The dogs are out
Douglas in $m copyright battle with musical arranger
November 5, 2000
By TERRY JOSEPH
THE overwhelming success of the Anslem Douglas hit calypso “Who Let The Dogs Out” continues to spawn controversy.
The latest is that the two men who collaborated to come up with the huge million-dollar international hit—Douglas and musical arranger Ossie Gurley, are now at odds.
Millions of dollars are at stake in the battle for copyright ownership of the hit.
News coming out of Toronto where both artistes reside is that Douglas has pulled the plug on his current recording being done at Gurley OSS Music Research Lab Recording Studio located at 426 Vaugh Road in the Mega City.
Attorneys have advised Gurley that, as the musical arranger of the soca success, he is entitled to 50 per cent of the financial rewards coming to Douglas. This, however, has not gone down well with Douglas and his attorneys.
Since 1997 Gurley’s studio is where Douglas has done most of his recordings and the two had established quite a close working relationship. This relationship has now come to an end.
The six-foot tall former Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guardsman, has decided to record the remainder of his upcoming CD Trinidad.
Speaking from his studio yesterday afternoon, Gurley expressed shock and sadness at how things had developed between Douglas and himself.
Gurley said:
“Throughout the whole process of me dealing with my part of the business. I had been telling him what could happen. And he said nah, nothing like that can happen; let de big boys (the legal people) deal with that and we will maintain our friendship.”
“Our friendship meant a lot to me and because of what was happening with the tune, I had been very, very worried about things could turn out,” said a dismayed Gurley.
He said he spoke to Doulgas earlier this week while he (Douglas) was in New York.
But, stressed Gurley, something very strange happened then.
“In the middle of the conversation, he said he had another call and that he will call me back. I never received that phone-back.”
The highly successful Vincentian musical arranger said he and Douglas are used to talking to each other virtually every day.
By CINN — Caribbean Islands News Network, Toronto
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