By Richard Del Connor
The podcast currently has 14 episodes available.
Opening song: “Use Me” by Kung Fu Cowboy from upcoming album, SCORPION RESURRECTION album produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records. This is just some basic tracks PLUS TROMBONES. This is the first trombone arrangement ever created by Richard Del Connor.
Outro song: “Scorpion Resurrection” song written and performed by Kung Fu Cowboy is the title song of the soon to be completed SCORPION RESURRECTION album produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records. This song is unmixed, unedited… just the tracks playing without any automation.
Richard Del Connor tells of his recording career beginning as a recording engineer for Bonita Studios in 1974 where he recorded radio station jingles, mariachi albums and a country western album.
____ Rions… was a guitarist in the FIRST EDITION band of Kenny Rogers in 1974 when he coincidentally stopped into Bonita Studio to record an album demo for the band. …what was his name? But he taught Richard Del Connor a couple of his first guitar chords on his Stella acoustic guitar.
Richard Del Connor tells the story of his parents trading in his trombone for their own cash, but refused to buy him an electric guitar. So Richard “Little Richie” had to get a paper route at age 12 for a down payment on his red Fender Mustang guitar from Ozzie’s Music store in San Diego in 1966.
Since 2012 Richard Del Connor has been saying, “I’ve played and performed every instrument I wanted to. My next instrument is going to be THE ORCHESTRA. I’m going to learn how to play an orchestra.”
Official Kung Fu Cowboy webpage:
Shaolin Records website for Kung Fu Cowboy Scorpion Resurrection albums:
Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records.
Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications
Music used by permission of Shaolin Records and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP
"Wishwood Bridge" is the FIRST studio recording by Richard Del Connor in 1974. Sorry about the cassette tape dub of lower quality.
“Go Blame It On Somebody Else” is from LIVE at The Music Machine album by THE RICH. This is the band I performed with in 1982 and 1983. The drummer is John Merritt who was also on the TEMPTATION album which is the first vinyl album release by Richard O’Connor & The Rich on Shaolin Records in 1984. I think the guitarist is Bob…
Richard Del Connor talks about his years as a recording engineer from 1974 to 1976. After that he recorded at 8-track Dr. Sound, 16-track Studio West, then 24-track Village Recorder and the Beachboys Studio, Cherokee, Soundcastle, A&M, Capitol Records and a dozen more in Los Angeles.
"Wishwood Bridge" is on the BONITA album by Lotus only released online at:
“Go Blame It On Somebody Else” is on the “Live at the Music Machine” album by Shaolin Records:
The Rich ARTIST PAGE at Shaolin Records:
Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records.
Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications
“Oboy” is from “LIVE at The Music Machine” album by THE RICH. This is the band I performed with in 1982 and 1983. I can’t even remember the guitarist’s name. The drummer is John Merritt who was also on the TEMPTATION album which is the first vinyl album release by Richard O’Connor & The Rich on Shaolin Records in 1984. I think the guitarist is Bob…
Guitar players should alway put their guitar chord through their guitar strap to prevent it from coming unplugged when they play or perform. Bob’s guitar chord came unplugged right as his guitar solo started. This album is a LIVE concert at The Music Machine in Santa Monica. Around this same time I was hired as a photographer for a local newspaper to shoot the Keith Richards concert there. I got a lot of good closeups standing at the front of the stage. Keith stood where I stood when I performed and recorded this “OBOY” song on my cassette player at the base of my microphone stand.
“Oboy” is a song about childhood memories starting in 1958 peddling around in my little fire engine.
“OBOY” is on the “Live at the Music Machine” album by Shaolin Records:
The Rich ARTIST PAGE at Shaolin Records:
Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records.
Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications
Music used by permission of Shaolin Records and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP
Richard Del Connor here. As the founder and record producer of Shaolin Records I've evolved from 4-track recording to 8-track to 16-track and eventually 24-track recording in 1979.
This year, 2021, I've acquired Logic Pro X music software as my DAW Digital Audio Workstation. After a decade using ProTools I've only started using Logic Pro and have not mastered it yet. Frustrating... But hopefully by the time I finish my next Shaolin Records album project I will have mastered this music software.
I've also acquired Kontakt digital music software program which enables me to use samples of orchestra instruments and record them onto my songs. I am "learning to play the orchestra." As a trombonist who sadly had to sell all his trombones to remain a flutist... (I explain this in the podcast). I am excited to have purchased two different trombone sample programs that are far more than the trombone samples you get when purchasing an "ensemble" or "orchestra" package of music samples.
My first album using Logic Pro and Kontakt will be "Scorpion Resurrection" by Kung Fu Cowboy. I recorded most of these instruments in Tacoma Studios, my home on wheels for 6 years. So now I am assembling them into the Logic Pro app and preparing to learn how to orchestrate with digital samples. This album will be perfect for learning how to play these digital trombones. I was imagining the guitar parts as horn sections when I performed and recorded them.
"TRUST ME" was recorded in the studio where Frank Zappa was recording "Sheik Your Bootee." That's what they told me the album was titled. I never owned. it. My band, THE RICH, recorded in that same Village Recorder studio at night when Frank's band was out of the studio.
I was interviewed on a radio station a couple years ago and they asked me about Frank Zappa. I ran from the topic and didn't want to say anything bad about him. I LOVE the albums "Freak Out" and "Absolutely Free," so Zappa fans may someday hear my stories of working with Frank Zappa. Ironically, I told some stories on this very podcast but my new USB microphone was causing horrible sound problems that I discovered after recording this show. So those stories are going to remain a secret since I just threw those recordings in the trash.
"From Within" is a folk rock song from the American Zen album, LEVEL 4 = Kung Fu Cowboy Part 1: King Solomon's Temple.
American Zen completed their 8-album spiritual journey of Zen Buddhism in 2015.
When LEVEL 4 was being recorded there were 36 songs so the album was split into two albums. The PART 2 album is titled, "3rd Degree Master Mason."
I was a Freemason from 2007 to 2015.
You can get the Kung Fu Cowboy Part 1 album at Shaolin Records.com
Most of the distributors don't include the entire LONG title on their websites. But it should by "King Solomon's Temple."
Kung Fu Cowboy was fun to record and has some awesome record production on it. The rock opera transformed from MY story to the story of Hiram Abif. "From Within" was written to my ex-wife, who left me behind to raise our kids as a Mr. Mom. When she came back a decade later, we tried to reconnect... but she couldn't keep up with me...
"From Within" by American Zen.
Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records.
Get the American Zen album: LEVEL 4 = Kung Fu Cowboy Part 1: King Solomon's Temple at ShaolinRecords.com
Richard Del CONNOR talks some more about his teenage years in Newfoundland and his band Lukey’s Boat. The song, “In The Darkness” by American Zen, is explained. Today’s basement tape is a song from the early 80s “No Hope In Surrender.” This acoustic guitar plus vocal song has never been performed until now. Richard sings along in his new baritone voice. Using his baritone voice Richard Del Connor is considering performing under the name, RICH CONNOR.
I've just listened to the tape. I still like being or now trying to be a tenor vocalist. A couple of my friends have been pushing me to sing lower... but some songs are more expressive in my high voice. So I've been practicing singing to some female vocalists and straining my voice... but the voice is like a muscle, you have to work it to strengthen it.
I tell a little about working with Frank Zappa in 1980. I told the stories about Frank Zappa on another podcast and the brand new microphone I was using totally crapped out on me and had static in the middle of the show. I didn't notice the defect until the next day when I listened to the entire podcast. But by that time iTunes had also noticed and took my "Richard Del Connor Philosopher Poet" podcast down. They took down the entire podcast series. I can appreciate their quality control. So I erased that podcast with a bunch of Frank Zappa stories on it, then recorded a new podcast with a better microphone.
Tomorrow I will walk to UPS and return the new microphone from Neewer for a new one. It's a USB microphone I could plug directly into my iMac. I'll let you know how the replacement works.
Hopefully iTunes will repost my "Richard Del Connor Philosopher Poet" podcast. See if you can find it.
Richard Del Connor started with a cassette recorder, moved up to quarter inch analog tape, then became a DJ at MUNR at Memorial University Radio when he was 17 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
In 1974 became a professional recording engineer and began recording commercials, radio ads and several albums.
The podcast currently has 14 episodes available.