Richard Poon’s saving grace

MANILA, Philippines - Some music fans may have thought that crooner Richard Poon would end up as a flash in the pan and eventually take off his formal suit as a sign of surrender.

Nope. He’s invested too much in his sound and the technicality surrounding it and keeps doing so. The goal is not to shortchange his audience each time he records or performs.

He has released a number of good-selling albums, remains a sought-after act on TV and major live gigs, and reliably fosters a positive image for noted brands.

One of the keys, he revealed in a recent interview with The STAR, is saving a lot of money to finance his minus ones, which means employing a first-rate orchestra to play and record the musical accompaniment to be put on during his live shows.

“I save a lot and live below my means because I have to pay people for musical arrangements that I use in performances. Imbes na ipang-party ko, I’ll just save my money to hire musicians and arrangers,” shared the young-looking singer.

That answers why his minus ones arguably sound classier than those brought by other singers who are probably using straight digital sound productions or mere technological tricks to back their singing voices in gigs.

He explained, “I’m happy when that ‘wow factor’ comes out and tech people would say iba ang tunog ng minus ones ko — ang sosyal at hindi cheap. You can’t fool people when it comes to that otherwise you’ll be laughed at, especially when you are performing a la Michael Bublé.”

Well, that’s a cool tip for those wanting to be a crooner and embrace the big band sound and its elite crowd.

Richard was a main attraction during the 2014 United Fashion Day held last month at Robinsons Place Manila. Together with sports figure Gretchen Ho, he is endorsing shoe brand Cardam’s which he describes as “an enduring brand.” It satisfies him that wearing coat and tie strengthens that picture of elegance that the brand projects.

As proof of his continuing success as a music scene star, the Cornerstone management talent is bound to release a 12-track album that features him singing Burt Bacharach songs. Again, he has put premium in the arrangements of the special list of covers, which includes his takes on Walk On By, You’ll Never Get To Heaven, What The World Needs Now, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Arthur’s Theme and other classics from the Grammy-winning icon.

Richard’s current label is said to have passed word around that the new album “might be the best album we’re releasing this year.”

He shared with high confidence, “Personally, I’m very happy about this album kasi pinag-isipan ko talaga ang mga areglo, I’m hands-on with the mixing, and this might be the best one I’ve done so far.”

As Richard feels that properly investing in one’s musical package should not be equated with overspending, his somewhat lack of formal music training still bugs him in spite of being more technically good compared with most Filipino solo singers. He could have studied music more during his formative years learning the ropes.

The nice thing about it is that, he is equipped enough to make sure he is providing high quality music that fits his on-stage showcase.

(The Crooner Sings Bacharach album launch happens on Oct. 3, 6 p.m. at The East Atrium, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.)