American-born singer Galia Arad reveals how Shane MacGowan changed her life
Chasing her dream of having MacGowan write the liner notes for her second album at the start of her career in 2009, Galia, who now lives in Ireland, reveals that she phoned his manager every day from New York.
After several months, it ultimately led to the Fairytale Of New York singer offering to produce her album in Dublin.
But on the day of the recording, Galia feared that Shane was going to be a no-show and her dreams were going to be crushed — after he turned up 10 hours late for the recording.
Galia with Shane
Although she has no family connections in Ireland, Galia had dated an Irish guy when she was 20 and wrote an entire album about their relationship called Ooh La Baby.
Connection
'Since the album was about an Irish person, I was thinking about who would be best to write the liner notes,' Galia tells the Sunday World as she releases a new single, This Close.
'Back then I shot for the stars and thought Shane MacGowan would be perfect… and I just didn't stop until I got him. My older sister had a Pogues album and they were a big influence on my music.
'At the time I had a day job in New York working as a PA in a financial company. Through a lucky connection I got a number for Shane MacGowan's manager Joey Cashman.
Galia worked with Shane in the studio
'I called Joey on the company phone and he was abrupt with me, but he told me to call back the next day. I called the next day and he was like, 'oh f**k off, call me tomorrow.'
'Every time I would call I would say, 'Hi, this is Galia calling, the liner notes girl.' It was so ridiculous and so embarrassing. My sister, to this day, calls me Galia The Liner Notes Girl,' she laughs.
'But because Joey gave me the impression there was a chance, I would force myself to call him every day.
'And then one day I got a phone call from my boss saying, 'For some reason there's a call to Ireland every day lasting one minute long.' But he was OK about it.
'And then, finally, Joey said, 'send over your stuff, I'll give it to Shane, we'll have a listen to it.'
'Some months later I was sitting in my shoe box apartment in New York when I got the phone call I'll never forget. It was Joey — the first time he had ever called me.
'He said, 'So we listened to the demo and Shane doesn't think it's sh*te. He would like to possibly produce a couple of the songs if you are coming to Ireland.'
Galia asked Shane to write liner notes
'It so happened that at that time I had booked a tour to Ireland with my friend, blues musician Kirsten Thien, to play a few gigs in Dublin.'
In the meantime, Galia received Shane MacGowan's hand written liner notes for her album.
'I've never felt so out of control of something that I've wanted more than these f**king liner notes,' she laughs.
'It was very stressful for me because I wanted them so bad.
'But I had got the liner notes in seven different pages, written in capital letters, and they were crazy but perfect. It was just one of the happiest moments of my life.
'Before the recording, which Joey set up, he organised for me and Kirsten to support Republic Of Loose at the UCD Fresher's Ball.
Nervous
'Joe said, 'I'm going to bring Shane to see you.'
'They arrived in after we started performing, Joey in his motorcycle gear waving frantically at the front, and then I spotted Shane slipping in at the side.
'That night I drank way too much and got very sick, probably the sickest I've ever been. That is the price you pay for having the craic with Shane MacGowan.'
When it came to the day of the recording, Galia feared the worst when there was no sign of MacGowan.
Galia has been doing gigs with Jools Holland
'Shane didn't turn up and as the hours slipped away it looked like it wasn't going to happen. Everything felt so precarious,' she says.
'I was so nervous it wasn't going to happen.
'But he came 10 hours late, and then in the studio I couldn't understand what he was saying when he was giving me direction and that was also quite stressful.
Galia asked Shane to write liner notes, right, for her album, and he also worked with her in the studio
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 7th
'But he was very kind and I didn't feel uncomfortable.'
MacGowan ended up singing on a couple of the tracks, including one called Four Leaf Lover Boy, as well as producing them.
Galia now tours with Jools Holland and she reveals that is another gift from MacGowan. 'Shane got the gig to support Jools and included me, and then he had to pull out of that tour,' she reveals.
Gigs
'They said 'we'll still have Galia.' And since then I've been doing Jools Holland gigs and it's all thanks to Shane. And he's the reason, along with Joey, that I've made Dublin my home.'
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