21 November 2019 - 0 Comments
New Zealand asked her to record a new version of a great song for a good cause and she did! Bonnie Tyler - The soft rock singer records a special new version of Streets of Stone as the theme for the Worlds Big Sleep Out 2019
One of the most charitable
and generous artists has stepped up in support of a cause she feels deeply
about. The Welsh born superstar who is well known for some of the biggest
selling songs of all time including, Total Eclipse of the Heart and It’s a
Heartache, has taken time out to go into the studio to record a special
version of a song which is appropriate to the Worlds Big Sleep Out global call
to end homelessness.
Exactly two months ago, I came across a friend of mine who only lives a few
streets away from my home in Days Bay, Hutt City, NZ. He is a songwriter -
lyricist who some time ago wrote songs for the famous Bonnie Tyler. I listened
to one of her songs Streets of Stone which I wasn’t familiar with, it tells
the story is about a homeless woman, fallen from the heights of fame and was
now wandering the streets of Paris.
The inspiration was that the writer Paul Fitzgerald actually saw this woman
through a window of a French Café in that city. She was in her 60’s, carrying
several plastic bags with all her belongings, long baggy coat and army surplus
shoes. Yet she had an air of stoic dignity, a hidden pride which struck him and
wrote what he imagined her life had been.
I thought it would be a perfect song for the World’s Big Sleep Out. It was on
point and relevant and had a mood that would fit the occasion of the global
event on December 7. In an odd at midnight on the last day of September,
I downloaded Paul’s original lyrics and made some changes to a few lines that
‘updated’ the context, and which seemed appropriate. (Very much inspired by
Elton John who I know, and who adapted Candle in the Wind after the death of
Princess Diana). Armed with Ms. Tyler’s email which Paul kindly supplied; I
wrote her an email! She was taking a break from touring and was on
holiday in Portugal. I asked her if she would consider re-recording, her song
with the lyrics…To cut a longer story short she said yes, so did her record
label, so did the published owner of the song and her current management and
album producer. Last week she went into her studio in Europe with producer
Davis MacKay and now we have a New Version of Streets of Stone.
We have been give the rights to use the song worldwide for broadcast and to
play to the people sleeping out across 50 cities worldwide on December 7th
as part of the World’s Big Sleep Out.
We have no ownership or commercial rights and never asked for any.
It is an example of the way many people worldwide are getting behind this call
to end homelessness.
"It breaks my heart
to see homeless people sleeping rough on the streets, so I wanted in some way
to help. This lovely song captures a sad situation that we all can remedy if we
open our hearts" – Bonnie
Tyler (2019)
NZ Event Details are all on
www.worldsbigsleepout.org.nz
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