John Martyn is an important and influential figure in both British folk and rock music. Over a career that spans thirty seven years John Martyn has managed to explore a variety of styles woven together to become a style all of its own. Based around a catalogue of songs second to none John Martyn continues to explore his own particular niche.

Born in Scotland in 1949, John was the first white solo artist to be signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island records releasing his debut album London Conversation in 1968. A number of critically acclaimed albums followed over the years including two albums with his then wife Beverley (Stormbringer and The Road To Ruin). During this period John also worked extensively with Pentangle bassist Danny Thompson, the apex of this working relationship coming with the albums Bless The Weather and Solid Air although Thompson has continued to work with John Martyn extensively over the years.

In 1975 John actually became an independent act releasing a live album, which he literally sold from his front door due to the fact that Chris Blackwell didn’t think John should be releasing a live album at that point in his career. The Live At Leeds album however was a success and subsequently released in the nineties in expanded form. Island did however retain his services as a recording artist and even pressed the album up for John to sell. Following a split with Island in the early eighties John moved to the larger Warner records although returned to Island again briefly at the end of the contract. Following this coming and going John moved from between a number of smaller labels before setting up his own One World Label in order to release archive and live material.

No Little Boy was originally released in 1993 and rather like the Couldn’t Love You More album was a collection of re recorded songs from John’s by then sizable catalogue. The difference between Couldn’t Love You More and No Little Boy is that John Martyn preferred this particular album feeling that this version of re recordings was more in keeping with his original vision for the project. Songs include Solid Air, I Don’t Want To Know, Sunday’s Child, Bless The Weather and Man In The Station. Unavailable as a single disc for some time this reissue will certainly be of interest to John Martyn fans both old and new.