Well guys,

I love being defended and written back into Green Linnet's history by my friends and the public though I should mention again how important Pat Sky was to this whole enterprise-- he was the one with the contacts, the knowledge, and some idea of how the record business worked. Actually, in the very beginning I had hosted a house concert in 1971 at my New York apartment for Robin Roberts who recited some of Seamus Ennis's translations of Irish poetry which bowled me over. I had been to Ireland in the mid-sixties and heard a lot of great music in Dublin, but those poems clinched the deal--- I wanted to shake the world by the collar and wake it up to traditional Irish culture. Scene changes. I moved to New Canaan and become friendly with an intrepid and fascinating singer of traiditonal songs named Patsy Margolin, who died a few years ago. Patsy knew that I had this strong interest in Seanus Ennis and that Pat, who played the pipes and was known as a reed maker (in addition to having a major label career in the sixties) went back and forth to Ireland and spent lots of time with Seamus, He and I and my domestic partner at the time, recording engineer Pitt Kinsolving, traveled to Ireland together and, from that experience Green Linnet was born. Initially the company was called Innisfree (with a side label for American artists called Leviathan) but no one could pronounce Innisfree so we renamed it.

It's hard to sort out all the stuff about the recent law suits, and I have not been involved with the business for years. I can only say that Wendy and I, during the years that we were both involved at Green Linnet together, talked a lot about the importance of treating performers fairly and well--- one reason we could get great artists from the beginning was because of the fabulous and recognized artists we put out when the company first started. Therefore, in addition to being ethical as a matter of principle, it was important to maintain a good professional reputation.

Some of the problems I faced during my active years with GL were that performers assumed the company was responsible for royalties when Green Linnet had only licensed the rights to press a limited number of copies from an Irish label and paid cash outright, a percentage of which should have been paid to the artist.

One of the very difficult issues was that the standard legal contracts between artist and recording company differed widely between the two countries-- so when I put together what I thought was a fair contract for our own record productions, Irish musicians felt they were being ripped off, The same contract would be entirely satisfactory to American artists. One difficulty for instance was communicating that just because albums go to retailers or distributors, does not mean that they will be sold. Indeed retailers and distributors in America have the right of return. I can't remember for sure if this differed in Ireland, but this was the sort of issue that could generate misunderstanding.

American musicians, who were, by the 1970s, touring around by van from gig to gig selling their own product, were well aware that the commercial bottom of the follk music revivial had dropped out. They were actively seeking to set up an alternative music network of venues, distribution, promoters to keep the music alive.

In the meantime, Irish trad. music (think Planxty and Bothy Band as a newly emerging phenomena) was doing very well in Ireland and because the folk music movement was so central through television, radio, and the organized system of contests-- they often assumed they would be at the center of popular culture in the States. I remember being amazed at some of the coffee house contracts Irish musicians wanted at the time-- hotel rooms,special liquor and favorite foods,drivers and vehicles rather like motor homes-- this at a time when most American performing folk musicians were happy with a mattress on the floor and a spot of breakfast before heading on their way the next day. Certainly many Irish musicians had no wish to sell their own albums. Nor were they always aware that the people putting on concerts at this time were largely volunteers and as central to the creative process as the musicians thamselves.

So some of the mistakes and misunderstandings that went on at Green Linnet under my watch had a lot to do, I'm sure, with cross-cultural misunderstandings and blurred expectations. I did, however, at that time, have some money of my own which I poured into the company to correct mistakes, produce records, and try to get the company on an even keel.If I had not done this, my problems too might have become public-- though I was operating on a very small scale.

Because of this and because of Wendy's long record of honesty in handling my affairs, I am inclined to think that the company and the musicians may both have had valid reasons to differ in their opinion of what was their rightful due. I do know that at one point, after a fire, Green Linnet was over its head financially and that it took awhile to catch up with royalties---that is a sad thing when it happens, but it does happen with small businesses. Under such circumstances it is reasonable for artists to sue, thought that can sometimes be like squeezing blood from a stone.

I have often hoped Wendy would herself explain what the problems were that attracted so much attention but because legal proceedings were underway, she had been advised not to discuss the case with anyone, not even me. So I really don't know more than anyone else about the specifics.

I think Hichener is right, however, that the suits were settled except perhaps one as of about a year ago.

Presumably the sale of the company will put everything on an even keel.

As for pre-history versus history, any jockeying for position is a little like the contest between a birth mother and an adoptive mother. Pretty soon we will both, however, be pre-history.

What I worry the most about are the superb musicians,especially those that don't fit neatly into a Celtic label. whose work may never again see the light of day.