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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.
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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