Episode Details

This is my interview with musician and songwriter Bob Walkenhorst of Norborne/Kansas City, Missouri. Bob is perhaps best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band The Rainmakers, which gained international recognition in the 1980s and 1990s. Bob started his music career in the psychedelic rock band Phantasia during the early 1970s. Bob's career has spanned multiple decades, during which he has built a dedicated fanbase, including admiration from author Stephen King.

In this conversation, we touch on Bob's early music career, the story of Phantasia and its band members, the formation of The Rainmakers, Kansas City's early music scene and recording history, audio engineering techniques, Bob's songwriting process, experiences with European tours, and the challenges of the music business. This interview is a great chance to learn about 1960s/70s Missouri history.

Timestamps for this interview:

0:00 - Intro to Bob Waldenhorst; being an artist in the small town of Norborne, Missouri
2:51 - Playing guitar for the first time; Beatles era of music
5:23 - Joining the band “Phantasia” at age 17
6:48 - Finding the Phantasia vinyl record in a psychedelic rock playlist
7:35 - The story of the Phantasia record in 1970-71 at Damon Studios in downtown Kansas City
10:09 - Going to UMKC, starting Duff Radio; the story behind The Rainmakers band
11:58 - Gaylord Mars and the Mars Sound Archives at UMKC (early archive of jazz recordings from Kansas City)
12:51 - 60s and 70s music time period, golden era of music; Vic Damon and George Damon at Damon Studios (downtown Kansas City history)
16:39 - 70s recording technology, tube board technology, audio engineering expertise
19:07 - what makes a great music mix? Loudness war explained
21:42 - Does Bob still get in the studio? Performing live?; Bob’s mixing and mastering; plugins
23:58 - What is a European music tour like?
25:20 - What’s it like to go from small-town Missouri to global critical acclaim?; Stephen King’s fandom
27:23 - What makes the music business so difficult
28:41 - Bob’s writing process
29:52 - John DePugh, the lyricist behind Phantasia
31:57 - Trizo 50, an early Kansas City garage/glam band; more Phantasia lore; Right-wing 1960s underground paramilitary group The Minutemen in Norborne, Missouri
37:24 - What happened after Bob left Norborne; living with no regrets
39:19 - More about writing process steps; using time limits for creativity
44:57 – How Bob spends his time; being productive as a self-employed person; making money in music
48:11- Longevity tips for maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health
54:16 – Side two of the Phantasia vinyl, imitating other rock n roll figures
55:46 – Audience questions
57:23 – Bob’s live show Sept 4 at the Westsider
59:04 – Outro