advertisement


The records shops that shaped our lives

Cheapo Cheapo on Rupert St. in Soho..Before that, there was one on Forrest Road in Edinburgh when I was a student, I lived in it and if I close my eyes can still smell the fusty cardboard...
 
At university in London in the late 70s it was Simons records on Oxford Street. Stupidly cheap, and a huge selection.
 
Crease's on County Road in Liverpool, more music shop than record shop, but it's where I bought my first record, and they used to supply both Liverpool and Everton with their half-time play lists.
 
I was only thinking about this the other day. i grew up on the coast and everywhere seemed to sell records in the mid late 70's so in no particular order, and i can remember buying records from all of them, DER the television rental shop, WHSmiths, Boots( hifi too), Sperrings, another shop but the name escapes me and as as a special treat, Virgin in Brighton
 
The Record Player in Brighton owned by George Gin (great name) since 1948-Englands oldest?....

http://www.myspace.com/tychobraheaustralia/photos/51108661#{%22ImageId%22%3A51108661}
 
F L Moores in Luton, i purchased my first ever record there it was all along the watchtower by Hendrix,

44 years have gone by and it is still as good today as it was then, sadly the shop is long gone.
 
Sydney Scarborough's in Hull. The shop for me in the 70's, 80's...bought so many classic records from there.
 
After the usual WH Smiths and Woolworths as a youngster (especially the sale racks of 7" singles!) there was a shop in Holloway Rd (forgotten the name but near Bartletts hifi shop) where I bought my very first CDs - and collected picture discs. Plus a stall in Exmouth Market and Leather Lane (Islington/Holborn) for vinyl dance stuff- loads of 12" - then Chepo Cheapo in Soho (great prices for LPs)

Now it's Amazon......
 
Oh yes - forgot Record Tape and Video Exchange in Camden - when there were two! - where I bought literally hundreds of 7 inch singles for 10p each to expand my collection
 
For me it was Cobweb Records in Shrewsbury. Saving up my lunch money, whilst at 6th form, to buy music... :)
No idea if its still there. There's certainly less shops now in Shrewsbury, no Smiths, no Woolies, no Our Price, no Rainbow Records, no MVC, no Virgin, nowt much left at all...
 
sq225917 said:
Old Hitz and Volume in Newcastle
Click to expand...

Quite agree about Oldhitz - I'm even looking at one of their old record storage units right now, in fact! John was a top bloke; he even lent me his van to move it down to Oldham where I lived at the time. Dodgiest thing I ever drove, mind you.

The best for me has to be Grey 'n' Pink in Chester - most of my wages used to go in there, I think. First record bought there - Master of Reality by Black Sabbath. Mike used to turn up on Marcher Sound every now and then and people would ring in with random albums and catalogue numbers for a guide to the rarity and value. I never heard him stumped - a real fount of knowedge.

Sifters deserves a mention, too, as does King Bee in Chorlton along with Allkinds on Smithdown Road in Liverpool.
 
HiFi Hunter said:
For me it was Cobweb Records in Shrewsbury. Saving up my lunch money, whilst at 6th form, to buy music... :)
No idea if its still there. There's certainly less shops now in Shrewsbury, no Smiths, no Woolies, no Our Price, no Rainbow Records, no MVC, no Virgin, nowt much left at all...
Click to expand...

There's a good one on the gantry in the market still, though...
 
I used to like Shady Deals in Putney High St, down the bridge end, also Beggars Banquet in Kingston upon Thames; happy days.
 
One of the first jobs I had when I left school was working for the MOD round the back of Centre Point near Tottenham Court Road. I used to visit the following stores during my lunch break:-

Cheapo Cheapo Records - when it was just a stall and before they got the shop
Magic Phonograph - which was on a side street off Soho Sq
Virgin Records - The shop above the shoe shop in Oxford Street that eventually became the Megastore

Also where I lived in London (Leyton) there was a record shop on ther corner of Lea Bridge Road and Church Road (cannot think of the name) which was owned by Alan 'Fluff' Freeman at one time. They used to have a great section out the back which was where all the 'funny' records were kept - think of 'An Electric Strom' by White Noise!!

Used to spend a lot of time and money at Record and Tape Exchange in Islington.

Mike
 
Revolution Records in Windsor was my usual shop of choice. Sadly now gone :(

Also the haunt of one Andy Weatherall, a former school friend.
 
When i was a teenager at school in the late 70's there were only 2 shops in Kilmarnock that I ever spent money in - 'The Card and Pop Inn' and 'Bruce's'. The Pop Inn was a tiny independant shop but was one of the shops used to compile 'The Charts' so they always had picture discs, 12" versions, 7" double packs and all sorts of wonderful extra's that you couldn't get anywhere else in Kilmarnock.
As a student in Glasgow in the early 80's there was just a fantastic range of shops to dispose of my student grant (remember them??) 23rd Precinct, Lost Chord, Listen, Bloggs, A1 ......
 
Bruces on sauchiehall st - I didnt know Bruce had one in Kilmarnock - his brother Brian had a great shop in Falkirk too. The edinburgh Bruces reputedly had the The Beatles Abby road before any other shop in Britain due reputedly to sterling work between the sheets with the relevant Apple Operatives
Not a lot of people know that
 
Musicraft - Wellington, Shropshire. (circa 1976 - 1983)
Langlands - Wellington, Shropshire (circa 1976 - 1983)
Oldies Unlimited ( trade counter) - St Georges, Shropshire (circa 1976 - 1983)
Oasis records - Wolverhampton - (circa 1976 - 1983). loved seeing all the coloured vinyls and pic discs on the walls.

Small record shop in Braunton, North Devon . can't remember the name but he specialised in indie music and goth rock. (circa 1983 -1988)


Compact Music - Ipswich, Suffolk. The first CD Only shop in town. ( circa 1990 -92 )
Andy's records - Ipswich, Suffolk. ( circa 1990 -92 )

Groucho's - Dundee, Tayside . (1992 to present day).
 
Ianr - It was next door to Marks & Spencer and was there from about 1977 to 1982. I've still have a red 'I got it at Bruces' bag that I keep cuttings from Sounds and NME in!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top