one hit song Green-Eyed Lady.[2] He next was a performing member of the group Sweet Pain and songwriter for the group’s debut album, Sweet Pain. In 1974 he performed and wrote songs for the band's second album, Sweet Pain II.[1] That year he also released his only solo album, on Capitol Records.[3] Both the A side of the vinyl LP and the B side held five tracks each.[4] Billboard Magazine reviewed the album positively upon its release in November 1974,[5] and charted the album among the top fifteen albums with major rotation on the leading progressive radio stations in the US for several weeks.[6][7][8] He recorded albums for the record and film companies Capitol Records, United Artists, 20th Century Fox, and Dot Records. Eventually his catalogue reached over 100 songs, and was purchased by Paul McCartney's publishing company MPL Publishing.[2]

Video games and interactive movies

In 1980, Riordan co-designed the videogame Ballblazer,[9] which was the first game developed between Lucasfilm’s and Atari's new partnership and Lucasfilm's first ever videogame collaboration.[10] Later in the 1980s Riordan designed It Came from the Desert for Cinemaware.[11] He became one of the lead directors and producers for the company Cinemaware during the 1980s, before founding Philips P.O.V. Entertainment Group for Philips Media in 1991.[9]

In 1993 he was the designer of the game Voyeur. Voyeur was featured on the cover of Time Magazine's September 27, 1993 issue entitled "Attack of the Video Games", featuring the most popular videogame titles of the medium in the early 1990s—alongside Mario, Sonic, Mortal Kombat, and others.[12] In 1995 he was the designer and writer for the game Thunder in Paradise,[9] an interactive game featuring Hulk Hogan.[13] That year he also served as director of the game Caesars World of Boxing.[14] The game won the Best Sports game award at that year's Cybermania ’94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards,[15] broadcast on national television.[16] Voyeur was also the winner of the awards for Best Female Actor (Grace Zabriskie), Best Male Actor (Robert Culp), and other Phillips CD-i products that Riordan had directed also won awards, such as Best Comedy winner The Wacky World of Miniature Golf, and two others. Riordan's products won a total of six awards at this inaugural ceremony.[15]

Up until 1994 he served as Philips POV Creative Director,[17] and by 1995 he had become Vice President of Production for the entertainment division of Time Warner Interactive, where his vision for the future of gaming included a transition to narratives with more positive imagery, in addition to the coupling of videogames with the release of studio recordings and the inclusion of Time Warner bands on the game soundtracks. During the 1990s he also directed the Interactive Entertainment Studio for Disney.[18] In 1998 he was also director for the game Of Light and Darkness, which featured actor James Woods.[9] Over his career he was credited for producing, designing or directing over twenty different videogames and interactive movies.[18][19]

Television

Riordan was a consulting producer and lead web producer for episodes of the reality television show Random 1 between 2005 and 2006.[9] He was also executive producer for the 2007 television documentary Lost in Woonsocket. Both television programs aired on the A&E network.[9]

Web media publishing

In 2001, Riordan was the Managing Editor of the One World Journeys website, which published photo-documentaries of eco-expeditions in environmentally sensitive regions.[20] He is currently the VP Media for Integral Life.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 "Dave Riordan". AllMusic. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Poetry Not for Fools". South Whidbey Record. June 25, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  3. ↑ Bob Kirsch (December 21, 1974). "Studio Track". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  4. ↑ "David Riordan – Medicine Wheel". Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ "First Time Around". Billboard Magazine. December 26, 1974. p. 80. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Billboard FM Action". Billboard Magazine. December 26, 1974. p. 37. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Billboard FM Action". Billboard Magazine. January 11, 1975. p. 21. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Billboard FM Action". Billboard Magazine. January 18, 1975. p. 74. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "David Riordan: Filmography". IMDB. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  10. ↑ Michale Ciraolo (August 1984). "LUCASFILM & ATARI: Creative partners". Antic. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  11. ↑ "The Making Of: It Came From The Desert: page one". Edge Magazine. October 14, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Attack of the Video Games". Time Magazine. September 27, 1993. (cover). Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Thunder in Paradise Interactive". Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Caesars World of Boxing". AllGame.
  15. 1 2 Michael Lowell (July 9, 2012). "Cybermania ’94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards Sing-Along Guide". Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  16. ↑ Chris Nashawaty (November 25, 1994). "Pushing the Envelope". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  17. ↑ Marilyn Gillen (June 18, 1994). "Studios put new Spin on game Spin-offs". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  18. 1 2 Marilyn Gillen (September 16, 1995). "Addictive Game has Positive Messages". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  19. ↑ "David Riordan: Developer BIO". Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  20. ↑ "About Us". Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  21. ↑ "David Riordan". Retrieved January 7, 2013.
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