Below is the authorised publicity pic
of Tony Richards.You are welcome to use this image for public media and communication purposes.
of Tony Richards.You are welcome to use this image for public media and communication purposes.
All the remaining images on this webpage require permission.
This is the album cover for the latest vinyl release.
The Cosmic Debris
carnivaldin@icloud.com
The latest album release from Carnival Din Records now available to hear on Spotify, go to The Cosmic Debris, or go to Soundcloud.
2023 album – 12" vinyl only, limited release of 100 copies.
Available in-store at: Flying Out
and at the one & only Real Groovy Record Store,
and at ... Southbound too,
and as of today, Rebel Soul Records on Ponsonby Rd
Recorded at Sunshine Studio, Mt Wellington, Auckland in 2022. Thanks to all the soulsters and funksters who inspired me to make this album. Respect to all the software designers who have enabled the development of my digital audio workspace using Logic Audio X, and to Ken Lewis from Mixing Night for the brilliant Green HAAS plug in.
Vanessa McGowan played bass on Centre Of The Groove, and Alex played lead shaker on Turn On Your Light.Thank you to APRA NZ and the team at DRM for managing the digital rights & distribution.
Cover photo by Doug Peters of Ambient Light, and thank you Sue for bringing the beautiful Sookie and Rosie to the Lot23 Studio. Album design, artwork and photography consultant was Theo. Love to Julia – you have paved the way for the journey we have made.
All songs written and produced by Tony Richards. Published by Carnival Din Records. All rights reserved.carnivaldin@icloud.com tonyrichardsmusic.com
P & C 2022 Carnival Din Records.
And the next album is almost done, to be released mid 2023, it's a bit more on the folk and rock side
PREVIOUS RELEASES:
Songs of Freedom
PREVIOUS RELEASES:
Songs of Freedom
The release of a 4 track EP just before my two month travels in Europe when I wrote a travel blog called Songs Of Freedom, a lyric from Bob Marley's Redemption Song. www.songsoffreedom.com
The artwork is by Will Saunders and features in the background The Portland Public House where I have played many times and debuted all the songs on this EP.
The Cosmic Debris
Tony Richards
Artist management:
carnivaldin@icloud.com
The four songs on the EP are a complete remix by Joshua Lynn of 1969 Is All You Need with new vocals.
Centre Of The Groove, about the great self-taught musicians like John Lennon, Jimi and Prince who just followed their instincts and connected so powerfully.
Hold Down Love, about keeping a relationship together by rising above the petty.
She Loves To Dance, my latin-jazz groove about the deep impressions that come from free-range travel in our youth. The song imagines a woman dancing on Bethels Beach recalling the music from a time in the past when exploring the back streets of Barcelona.
The Songs Of Freedom travel blog has continued since returning to New Zealand and is used now to journal my experiences at the Byron Bay Bluesfest. I describe the music and performers, and the impressions they made on me – it's a way of preserving some really great moments. The blog will continue with my travels again in June and July to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallin, Berlin, Paris and Jerusalem.
The Wetland Tracks
A ten track album released 7th December 2015 with solo performances during December all around Auckland.
A celebration of the counterculture with songs about the music and ideas that changed humanity for good.
LINER NOTES from the album cover.
Thanks to the guest musicians: Nigel Gavin - guitar (Mood Indigo), Richard Adams - violin (Possibilities), Andrew Miller - tenor sax (Step Off The Earth), Paul Barry - drums (1969), Mark Johnson - bass (Fallen Down), Paul Naveen - drums (Fallen Down), Jennie Cruse - vocals (Fallen Down). Cover pic by Theodore Richards, inside pic by Ema Barton. Artwork by UVdesign. Recorded at Allan Williams’s Marua Road Studio, Ellerslie and Cabin 52, Mt Wellington, Auckland. Additional recording and mixing in various lounges, kitchens, garages and sleepouts. Thanks to Chris Parisi for the mix production on 1969. All songs, written and produced by Tony Richards. Carnival Din Records, Auckland, New Zealand.
A big thank you to all the live music venue organisers in pubs, bars and cafés everywhere supporting singer songwriters, and especially to Nigel and Chris at 121 Ponsonby Rd, Helen at The Windsor Castle in Parnell, Ema at The Empire Tavern on Victoria St West, Ed at Grand Central Station in Ponsonby, Darren at the The Clare Inn on Dominion Road, Francis at the Takapuna Bar, Ross and Ema at The Portland Public House in Kingsland, and Riqi at The Kingslander.Love, always, to Julia. Special thanks to Richard Adams, Peter Fielding and Ed Gaiger for showing me how it’s done.
The lyrics to 1969 Is All You Need
Resonating with the universe, took a photo of planet earth, come together all around the world, taking it higher,
1969 is all you need, 1969 is all I believe. Jimi kissed the sky, John stayed in bed, Zepp'in one and two, Let It Bleed,
Looking from the moon, that big blue marble, floating all alone, so fragile, Just one year, just one year,
Zeitgeist of the modern mind, freakin' right out, 1969 is all you need, 1969 is all I believe.
Get back on the rooftop, call a revolution, get back to the land, it's a free concert from now on, one thing to remember,
the man next to you, he's your brother. Soul on fire, breathe on me, open your mind, get yourself free.
If I could only listen to the music from one year in history for the rest of my life,
I would choose 1969. All these albums were recorded or released then – what a year!
It's all about the counterculture
This stuff fascinates me because countercultures are sub cultures whose values and norms differ substantially from those of mainstream society, often in opposition to them. A countercultural movement expresses the ethos and aspirations of a specific population during a well-defined era. When oppositional forces reach critical mass, countercultures can trigger dramatic cultural changes. Prominent examples of countercultures in Europe and North America include Romanticism (1790–1840), Bohemianism (1850–1910), the more fragmentary counterculture of the Beat Generation (1944–1964), and perhaps most prominently, the counterculture of the 1960s (1964–1974), usually associated with the hippie subculture. In the 1960's, it has been said, there was a leap in human consciousness: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Che Guevara led a revolution of conscience, and The Beatles, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix used music to create revolutionary and evolutionary themes. (from Wikipedia).
T'shirts for sale. $40.00 plus postage. Any size, colours are red, black, grey, white. Orders to: shirts@carnivaldin.icloud.com1969 is all you need Not a government funded artist Share the wealth Madam Omar.
PRESS RELEASE - AEROPLANE MUSIC SERVICES
A celebration of the counterculture:
Tony Richards releases The Wetland Tracks
Tony Richards is proud to release his 2nd album entitled The Wetland Tracks, the moniker he uses for writing and recording his songs with fellow musicians.
The Wetland Tracks is a celebration of counterculture in a ten-song collection exploring events and philosophies that changed humanity for good.
During recording, the song '1969 Is All You Need' soon became the focus for the album, referencing a year that saw an awareness of the ecology, political consciousness and sexual freedom.
The track '1969 Is All You Need' is an upbeat salute to the incredible albums released that year, Woodstock, political activism and the moon landings. 'Mood Indigo' is a mystically sultry song about sexual politics and woman’s emancipation while 'Madam Omar' is a search for alternative spiritualism wrapped in a rhythmic acoustic riff.
Richards recorded at Allan Williams’s Marua Road Studio, Ellerslie with additional recording and mixing in various lounges, kitchens, garages and sleepouts around the city. A talented group of musicians feature on the album including Nigel Gavin, Richard Adams, Andrew Miller, Paul Barry, Mark Johnson, Paul Naveen and vocalist, Jennie Cruse.
Richards is a regular on the songwriter open night circuit around Auckland.
Says Tony, "There is currently 16 songwriter and open nights every week in Auckland with the standard of performance continuing to rise. They’re the perfect place to workshop new songs, build up that 10,000 hours and hang out with other songwriters."
The Wetland Tracks is now available for purchase from iTunes. You can catch Tony on any given night at a songwriter open night around the city. (Gallery of 1969 album covers and t-shirt merchandise at tonyrichardsmusic.com).
The 1969 cover of the Whole Earth Catalogue with the iconic Earthrise photo.
For more information contact:
Mahoney Harris
Aeroplane Music Services
mahoney@aeroplanemusic.co.nz
PH +64 (0) 9 846 8892
www.aeroplanemusic.co.nz
Mahoney Harris
Aeroplane Music Services
mahoney@aeroplanemusic.co.nz
PH +64 (0) 9 846 8892
www.aeroplanemusic.co.nz
March 2014. Album One. Tony Richards & the Wetland Tracks
Playing these songs in bars and cafes at jam nights, open-mic and songwriter nights was a big part of the writing process. I could try out new lyrics, different keys and tempos, weird tunings, and various acoustic and electric guitars until they felt right.
As an unknown musician playing a bunch of songs no one’s ever heard before to a fairly disinterested audience, it’s never going to be a easy – but it's a good way to find out what works and what doesn't. If people turned away from the big flat-screen tv on the wall and listened for a while – something was going right. I’ve no idea why bar staff leave the screens on during singer-songwriter nights, but whatever, when the songs connected it was all worth it. While waiting to play I’d often see some incredible performers with great voices and amazing songs. Live music in small venues has a special chemistry and the audiences seemed to keep growing all the time. On some nights these places were jam-packed with everyone just listening – wonderful.
I wanted to record the songs just as I played them live with an acoustic or electric guitar, but as the recording process continued I asked other musicians to add some extra colour to the tracks and was amazed how much the overdubs have lifted the songs. Thanks Nigel, Richard, Ed and Paul, and also to all the musicians who have joined in and played along with the songs, it inspired me to write songs with one chord – but sometimes fellas, I gotta have more cowbell.
My friend Allan Williams had a studio space on Marua Road that used to be a car storage depot and it was about to be renovated. I set up a studio under a mosquito net right beside another work-in-progress, a blue 1975 Datsun 260Z waiting to be restored (keep going Carl, it’s a beautiful thing). Takes were made between bursts of power tools and some very heavy down-pours on the corrugated iron roof – and even though it was mid-winter without much heating it was the most relaxed and enjoyable recording experience I have ever had. Thanks to my family and friends and everyone who dropped by and listened in or joined in, you’ve all added something to the music.
Album One was recorded at Al’s Marua Road Studio, Ellerslie, Auckland, during the winter of 2013. Additional recording and mixing in various lounges, kitchens, sheds and sleepouts. Thanks to the guest musicians: Ed Gaiger - bass, Paul Naveen - drums, Richard Adams - violin, Nigel Gavin - guitar. Cover image features the sculpture Green Car 666 by Roger Thompson. Waiheke Island Sculpture On The Gulf.
All songs written and produced by Tony Richards. Mastered by KOG.
tonyrichardsmusic.com carnivaldin@icloud.com
Thanks to all the live music organisers in pubs, bars and cafés everywhere, and especially: 121 Ponsonby Rd, Grand Central, Snatch, The Windsor, The Brooklyn Bar, The Kingslander, The Clare Inn, London Bar, Empire Tavern, Newmarket Cock & Bull, Southern Cross, Spleen Bar, The Elwood Lounge, and The Portland Public House (some of these places have changed names).
1. Pacific Coast Highway. Tony Richards - acoustic guitar.
2. Stars Align. Tony Richards - guitar, Ed Gaiger - bass, Paul Naveen - drums
3. No Way Back. Tony Richards - guitar, bass.
4. Blue September. Tony Richards - guitar, Nigel Gavin - guitar.
5. Help Someone Else Get Free. Tony Richards - guitar, bass, kick drum, Richard Adams - violin
6. The Secret Is. Tony Richards - guitar, bass, kick drum
7. Ramp It Up. Tony Richards - guitar, Ed Gaiger - bass, Paul Naveen - drums
8. Searching And Waiting. Tony Richards - guitar, bass, Richard Adams - violin, Paul Naveen - drums
9. Everybody Needs Love. Tony Richards - guitar, bass, Paul Naveen - drums
10. Glow. Tony Richards - guitar, Nigel Gavin - guitar, bass, Paul Naveen - drums
Bio.
Here's a brief musical history: Tony Richards was born in Palmerston North to Sidney William Richards an ex-RNZAF pilot and Kathleen May Coe, a North Canterbury farmer's daughter. He studied piano from age 9 to 11 and received his first guitar as 15th birthday gift; a nylon string Suzuki, and bought a steel string acoustic at 17, a Ray Durant, a rebranded Tama. First real concert experience was Led Zeppelin at Western Springs in Auckland in February 1972, and the Rolling Stones at the same venue in February 1973.
Palmy Boys High and Freyberg High for the 6th Form. Graduated with a B.Mus in Composition from Victoria University of Wellington studying under Douglas Lilburn, Ross Harris, Jenny McLeod, Frederic Page, David Farqhuar and Jack Body.
Played in various bands in Wellington during the punky/ska/new wave era in the 80's and had some success with the noisy but short-lived Carnival Din with Eddie Vaughan bass, Clarke Gregory drums and Roger Hayden on guitar, and Brendan Fitzgerald was the drummer for the last few gigs. A live recording was made at Cosgroves Bar off Kent Cambridge Terrace on 6th August 1982 and plans are in the pipeline for an edited release. Wellington had a vibrant music scene with the likes of Riot 111, Ambitious Vegetables, Beat Rhythm Fashion, The Hulamen and The Wallsockets in the early 80's,
A composer-in-residence at the Willis Street Arts Centre for their TEP Summer City Programme around 1983 and recorded instrumental tracks at the now demolished Radio NZ Studio on Boulcott St with an eight piece band called Atmospherix that included Roger Sellers on drums and Mike Booth on trumpet.
Lived in Notting Hill on Portobello Road in London for seven years from 1987 to 1995 mainly working in advertising and graphic design while playing in cafés and bars as a duo of guitar and sax with a repetoire of swing, jive and soul standards. Ray Charles and Louis Jordan songs featured strongly.
Wrote music for about ten low-budget and no-budget films and experienced the arrival of the electronic dance music phenomenon and the Acid House warehouse rave scene. Bands at the time were Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, and Soul To Soul, along with Terence Trent Darby. Then suddenly Britain welcomed in Brit-pop. In 1995 Tony saw Pulp, Portishead, Jamiraquoi and Oasis play at Glastonbury, as well as Page and Plant.
He returned to Auckland in 1996 with Julia to start a family and worked in live sound event production. He formed a House music duo called Ultravenous which played one of the early Gatherings in the Takaka Hills near Nelson and released two tracks independently. Since then his focus has been on songwriting and solo performance in local bars and venues. A converted garage is the home of Sunshine Studio where he has a Logic Audio digital audio workstation.
His current project is called The Cosmic Debris, check it out on Spotify and Soundcloud.
Contact: carnivaldin@icloud.com
