Scott Coner Teams Up With Hit Songwriter Carol Chase for 'Whiter Shade of Pale'

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 2016) – Country artist Scott Coner and hit singer-songwriter Carol Chase have teamed up for a new single and music video of the classic Procol Harum rock classic, "Whiter Shade of Pale".

            Coner, who has recorded several classic rock covers in the past, says he discovered the song in the early 1980s on the soundtrack for the movie "The Big Chill". It's been a favorite ever since.

            "Procol Harum did a great job with the song," said Coner, who will include the tune on a new EP to be released this summer. "When I first started talking with Carol Chase, I wanted to begin on common ground. We hadn't begun writing together at that point, and I thought it would be good to start with a more established song. I had been considering the song already, and when I mentioned it, she loved the idea."

            To view the "Whiter Shade of Pale" music video, visit Scott Coner's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/n1AMo4-g7zk. To download the song at iTunes, visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/whiter-shade-pale-feat.-carol/id1114887283.

            Scott's wife, Cyndi, shot the video for Cynnamae Media Productions on the Coner family farm in Nancy, Kentucky, and during a recording session at 515 Studio in Nashville. The video was themed with different transition shots using natural shades of white. She added 1960s effects at the beginning after studying the original Procol Harum video.

            "We've all reviewed the video, and everyone is very happy with the results," Scott added. "I like working on our family farm because of the pretty surroundings, the seclusion, and my own memories of the farm itself. We hope people will enjoy it as much as we did while recording and filming the song."

            Scott's goal for the recording was to take a new approach, while respecting the original feel and structure of the original Procol Harum hit. Listeners can still hear the signature Hammond B-3 organ licks and "Beatlesque" percussion made famous in the original.

 'Whiter Shade of Pale' - Scott Coner Featuring Carol Chase

            "We kept the song at the same beats per minute," the artist continued. "My direction to the drummer was to attack it like John Bonham on a very simple, stripped-down set. As things progressed in the studio, the song went a slightly different direction with more of a pop sound. To allow for easier transition, we went with a simple bend in the guitar hook to maintain the contrast of the organ and the original direction of sound."

            "Whiter Shade of Pale" follows the release of a music video for "Maybe She Lied", a hit duet featuring Scott Coner and country singing legend Tanya Tucker. The "Maybe She Lied" video has been downloaded almost 250,000 times at http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic. The song hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. "Maybe She Lied" and other song selections can be downloaded on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/scott-coner/id333235738.

            Scott also has recorded with country legends T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels), have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer. Subscribe to the artist's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCepl18iQT9-j_GX8eYZHrVA?sub_confirmation=1 .

Country Artist Scott Coner Releases 'When The Angels Cry' Video on Domestic Violence

By Chuck Whiting

MCAU Editor

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 2015) – Hit country artist Scott Coner has released a new song and accompanying video that reveal the often unspoken but devastating impact of domestic violence on married women.

            Scott says he was inspired to write his latest single, "When The Angels Cry", after his wife Cyndi recounted some heartbreaking incidents that happened to her mother more than 20 years ago. Scott recorded the song with top-tier session players in Nashville, and the couple teamed up to shoot a stirring video on their rural farm near Franklin, Ind. The artist hopes the song and video will be a meaningful tool for organizations that are helping abused women realize their own potential while encouraging men to overcome a lifestyle of abuse.

            To download "When The Angels Cry" song or video, visit the artist's website at www.ScottConer.com, his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, or You Tube at https://youtu.be/SXUUgLl43TA .

            The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one in five women have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Startling statistics show that on a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.

            "I think I am passionate about the issue in part because of my own wife having to live in an abusive situation as a teenager," said Scott, who has recorded songs with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown. "But there is more to it than that. I hate to see anyone lose her self-worth and identity because of someone else. We all deserve a voice, and we all deserve respect."

            Scott wrote the song late one afternoon while he wife was preparing dinner. It tells the story of a woman who is abused by her husband night after night. In the lyric, the woman pleads with her spouse to stop. "You've taken all that I am... There's nothing left of me but this broken wedding band... Please don't hit me again... Please don't take my life... Look into these eyes for God's sake... That's your wife."

            Stylistically, "When The Angel's Cry" was a departure for Scott, who loves to rock the house with high-energy country tunes. Given its dark topic and overall feel, he decided to keep the recording simple and bare. For the recording session, he was joined at Nashville's 515 Studio by Clint Black keyboardist Dane Bryant, Martina McBride guitarist Mike Waldren, and veteran engineer Logan Schlegel. A special console was loaned to Scott by Rob Royer, a member of the legendary 1970s pop band Bread. The resulting sound is organic, tender and heartfelt.

            "So often in my writing process, I record new music pretty quickly," Scott added. "'Angels' was a song that lived with me for years. I recognize that this song isn't a 'feel-good' piece, but I felt I had to record it. I don't know how it will be received. But if the song and video help one person, it will be worth doing a thousand times over."

            Cyndi, who runs the family's Cynnamae Media Productions, brought the black and white video to life with realistic scenes of a Southern woman battered by an intoxicated, uncaring husband. In the end, the victim finally decides to run away. But when she opens a closet door to get her suitcase, a Bible falls out onto the floor. Listeners/viewers can hear Scott singing the chorus. "When the angels cry... You can almost taste the tears... Flowing like a river... It's been dammed up for years...."

            "To me, the Bible signifies hope and resolve in knowing there is a better life out there for her," continued Scott, who noted that the video features performances by a local couple and Scott and Cyndi's youngest daughter, Taylor. "One of the things I wanted to point out is that abuse happens in all parts of society."

 

            Scott Coner has recorded songs with a who's who of country legends including Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown, and Charlie Daniels. Scott's single "Maybe She Lied", a duet with Tucker on Reedy's Dream Records, hit number one on the United Kingdom's Hot Disk Top 40. Other songs, including "Sanibel" (a duet with Brown) and "Reedy's Dream" (with vocal and instrumental contributions from Daniels) have been heard on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Also an emerging author, Scott recently penned the book "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant and Me" with Gene Odom, a survivor of the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash.

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to download his songs and videos, visit www.ScottConer.com.

(Photos by Cyndi Coner)

'Artlightenment' to Bring Film, Art, Fashion and Song to Nashville from Nov. 13-15

     NASHVILLE – "Artlightenment", the annual multi-media art show and film festival that showcases dozens of  visual artists, painters, sculptors and filmmakers is slated to run Nov. 13, 14 and 15 at The Celebrity Centre (Old Fall School Building), 1130 Eighth Ave. S. in Nashville. 

     Created by painter, sculptor and film producer Robyn Morshead in 2009, the three-day event also will feature workshops, live music and a fashion show, making it a vital force in Nashville’s creative community. The theme for this year’s festival is “The Light Side of Art” with a spotlight on the works of underwater photographer and filmmaker Christy Rogers, a visionary artist who uses the refraction of light on her subjects to create beautiful images reminiscent of the paintings of Rubens and Caravaggio. Her work, which is being shown internationally, is currently on display at the Angers Nantes Opera House in Angers, France. "Artlightenment" will be the only opportunity to see her large-format prints in Nashville. She will host a special pre-show seminar, “My Career in Underwater Photography and Film”, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

    This year’s festival will also highlight the works of landmark photographer Raeanne Rubenstein whose photos have graced the pages of numerous publications such as People Magazine and The New York Times. Rubenstein will host a talk, “The Funny Side of Art and Film”, at 7p.m. Thursday.

    Actress Carla Christina Contreras will kick off "Artlightenment’s" film festival at 6:30 p.m. Saturday with her talk, “A Long and Successful Acting Career”. Contrera's recent film works include "Two Eggs" (with Tom Skirret), "Self Offense" (Official Selection in more than eight film festivals), "Static" (11 awards including Best Actress), as well as the feature film, "Summer Snow".  Some of her other works include "Army Wives", "America’s Most Wanted", and a co-starring role in "Following Her Heart", which starred Ann-Margret, George Segal and Brenda Vacarro.

     The festival is proud to feature "The MTSU Paris Project", three films produced by well-known documentary filmmaker Tom Neff and shot by student filmmakers from Middle Tennessee State University's Electronic Media Communications Department.  The films center on the unlikely cross-cultural exchange between Paris, France and Murfreesboro, Tenn., as MTSU student-filmmakers traveled there to make these extraordinary documentaries about contemporary French artists, their work and methodology.

     Three-Day Tickets for "Artlightenment" are $15. Ticketholders have access to all exhibits and workshops, as well as the film festival and closing-night awards and fashion shows. For more information on the "Artlightenment 2014 Art and Film Festival" and to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.artlightenment.com  

The WannaBeatles Release 'Oh Betty!' Song and Video

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 2012) – The WannaBeatles didn't win a Grammy this year for their CD "Fab Fan Memories -- The Beatles Bond", but they hope to walk the Red Carpet again in 2013 with "Oh Betty! (The Betty White Song)". 

            The Nashville band's new song and video honor the ever-popular, 90-year-old actress (the one who beat them out for a Grammy in the "Best Spoken Word Album" category).  The video, which features The WannaBeatles as a '60s-styled singing quartet and Evelyn Ford as a Betty White imposter, is available for free viewing at http://www.theWannaBeatles.com or at http://youtu.be/d_9TG-qwgKU .  The song is available at http://www.iTunes.com .

            "Oh Betty!" was released on Sept. 1, just in time to be considered for a Grammy nomination in the Best Short Video, Best Song Written for Visual Media, and Best New Artist categories. Members of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences can vote for the song and video and/or The WannaBeatles at http://www.Grammy.com  till early November. Grammy nominations will be announced on Dec. 1.

            "It was an honor to be a Grammy nominee earlier this year alongside Betty White," said WannaBeatles percussionist David Toledo.  "We wanted to find a creative way to share our unique experience with both our fans and people who love Betty.  And who doesn't love Betty White?"

            In their video fantasy, the group fills in for Betty White at an imaginary concert.  They are dumbfounded when a Betty White imposter appears onstage. After the band launches into "The Betty White Song", a magical kiss from the Betty look-alike transforms the boys into a plaid-jacketed, '60s-styled singing quartet.

            "The rest is pure silliness, including a Betty conga line and shots of the group admiring Betty's centerfold in a magazine," said vocalist/guitarist Dennis Scott, who co-wrote "Oh Betty!" after returning from the Grammy Awards.

            Scott and his band mates worked hard to craft a tune that exudes the true spirit of what Betty White is all about.  The toe-tapping, hook-driven number is reminiscent of clever, sing-along hits from the 1950s and '60s.  The star said she was "very flattered" after listening to the song.

      The video was taped at the historic Palace Theater in Gallatin, Tenn.  The "Oh Betty!" team included The WannaBeatles, director Vince Pinkerton, videographer Tom Terry, stage manager Larry Gregory, choreographer Brooke Bryant, and production assistant Lucy Hart. Evelyn Ford portrayed "Betty", while Brooke Bryant and Susannah Smith White served as silver-haired Betty White dancers. Costumes and props were provided by Halloween Inc., Kim & Kit Vintage, and Get it Guru. Chuck Whiting served as project publicist, and meals were catered by The Pizza Machine.       

            "Ours is the typical showbiz story: Band goes to the Grammys, band loses to Betty, band writes 'The Betty White Song'," Scott added with a laugh.

            The WannaBeatles (Bryan Cumming, Nathan Burbank, Dennis Scott and David Toledo) received their first Grammy nomination in December 2011 as the producers of "Fab Fan Memories - The Beatles Bond", a CD featuring songs, stories, recollections and fond thoughts about The Beatles from celebrities and everyday fans.  The project was nominated in the "Best Spoken Word Album" category.  The other nominees included Tina Fey, Betty White, and Val Kilmer. The audio book features narration by George Harrison's older sister, Louise Harrison, with performances by The Liverpool Legends of Branson, Mo., and The WannaBeatles in Music City.

            "The Beatles are well known for putting their anecdotes into songs," said WannaBeatles keyboardist Nathan Burbank. "We are following the sample of our mentors by telling our tale in the best way we know how.  The Betty White video could be the beginning of a reality-based WannaBeatles TV show."

            Guitarist/trumpeter Bryan Cumming noted that the group's Betty White song and video are "the latest example of The WannaBeatles' formula for success: 40 percent music, 40 percent comedy, and 40 percent bad math."       

           To learn more about The WannaBeatles or "Oh Betty! (The Betty White Song)", visit http://www.TheWannaBeatles.com or send an email inquiry to dsmusic1@me.com.