Greentrax folk hailed for 30 years in music business

A RECORDING studio has landed a top award to celebrate 30 years of making music.

June and Ian Green with their Landmark Award. Picture: Greentrax/Facebook

June and Ian Green, from Greentrax Recordings, were handed the “Landmark Award” at their office in Cockenzie.

Friends and family gathered for the presentation, led by Simon Thoumire of the Hands Up For Trad organisation, which promotes Scottish traditional music and presents the annual Scots Trad Award.

Those looking on included piper Hamish Moore, Ellen and Ian McCalman (the latter ex-McCalmans and producer of the Far, Far From Ypres stage show), Leslsey and Dr John Barrow (of the Stoneyport Agency), Kate and Tom Ward (a member of the Far, Far From Ypres cast) and photographer Allan MacDonald

In his presentation speech, Mr Thoumire said: “What would Scottish music have done without Greentrax Recordings?

“Thirty years of releasing the best in Scottish music and, as Sheena Wellington said, ‘Maintaining integrity, goodness and fairness to all’.

“Not only that, but the label created and sustained a revival in traditional music where young (and old) musicians could experiment with their culture, for example Shooglenifty’s Venus In Tweeds album, which changed the world in my opinion and put an innovative musical Scotland on the map.

“It wasn’t just Shooglenifty though – Greentrax recorded and supported so many young artists when no-one else did.

“So here’s to Ian and June and all at Greentrax Recordings. We cannot do without them and I look forward to the next inspirational 30 years.”

The award comes in the year Greentrax Recordings celebrates its 30th anniversary with the release of a double CD collections of 30 tracks selected from many of its “special projects” – including Gaelic Women, Scots Women, Scottish Women, Steele The Show, The Eric Bogle Box Set, Scots in The Spanish Civil War, Guitar Music From Scotland, three Tapestry albums and Far, Far From Ypres.

And it has been just a couple of years since the East Lothian and Midlothian Chamber of Commerce presented former police officer Mr Green with the Local Business Hero Award.

Other prestigious awards bestowed on Mr Green and Greentrax in recent years include the Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Traditional Music, entry into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame and an Honorary Doctorate from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

He also published his autobiography, Fuzz to Folk – Trax of My Life, in 2010.

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