Posted on by Monsoon River

The River (live from Greenbelt)

The River (live from Greenbelt)
1991 What? Records
London, England, United Kingdom

Side 1:

  1. Iona – Iona
  2. Martyn Joseph – Power of Your Love
  3. Martyn Joseph – 4 the $
  4. Armstrong – Ain’t No Honor
  5. Armstrong – His Love
  6. Sam Hill – What Are You telling Me
  7. Sam Hill – Now Then Forever
  8. The Woebeggones – I Hear a Train Coming (traditional)

Side 2:

  1. River City People – Huskerson Street
  2. River City People – Every Day I Carry the Blame
  3. River City People – Hush Little Baby (traditional)
  4. Nanette Williams – My Baby Just Cares for Me
  5. Nanette Williams – Swing Low Medley (traditional)
  6. Ben Okafor – No Matter What It Is
  7. Ben Okafor -Stay Here With Me
  8. Mechanic Manyeruke Et Al – O When the Saints (traditional)

This is technically a release from a label – a small label, but one with major national distribution. What? Records is known for releasing classics by Iona, Tonio K, Dave Perkins, Ideola, and others. But I can’t find this release listed anywhere online. It also appears to have some underground-ish acts on it. All tracks were recorded live at the 1990 Greenbelt Festival.

  • We all know who Iona is, and they deliver a very Celtic ethereal live track here.
  • Martyn Joseph is probably more well known over in the UK than here; he plays two acoustic songs from a couple of his late 80s albums.
  • I can’t find out exactly who Armstrong is – solo act or band? There are two acoustic tracks with male vocals that have a bit of grit and soul.
  • Sam Hill plays a couple of acoustic tracks as well, one from Thunder and Rain.
  • The Woebeggones appear to be a band that formed to play at Greenbelt festivals and grew from there. They perform a down home cover of a gospel classic here – something you will see many artists did for this compilation.
  • River City People play two songs off of their EMI debut along with a traditional song
  • Nannette Welmans, who seems to be known for funk/pop music at this time, covers a jazz standard and a gospel standard in a very jazzy style that Norah Jones would popularize years later.
  • Ben Okafor plays live versions of two of his songs from two late 80s albums.
  • Mechanic Manyeruke closes out the live set with a traditional jazz standard as well.

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