After a brief flirtation with the trendy bo-ho folk scene of the early noughties, culminating with the acclaimed compilation The New Testament Of Folk, Acid Jazz Records started the brilliant but short lived subsidiary label, named after a Mother Earth album, People Tree Records.
Just eight releases, but some of the most interesting, exciting and psychedelic music ever to have been called folk.
SEED02. Grand Union- Jane Jane E.P.
SEED03. Grand Union- Through The Green Fuse.
SEED04. Various Artists - The Crow Club.
SEED05. Babel- Pearl Street Raga Mini Album.
SEED06D. Various Artists - The Crow Club E.P.
SEEDCD07. Babel - Crooked Timber.
SEED08S. Babel - Make Your Bed.
Compelling compilations featuring, John Martyn, Bert Jansch, The Eighteenth Day Of May, Wicca's World, Circulus, Matt Deighton, Linda Perhacs, Marked & Joff, Jade, Admirals Hard, Jaki Whitren, The Wiyos, Jake Flowers, Charlotte Greig and Roger Bunn (possibly the best psych-bongo-folk-trip out -tune ever recorded).
Only two bands were signed to the label, Grand Union, who later transferred over to Acid Jazz Records and the genius bearded Bristonian folk-niks, Babel.
Releasing just two albums and a single before splitting, with influences ranging from Led Zeplin, White Album period Beatles, Velvet Underground and Deep Purple, Babel were not the average folkers. A band who's live performances were guaranteed to raise the hair on the back of your neck, who managed to transfer that live energy into their recordings, something genuinely difficult to achieve.
It is a pity that Babel split, band leader Danny Coughlan was an outstanding songwriter and a great front man with a voice that matched. Fortunately the records stand testament to what a great band they were.
People Tree Records will be remembered by the quality of the music that they released, which was exceptional.
Seek and ye' shall find.
No comments:
Post a Comment