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Long departed Record and Music shops in Liverpool

kennyh

pfm Member
Only by getting the old gramophone did I even think of this subject. I rooted out a pile of old records my grandfather owned which had probably not seen light of day for 50 years.

Looking at their covers fascinated me. Here is a small batch of sleeves from various outlets in Liverpool he must have purchased them from. Never heard of any of them apart from one which I think closed down in the 70's/80's.

It also amazed me how the shops changed the style's and art work on the sleeves, I've 8 different sleeves from just one shop.
I now wonder just how many record shops there were in towns and cities around the country in days gone by, all these outlets were in walking distance of where my grandparents lived so I guess there were thousands.

I assume the records must have arrived at the shops in plain sleeves and were then resleeved by each individual outlet.

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Yes, the big building on the corner. At the time I remember Liverpool’s musical instrument shops were all pretty close, Rushworths there, and Hessy’s and Curly across the road on Stanley St. Can’t remember why, but I hardly ever bought anything from Rushworths, I think the other two were just more competitive back in the ‘80s. Initially Rushworths was a big place, as I recall sheet music and some records downstairs and musical instruments upstairs, and over time it got smaller as they sold some of the building off before finally going under. Forsythe on Deansgate Manchester has a similar feel and must be one of very few traditional old-school music stores still around. A place where you can buy everything from a CD to a grand piano.
 
I remember buying Boxed by Mike Oldfield from Rushworths, it was half-price, don't think I bought anything else there.
 
Yes, the big building on the corner. At the time I remember Liverpool’s musical instrument shops were all pretty close, Rushworths there, and Hessy’s and Curly across the road on Stanley St. Can’t remember why, but I hardly ever bought anything from Rushworths, I think the other two were just more competitive back in the ‘80s. Initially Rushworths was a big place, as I recall sheet music and some records downstairs and musical instruments upstairs, and over time it got smaller as they sold some of the building off before finally going under. Forsythe on Deansgate Manchester has a similar feel and must be one of very few traditional old-school music stores still around. A place where you can buy everything from a CD to a grand piano.

Rushworths even had a violin restoration & making department at one time, and also dealt in rare old stringed instruments, to the extent of publishing their own catalogue. The department was headed, if memory serves by Richmond Henry Bird, a very good maker.

Still standing in Liverpool is my aunties record shop, the Musical Box - believed to be the oldest in the country now, I think.
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Still standing in Liverpool is my Aunties record shop, the Musical Box - believed to be the oldest in the country now, I think.

An amazing place! Whilst they’d never let me actually see what new old stock they had stashed away in the back there was clearly some very decent stuff lurking there. Just by randomly asking at the counter I walked away with original copies of T. Rex The Slider, Can’s Future Days and Soon Over Babaluma and a few other great things. This was back in the mid to late ‘80s so I doubt they have much left now, but they were rare and valuable records even then. A few quid each! Great to know it is still there.
 
Yes, my gran was very remiss about returns...I remember way back when my auntie telling me they had found an unopened box of Elvis LP's worth £50 each.
 
I have a large number of 78's, mostly from record shops in Hull, but also a few from other northern towns. The old card and paper sleeves are very interesting in themselves. I particularly like the ones extolling the virtues of the latest gramophones available for sale. A phrase on one as an example: " Listen to the Bass! Come and audition the latest HMV Instruments!" There then follows a long winded ad hype of how years of dedicated research and painstaking work has gone into these wonderful new machines. How little has changed!
 
I remember one called "Scene of the crime" down a back street near Blue coat chambers. They had loads of good prog stuff and vinyl recordings of concerts produced by small independent distributers...
 
I have edited Tony...is that better?

No, that's not what I meant. As I recall the shop owner got busted at a record fair with a couple of dodgy concert VHS tapes and went through a couple of years of absolute hell even losing his own (huge) record collection in the process. It is the reason I'd actually throw boots out rather than attempt to stock them. I wouldn't touch them with a barge-pole.
 
I bought a lot of my vinyl second hand from hairy records in bold street. They had a massive selection, I passed many an hour there browsing for something I'd heard on the radio. There were a couple of nice shops in quiggins too (when it was next to blue coat and before Liverpool one was built).
 
Ah Quiggins, yes that was a cool place. I loved to go there just to take in the vibes.
 
Anyone else used to hang around the original Penny Lane Records or Virgin when it was on the first floor somewhere on Bold st. ?.
 
The original Penny Lane was down stairs wasn't it...in the late 70s I mean.... I used to go there often.
 
Just remembered NEMs in Whitechapel, huge record shop and very close to Jack Sharps, probably my favourite shop ever lol.

Our local record shop was situated in Tuebrook, on the corner of West Derby road and Lisburn Lane, anyone remember that shop? I forget what it was called now. They had a "cheap box" where all the records that dropped out of the top 40 went. You used to have to take a chance your fave tune never sold out before it dropped down the list:D
 
The original Penny Lane was down stairs wasn't it...in the late 70s I mean.... I used to go there often.
It was on the right if you walked down from Allerton road almost opposite Grove Mount , not downstairs, we spent a lot of school dinnertimes in there. Late 70s/early 80s (after I left school) it moved to the opposite side of the road nearer to Allerton rd.
 


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