DESCRIPTION:
Greenbelt Live!
rec 24-08-1979 to 27-08-1979 Odell, Bedfordshire
tx BBC1 22-06-1980 @ 6:25pm

Produced and Directed by Tony Tew, assisted by Rita Cooper, Pat Wood and Mike Jackson.

Greenbelt 79 saw the festival catapulted into media attention with chart topping acts such as Cliff Richard and After The Fire headlining, and a record crowd of 20,000 punters. Radio One broadcast a Bank Holiday hour long special on the Monday, trying to make sense of the event, and throughout the weekend, Tew and his team documented the festival as it happened.

With the financing of the film and soundtrack only settled two days prior to the start of the festival, over 32,000 feet of 16mm film was eventually shot using Aaton and Airriflex SR cameras, from three different positions simultaneously for concert footage, resulting in some 16 hours of footage to be edited. The film wasn't ready for release until 1980.

In order to capture the soundtrack for an lp, they used RAK Studios 24-track mobile facility, which was housed in a large truck. The resulting album was released by Marshall, Morgan & Scott [MRT1001], pressed on suitably green vinyl, and with a poster, booklet and gatefold sleeve.

Mainstage footage featured Bryn Haworth, Garth Hewitt, After The Fire, Cliff Richard, Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Giantkiller, Meet Jesus Music, Aleksander John, Kainos and Vatten.

Village footage featured Lamb, Roy Castle, and Graham Cray.

Weekend appearances were actually as follows:

Fri 24th
- Giantkiller
- Meet Jesus Music

Sat 25th
- Roy Castle
- Vatten
- Garth Hewitt Band
- After The Fire

Sun 26th
- Randy Stonehill (with Larry Norman)
- Cliff Richard

Mon 27th
- Lamb
- Kainos
- Aleksander John Band
- Bryn Haworth

NB: Although the soundtrack was recorded in stereo, the film release was mono. There is a glitch during Randy Stonehill's song which appears on all versions of the film I have so far seen, so is a tape batch issue.