Posted: 11th July 2016

Greentrax Recordings Ltd celebrates its 30th Anniversary in 2016 - it is now regarded by many as Scotland’s leading traditional music record company and one of the largest independents in the UK.

At thirty years, Greentrax continues to lead the way with wide-ranging releases, from the very traditional to the most contemporary. In addition to the Greentrax label, there is also the G2 Label, Culburnie (licensed from Alasdair Fraser), the Scottish Tradition Series (from the School of Scottish Studies Sound Archive) and the budget priced Celtic Collections Series. Culburnie Records also celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016 and an excellent relationship exists between the two companies.

In thirty years Greentrax has released close on 500 albums and the current Greentrax catalogue contains an amazing mix of Scottish and other music. A full colour catalogue is maintained along with a complete numerical list.

To celebrate the anniversary, Greentrax Recordings is releasing a very special double CD album of tracks selected by Ian Green from the many “special projects” undertaken in 30 years. The compilation includes 30 tracks from such acclaimed albums as Gaelic Women, Scots Women, Scottish Women, Steele The Show, Bah! Humbug, Far, Far From Ypres, The Eric Bogle Box Set, Guitar Music From Scotland, Scots In The Spanish Civil War, the three Tapestry albums, the Culburnie and G2 labels and much, much more.

The many awards bestowed on Greentrax Recordings and Ian Green personally include The Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Traditional Music, entry into The Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama plus more recently the prestigious Hands Up For Trad Landmark Award. Ian also received the Local Business Hero Award from The Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce in 2014. Greentrax artists have also received individual awards but too many to list here.

Ian Green’s autobiography Fuzz To Folk - Trax Of My Life, published by Luath Press in 2010, was Book Of The Month in The Scots Magazine for April 2011. It was also selected as one of the books in the 2011 Scottish Libraries Summer Reads promotion, being made immediately available in every Scottish library. Several five star reviews can be seen on the Fuzz To Folk listing on Amazon. Greentrax is re-launching Ian’s autobiography in this anniversary year, and copies are also available to order online here.

The slimmed-down Greentrax team these days consists of June Green (director), Elaine Sunter (accounts & royalties) and Pat Clark (mail order & mailouts). Ian Green is the founder of the company and Managing Director.

Top photo: A younger Ian Green!

Below: June and “Doctor Ian” at the RSAMD

Posted: 13th June 2016

On Wednesday 8th June 2016, Ian Green was presented with the prestigious Hands Up For Trad Landmark Award by Simon Thoumire at the Greentrax office in Cockenzie. The Landmark Awards exist to record the amazing landmarks that Scottish cultural organisations reach - in the case of Greentrax, 30 years of top quality releases.

A number of guests were invited along to the presentation by Simon, which was celebrated with a glass or two of champagne. Present were Greentrax Director June Green, Ellen & Ian McCalman, Lesley & Dr John Barrow, Kate & Tom Ward, Allan MacDonald (photographer) and Hamish Moore who piped the guests into the Greentrax office.

Simon was most complimentary in his presentation speech and after a short reply by Ian a party followed. Not much work done at Greentrax that day!

Read more about the Greentrax award at the Landmark Awards website.

Posted: 13th May 2016

Mairi Campbell: Pulse will be playing in August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival each day at 2.25pm between 3rd and 28th August 2016 at the Summerhall Old Lab (there are BSL interpreted performances on 18th and 25th, and no performances on the 15th and 22nd).

Tickets are available from the Edinburgh Fringe website and will also be available from the Summerhall box office from June.

Pulse was recently on for a night at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of TradFest, Edinburgh’s only multi-arts festival dedicated to traditional culture and folk arts.

For more details of all upcoming performances, visit Mairi’s website.

There are still some spaces left on Mairi’s music retreats/courses running on the island of Lismore (near Oban) this Summer:

• 9-12 June 2016 (fiddle)
• 8-11 September 2016 (fiddle and voice)
• 27-30 October 2016 (fiddle)

“Mairi Campbell is one of the most fascinating women on the planet and one of the most interesting folk musicians / singers ever…” (Mike Harding)

Posted: 11th April 2016

Tony McManus was on tour in Australia recently and the demand for his albums was so great that he sold out before the tour ended. Thankfully our Australian distributor Planet Distribution was able to top him up. See Tony’s current tour dates.
(photo Tony McManus / Edmonton Festival)

Alex Hodgson is off to New Zealand again in 2017. In the meantime his annual concert in the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh on 27th August 2016 is booked and likely to be sold out well in advance as always. See Alex’s website.

Greentrax is currently working on a compilation album of The Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band from their LPs of the 1960s and 70s, when they were at their peak as World Pipe Band Champions. In one year alone they won thirteen First Prizes and were second in the remaining two competitions. The compilation, selected by Pipe Major Iain McLeod, is from their albums March Of The Pipers (1962), The Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band (1965), The Piper’s Parade (1967), Champions Of The World (1971) and The Capital Parade (1975).

Also being assembled is Scottish Tradition Series vol 27 - Tiree Songs and Music (a working title), from The School Of Scottish Studies archives. Editing and mastering is currently taking place.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Greentrax Recordings in 2016, Ian Green is at present selecting tracks from the many ‘special projects’ the label has undertaken over the years, including Gaelic Women, Scots Women, the three Tapestry albums, The Nineties Collection, Gentle Giants, For Freedom Alone, The Flooers O’ The Forest, the Eric Bogle Box Set, Far, Far From Ypres and many more.

Posted: 8th March 2016

​The Poozies are embarking on another tour in March 2016 around England and the Isle Of Man - see all dates at their website. This will be an especially poignant tour for them, as at the end they sadly say goodbye to Sally and Mairearad.

Sally Barker is having a great time touring with the reformed group Fotheringay as well as doing numerous solo gigs in and around Leicester, many for the charity LOROS.

Mairearad Green has just finished her solo album about the Summer Isles, has moved back home to the Highlands and is living the idyllic lifestyle of peace and tranquility.

Mary Macmaster has hit the charts with her star-studded project Songs Of Separation, a beautiful collection of traditional and self-penned songs recorded in the fairy-tale setting of the Isle of Eigg in the Scottish Inner Hebrides.

Eilidh Shaw has been touring in Denmark with world/roots outfit Himmerland, depping in Iceland with Dàimh, running the epic annual festival Fèis na Mara and has also set up a new club called the Arisaig Acoustic Music Club.