This is better than being “on the cover of the Rolling Stone”!! Thanks to Andy Gray from The Vindicator/Tribune for the great article on Bull Run…Bull Run is off to the races 53 years later | News, Sports, Jobs - The Vindicator (vindy.com)

…I bought 5 copies before I realized why five.

NEW RELEASE~BULL RUN

***Release date Apil 2024***
Bull Run | Bull Run | Peppermint Records (bandcamp.com)

jim connor the mastermind, circa 1970’s

Greetings Folks~

This website was originally created to share and promote Jim Connor’s musical journey as a singer/songwriter from 2017-2018. As some of you may know, I am Jimmy’s daughter Kim, and had been on the old man’s journey armed with adventure, awe and pride (and sometimes the weapon of patience). His end-goal was to ‘just do music and fuck all this other shit’, and was positioning himself to do exactly that when he traversed into the great beyond in 2019 (still pissed at him)…

I was fortunate enough (or, perhaps it has been that old coot extending that long reach he always warned me about) to uncover a treasure trove of his music-related artifacts dating back to the 60’s and ‘70s. Lyrics, arrangements, rehearsal cassettes, reels, and, vintage gear. The brightest gems were the recordings from his band Bull Run back from 1971-72. Recently, I had the serendipitious experience of crossing paths with the likes of the folks at Peppermint Records. Yep, THAT Peppermint Records…I could not have thunk that up…

To make a long story short and defer the boredom, these musical geniuses worked with me through the past few years to transfer, master, produce and put the Bull Run recordings on vinyl and digital. Best of all, they are promoting it on Peppermint Records/Bandcamp as part of their ongoing commitment to recognizing and acknowledging the unique music and musicians from the Youngstown area (if you’re from the Youngstown area, put it on your bucket list to check out). And they put up with my endless questions and meticulous ways, reigning me in when needed to put the best of Jimmy out there.

So, it is my duty to update this website to include the magic and mystique of Jim Connor’s earlier music days. Pics on this site are from the day. Click on the link below to go directly to the Peppermint Records Bandcamp site where you can take a listen to each track, PURCHASE, and, peruse the catalog of Peppermint’s Youngstown Music Project…

Bull Run | Bull Run | Peppermint Records (bandcamp.com) https://peppermintrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bull-run

Hope you enjoy the earlier stuff, and don’t forget to check out the newer music already on this site and streaming platforms. Let yourself be transported back to the musical scene of the day around Youngstown by reading the liner notes. Any musician from that era and this town will recall the journey. And then you will know why Jim is 100% Blue F@%*ing Collar Singer Songwriter

I am forever indebted to all of the folks who helped make this happen, as well as those whom I have hunted and tracked down to fill in the missing pieces to the older puzzle, but kept in touch with me for someas an extension of their musical journey. Thanx for taking a shot on a kid trying to do right by her partner in crime all these years. I know you’re up there, Pop, watching with humor and pride. You are still my sunshine…your kid~

BULL RUN LINER NOTES FROM SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM

Bull Run was the vision of my dad, Jimmy Connor. He had been leading bands in the Youngstown music scene since the 1960s, with the likes of Jimmy and The Continentals, Robins Hoods (which not only featured Glass Harp/Human Beinz member Steve Markulin but also full-on Renaissance costumes) and The Pill. By 1970, Jimmy was ready to move into more original and heavier material rather than remain ‘pop and cover-oriented’. Bringing on 21- year-old guitar virtuoso Craig Davis, and 17-year-old bass player Frank Zoccole who had been around the Youngstown music scene, Bull Run embarked on showcasing original lyrics and arrangements, totally immersing themselves into the new sound. Thanks to my dad’s meticulous archiving of everything associated with the band, we know that this did not serve them commercially. There’s a rejection letter from Columbia Records suggesting that they “get into a top 40 bag (keep it heavy if you like) and write some commercial tunes.” There’s also a note that must have been passed to him by an upset club owner during a gig that says, “Nobody’s dancing! Did you notice? Play some of the top 40 (if you know how)”.

Undeterred, the band found themselves sharing the bill with many of the top Youngstown bands like Glass Harp, Morley Grey, and Biggie Rat (who would become Poobah) at the hippest venues such as The Zodiac Club, The Greene, and Mickey’s. They snagged gigs in Pennsylvania, Indianapolis and Chicago. One show flier has them getting the same billing as Bo Diddley at a club in New Jersey. They clearly worked their asses off with the blue-collar ethics of home, signing contracts with regional bookers and labels, though nothing much ever came of it. When it came to making an album though, Youngstown was always their muse.

They recorded some demos (their “Oldie Moldies” as was marked on the tape box) on Halloween of 1970 at GS Productions, which was a small voice-over studio that came about after United Audio became Peppermint. However the bulk of this album was meticulously recorded mixed and edited in the basement at home. “Leper’s Castle” is the clearest example of how deep Jim and the guys were willing to go to create their sound and true sonic journey; from the phone call intro, to the slamming of the “castle gates” (the garage door), to dragging chains across the floor. They found a way to make it themselves they way they envisioned. They also found their way to Peppermint Studios, trading studio time for in-studio construction work (my dad built the drum booth). Fortunately for the band, Peppermint’s founder and engineer Gary Rhamy was attuned to the changing musical vibe of the area, working with those talented, raw power trios like LAW, Glass Harp, and Morley Grey who were becoming prominent and popular at the time.

This album features the songs that Bull Run so diligently and creatively worked on August - September 1971. Though many versions, demos and arrangements of all the songs exist, what’s compiled here is what I believe to be the album my dad intended but never got to release . These songs showcase the creativity, songwriting, musicianship, artistry in chords and arrangements that were the hallmark of Bull Run.

Jimmy always offered food and shelter to the band members and whomever was associated with Bull Run. He would walk in the door announcing, “This is (whomever he was bringing in for whatever band he was leading at the time). He’s moving in. He’s with the band.” I was “the kid” who was always underfoot. From the time I was around 2 years old, our home was available for a meal or a bed or even having my Mom doing their laundry. I had built-in babysitters, but I also had the beginnings of something more powerful. I was always listening. I heard Jimmy encourage the band to push their boundaries musically, spiritually and existentially. Many a symbiotic relationship was formed back then, all with the same vision. As I was growing up, I was also watching these young men grow in their own way. Some are still my friends to this very day, and have provided invaluable support and pieces of the puzzle. These very early influences have stayed with me through the years and truly shaped my appreciation for chasing a dream, working hard and having blue-collar ethics, let alone my musical preferences. Looking back, I realize I was privy to some really great talent and some really great people.

Experientially, I feel the vision, the enthusiasm, the disappointments and the sacrifices made by all in Bull Run as I not only pursue my creative endeavors, but in life as a whole. Seems to me that the message is this: Music IS Life. Recognition and acknowledgement in the music business is so very complex and arduous; however, perhaps the best way I can honor these guys is to use my energy to somehow, someway, send up the message that they were truly on the right track. Thanks for the memories, boys, and thanks for the life influences…

~Kim Connor

Special thanks to all the folks from the area who worked so hard to promote Bull Run back in the day, and, in the present. Peppermint Peeps: I am forever grateful for and indebted to your belief in this project and for containing me when I needed it. To those who have remained friends and see me not as Jimmy’s little blonde kid but as an adult with whom they forged their own friendships and talk music, I cannot thank you enough-not even in a thousand lifetimes. And, a special shout out to all of those ‘band boys’/ roadies who hauled equipment for 10 bucks a night…you know who you are…

Side 1:

Race For Death (Jim Connor / Craig Davis) 6:52

Just A Dream (Jim Connor / Craig Davis) 5:16

Intruder (Craig Davis) 5:26

Side 2:

Leper’s Castle (Jim Connor / Craig Davis / Michael DeLaney) 9:03

Flag (Jim Connor / Craig Davis) 6:29

Bonus Tracks (CD and digital only)

Craig’s Sink (Craig Davis) 4:39

Two-Timin’ Baby (Jim Connor / Craig Davis) 4:46

Leper’s Castle (Early Version) (Jim Connor / Craig Davis / Michael DeLaney) 8:40

Cancer (Jim Connor / Craig Davis) 6:46

BULL RUN:

Jim Connor: vocals, drums, acoustic guitars, organ

Craig Davis: lead guitar, background vocals

Frank Zoccole: bass guitar, background vocals

Produced by Jim Connor

Arrangements by Jim Connor and Craig Davis

Compiled by Kim Connor, Dean Anshutz, and Anthony LaMarca

Tape transfer by Gary Rhamy at Peppermint Productions, Youngstown, OH

Audio restoration and Remastering by Adam Boose, Cauliflower Audio, Cleveland, OH

Illustrations by Jim Connor

Layout design by David Pokrivnak

About Jim

Shot02_JimCinnor_0164 (1).jpg — Jim Connor

100% Blue F**ing Collar Singer-Songwriter

“The book of life comes in a hard cover and you’ve lived it page by page.” Jim Connor - Freedom — “The book of life comes in a hard cover and you’ve lived it page by page.”
Jim Connor - Freedom

WHEN IT ALL Started…

From the advent of Rock and Roll, Jim knew what his life’s calling was. He says, “I can’t remember hearing a song on the radio before that.”

Jim’s first lesson in becoming a Roads Scholar came at an early age. With infant Jim in tow, his mother left their family and home in Boston to distance herself from her carousing, musician husband, whom Jim only saw once years later. He was boarded out so his mother could work towards a home for them. “Mom re-married a few years later. We moved a lot and I was often left alone to amuse myself.” Seemingly, the inklings of the nomadic, creative life of a musician had taken its roots.

Jim taught himself to play the drums on the back of a tin cookie can. He eventually started several bands and played throughout the Midwest blue-collar states, both coasts, as well as down South and Europe. Although he was often recognized for the innovative projects he created, Jim was never able to achieve that coveted recording contract.

All the while, Jim used his skills as an Ironworker to put food on the table. Jim eventually started his own successful steel erection company, and has gone on to erect much of the Midwest skyline with hundreds of building projects. His tenacious, driven nature and poet’s heart, combined with rugged strength and depth of feeling is reflected in his songs. It is original music, that is uniquely his own and represents his actual experiences of lessons learned and a life hard-lived.

Throughout his life, music has remained his passion. In 2014, Jim was accepted into the world-renowned Berklee College of Music Online Songwriting program. In addition to his new material, songs were also resurrected from his early days as a songwriter and performer. Now, with two records under his belt (and more on the way), Jim Connor is reclaiming his rightful position as the voice of the working man.

Jim is all about his God, his family, and the heartbeat of his universe - Music.

Jim Connor - 100% Blue F**ing Collar Singer Songwriter