PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE: BELL WITCH: The Movie, just got wonderful recognition in the latest copy of American Songwriter Magazine. You can pick up the magazine, which is filled with many great stories about music in the film industry at your favorite book store.

American Songwriter Magazine    May/June 2004 issue

-----BELL WITCH THE MOVIE HANDPICKED

When BELL WITCH:The Movie releases later this year, the music heard in the movie and on the 20-song soundtrack will have been handpicked by the principals of the project.

Doris Marr of Big River Pictures LLC, based in Sevierville Tenn. says they went out of their way to find the best possible music for each scene. They chose songs from Jimbo Whaley of Pine Mountain Railroad,
Beck Buller with Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike Band, Jeff and Vida, the Wells Family, Jeanette and Johnny Williams and Marshal Andy, all of whom are acoustic-based singer/ songwriters and musicians.

The movie takes place in the 1800’s, and is the true story of John Bell and his family who lived in Adams, Tennessee. John Bell is the only person in Tennessee history to be terrorized by a spirit who called
herself Kate.

Marr says they were looking for music that would sound like it came from early 1800’s. They used some traditional songs along with new material that sounds like it was from that era.

One of the songs Jimbo Whaley of Pine Mountain Railroad wrote is titled “The Dreams We Dream.”Whaley was standing in the studio, listening to the actors who portray Betsy and Joshua; when he saw the hurt in
their eyes and desperate situation they were in, the song came to him.

“He sang the chorus to us that day,” Marr relates. “He couldn’t even hear what the actors were saying, but he could tell what the scene was all about from the expressions on their faces.”

Another of Whaley’s songs is being used on the trailer for the movie, Shane Marr had a copy of Pine Mountain Railroad’s CD when he started listening to music for the trailer. He tried several different songs
from other artists before he remembered a song on the PMR album called “The Foundation.”

When I put that song behind the scene, it just came together perfectly,” Shane says. “I put a low droll at the first of it, and we all saw it and got chills. So I called Jimbo and ask him to come down and see
it, and he couldn’t believe it was his music. The trailer won a National TELLY Award. Jimbo’s music made the trailer strong enough to be able to move the music to the next level.”

Valerie Smith and Becky Buller wrote “Old John Bell,” which Doris terms their Bell Witch Song, “They came and watched the scene from the movie and on their way home, wrote the song.

 “Old John Bell” is haunting and brings chills to the listener. Valerie’s unforgettable voice lends a thriller dimension to the movie.”

Doris says they found some of the music by wandering the halls during a National Folk Alliance Assn. Meeting in Nashville.  “We were just walking around the halls, and there were people playing everywhere, and in the lobby was a couple, Jeff and Vida. He was playing claw hammer banjo; he was so good and their energy was so high. We listened to a lot of different bands but many were not playing the music we were looking for to put in the movie.  “So I ask them if they were doing original songs, and they said yes. One thing we loved was ‘Dead and Gone,’ and it was one of their original tunes. I ask her to send a CD because the song was perfect for the movie. We listened to their CD and called and ask them to come to Nashville to record the song for the movie.

 “When they got here Vida said they had only been in Nashville three times. The first time they just drove through the city. The second time was when we saw them playing in the lobby at the Folk Alliance, and we
found them just before they ran them off. And the third time was when they were there to lay down this track for the movie.”----Varnell Hackett

Editors Note: Shane and Doris Marr were part of a panel at the Songwriter’s Workshop in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

BELL WITCH: The Movie   www.bellwitchthemovie.com

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