Sheila G-La Giles • June 9, 2019
Along the naive meanderings in my life I went to live in New York (or so I thought)
In the mid 1980's I moved up from Boston where I had been studying at Berklee College of Music. I had to leave College due to my Mother being no longer in a position to help me financially. We had managed to educate in me my chosen career for 2 years.
(Learning Curve alert....Don't just hand the person at the College Reception Desk your letter stating you will not will not be returning in the Autumn, send it directly to the Admin office. Years later I discovered I was entitled to a 2 year certification. When I wrote and asked for it I was told I owed them money!)
A Good Friend to me at the time welcomed me to stay with her in her Railway Apartment, known by this name as the apartment ran from front to back of the building, windows at both ends and a compartment in the middle divided into a lobby and a bathroom but basically forming 3 rooms.
In New York I was doing my best to set up a Music Publishing Company, all Official all above ground. I was Introduced to many aspects of both Business and Politics, to the Corner Cafes where Indie Musicians, Producers and Publishers would meet.
The Cafes were like Offices to them where deals were made, Pies were carved and contacts were tentatively made by me. Dreams and Aspirations collided yet again with possibility and the reality of the dominance of the Major Players in the Music Business.
One of the Clashes was Music Rights were under attack and had been for about 18 years. Ascap were doing there best to defend Writers and Publishers all of us medium and small Players in the Pecking order.
This attack was started by Radio Station who did not wish to pay any Royalty to Writers or Publisher for the use of their Work on their Shows. It morphed into Record Companies and their Publishing department Buying out and setting up their own Radio Stations.
By the time I became embroiled the Major Labels were actually lobbying Congress to Legislate a “Buy Out” Law, yes a Law that would force mainly Writers to except a “one off payment” for their work not matter how many times it would be Used or how much Revenue the ‘Work’ would enable the Company to claim for itself. After Much Lobbying and Letter Writing on our behalf and by many of us individual Writer Publishers, the Congress voted against it.
This struggle between us still manifests today as Blocks of Countries negotiate and debate who has the legal right to gain from ‘Work’ made by an individual Writer. Digital Rights that might hold back the tidal machine that moves all rights into their corporate sea. I might write about today another time. I only explain this to illustrate some of the background in which I came to co-write the Song ‘When lady Sang the Blues’
My Friend had also introduced me to a Friend of a friend of hers, Joe Lewis. Joe and I agreed to set up a Music Publishing Company.
Joe Lewis had lived a life in music and had experience of all its ups and downs. With his fabulous voice he had also Sang backing Vocals on many of Harry Belafonte's famous Tracks. I had grown up listening to his voice with no idea that I would meet him as an adult. Joe Introduced me to many people with many experience of life in and around the Music Business. A few stories I might also tell one day.
Joe came to me one day with some lyrics that he wanted to dedicate to 'Billie Holiday’. I was only able to complete and Record these heartfelt lyrics many years later. He died before I could share the result with him. What had prevented us from finishing and recording the song there and then, you might be thinking?
Among other things, the dramatic effect the denial to my request to extend what was a Student Visa so I could stay and develop the Music Publishing Company I had worked very hard to establish. When you are trying to build anything with fresh air a spit as they say, 10 days to leave the Country threatens the best laid foundations.
Another learning curve that was to take until I was in Dublin reading a Boston Newspaper explaining the American Visa System, only then did i understand the reason for the denial of my naive request. Student Visa cannot be changed into any other type of Visa. A person would have to go back Home and reapply. Of course my fresh air and spit would not have been the currency that would enable me even if I had know I could at the Time.
WHEN LADY SANG THE BLUES
Music Written and Composed by Joseph S. Lewis* and Sheila Giles
Performed by Sheila 'G-La' Giles
Dedicated to 'Billie Holiday'
IMRO/MCPS A Plum Music Publishing & ASCAP*
LYRICS
When Lady Sang the Blues
She could touch you with a story
A sad rejected Bride
Gone her sweet lover man
Trapped inside of her gloom
As she told her story anew
Lady Sang the Blues
When Lady sang out
You knew what she saw
Softly she sang from high to low
To sing was her Joy
The mirrored image of her Soul
When Lady Sang the blues
Her thoughts were drowned
In black and white Brocade
Life was no sweet parade
It came with the Blues in the night
Like a shudder from a Grave-site
Cold winds blew through her life
A never ending sour note
That became a Song of Love
When Lady sang out
You knew what she saw
Softly she sang from high to low
To sing was her Joy
The mirrored image of her Soul
When Lady Sang the blues
She lifted us up to the sky
Hard time had worn her body down
Good luck hid out of sight
Lady's tormented soliloquy
Of raging tides Rumbling far and wide
Her Anthem was the Blues
A troubled place to hide
But, when Lady sang out
You knew what she saw
Softly she sang from high to low
To sing was her Joy
The mirrored image of her Soul
Did the Lady know her power?
Did the Lady know her power?
Did the Lady know her power?
When She sang the Blues....... END
I share our song in Honour of Mr Joseph S. Lewis his Life and the lives of all who experience life on the sharp end of the stick.
Best Wishes, Sheila