Ahem. For Leader read Celtic.

Bill Leader had contracts with his artists which no one in their right minds would sign today. This is because circumstances now are entirely different to those prevailing 35 years ago. Bill operated in two areas:

(1) field recordings of traditional musicians and
(2) young revivalists that no-one else was bothering with.

It is those latter who recorded for his Trailer label to whom Mr Polytunnel appear to be referring. Their contracts involved relinquishing the rights to their work in order to get it out there. Bill was a friend, the artists trusted him and why not? Nothing went wrong till the label went bankrupt and the catalogue sold on. Twice.

These recordings have remained unavailable, along with the unbelievably important field recording, for the past quarter century as recounted at length in innumerable threads passim.

This tragedy has precious little to do with this thread's title and nothing whatsoever to do with Bill Leader and it is both inaccurate and unfair to malign him.