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Every day instead of standing outside waiting for my bus a trip to Bruces as there was lots of album covers to browse through and see what your next purchase may be. Headphones to listen to the latest releases, Roxanne played through decent speakers and the girl behind the counter knew her stuff and looked good.
Every day a wee look at the Roxy Music album covers
It was the Kirkcaldy branch
Listen and Bloggs in Glasgow
Binary Star in Exeter.
Notting Hill Record and Tape Exchange. Hours lost riffling through the racks.
Some best memories of my life are of Rose 'upstairs at Rumbelows'. Through the back of the rental washing machines there was this blond lovely behind the record counter, me and my friend Mark Watson used to go there every opportunity and talk to Rose about records. We were just getting into punk and she recommended stuff too us. Main discovery through Rose was Iggy Pop. She was probably 10 years older than us two 13/14 year olds and really knew her stuff. I think she was my first crush ... I compliment my young self on such good taste. 🙂
Spinadisc in Coventry town centre lower precinct.
Great shop, the staff were evenly split between crusty/grunge, Indie kids and electronic rave stuff!
Many an hour was wasted there...
Probe in Liverpool, bought a lot of metal albums from there. Each album had a little handwritten note on it, half of which said how rubbish it was!
A shop in Worksop I can't remember the name of. Then as a student in Sheffield the newly opened Virgin Records (the "original" incarnation of Virgin). Big floor cushions to loll about on in front of a massive PA. Oh and Gong did a gig in the car park at the back.
Parrot records, King Street, Cambridge. About 90% of my LPs came from there.
Fox's Records in Alfreton was my go-to place. During my school days we used to be in there every lunchtime.
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This is my favourite place now...
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Speed records in Ayr.
Avalanche in Cockburn St Edinburgh.
[img] http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/webimage/1.4426017.1492863200!/image/image.jp g" target="_blank">
The Longplayer in Tunbridge Wells. It's been gone for 10 years or so now, still lament it not being there when I go back to visit.
Red Rhino Records, York.
Red Rhino in York for me as well! Track again in York was alright.
Record Savings (aka Piggy Savings, aka Pink Pig) in Banbury
Massive Records in Oxford
Spin-a-Disc in Northampton
Living in a small village and with both parents at work, music buying was always a bit of a mission..!
@ Stevet1 - Probe Records very much alive and kicking. I tend to shop there and Piccadilly in Manchester.
Going to Spin Inn on Market Street was like a pilgrimage. All the latest hip hop, Electro and early Chicago and Detroit house on import
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Spiller Records, Cardiff
Followed by chips from Caroline street
How youth?? I was mid-late 20's before I discovered record shops, but Chocci's in Soho and Kinetic in Little Portland Street were the two main ones for me when I was DJing.
Kinetic especially was awesome. I spent a lot of money there.
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Some kinda mushroom in Chesterfield in the early seventies , they did an exchange system so I got into the old blues and roots stuff that the previous generation of hipsters were discarding
Another fan of Track Records in York.
Also spent a fair few hours in Jumbo and Crash in Leeds (both still there!). Leeds also had a decent 2nd hand record stall in a covered market either in or near the Merrion Centre.
The Record Exchange in Wigan. I think it was on College Street which was little more that an alley linking King Street and Library Street. In the early 80s it was THE place to go for indie, punk and rock. It was run by a couple of Hawkwind fans. Used to waste most Saturday afternoon's in there. Happy days.
Time Records in Colchester. Full of second hand gems and imports.
Ironically I moved just round the corner in my early 20s, but by this point it'd either moved or gone. Google says it still exists, but in conflicting states and locations.
Brilliant, brilliant shop.
The legendary Probe Records Liverpool. Owned by my mates mum and dad. Punk and hardcore heaven. We used to skate around town in the morning then spend the rest of the day in the shop or sitting on the steps.
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Good Vibrations, Belfast. Now the subject of a very fine film starring Richard Dormer.
Trailer: (
Remember being thrown out by Teri Hooley himself when I had the temerity to ask if he had "True Blue by Madonna." Jesus, I had shit taste in music!
Growing up in Reading there were a few, can't remember names but certainly one in Smelly Alley i remember. But I wasn't a prolific buyer at the time (used to tape whole programs of John Peel to listen to) and the stuff i used to buy tended to be the more mainstream side of the alternate/goth/indie genre - Cure, Smiths, SATB, etc., which i could get in the main shops like Virgin, Our Price, etc.
When i went to University in Durham there was a little shop at the bottom of North Rd; I don't remember the name but a google suggests Volume records? Again on a student budget i didn't buy a lot but I remember they used to sell tickets to the Newcastle venues - Uni / Poly / Riverside, etc. and I had a few of those in my time there......
@Slowodlman that would have been Blonde On Blonde or Roulette in Worksop?
Warp in Sheffield or Eastern Bloc
Hudson's Records in Chesterfield in the early '80s. Keith Hudson used to say 'somethings just come in that you might like'
Connexion Records in Chesterfield. (not sure of the exact spelling - but I they had black & gold carrier bags! - I think this might be the shop that took over from 'Some Kinda Mushroom')
When I moved to Sheffield it was Virgin Records on The Moor and then Record Collector at Broomhill which is thankfully still open! and FON records (which later became Warp)
Digby it did used to be Some Kinda Mushroom, on Newbold Road as you went up towards the old hospital.
Earthquake Records in Barrow in Furness. As young rockers the owner, Local councillor Derek Brooks, used to all us 'coalmen'. Bit rich coming from an old hippy type like him.
Loads of import records and stuff we had never heard of. Did concert trips too. Went to my first proper gig wth them, Zeppelin at Knebworth 1979, cost me (or rather my parents) £16!!
Rocks Off in Bradford was my favourite, specifically as it was a little bit out of town, up the big hill, and on the top floor of a three story building, so it really felt like it was on the fringes. Felt like an effort to go there and be cool. They'd have rare stuff (live tapes, bootlegs, obscure band t-shirts) near the till.
And it had a guitar shop and a drum centre on the floors below it.
I don't know how much of that stuff is still there. I've long since moved away from Bradford and not much pulls me back.
Daddy Kools - Dean Street, Soho
Digby it did used to be Some Kinda Mushroom, on Newbold Road as you went up towards the old hospital.
Yep - remember it now. Near the Scarsdale Hospital and the house that was part of St Helenas Girl School?
Not really my youth but Scorpion Records in Wycombe was always filled with decent vinyl.
Another vote for Probe.
Pete Burns used to work there back in the day.
Scorpion records high wycombe got knocked down to accommodate new Sainsbury's a few years back 🙁 Cheryl started counter culture in desborough but couldn't renew lease a year or so back & has gone on line
@digby - I had a doppelganger worked in one of the record shops in chesterfield, very strange to move to a new town @ 18 and loads of people seem to think they know you, so I popped into the shop to find him & he later described the experience as like having a mirror walk towards you 😆
Edit - for Wycombe folk - vinyl night at the belle Vue 3rd wed of each month for hearing weird and wonderful stuff
Scorpion records high wycombe got knocked down to accommodate new Sainsbury's a few years back
Sad face, indeed. Shamed to claim I actually use that Sainsbury's, too. Hawes was another victim, though I understand that Chris made a fair few pennies out of the deal.
Groove Records on Greek Street, Red Records on Beak Street, both in that London's Soho were the two Saturday morning destinations for a few years. Groove records always felt like it was the better shop but it was tiny and could get a bit crowded. Red was an altogether more comfortable place to hang out for a bit.
Once I couldn't be bothered to travelling to the centre every week there were a few suburban records shops dotted around West London but none of the names are very memorable, they normally came and went within 18 months. There was one near Northfields underground that had nice comfy stools so you could sit at the counter whilst reviewing the weeks releases. I liked that place but I've no idea what it was called.
That's right Digby , I did have the occasional visit to the girl's school too !!!
Selectadisc in Nottingham, many hours spent, then when I was skint sold a load back to them for a lot less! Turns out gatefold Mission albums weren't as limited edition/collectable as I thought!
[i]when I was skint sold a load back to them for a lot less[/i]
I did this... we had a shop called Ross Records, bought and sold 2nd hand. Took a great pile in of LPs and 7" (only collectable I recall was first release of the Associates debut album, thankfully can't remember any others).
Regretted it ever since, so have never got rid of a record again!
Tony's Records - Redcar
Fearnley's Records - Middlesbrough
Turns out gatefold Mission albums weren't as [s]limited edition/collectable[/s] [b]listenable[/b] as I thought!
Out of all the alterntive bands of the 80's I find The Mission are the ones I revisit the least - yet I loved them at the time (up until around 'Tower of Strength' anyway)
Saw them at Leeds 02 for the 30th anniversary tour and thought 'when did Hussey turn into Bono?'. Still ... Salvation were supporting and were as good as ever! 😉
@ theotherjonv
When were you at Durham?
I was there '88 - '91 but have no memory of a Volume Records
Used to come into town most weekends in my teens and 20s to buy records from...
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and...
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here ya go :
http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/
an example for berkshire http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/quicksilver-berkshire.html
Yes its incomplete - they are waiting for you to fill it in .
How else would they get the info ?
George Heapy's in Knaresborough (and before that - although I was a bit younger - Vallances). Spent many hours in there listening to tracks, ordering in stuff for release date - I particularly remember waiting for the shop to open on the morning Iron Maiden released Piece of Mind then bunking off school to go home and play it.
Also used a shop in Harrogate (I think it was called Sounds) and when it closed down they had the most ridiculous sale and I bought loads of albums at about 50p each.
Andy's Records Aberystwyth for me. This was my go to place for music in my late teens/early 20s. Haven't been there in a fair few years so don't know what its like now, but was brilliant back then. Managed to get hold of a lot of ltd edition vinyl, ex catalogue stuff as well as current listings.
Record and Tape centre in Evesham , brilliant place in the 70s .
Spent many a happy hour (and many pounds) in Spiller's in Cardiff and then Selectadisc in Nottingham.
Black Sedan Records. Oxford Rd, Manchester. Bought my first Steve Hillage LP there and many many others. It was next to Johnny Roadhouse's shop.
Spiller Records, Cardiff
most of my student debt went to Spiller's...
or to HMV who used to half-inch the import 12s I had ordered in Spillers but the distibutor would visit HMV first and they would take them instead!
So I would then have to cancel my Spiller's order and buy from HMV 🙁
+1 for Alan Fearnley in 'Boro
Also Andy's Records, not in Aberystwyth, but in Bury St Edmunds, and The Record Peddler also in Bury St Eds
VIBES in Bury.
I don't know if it was a good shop or a bad shop... but it was my shop.
87-90 (Castle, FWIW)
Bottom of North Road, almost opposite the Fighting Cocks
https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/record-shops-durham.1020771/page-2
I don't remember it being called Volume, as i say it was googling that gave me the name but I'm 99% certain of the location, and I deffo remember buying gig tickets in the manner described.
Sydney Scarborough under the city hall in Hull....long gone
Station Bridge Records in Keighley was my hangout in the 70s
5HQ in Leicester, vinyl and tape packs of a certain genre.
Spent many a happy Saturday in Glasgow in the following shops
A1 Records when it was a stall in the savoy centre then moved to a shop at the top of Renfield street, which then became FOPP.
Missing Records on union street, not sure if that became virgin
23rd Precinct, can't remember where it was
Shop on Byres Road across from Curlers - was that Listen?
HMV at the corner of Union Street when the clash played an impromptu gig on the roof. Or have I misremembered that?
Not really my youth but Scorpion Records in Wycombe was always filled with decent vinyl.
I used to love Scorpion records although I was always after CD's. I used to spend hours flicking through the pre-owned CD's, literally starting at A and working my way through to Z. It was literally the best shop ever if you were into metal, punk, hardcore etc.
Kalex in Coatbridge, owned by a Mr Jamieson (never got to learn his forename).
He had everything, knew everything (well, to me he did), could recall your previous purchases and would make recommendations based on that.
He was also in the habit of giving out freebies that he thought you'd enjoy. I discovered a fair few faves based on these.
Barnstorm Records of Dumfries. Still open I think.
Pink Panther of Carlisle. Where you messed with the BCF if you weren't behaving!
23rd precinct for hip-hop and dance, it was in one of the lanes of west Nile st iirc.
Rat Records in Buchanan st for indie.
There was a decent second hand shop in Jamaica st too, can't remember the name though.
1 UP in Aberdeen. I remember it when it was a second-hand store in the back of a jeans shop (Happy Trails) before moving to Rosemount. Great shop, I knew people who were scared off by the staff (mostly Scars...) used to spend half my wages there.
The Other Record Shop was good too. Spacies machines, t-shirts and books too. They had clear bags so's you could pose with your purchase.... Ace!
Avalanche was great (but I was in my twenties by then). Kev was really helpful I remember one day walking in and him saying 'give me a fiver..' And me going wha? He thengave me Galaxie 500 today. He was right though 😀
Sleeves in Falkirk
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All the vinyl was moved upstairs after the influx of CD's. Lack of interest meant cheap prices and the pick of the best (to me)
Other than that, it was Woolies for more popular stuff and they didn't really know what they had half the time so their prices were cheap. Orbit did records as well and was the first place I remember my dad going to rent Betamax videos.
Slowodlman that would have been Blonde On Blonde or Roulette in Worksop?
Doesn't ring a bell.
Simon_G
The Longplayer in Tunbridge Wells
I used to got to the Maidstone branch.
Also
but only 2 or 3 times a year when I'd saved enough money to got to the smoke.Groove records
But my favourite was Back Track in Ashford market. Geoff was bloody brilliant - he new everything about all forms of reggae.
Power Cuts down some back street of Oxford Road in Manchester was famous for it's sales
Record Collector in Sheffield was a must-browse when I was at uni there in the late 90s
Spillers in Cardiff.
The only time I ever bought anything was a day trip there in about '87 - I bought Metallica's EP 'Garage Days Re-revisited' and my mate bought some Anthrax shit \m/
[i]How else would they get the info ?[/i]
Research, innit.
There was a decent second hand shop in Jamaica st too, can't remember the name though.
A google search says the Record Exchange which I remember, don't think I went in there much though.
The search also suggests A1 was in De Courcy’s Arcade, just off Byres Road but I was sure it was in the savoy centre. I do remember a record shop in De Courcy’s though and one in the savoy centre.
Power Cuts down some back street of Oxford Road in Manchester
Great Bridgewater Street IIRC
There was also Pandemonium up by Johnny Roadhouse
And the one under the newsagents in St. Anne's Sq - Paperchase
Discount Records in Sale
Streets Ahead in Altrincham
King Bee in Chorlton
Sifters in Didsbury
Not really a record shop but there used to be a music distribution company not far from where I lived that had a discount staff shop. Visited it a few times with a mate that worked there during the summer holidays and once he left I used to go by myself, so long as you went at lunchtime when it was busy nobody bothered to check whether you were staff or not. Bargaintastic.
Probe in Liverpool
When were you at Durham?I was there '88 - '91 but have no memory of a Volume Records
Volume was in a weird little corner/shopping arcade just off silver street in the city centre, but i don't remember how early it was since the OG Volume was on ridley place in Newcastle before they expanded to open more shops (Durham, Sunderland and Washington in that order). might not have been as early as '91.
Magpie Records in Worcester, fab place, acquired my first Rush album there.
Seem to have spent most of the 80's in [url= http://www.reddingtonsrarerecords.co.uk/ ]Reddingtons Rare Records.[/url] in sunny ol' Brum.