Greenhill Family/Folklore Productions, 1960-2000

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Extent: ½ file box plus 109 phonograph discs, 82 cassette tapes, and 5 videotapes
0.2 linear feet
Processor: Chessie Monks
Date: November 2010

Acquisition: The Greenhill Family/Folklore Productions Collection was donated by the Greenhill Family in 2010 to the New England Folk Music Archives.
Access: There are no restrictions on items in this collection.
Permission to Publish: Requests for permission to publish from this collection should be made to the Executive Director.
Copyright: The Cambridge Historical Society does not hold copyright on the materials in this collection. Copyright for materials created by Folklore Productions is retained by the Greenhill Family. Copyright in other material in the collection may be held by their authors, or their authors’ heirs, or assigns.

Biographical Sketch:  Folklore Productions
Folklore Productions was founded in Boston in 1957 by Manny Greenhill. The company has represented folk, traditional, and roots musicians for over 50 years, including Joan Baez, the Watsons, Taj Mahal, Reverend Gary Davis, and John Renbourn. At first, the company presented concerts, but began booking and managing musicians in the early 1960’s, beginning with Joan Baez. In 1971, Folklore Productions opened an office in Santa Monica, which eventually became their operating center. Manny’s son, Mitch Greenhill, joined the company in 1976, and began to manage and produce albums for Doc and Merle Watson, as well as producing albums for artists such as John Renbourn, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and Robin Flower. Matt Greenhill, Mitch’s son, also works with the company as an agent and manager, and has brought Folklore Productions into the international music scene. Today, the company operates out of California and New York, and manages artists and publishing catalogs, including those of Joan Baez, Reverend Gary Davis, and John Fahey. In 2007, Folklore productions celebrated their 50th Anniversary. Current artists include the Battlefield Band, Doc Watson, David Holt, Eric Bibb, and John Renbourn.

Manny Greenhill
Manuel “Manny” Greenhill was born New York in 1916, and was exposed to the folk music scene through his work as a union activist. He married Leona Weschler in 1940, and their children, Mitchell and Deborah, were born in 1944 and 1948 respectively. After being honorably discharged from the Army following World War II, Manny and family moved to Boston. He founded Folklore Productions there in 1957. His first concert featured Josh White, his former guitar teacher. He continued to schedule concerts for many well-known artists, including Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, and Joan Baez, who became his first managerial client. Over the years, Manny represented clients such as Doc Watson, Reverend Gary Davis, Taj Mahal, John Renbourn, and Dave Van Ronk, while continuing to promote concerts. He was a lifetime political and social activist, and often talked about how music and politics were linked. His contracts with Joan Baez in the early 1960s were among the first to call for racial integration at concerts, and he supported her political activism against the war in Vietnam. Greenhill died of heart failure at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment for leukemia in Los Angeles, in 1996.

Mitch Greenhill
Mitchell Greenhill was born in Brooklyn in 1948. He was long involved in the Cambridge, Massachusetts folk music scene and recorded solo albums in the 1960s for Prestige Records. He formed the country-rock band Frontier with Mark Spoelstra and Mayne Smith, and after the band dissolved, he worked as a studio guitarist and producer. Greenhill joined his father at Folklore Productions in 1976, and began working as a manager for artists including Taj Mahal, and Doc and Merle Watson. He also produced albums for artists such as John Renbourn and Rosalie Sorrels, and continued to perform and write songs with Mayne Smith. In the 1980s, he began composing music for theatrical productions. His first work was for An Almost Holy Picture, a Broadway production starring Kevin Bacon. He continued to write and work on sound design for theatrical productions in New York, California, Massachusetts, and Washington. He has also had music featured in films, including The Long Riders and Safe. In 2000, Fantasy reissued both of Greenhill’s recordings for Prestige Records. Recently, he has been involved with Bob Applebaum and Peter Spelman in the creation of String Madness, an all-acoustic, instrumental group. He currently shares management duties of Folklore Productions with his son, Matt.

Sources:
Folklore, Inc. “Folklore Productions International.” http://www.folkloreproductions.com/index.html

Scope and Content:
The Greenhill Family Folklore Productions Collection, 1960-2000 is arranged in two series:
Series I. Audio-visual Materials, 1961-2000
Series II. Photographs and Related Materials, ca.1960-1980

Series I. Audio-visual Materials, 1961-2000
This series consists of phonograph discs, audiotapes, and videotapes from artists related to Folklore Productions. These include artists represented and managed by the company, as well as artists featured in Folklore Productions-promoted concerts. Phonograph discs are identified as Phono-1, audiotapes as T-3, and videotapes as V-3. Recordings are arranged by type, and then alphabetically by artist. Included are many promotional copies. A few of the audiotapes are self-recorded, but the majority consist of published recordings. Phonographic discs include both 45 and 33 1/3 RPM recordings, and the speed has been indicated with each. Inserts have been noted and smaller inserts have been noted and removed to separate folders. Artists in this series are Folklore Productions clients including Joan Baez, Doc and Merle Watson, Taj Mahal, John Renbourn, Dave Van Ronk, and Reverend Gary Davis.

Series II. Photographs and Related Materials, ca.1960-ca.1980
This series consists of photographs, promotional materials, souvenir programs, and posters relating to Folklore Productions clients. The photographs are mostly promotional headshots, and have been arranged alphabetically by the name of the subject, when possible. Artists represented in these materials include Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Taj Mahal, Memphis Slim, and John Renbourn.

Library of Congress Subject Headings:

Baez, Joan
Bensusan, Pierre
Dylan, Bob, 1941-
Folk music–United States.
Folklore Productions, Inc.
Geremia, Paul
Greenhill, Manny, 1916-1996
Greenhill, Mitch
Memphis Slim
Muldaur, Maria
O’Hara, Mary, 1935-
Renbourn, John
Sosa, Mercedes
Taj Mahal
Watson, Doc
Watson, Merle
Williamson, Robin, 1943-

Series Description and Folder Listing: Greenhill Family/Folklore Productions Collection 1960-2000
Series I. Audio-Visual Materials

[table th=”none” colwidth=”10%|7%|25%|25%|10%|7%|16%”]
Phono-1.1|45 RPM|Atkins, Chet and Doc Watson|On My Way to Canaan’s Land / Tennessee Rag / Beaumont Rag|RCA Records|1980|2:26 / 3:07

Phono-1.2|45 RPM|Baez, Joan|Let it Be / Let it Be|Vanguard Recording Society|n.d.|3:48 / 3:48

Phono-1.3|45 RPM|Baez, Joan|Where’s My Apple Pie? / Johnny, I Hardly Knew Yeh|A&M Records|1974|3:15 / 3:53

Phono-1.5|45 RPM|The Chambers Brothers|Are You Ready / You Got the Power to Turn Me On|Columbia Records|n.d.|3:35 / 2:55

Phono-1.8|33 1/3 RPM||Sing Out!: 10th Anniversary Issue|Sing Out Inc.|1961|

Phono-1.9|45 RPM|Smither, Chris|Friend of the Devil / Mail Order Mystic|Poppy Music|n.d.|3:35 / 2:15

Phono-1.10|45 RPM|Smither, Chris|Sunshine Lady / Sunshine Lady|Poppy Music|1973|2:43 / 2:43

Phono-1.11|45 RPM|Von Schmidt, Eric|Living on the Corner / Catch It|Smash Records|n.d.|2:29 / 2:36

Phono-1.12|45 RPM|Watson, Doc|New Born King / Peace in the Valley|United Artists Records|1972|2:49 / 2:53

Phono-1.13|45 RPM|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|All I Have to Do is Dream / ‘Rangement Blues|United Artists Music and Records Group|1978|3:05 / 2:43

Phono-1.14|45 RPM|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Bonaparte’s Retreat / If I Needed You|Poppy Music|1973|2:03 / 2:33

Phono-1.15|45 RPM|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Minglewood Blues / Minglewood Blues|United Artists Records|1977|2:58 / 2:58

Phono-1.31|[33 1/3 RPM]|Berline, Byron, Dan Crary and John Hickman|BCH|Sugar Hill Records|1986|

Phono-1.34|33 1/3 RPM||Bullets + Guitars|Vancouver Folk Music Festival|n.d.|

Phono-1.92|33 1/3 RPM|Taj Mahal|Taj|Gramavision, Inc.|1986|

T-3.1|Armstrong, Frankie|Ways of Seeing|Harbourtown|1990|
T-3.2|Baez, Joan|#2 Dubbed|Self-recorded|n.d.|
T-3.3|Balafón|Marimba Ensemble|Shanachie Records Corp.|1990|
T-3.4|Batish, Ashwin|Sitar Power: Album #1|Batish Records|1986|
T-3.5|Battlefield Band|Home Ground: Live from Scotland|Temple Records|1989|
T-3.6|Battlefield Band|New Spring|Temple Records|1991|
T-3.7|Battlefield Band|Quiet Days|Temple Records|1993|
T-3.8|Battlefield Band|Rain, Hail or Shine|Temple Records|1998|
T-3.9|Battlefield Band|Threads|Temple Records|1995|53 mins.
T-3.10|Benally, Jones|Navajo Reflection|Canyon Records Productions|1994|
T-3.11|Bensusan, Pierre and Didier Malherbe|Enregistré en Concerts|Self-recorded|1997|
T-3.12|Bert & John, Jack Orion||Self-recorded| n.d.|
T-3.13||Blind Blake|Ragtime Guitar’s Foremost Fingerpicker|Yazoo Records|1988|
T-3.14|Chesapeake|Rising Tide|Sugar Hill Records|1994|
T-3.15||Clarence Fountain and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama|I’m Not that Way Anymore|Atlanta International Record Co., Inc.|1990|
T-3.16|Clements, Katy|“Sunday Street”|Self-recorded|1991|
T-3.17||Cody, Robert Tree|Lullabies & Traditional Songs for Native American Flute|Canyon Records Productions|1990|
T-3.18||Cody, Robert Tree|Traditional Flute Music of the Native American|Canyon Records Productions|1988|
T-3.19|Cody, Robert Tree|Young Eagle’s Flight|Canyon Records Productions|1991|
T-3.20|Davis, Gary, Reverend||Self-recorded|[1993]|
T-3.21|Davis, Gary, Reverend|Pure Religion and Bad Company|Smithsonian Folkways Records|1991|
T-3.22|Fahey, John|The Guitar of John Fahey: Lesson 1|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.23|Fahey, John|The Guitar of John Fahey: Lesson 3|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.24|Fahey, John|The Guitar of John Fahey: Lesson 4|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.25|Fahey, John|The Guitar of John Fahey: Lesson 5|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.26|Fahey, John|The Guitar of John Fahey: Lesson 6|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.27||Fingerstyle Guitar: Vol. 6|Fingerstyle Guitar Publications|1994|
T-3.28||Fingerstyle Guitar: Vol. 10|Fingerstyle Guitar Publications|1995|
T-3.29|Flower, Robin and the Bleachers|Babies with Glasses|Self-recorded|1987|
T-3.30|Flower, Robin|First Dibs|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1984|
T-3.31||Formando un Puente / Building Bridges|Redwood Records|1984|
T-3.32|Henderson, Ed|Ed Henderson|Self-recorded|n.d.|
T-3.33|Jansch, Bert|The Best of…|Shanachie Entertainment Corp.|1992|
T-3.34|Jansch, Bert|The Ornament Tree|Run River Records, Ltd.|1990|
T-3.35|Jobarteh, Amadu Bansang|Tabara|Rakumi Records|1989|
T-3.36|Jones, Paul Ubana|I Need a Storm|Flying Fish Records|1992|
T-3.37|Jones, Paul Ubana|Paul Ubana Jones|Pagan Records|[1989]|
T-3.38|McCaslin, Mary|“New Songs 1990”|Self-recorded|1990|
T-3.39|Mandingo|New World Power|Island Records/ Mango/ Axiom|1990|
T-3.40|Mighty Clouds of Joy|Live in Charleston|Intersound, Inc.|1996|
T-3.41|The Millenium Celebration Choir||The House of God Church/Keith Dominion|2000|
T-3.42|Muldaur, Maria|Live in London|Stony Plain Recording Co. Ltd.|1986|
T-3.43|Pentangle|Early Classics|Shanachie Entertainment Corp.|1992|
T-3.44|Pentangle|So Early in the Spring|Green Linnet Records|1990|
T-3.45|Pentangle|Think of Tomorrow|Green Linnet, Inc.|1991|
T-3.46|Renbourn, John|The Nine Maidens|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1986|
T-3.47|Renbourn, John|Ship of Fools|Flying Fish Records, Inc./Folklore Productions, Inc.|1988|
T-3.48|Renbourn, John|Sir John Alot…|Shanachie Entertainments Corp.|1992|
T-3.49|Renbourn, John and Stefan Grossman|Live… in Concert|Shanachie Records Corp.|1985|
T-3.50|Renbourn, John and Robin Williamson|Wheel of Fortune|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1993|
T-3.51|Renbourn/ McShee/ Roberts||Self-recorded|n.d.|
T-3.52|Rotondi|Preaching + Confessing|ROM Records|1989|
T-3.53|Sabiá|Latin American Folk Music|Sabiá|n.d.|
T-3.54|Sabiá|Portavoz|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1986|
T-3.55||Sea Chanteys|Taped by Mitch Greenhill|1993|
T-3.56||Seal Maiden: a Celtic Musical|Music for Little People|2000|
T-3.57|Seeger, Mike|Solo-Oldtime Country Music|Rounder Records|1991|
T-3.58|The Smith Sisters|Roadrunner|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1989|
T-3.59|Sorrels, Rosalie|Report from Grimes Creek|Green Linnet Records, Inc.|1991|
T-3.60|Stivell, Alan|Ian Morrisson Reel|Phonogram S.A.|1970|
T-3.61|Stivell, Alan|A l’Olympia de Paris|Phonogram|n.d.|
T-3.62|Stivell, Alan|“On KCRW Radio”|Self-recorded|1986|
T-3.63|Suso, Foday Musa|The Dreamtime |CMP Records|1990|
T-3.64||Van Ronk, Dave|Fingerpicking Folk, Blues and Ragtime Guitar: Lesson 1|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.65||Van Ronk, Dave|Fingerpicking Folk, Blues and Ragtime Guitar: Lesson 3|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.66||Van Ronk, Dave|Fingerpicking Folk, Blues and Ragtime Guitar: Lesson 4|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.67||Van Ronk, Dave|Fingerpicking Folk, Blues and Ragtime Guitar: Lesson 5|Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.68||Van Ronk, Dave|Fingerpicking Folk, Blues and Ragtime Guitar: Lesson 6 |Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1982|
T-3.69|Van Ronk, Dave|Hummin’ to Myself|Gazelle Productions|1990|
T-3.70|Watson, Doc|My Dear Old Southern Home|Sugar Hill Records|1991|
T-3.71|Watson, Doc|On Praying Ground|Sugar Hill Records|1990|
T-3.72|Watson, Doc|Portrait|Sugar Hill Records|1987|
T-3.73|Watson, Doc|Riding the Midnight Train |Sugar Hill Records|1986|
T-3.74|Watson, Doc|Songs for Little Pickers|Alacazam/Sugar Hill Records|1990|
T-3.75|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Ballads from Deep Gap|Vanguard Records|1971|
T-3.76|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Down South|Sugar Hill Records|1984|
T-3.77||Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Doc & Merle Watson’s Guitar Album|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1983|
T-3.78|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Pickin’ the Blues|Flying Fish Records, Inc.|1985|
T-3.79|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|Red Rocking Chair|Flying Fish Records|1981|
T-3.80|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|“Homespun Tapes #2”|Self-recorded|[1976]|
T-3.81|Watson, Doc and Merle Watson|“Homespun Tapes #3”|Self-recorded|[1976]|
T-3.82||Williamson, Robin|The Fisherman’s Son and the Gruagach of Tricks|Pig’s Whisker Music|1981|33:36
T-3.83|Williamson, Robin|Five Bardic Mysteries|Robin Williamson|1985|
T-3.84|Williamson, Robin|Five Celtic Tales of Enchantment|Robin Williamson|1985|
T-3.85||Williamson, Robin|Five Celtic Tales of Prodigies and Marvels|Robin Williamson|1985|
T-3.86||Williamson, Robin|Five Humorous Tales of Scotland and Ireland|Robin Williamson|1985|
T-3.87|Williamson, Robin|Prince Dougie and the Swan Maiden|Pig’s Whisker Music|1982|
T-3.88|Williamson, Robin|Rory Mor and the Gruagach Gaire|Pig’s Whisker Music|1982|
T-3.89||Williamson, Robin|Songs for Children of All Ages|Pig’s Whisker Music/Flying Fish Records|1987|
T-3.90||Williamson, Robin|Ten of Songs|Pig’s Whisker Music/Flying Fish Records|1988|
T-3.91|Williamson, Robin|Winter’s Turning|Flying Fish Records|1986|
T-3.92|Word of Mouth|Somewhere in the World|Trova Recordings|1995|

V-3.1|Bensusan, Pierre|Pierre Bensusan in Concert|Vestapol Productions / Rounder Records|1996
V-3.2|Renbourn, John|John Renbourn in Concert|Shanachie Records / Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1992
V-3.3|Seeger, Mike|Fret n’ Fiddle|Vestapol Productions / Rounder Records|1994
V-3.4|Shannon, Sharon, et al.|The Late Late Show Tribute to Sharon Shannon|Radio Telefis Eireann|1993
V-3.5|Williamson, Robin|Robin Williamson in Concert|Shanachie Records / Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop|1993
[/table]
Series II. Photographs and other related materials
[table colwidth=”5%|5%|90%”]
Box|Folder
1|1|Photographs, ca.1960-ca.1980 (13 photographs)
||2.01GFC – Joan Baez, n.d. [A&M Records and Tapes]
||2.02GFC – Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, n.d.
||2.03GFC – Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, n.d.
||2.04GFC – Paul Geremia, n.d.
||2.05GFC – Memphis Slim, n.d. [Folklore Productions, Inc.]
||2.06GFC – Maria Muldaur, n.d. [dba]
||2.07GFC – Mary O’Hara, n.d. [Jack Miller]
||2.08GFC – Mercedes Sosa, n.d. [Philips / Miami Records]
1|2|Photographs, ca.1960-ca.1980 (12 photographs)
||2.09GFC – Taj Mahal, n.d.
||2.10GFC – Taj Mahal, n.d. [Mark Cuff / Private Music]
||2.11GFC – Taj Mahal, n.d. [Markus Cuff / Private Music]
||2.12GFC – Taj Mahal, n.d. [Markus Cuff / Private Music]
||2.13GFC – Taj Mahal, n.d. [Dawn Stevens / Folklore Productions]
||2.14GFC – Taj Mahal, n.d. [Robin Visotsky / Private Music]
1|3|Photographs, ca.1960-ca.1980 (5 photographs)
||2.15GFC – The U and I Band (featuring Jim Kweskin), n.d. [Folklore Productions]
||2.16GFC – Unidentified
||2.17GFC – Unidentified

|OS1|Posters, ca.1960-ca.1980
||Joan Baez
||Pierre Bensusan
||John Renbourn and Robin Williamson
||Taj Mahal
||Taj Mahal
||Doc Watson (with The Younger Brothers and Southwind)
||Doc Watson and Merle Watson
[/table]

The following publications were removed from the collection and added to the NEFMA Book Collection:

20 Years of Mountain Stage. West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 2003.

Baez, Joan. Blowin’ Away. [music book]

Baez, Joan. Diamonds & Rust. [music book]

Baez, Joan. From Every Stage. [music book]

Baez, Joan. Gulf Winds. [music book]

International Guide to Music Festivals. Quick Fox, 1980

Harris, David and Joan Baez. Coming Out. Pocket Book Giant, 1971.

Tags:

Greenhill Family/Folklore Productions, 1960-2000

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