‘ ... Without Greentrax, Scotland’s folk music story in recordings would still have been told but Ian brought a mixture of passion, enthusiasm and full-time commitment to the task, which meant that Greentrax raised the bar in more ways than one.’
Steele the Show
onstage and in the audience, clearly demonstrates the particular qualities of Ian Green which has been vital to Greentrax’ achievements. It has been said before, but is worth repeating, that Ian’s personal integrity played a big part in the success of Greentrax. Artists knew where they stood with Greentrax. It was a credible major-label yet with a family philosophy. Ian’s willingness to back his own and his artists judgments, balanced with an attention to detail and a conservative approach to business risk, meant that Greentrax has been able to take on projects which others would have struggled to complete.
After 25 years it is possible to ponder on some of those achievements. Over the years Greentrax has contributed significantly to the building of a professional platform for Scottish
artists. Effective distribution and promotion allowed Greentrax to present Scottish music in countries where previously little coverage had existed, in particular Eastern bloc countries such as Latvia and Hungary.
It also increased the focus on Scots traditional music throughout the UK, and significantly within Scotland itself. Ian Green has been a powerful advocate for folk music in Scotland and never one to pull his punches when confronting a challenge, he ‘told it how he saw it’, arguing for better coverage of Scottish music in the Scottish media. Without Greentrax, Scotland’s folk music story in recordings would still have been told but Ian brought a mixture of passion, enthusiasm and full-time commitment to the task, which meant that Greentrax raised the bar in more ways than one.
The Queens Hall concert was partially themed with sections of the concert representing various Greentrax milestones. Gaelic Women, was a key album for Greentrax, an ambitious project to present Gaelic song to a wider audience. After its release, the idea was taken up by Celtic Connections where it drew the biggest audience for Gaelic music ever.
Far, Far From Ypres, a tribute to role of Scottish Soldiers in WW1, was another major project which will probably be seen by Ian as one of his most important achievements. It too has been taken up by Celtic Connections. Steele the Show was a live version of a CD featuring the songs of the late Davey Steele.
The last section of the concert, Fuzz to Folk was taken out of Ian’s hands and masterminded by
Brian McNeill as a tribute to Ian. The finale was an emotional affair with Ian Green coming on stage to give a vote of thanks.
Then it was party time until the early hours!
There is a book in preparation marking the 30 year history of Greentrax and its relationship with the Scottish Folk Revival. The book is open for contributions via a website:
www.greentrax25.trad.org.uk
Far, Far From Ypres will be perfomed on Saturday 21st January as part of the Celtic Connections Festival.
www.greentrax.com
The Finale The Living Tradition - Page 39
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