SCOTTY "GUITAR" MINER is a solo artist with a recording career spanning 27 years. He writes music and lyrics, and sings both lead and backgrounds. Scott plays keyboards, the guitar, bass guitar and the drums. He made his first recordings in 1978, and has continued to this day. Currently working on a brand new album in Fishkill, NY with arranger/producer/musician Elliott Glenn, Scott is very positive about the early results. This is the second album the two have done together, and it is a bit of a departure from Scott's previous styles. Scott formed NOWSVILLE Records in 1977 with friend Steve Baldwin, and over 50 master recordings are currently in the catalog, available for licensing to the highest bidder! (A big AMEN to that!)
Scott Miner burst on the scene during the New York New Music Era. Other groups from NY like The Ramones and Television were popular then, and as always, the quest for a major record deal was a difficult one. Scott scored with Fire Sign records, but the company was too involved with their main act (RIOT) to be able to break Scott as an artist. A publishing deal with Camex Music was more fruitful, but did not result in a record contract. The company offered to him a deal on its own label, but Scott was looking for a Columbia or an RCA...a label that could put him "over the top"...
The music business was booming back in 1978. The "Punk" and/or "New Wave" phenomena was big everywhere, especially in the UK and here in the USA. Scott was coming into his prime in '78, with a string of hard rockin' sides recorded by producer Randy Adler at Minot Sound Studios in suburban White Plains. Those recordings were quickly appropriated by Steve Loeb and Billy Arnell of Fire-Sign Records. While at Fire-Sign, Scott recorded some other songs...and unfortunately, those seem to be lost forever. Scott has looked, but all traces of Loeb, Arnell and even their studio seem to have vanished from the face of the earth.
The Scott Miner band, funded by Steve Baldwin, was promising at first, but was dissolved due to drug and alcohol problems with some of the members. Nightly, on weeknights, at least, Scott and Steve would walk from their loft to Max's Kansas City, the primo New Wave hangout in the city. All kinds of celebrities would go there regularly. On weeknights, however, the crowd was mostly music people. Bands, Singers, Writers and groupies were everywhere...and the tourists, kids from the suburbs that came in on weekends were absent. So, the musicians could have their privacy.
"It was kind of a private social club, even though the doors were open to all", remembers Scott. Joey Ramone and I used to drink, think, and talk music business till all hours. The music was great...many of the top bands in New York played there, and a lot of the unknowns, too. The food was exceptional, and when closing time came around, it was a shame to have to go home!
Max's has a website now, and if anyone wants to learn of the history and the legends of that wonderful club, they can log on.
maxskansascity.com
Scott worked as an engineer at OPAL Studios on West 54th Street (upstairs from Studio 54) in 1980. There was another music/show biz hangout across the street he would frequent called "Possible 20". Scott made lots of friends there, including million selling singer Vickie Sue Robinson and WABC DJ Chuck Leonard. As with the folks at Max's, many of Scott's friends from those days are no longer with us. Scott, who was close to Vickie Sue, was very sad when she passed away a number of years ago. He feels that it is important to carry on for those who are gone, especially for Vickie Sue, who always wanted to break out of the "disco stranglehold" and record other types of music.
The music of Scott Miner has evolved over the years, and currently ranges from pop to progressive to disco house to "Christian".
That brings us to an album that Scott recorded in 1992. Mainly a testimony to his faith, but also including a few pop numbers, the CD was promptly rejected by the image conscious "Christian" labels. Scott was too old, they said. How interesting! Would Jesus Himself think Scott to be too old?? NOT! One of those songs is posted now on this site (Waited So Long). Scott thinks that his songs might not have been "Christian enough" for label interest. He maintains that Jesus thinks the songs are OK...after all, HE commissioned them!
So now in 2006, Scott has returned to his other styles, and is recording his first CD in 13 years. To be released in 2007, the album is called "1961" (also the title track), and is full of different types of music. Setting himself up for another failure with the labels? He dosen't think so. Record labels are famous for only signing acts with clearly defined styles, but Scott feels that the listeners should not be cheated. His "bag" is a big one, and many will enjoy this great new CD when it is available.
He is originally from Winnetka, Illinois (a Chicago suburb), and moved to New York City to attend New York University and to seek a record deal. Scott's work as an engineer/producer in Manhattan included artists such as Marshall Crenshaw, Wilson Pickett, The ABP Orchestra and others. Scott has lived in Myrtle Beach, SC since 1993.
He is an avid media theoretician, and has worked as a DJ at several radio stations. The last was at Classic Rock WSCA in Georgetown, SC. He uses the name, "J.J. King" on the radio and calls Scott Muni (formerly on WNEW-FM New York) his primo role model. Other jocks such as Ron Brittain, Jerry G. Bishop, Zacherle and Dick Biondi contributed to Scott's on air style. Unfortunately, most of today's radio stations are so highly formatted that a "personality" would be an anachronism. Air checks of the J.J. King show may soon be available (for the edification of true Rock and Rollers everywhere!).
NOWSVILLE RECORDS
PO Box 7
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
nowsvillerecords.com
EMAIL:
[email protected]
Nowsville Japan (USA) Inc.
PO Box 1975
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578
(843) 685-2171 cell (24/7/365)
office:
(843) 234-2525
2153 Highway 544
Conway, SC 29526 en Los Estados Unidos (USA)
"RIGHT TIME...WRONG GALAXY" (2005) and "THIS BROKEN LAND" (2001) are available at Amazon.com AND LOCALLY IN MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINAAT "SOUNDS BETTER", North Kings Highway
(Restaurant Row Area)
2 miles north of the CAROLINA OPRY.
AND.......ONE MORE THING........ABOUT THE PICTURE IN THE BACKGROUND....
WAY, WAY BACK IN 1968........
I WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AT THE TIME. THE VIETNAM WAR WAS RAGING. PRESIDENT JOHNSON WAS UNDER FIRE FROM THE ANTI-WAR LEFT. IN FACT, HE WAS BEING CHALLENGED FOR THE NOMINATION BY SEVERAL POLITICIANS FROM HIS OWN PARTY. GENE McCARTHY WAS THE "PEACE" CANDIDATE, AND HE WAS GIVING THE PRESIDENT STIFF COMPETITION.
IN THOSE DAYS, I WAS THE DRUMMER OF A BAND CALLED "THE SKIFFLE". WE DID COVERS OF CREAM, HENDRIX, YARDBIRDS...THE HEAVIER THE BETTER. SOMEHOW WE GOT TO PLAY HIS MIDWAY AIRPORT RALLY AND HE WOUND UP USING OUR P.A. SYSTEM WHEN HIS OWN BLEW A FUSE. HE SOUNDED BETTER WITH OUR REVERB AND TAPE ECHO ENHANCEMENT ANYWAY. FOR THE FULL STORY SEE THE LINER NOTES OF "RIGHT TIME...WRONG GALAXY"
WATCH FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF "JAVA JUNKIE" HAWAIIAN COFFEE ON ROUTE 544 IN CONWAY SC......
