{"id":15393,"date":"2021-05-26T18:18:51","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T18:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skylight.gr\/?p=15393"},"modified":"2021-05-26T18:18:55","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T18:18:55","slug":"chris-connelly-and-monica-queen-announce-the-poetic-music-collaboration-the-birthday-poems-album-preview-lead-track-tae-the-poets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/2021\/05\/26\/chris-connelly-and-monica-queen-announce-the-poetic-music-collaboration-the-birthday-poems-album-preview-lead-track-tae-the-poets\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Connelly and Monica Queen announce the poetic music collaboration &#8216;The Birthday Poems&#8217; album,  preview lead track &#8216;Tae The Poets&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scottish alternative music legend&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/chrisconnelly.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Chris Connelly<\/strong><\/a>and vocalist&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MonicaQueenandThrum\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Monica Queen<\/strong><\/a>have announced their collaboration for a new album<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thebirthdaypoems.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&#8216;The Birthday Poems&#8217;<\/strong><\/a>, a fictionalized account of the romance between Scottish personalities&nbsp;<strong>Stella Cartwright<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>George Mackay Brown<\/strong>&nbsp;and their friendship with&nbsp;<strong>Stanley Roger Green<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/RpEqMJx2qJs\" target=\"_blank\">&#8216;Tae The Poets&#8217;<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is the first song to be revealed from this album, to be released on June 15 via\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/jnanarecords.bandcamp.com\/artists\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Jnana Records<\/strong><\/a>. While Stella\u2019s voice is sung by the incomparable Monica Queen throughout the album, this first taster features vocals by Connelly. The clever video for this song was filmed on location at Chicago\u2019s<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/gmantavern.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>GMan Tavern<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and created by\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/derickphotography\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Derick Smith<\/strong><\/a>, who also handles photography, and\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mwbattery\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Matt Walker<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tae the Poets - Official Video\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RpEqMJx2qJs?start=210&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA very shy George would visit the Rose Street bars of Edinburgh and nurse a pint, hoping to meet his poetic heroes. When invited to join the throng one night by Sydney Goodsir Smith, George, cripplingly shy, did not accept the offer. It would take a little time, and a few more pints of McEwan\u2019s Heavy, before George became a part of the group himself,\u201d explains&nbsp;<strong>Chris Connelly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Named for the poems that George would write for Stella every birthday until she died,&nbsp;<strong>&#8216;The Birthday Poems&#8217;<\/strong>&nbsp;is a song cycle based on the relationship between celebrated Scottish poet and author&nbsp;<strong>George Mackay Brown&nbsp;<\/strong>and his muse&nbsp;<strong>Stella Cartwright<\/strong>. It also addresses the platonic relationship between Stella and the Edinburgh born poet Stanley Roger Green, spanning three decades (from the mid 1950s until Stella\u2019s tragic and untimely death in 1985).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With 2021 being the 100th birthday of Orkney-born poet George Mackay Brown, this album represents a sometimes overlooked but very important part of Scottish culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stella started going out with Mackay Brown, with whom she had a deep relationship that turned into a friendship that endured from the 50\u2019s until her death in the \u201980\u2019s. It was not always a happy one &#8211; neither of the pair were particularly happy, and their love of whisky did not help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;While she had relationships with many of the poets who would haunt the bars of Edinburgh&#8217;s Rose Street during the \u201950s and \u2018early \u201960s, her love of literature, art and culture was insatiable, she was never given credit or encouraged in her own art and expression. I hope that this album illuminates the beautiful treasure that she was, and how hugely significant she is to Scottish literature of a certain era. As a child and younger man in Edinburgh, I walked the same streets, drank in the same bars and walked the same hills. I was also lucky enough to be close friends with Stanley Roger Green\u2019s children, who, highly creative in their own ways, greatly informed and inspired my life,&#8221; says&nbsp;<strong>Chris Connelly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This album was produced by 30-year Connelly collaborator&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/chris-bruce-mn0000089453\/credits\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Chris Bruce<\/strong><\/a>,&nbsp;a long-time musical partner and band member of&nbsp;<strong>Meshell Ndegeocello<\/strong>, who has also worked with&nbsp;<strong>Seal, Aaron Neville, Bob Dylan, The Waterboys, My Brightest Diamond, Cheryl Crow&nbsp;<\/strong>and&nbsp;<strong>Sam Phillips<\/strong><strong>,<\/strong>&nbsp;amongst others.&nbsp;This album also features strings by&nbsp;<strong>Dave Eggar<\/strong>&nbsp;and sax by&nbsp;<strong>Levon Henry<\/strong>, as well as contributions by&nbsp;<strong>Blake Collins&nbsp;<\/strong>and&nbsp;<strong>Phil Facont<\/strong>i.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While&nbsp;<strong>Monica Queen&nbsp;<\/strong>ronted early 90s band&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MonicaQueenandThrum\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Thrum<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;and released a couple of mellow, introspective albums under her own name with her partner&nbsp;<strong>John Smillie<\/strong>, she has gained a reputation as Glasgow&#8217;s guest vocalist of choice. Her formidable voice is now widely familiar thanks to her vocal turn on&nbsp;<strong>Belle &amp; Sebastian<\/strong>&#8216;s much-loved&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/EB2R8bb0vkk\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&#8216;Lazy Line Painter Jane&#8217;<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;<br>For&nbsp;<strong>Chris Connelly<\/strong>, art only moves forward. For almost forty years, he has completed creative pieces ranging from the triumphant to the tragic, from the humble to the hilarious &#8211; each time promptly moving on to seek his next inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since his nascent beginnings with<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Finitribe\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>FiniTribe<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;in his native Edinburgh, Connelly has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/chrisconnelly.com\/discography\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>in excess of twenty solo releases,<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;impressing with their beauty, diversity, earnest intent and wit. He is also a frequent and keen collaborator with other musicians, building on long-established projects with&nbsp;<strong>Ministry, The Revolting Cocks&nbsp;<\/strong>and<strong>&nbsp;Pigface<\/strong>&nbsp;by evolving and contributing to newer collectives such as&nbsp;<strong>Cocksure<\/strong>&nbsp;and<strong>&nbsp;The Joy Thieves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As an explorer of art as a broader endeavour has also issued<a href=\"https:\/\/chrisconnelly.com\/books\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&nbsp;four books<\/strong><\/a>, encompassing the realms of poetry, autobiography, and fictional narrative. For Connelly and Queen alike, &#8216;The Birthday Poems&#8217; project feels like the beginning in such an exciting way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of May 14, &#8216;Tae The Poets&#8217; will be available everywhere digitally, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/artist\/chris-connelly\/44132448\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Apple Music<\/strong><\/a>and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/4IZgjF9Cb5w0gQTUOYSCQK\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Spotify<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>&nbsp;The full album &#8216;The Birthday Poems&#8217; will be released on June 15, and can pre-ordered at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebirthdaypoems.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">www.thebirthdaypoems.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To celebrate the release of this album, Connelly will perform a short run of limited-seating shows in Chicago, two of which have already sold out. &#8216;An Evening with Chris Connelly&#8217; will feature performances of songs from \u2018The Birthday Poems\u2019, as well as stories associated with Connelly\u2019s discovery and investigation of the relationship which inspired the album. An online event is also in the works. Links to all events can be found at\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thebirthdaypoems.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.thebirthdaypoems.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8216;Tae The Poets&#8217;<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/RpEqMJx2qJs\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/RpEqMJx2qJs<\/a><br><strong>Soundcloud<\/strong>\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/chrisconnellyofficial\/tae-the-poets\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/chrisconnellyofficial\/tae-the-poets<\/a><br><strong>Album pre-order<\/strong>\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebirthdaypoems.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.thebirthdaypoems.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Keep up with<\/strong><strong>Chris Connelly<\/strong><br><a href=\"http:\/\/www.chrisconnelly.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Website<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/chrisconnelly.bandcamp.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bandcamp<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/ChrisConnellyOfficial\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Connelly_Chris\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/connellyofficial\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/chrisconnellyofficial\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Soundcloud<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ChrisConnellyDotCom\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/artist\/chris-connelly\/44132448\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Music<\/a>&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/4IZgjF9Cb5w0gQTUOYSCQK\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Press contact<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Keep up with Monica Queen<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MonicaQueenandThrum\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MonicaQueen4\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Press contact<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Keep up with\u00a0Jnana Records<\/strong><br><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/jnanarecords.bandcamp.com\/artists\" target=\"_blank\">Bandcamp<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jnanarecords\/\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jnanarecords?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jnanarecords\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.discogs.com\/label\/29100-Jnana-Records\" target=\"_blank\">Discogs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">*<em><strong>Chris Connelly photos by Derick Smith. Monica Queen photos by Johnny Smillie<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scottish alternative music legend&nbsp;Chris Connellyand vocalist&nbsp;Monica Queenhave announced their collaboration for a new album&#8216;The Birthday&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,2],"tags":[1348,1668],"class_list":["post-15393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-news","category-news","tag-chris-connelly","tag-monica-queen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15393"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15395,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15393\/revisions\/15395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}