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First Podcast of First Album by America’s First Buddhist Rock Band
PODCAST #1 of 20 podcasts for CD: Level 1 = Peace Of Mind by American Zen. The Coyote, of American Zen, hosts and leads a website podcast tour through the lyrics, poetry and webstories: http://www.americanZEN.org
Join “America’s First Buddhist Rock Band” on their ROCK OPERA spiritual journey of 8 Levels up the Zen Buddhist ladder of enlightenment. This Southern California FOLK ROCK group includes
- The Coyote: Flute, Vocal, Acoustic Guitar, Composer
- Rory G: Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Ukulele
- Tom Calder: Bass, Vox Organ
- Steve Hixon: Drums
- Produced by Richard O’Connor for Shaolin Records.
- Recording engineer: Don DelaVega
Complete podcast series: http://www.CoyoteRadio.TV
The FIRST song of this FIRST podcast of America’s FIRST Buddhist Rock Band starts with the song, “Peace Of Mind #2,” which is the FIRST song on American Zen’s FIRST album, LEVEL 1 = Peace of Mind, from Shaolin Records, produced by Richard Del Connor (known as “Richard O’Connor from 1980 to 2007).
All the songs on LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind were written by The Hippy Coyote in the order of the album songs EXCEPT this first song, “Peace Of Mind #2,” which was written after the album was completed and all the songs were recorded. Coyote thought the actual first song of American Zen, “Peace Of Mind,” was too sad to start their spiritual odyssey and wrote this “Peace Of Mind #2” about a recent trip back to his birthplace in Ocean Beach, California, to visit his parents and brothers.
The remainder of the songs were written about Coyote’s relocation to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was not embraced by the Christian Mormons. The Mormons stuck knives in his door with threatening notes, “Go back to California.” They forced employers to fire his wife from her jobs. They petitioned the YWCA to also fire Coyote who was teaching Tai Chi Chuan and Shaolin Kung Fu classes from his newly formed Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu school. When the director of the YWCA showed Coyote the letter, she was fired also.
CLICK the spinning blue/white YIN/YANG on the bottom right of the HOMEPAGE to begin your adventure.
WARNING: If YOU are Mormon DO NOT visit our website or listen to this podcast!
ADDITIONAL NOTE to Mormons: During the next LEVEL 2 = Christ Killer album the Utah Mormons are given edicts from their Politburo to “Stop harassing Richard Connor…”. For the next six years the Mormons ignored me and stopped harassing my wife. They still didn’t let my daughter play with their children and my high profile Mormon students couldn’t be in any of the photoshoots or newspaper interviews…
If you’re Catholic you may want to leave also. Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Methodists may also feel the squeeze of God’s hand on your neck if you listen to this podcast… It’s okay… even my supposedly-Christian relatives are scared of my books and albums. I understand.
If you’re Jewish you will be amused and understand why Christians are so confused when you hear and read these stories of American Zen.
During this episode #1 Coyote leads the podcast audience on a journey of the LEVEL 1 section of the americanZEN.org website. From the homepage, click “ENTER LEVEL 1” to begin your journey beyond superstition.
Each LEVEL of the americanZEN.org website was constructed along with the release of that album created by the band, American Zen. Each LEVEL of the website contains poetry, lyrics from the album, and ‘webstories’ about the American Zen band members as they get smarter and shed the superstitions they were raised with.
During the writing, rehearsing and recording of the LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind album, Coyote was supported and aided by the Chinese community of Utah. During WWII the American government couldn’t tell the difference between Chinese people and Japanese people so the government arrested thousands of Chinese families and put them in concentration camps with the Japanese here in Utah. After WWII the Chinese had lost their homes, lost their businesses, lost their jobs and created a Chinese Society in Salt Lake City to start from scratch like the “Shanghaied” Chinese kidnapped to work the railroads… some of those kidnapped Chinese also ended up in Utah because the railroad ended here.
The Hippy Coyote is also Richard Del Connor who was known as Shifu Richard O’Connor when he lived in Utah. Although there were two other Kung Fu schools in the entire state of Utah, Richard became famous for his work teaching inmates in prisons, rehabilitation centers and public schools. More uniquely, Richard taught Chinese Zen Buddhism so the Utah Chinese Cultural Association embraced Richard and supported his family during those first years in Utah. “Many thanks to Chinese Newspaper!”
Coyote explains how the first album was recorded in his Utah apartment when the neighbors were gone to work and how the two story hallway leading to his front door was a great place to record his guitar through his Marshall amplifier in the middle of the stairwell.
The Hippy Coyote – AUTHOR at Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/The-Hippy-Coyote/e/B008BYAACU
Utah Phase 1 poetry book by The Hippy Coyote
https://www.shaolinrecords.com/RecordStore-R/utahphase1-R.html
Autumn Flavours poetry book by Richard Del Connor, The Hippy Coyote
https://www.shaolinrecords.com/RecordStore-R/autumnflavours-R.html
Richard Del Connor – Record Producer website
https://www.RichardDelConnor.com
The song “Peace Of Mind #2” is from the album
LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind by American Zen
https://www.shaolincom.com/American_Zen/Level-1-S.html
The song “Black Of Night” is from the album
LEVEL 1 = Peace Of Mind by American Zen
https://www.shaolincom.com/American_Zen/Level-1-S.html
American Zen Official website:
https://www.AmericanZen.org
American Zen FACEBOOK page:
https://www.Facebook.com/americanzenband
Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records.
https://www.ShaolinRecords.com
Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications
https://www.ShaolinCOM.com
Music used by permission of Shaolin Records and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP
https://www.ShaolinMusic.com
*Note: Coyote mentions a website that no longer exists: “CoyotePodcast.com”. (Sorry.)
