I had a tip top trip to my local record shop on Saturday. Picked up a vinly bargain – Danny Korchmar’s solo album, being the album I didn’t know existed till then, for a quid in the sale (mint) plus the chap behind the counter got chatting to Twang Jr about his preferred music (rock!!) and pressed two free singles on him (Deep Purple “Speed King” and Tom Petty “Won’t back down”). Top shop. So share your local top record shops, that they may gain Afterword dosh rather than the Dodgers.
Mods – remove if breaching something but I have no connection with this fine establishment other than as a punter….
http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i449/charlieboy14/20170213_102806_zpsdjknumzq.jpg
Arthur Cowslip says
Missing Records… “under the railway bridge” on Argyle Street.
It’s long been a haunt of many a lunch time for years now. Reliably dusty and musty, and always pumping out Soft Machine or Allman Brothers or likewise at an antisocial volume. It’s a little cavern of pleasure, populated by reliably sweaty, bespectacled misfits.
I buy lots of CDs there. Mainly lower common denominator stuff for £3.00 or so. Some decent DVDs as well.
When I’m feeling more adventurous I venture down to the subterranean vinyl section.
I honestly can’t imagine they make much of a profit, so I’m constantly amazed they manage to stay open year after year.
Twang says
Town?
Happy Harry says
I was curious too. Google tells me Glasgow
Arthur Cowslip says
Ha ha oops! Glasgow it is!
davebigpicture says
On a sad note, I discovered the other day that Bleecker Street Records in New York closed at the end of last year.
dai says
Not surprised. Vastly overpriced.
SteveT says
Was sad to see it go and also Other Music over on West 4th street closed so 2016 wasn’t a good year for record shops in New York.
davebigpicture says
Oh bum! Other Music was on the list for my next visit (pencilled in for summer 2018)
Happy Harry says
Sound Knowledge in Marlborough for new stuff. All over the west for secondhand. Bristol provides good hunting
Kid Dynamite says
I’ve only recently discovered The Centre For Better Grooves here in Bristol. Lovely little shop, mixture of new and second hand, all vinyl, mostly leftfield rock and pop, jazz and soul, with a bit of reggae. It’s a little bit off Gloucester Road, near where it changes over to Cheltenham Road.
metal mickey says
I presume that can’t be far from Plastic Wax, which used to be my “local” many years ago and is still going if http://plasticwaxrecords.com/ is any guide… it’s been years since I’ve been able to pop in, but they seem to still do their discount card & regular double-discount evenings, so a return visit might be in order during the summer…
Happy Harry says
It is just around the corner – well across the road, up a bit and round to the right. PW still do their dscount card – it’s a 20% day today but sadly am unable to visit
dai says
Probably this one these days in the Hintonburg district of Ottawa. Good selection of new and used vinyl, plus they have an amazing selection of vintage equipment, they have live shows (sometimes broadcast live on radio) and also a record label. It’s the way to go these days.
http://www.therecordcentre.com/
(bit out of date, facebook has almost daily updates)
SteveT says
None in Birmingham because it is a shit hole for record shops and has been for a while. However a good day out would be to Carnival Records in Malvern. Not only is it in a fabulous town with some splendid little cafes to avail yourself of coffee and cakes after a hard days trawl through their racks but the choice is rather excellent. Plenty of left field stuff – on recent visits I have picked up a Virginia Astley album on vinyl, the box set of excellent Edwyn Collins singles and Chris Rea’s Blue Guitars set at a very reasonable price. After you have finished there and you are still not sated how about nipping in to Rise in Worcester a mere 10 miles down the road and full of esoteric choices in both vinyl and CD.
Rigid Digit says
Another vote for Carnival Records – only been there twice, but would definitely visit again.
It’s one of those places you can happily lose yourself in for a good few hours
LesterTheNightfly says
Record Collector on Fulwood Road in Sheffield (closed Wednesdays and Sundays)
Two shops next to each other.
The larger one is crammed full of excellently priced cds whilst next door is the vinyl shop stuffed full of new and second hand gems
Inkwell on Gillygate in York (closed Sundays)
Mainly vinyl but also stocks books and cds
Tends to be the more esoteric end of jazz,soul,funk,hip-hop and rock
And across the road is Rebound records (closed Sundays)
Great selection of second hand vinyl and cds
Rigid Digit says
I was in York a couple of months ago – Earworm Records was good (if a bit on the small side), but I completely missed Rebound.
Will look out for it next time I’m up there (probably July, when step daughter finishes University)
Bargepole says
Seconded for Record Collector in Sheffield – excellent place!
Also try Spinning Discs on Chesterfield Road in Sheffield for a browse and a coffee too – only open Thursday to Sunday though – see their website for more info.
count jim moriarty says
Glad to know that Record Collector is still alive and well. I used to spend most of my student grant in there – fatally, I had to pass it going to and from Halls to Uni.
Baron Counterpane says
Record Collector got a significant chunk of my grant too. It may well have been a contributing factor to my never leaving Sheffield after completing my university studies.
Rigid Digit says
In The Groove – Henley-On-Thames
Small, but perfectly formed. Relaxed atmosphere and has “that” smell (the one every good record shop should have).
Sound Machine – Reading
Always plenty of good stuff to be found – and if you’re ever short of a copy of No Parlez, they have more than a few.
(At the other end of the arcade is the Reading Collectors Centre – not truly a record shop, but has plenty of interesting vinyl and CDs amongst the DVDs, Videos, Comics and Toys)
Twang says
I should probably mention David’s in Letchworth – excellent 2nd hand and new vinyl and CDs and DVDs plus new and second hand books. Some basic musical instrument stuff. Great cafe too.
http://www.davids-bookshops.co.uk
Almost Simon says
Aha, my local shop. I’m in Stevenage. Saw Kristin Hersh performing an acoustic show there a few years back. Great shop for some secondhand LP’s and also a decent secondhand music book section thats worth checking out. Very much recommended.
Twang says
We’ll have to have a mini mingle over a coffee!
John Walters says
Here’s a shout out for King Bee records in Chorlton cum Hardy, Manchester.
Always well stocked up with second hand vinyl. Some reasonably priced. Collectors rare items expensive.
Whiled away countless hours here and bought many, many records including an original Beano album in mono.
The Good Doctor says
Oh where to start? There are loads, and they are growing in number (in the North of England) which is good news. My website recordshopcity.co.uk details a lot of the Manchester/Liverpool/North West ones.
A few favourites apart from the obvious ones are Reel Around the Fountain which is in Mozzer’s old haunt in Stretford Mall – a 1970s shopping mall that is now far too big for the locality it serves -but deep inside among the old market units you’ll find a very nice man called Nigel and and stacks of reasonably priced Vinyl and CDs of all sorts. In Manchester I’d recommend braving the 3 flights of stairs up to the top floor of Afflecks Palace to find Vinyl Resting Place – a tiny stall but crammed full of goodies (but be prepared to squeeze past fellow punters), and also try Soundwaves Here We Come on the floor below. Also a bit further out – Vinyl Planet in Macclesfield is well worth a visit – a small shop but really well stocked and very reasonably priced and go and give Neil a break from talking to Joy Division fans!.
Finally I should mention X Records in Bolton which has been happily relieving me of any disposable income for 30 years now gawd bless ’em!
Chrisf says
Talking of Manchester record stores – when I was at Uni there in the mid 80s (shit is it really almost 30 years since I graduated !) there was a store on Oxford Road between the BBC and the University called Pandemonium Records that was actually stuffed with vinyl. Very eccentric owner who wouldn’t actually sell you anything – would only just do you a tape of it !!
Last I heard was that he was looking for a home for his vast collection (that was quite a few years ago) – anyone know what happened to it ?
duco01 says
It’s nearly 32 years since I graduated from Manchester, and yes, I remember Pandemonuim Records well, too. The chap who ran it was George Davenport. Bizarre guy. Bit of a local legend.
The Good Doctor says
long story but the stock ended up in a big warehouse in North manchester which George ran…supposedly as a shop although I believe it wasn’t easy to get in, and harder still to get him to sell you anything.
The warehouse flooded and there was a protracted dispute with the landlord.
Here’s what happened…a soggy end
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/50000-rare-records-been-found-11956305
Beany says
The only time I went in the shop – a looong time ago – the conversation went something like this…
Beany: I would like to buy this LP please.
George: Oooh that is one of my last copies. I cannot possibly sell it. Tell you what…for a fiver I can copy it onto a cassette and mail it to you!
Beany: Goodbye.
Morrison says
Nice website – Manchester used to be a happy hunting ground years ago and I must go back.
Norwich remains a beacon for record shopping down my way. Within 15 minutes walk of the city centre there must be half a dozen second hand shops – and a couple of new ones – that seem to be thriving. They’re mainly centred in and around St Benedicts St – lunch menu at Benedicts restaurant recommended – and then a short walk down the cobbled streets of Elm Hill to Magdalen Street where there’s a few more. Then on to 60s brutalism of Anglia Square(?) – surely one of the most misguided urban developments ever.
davebigpicture says
Not local to me but I stumbled on Kenilworth Records last year. http://www.kenilworthrecordstore.com/home.html
jazzjet says
Rooster Records in Exeter. Tons of decent vinyl, with a good jazz section, plus lots of interesting stuff on CD, box sets etc. They say they buy collections so I’ll probably be going to them with my vinyl collection, currently sitting in my garage.
Abbers01 says
just opened as a dedicated vinyl shop
Hot Vinyl Vault in Holt, Norfolk. Used to be the town post office/record store.
The only bit of good news about Post Office closures, is that this one is now a dedicated record store
https://www.facebook.com/Holt-Vinyl-Vault-494214790647999/
fentonsteve says
Oooh, my mum’s just up the road in Aylmerton, and I struggle to find somewhere to escape to, now the bike shop’s gone from Cromer.
Harry Tufnell says
Vinly Vault is my fave record shop, I was in there just yesterday, seems almost strange now not to be in the same shop as old ladies buying stamps while I flick through 1980’s indie.
fentonsteve says
@Twang: a vote for the Vinyl Revival just up the A1 from you in Buckden. The world’s smallest record shop* in Ian’s garden shed**.
* don’t believe the hype
** it’s an awful lot bigger than my garden shed.
Also, Relevant Record Cafe in Cambridge (easy walking distance from the train station) is ace.
Clive says
Ben’s in Guildford.
http://www.benscollectorsrecords.com/
davebigpicture says
When I lived in Godalming I gave up going to Ben’s as the stock didn’t seem to change very often. Glad he’s still there though.
Beany says
Henry’s Records in Burton-upon-Trent. Run by a mate called John. Went looking for a website address and found this video. He has acquired a lot more stock since this was filmed.
https://youtu.be/UxEswnUMcIU
hubert rawlinson says
Again run by a good friend I give you http://wallofsoundrecords.com.
Morrison says
Also, Action Records on Preston’s Church Street – a benighted part of town since I lived there in 60s/70s – but a brilliant record shop with decent mail order as well.
Great video here:
Just down from the bus station – worth a trip for concrete brutalist fans.
colrow26 says
Great thread….a few mentions for record shops in Manchester, does anyone remember Goldmine records in Shambles Square? it was damaged in 1996 by the IRA bomb but re-opened months later, Because Marks & Spencer wanted to re-build Goldmine was forced to close and Beatin Rhythm was born on Tib St…..specialising in soul of the Northern variety plus loads more RnB Funk and Rock n Roll it was run by a mate of mine, Derek (or HMV Derek as he was singles manager at the Market St store thru the 70s to early 90s). Shop moved 18 months ago to Prestwich but is still thriving….
plansfornigel says
I would heartily recommend Vinyl Tap opposite the station in Huddersfield. Try to make it unless of course you have had a bizarre gardening accident.
The Good Doctor says
Upstairs I like – but the area downstairs I struggle with. It’s a vast basement filled with a massive amount of stock – which looks exciting until you realise there is a whole lot of junk down there. Tons of Meat Loaf, T’Pau and Curiosity Killed the Cat and endless copies of No Parlez. Also, I was down there once and a guy had pulled a load of dance 12″s which he (quite reasonably) wanted to have a quick needle drop of – the miserable git on the till wasn’t having any of it as he was listening to an Adam Ant album which he didn’t want to turn off. He proceeded instead to look each one up on the net and tell the customer what genre it was “that’s techno”…”thats jungle” etc. rather than let him have a listen…pissed me off so much I gave up wading through the Mickey Jupp albums and beat a retreat.
hubert rawlinson says
I believe that downstairs is a separate entity to vinyl tap and is sublet. Vinyl Tap’s shop was Wall of Sound which is now at the bottom of Crash in Leeds.
Junior Wells says
For those in or visiting Melbourne Greville Records in Prahran is the last man standing from the old school. Vinyl new and used collectables Stones Shakey Dylan tragic for an owner. Boots posters t shirts etc