Cheapo's Record Stall In Soho

[Geeselad]

following on from the thread about Bostocks in Bradford, I had many bargains whilst studying in the smoke from a stall on Berwick streeet market, one i particularly remember was the chosen few- birth of a playboy, in multiples on both labels, but there were many more, I'm sure I can remember someone finding- Doctor truelove down there too. This was the early 8ts but I know it had been there for a long, long time before that. anyone else remember digging through the stock?

[Guest son of stan]

I had a copy of "Doctor Truelove" off there! Funnily enough, I remember a well known rare soul dj browsing on the stall that day.So I assumed for ages that it was quite a common record. This would have been 1986, or so...

Got lots of other nice bits and bobs there, too. Multi-copies of Jesse James "If You Want a Love Affair", Chales Mann, "It's all over" come to mind. Many more long forgotten. I used to love hunting about in London for records back then. Turned up many gems in obscure corners of the capital. Happy days indeed.

Edited July 14, 2010 by son of stan

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

following on from the thread about Bostocks in Bradford, I had many bargains whilst studying in the smoke from a stall on Berwick streeet market, one i particularly remember was the chosen few- birth of a playboy, in multiples on both labels, but there were many more, I'm sure I can remember someone finding- Doctor truelove down there too. This was the early 8ts but I know it had been there for a long, long time before that. anyone else remember digging through the stock?

..."Remember digging through the stock"? I had about two years of pricing it up and sticking it out in the racks, following in the shoes of Mr. Croasdell who had done the same for the previous couple of years or so...

I can remember that, at one time, we had maybe 300 copies of "If You Want A Love Affair"s, if not more. I used to have trouble shifting copies at 20 pence a pop! And I can remember almost begging people to buy the multiple copies we had of J B Bingham's version of "All Alone By The Telephone" (maybe as many as 100) at the handsome price of 30 pence, because I knew its time as an in-demander would eventually come.

These were by no means the only examples of what were then almost new releases and are now collectable records that we had in quantity. My boss Graham used to go up to John Anderson's and buy box loads of demos for, literally, pennies. John had so many of them back then that he was glad to get them out of his chicken shed and into someone else's store room...

People often claim to have found stunning rarities at Cheapo's stall. Many other less enlightened people manned the stall after Ady and I did, and I can only imagine this happened then because I doubt if too much got by us two during our collective time there (and I don't count records that were worth nothing then and that became collectable later...)

Edited July 15, 2010 by TONY ROUNCE

[Guest son of stan]

People often claim to have found stunning rarities at Cheapo's stall. Many other less enlightened people manned the stall after Ady and I did, and I can only imagine this happened then because I doubt if too much got by us two during our collective time there (and I don't count records that were worth nothing then and that became collectable later...)

I think it must after your / Ady's time that I was going there. I don't remember anyone from the soul scene being involved by that time (mid/ late 80s). I always used to wonder where the records came from. I used to work nearby and would go along like every other day or something! They were £1 /£1.50 by then!

Edited July 14, 2010 by son of stan

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I think it must after your / Ady's time that I was going there. I don't remember anyone from the soul scene being involved by that time (mid/ late 80s). I always used to wonder where the records came from. I used to work nearby and would go along like every other day or something! They were £1 /£1.50 by then!

Ady was there from late 74 (I think - he will confirm for sure) until early 1976. I took over in June 76 and was there until about March-April 78, when I went to work for Our Price in Charing Cross Road.

I would guess that by your time they just had whoever they could get who would work cheap enough, and who didn't know enough to siphon off any potentially valuable stock...

[Soulboy69]

one i particularly remember was the chosen few- birth of a playboy, in multiples on both labels

Now there's a coincidence, i actually bought my copy (blind, as i didn't know it at the time) from the same stall in the 80's as well whilst on holiday in London.

Think i paid £1.50 for it. As far as i can recall, i bought some nice Rocksteady / Skinhead Reggae 45's from him on the same day!

[Guest]

following on from the thread about Bostocks in Bradford, I had many bargains whilst studying in the smoke from a stall on Berwick streeet market, one i particularly remember was the chosen few- birth of a playboy, in multiples on both labels, but there were many more, I'm sure I can remember someone finding- Doctor truelove down there too. This was the early 8ts but I know it had been there for a long, long time before that. anyone else remember digging through the stock?

Back then you could find loads of good stuff any where in London,it was ace it's not so good now fooking internet

[manus]

I remember buying a Nancy Wilson End of our love on British there for £2.50 early 1975 - was there also record stall on Rupert Street or is my memory playing up?

Cheers

Manus

[Ian Dewhirst]

Ady was there from late 74 (I think - he will confirm for sure) until early 1976. I took over in June 76 and was there until about March-April 78, when I went to work for Our Price in Charing Cross Road.

I would guess that by your time they just had whoever they could get who would work cheap enough, and who didn't know enough to siphon off any potentially valuable stock...

Yep, the first place I met Ady and then yourself when I used to travel down from Leeds record hunting. Great days!

Ian D

[Guest veep1296]

I first found the stall early 70s ...guess at 72 as I was poss still in the Sixth form at school but going to the Mecca & Torch......before Adey worked there when it always seemed to be Graham (Stapleton ?) manning it....a pleasant Notts guy with glasses I seem to remember ? TR will correct me if Im wrong.

He used to let us look through the basement stock...Okeh,s...Lou Johnsons...etc.

Therafter I moved South in late 74 & visited most weekends for a couple of years assembling a very nice UK 70s demo collection....

David

[nij flood]

Ady was there from late 74 (I think - he will confirm for sure) until early 1976. I took over in June 76 and was there until about March-April 78, when I went to work for Our Price in Charing Cross Road.

I would guess that by your time they just had whoever they could get who would work cheap enough, and who didn't know enough to siphon off any potentially valuable stock...

Tone,

Just dug out an old Polaroid pic of you, me & Clarkie taken on the stall in 1975. My firm had moved me down to their Gt Portland St office early 1975 so I used to spend lunch hour in Soho hunting food & vinyl. I bumped into Ady across the stall & we knew each other from somewhere that turned out to be the Torch so common ground sorted there began an enduring friendship. I ended up moving into his shared flat in Highbury with a squad of his university mates. I remember someones girlfriends dog ate my brand new pair of tan tassel loafers I'd just bought back from Spain. Never even wore 'em! She left a note saying "The dog ate Wotsits shoes". I wasn't even worth naming.... Great memories of the stall included sitting helping Ady to parcel up 100s of Bluebeat 45s to send of to Belgium. We thought it was hilarious that anyone would fork out good money for a load of what sounded like Spaghetti Western soundtracks. Happy daze...

[Guest Salv]

I started going to Cheapo's in 1976 and visited fairly regularly - the two real bargains I got from there were two UK releases: The Pioneers 'My Good Friend James' on Mercury, and 100% Pure Poison 'You Keep Coming Back' for 35p each.

I bought some great albums as well - at least three copies of Sam Dees' 'The Show Must Go On', one for me, two for friends at about £1.80 each, and Sidney Joe Qualls 'I Enjoy Loving You' for about the same price.

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I remember buying a Nancy Wilson End of our love on British there for £2.50 early 1975 - was there also record stall on Rupert Street or is my memory playing up?

Cheers

Manus

We would never have put anything out on the stall for that kind of money in mine or Ady's time there - I think that 75p was probably about the top price for anything we sold via the stall back then.

Although Cheapo's stall WAS on Rupert Street, so maybe you're referring to somewhere else entirely!

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Tone,

Just dug out an old Polaroid pic of you, me & Clarkie taken on the stall in 1975. My firm had moved me down to their Gt Portland St office early 1975 so I used to spend lunch hour in Soho hunting food & vinyl. I bumped into Ady across the stall & we knew each other from somewhere that turned out to be the Torch so common ground sorted there began an enduring friendship. I ended up moving into his shared flat in Highbury with a squad of his university mates. I remember someones girlfriends dog ate my brand new pair of tan tassel loafers I'd just bought back from Spain. Never even wore 'em! She left a note saying "The dog ate Wotsits shoes". I wasn't even worth naming.... Great memories of the stall included sitting helping Ady to parcel up 100s of Bluebeat 45s to send of to Belgium. We thought it was hilarious that anyone would fork out good money for a load of what sounded like Spaghetti Western soundtracks. Happy daze...

You probably remember going to a few gigs with me at the Marquee in the just pre-punk days - Graham Parker and the Rumour was one and we probably shouldn't admit it on here but I think you and I went to AC/DC at the Marquee as well - I was definitely there even if you weren't, I went to see 'em three times in four weeks of a residency!

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I first found the stall early 70s ...guess at 72 as I was poss still in the Sixth form at school but going to the Mecca & Torch......before Adey worked there when it always seemed to be Graham (Stapleton ?) manning it....a pleasant Notts guy with glasses I seem to remember ? TR will correct me if Im wrong.

He used to let us look through the basement stock...Okeh,s...Lou Johnsons...etc.

Therafter I moved South in late 74 & visited most weekends for a couple of years assembling a very nice UK 70s demo collection....

David

Yes, that's right - it was Graham and his partner John Thorpe's stall. I haven't seen Graham for a few years - he was the headmaster of a school in Balham for many years, and I often bumped into him around Balham until Record Corner closed down. But he was still bang into his soul music last time we spoke. John I still see from time to time, in fact he lives and drinks about 2 miles from where I love now.

They actually opened the stall in 1972, starting it with records from their own collection. can remember buying the Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters EPs on London off John, only about a week after the stall had opened, for around 70 pence each!

Piece of useless information for you - Graham was married (and indeed may still be married) to Hammer horror actress Yutte Stensgaard ("Lust For A Vampire" etc)....

[manus]

We would never have put anything out on the stall for that kind of money in mine or Ady's time there - I think that 75p was probably about the top price for anything we sold via the stall back then.

Although Cheapo's stall WAS on Rupert Street, so maybe you're referring to somewhere else entirely!

No I think you've actually confirmed it - cos I was sure it was on Rupert St anyway so the Berwick St references threw me out - it was early 75 I was down for the weekend with a couple of others and Frankie McHugh who was living over in Hornchurch took us to Moondogs where I bought a copy of Barbara Mercer Hey for about 50p ( I remember they had a copy stuck up on the wall) and then he took us to the Cheapo stall - He told us that it was run by a guy from leicester ( which must have been Ady) but he wasn't there - a small guy with short hair was working the stall and I bought Nancy Wilson and it was £2.50 .

[Kevinkent]

I first found the stall early 70s ...guess at 72 as I was poss still in the Sixth form at school but going to the Mecca & Torch......before Adey worked there when it always seemed to be Graham (Stapleton ?) manning it....a pleasant Notts guy with glasses I seem to remember ? TR will correct me if Im wrong.

He used to let us look through the basement stock...Okeh,s...Lou Johnsons...etc.

Therafter I moved South in late 74 & visited most weekends for a couple of years assembling a very nice UK 70s demo collection....

David

That was about the time I discovered Berwick St.

Was this stall linked to one of the shops?

It was one of the shops, at the market end of Berwick St where this geezer with a little black book full of wants (Dave Godin) pulled a few tunes out of the boxes and suggested I buy 'em.

[Davetay]

Ady was there from late 74 (I think - he will confirm for sure) until early 1976. I took over in June 76 and was there until about March-April 78, when I went to work for Our Price in Charing Cross Road.

I would guess that by your time they just had whoever they could get who would work cheap enough, and who didn't know enough to siphon off any potentially valuable stock...

Made many a record buying trips to London between Oct 73 and June 75.

Did my 1st States trip July 75, and never did the London trips again.

Did not know who Ady was at the time, or he me.

We once had a very long talk about cheapos, sit on some stairs in the South Club in Manchester before a Ritz All-nighter. (90s)

Dave.

[nij flood]

You probably remember going to a few gigs with me at the Marquee in the just pre-punk days - Graham Parker and the Rumour was one and we probably shouldn't admit it on here but I think you and I went to AC/DC at the Marquee as well - I was definitely there even if you weren't, I went to see 'em three times in four weeks of a residency!

AS I remember there was a period of a year or so when Graham Parker was on everywhere, you couldn't avoid that man...Don't think I went to see ACDC with you but we certainly saw ole' rubberlips & his band at Knebworth as I have the pix to prove it. In between backdrops we did catch a bunch of punk gigs too, all the usual suspects many times plus eccentricities like Johnny Moped. I remember Graham Parker at the Nashville and the Hope & Anchor plus many other venues. At the end of 1976 I was transferred up to Aberdeen so that was the end of all that as Aberdeen in those days was a desert ( a f*****g freezing desert but a musical desert for sure)

[Shsdave]

That was about the time I discovered Berwick St.

Was this stall linked to one of the shops?

It was one of the shops, at the market end of Berwick St where this geezer with a little black book full of wants (Dave Godin) pulled a few tunes out of the boxes and suggested I buy 'em.

Yes it was Cheapo Cheapos Kev & the stall stood right outside & it was Rupert Street mate

[Mike Lofthouse]

You probably remember going to a few gigs with me at the Marquee in the just pre-punk days - Graham Parker and the Rumour was one and we probably shouldn't admit it on here but I think you and I went to AC/DC at the Marquee as well - I was definitely there even if you weren't, I went to see 'em three times in four weeks of a residency!

I went to see Automatic Man at the Marquee - summer of '76 ? were you there Tony ?

[Kevinkent]

Yes it was Cheapo Cheapos Kev & the stall stood right outside & it was Rupert Street mate

Not the same one then Dave. The one I was thinking of was definately in Berwick St - walk up porn alley, hit the market, and it was a few shops up on the left.

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I went to see Automatic Man at the Marquee - summer of '76 ? were you there Tony ?

...Guilty as charged - and I didn't walk out of that one early, either!

Because of Cheapo's close proximity to the Marquee I used to see loads of bands straight from work, often on a whim and always via a session in the Duke Of Wellington pub in Wardour Street (or 'The Duke Ellington' as I will always remember it). Some of the happiest moments of my life were spent in that toilet of a venue...

[Anoraks Corner]

I often bumped into him around Balham until Record Corner closed down.

When did they close down, Tony? Another one on my old round as a rep...a coffee and natter shop for quite a few of us knights of the road.

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

When did they close down, Tony? Another one on my old round as a rep...a coffee and natter shop for quite a few of us knights of the road.

The shop closed around 2002-3, Dave. The gentrification of Balham made the value of 27 Bedford Hill as a property worth far more than it was as a record shop. Passing trade was not what it used to be, and they were doing most of their business mail order and via eBay, The shop closed, Dave Hastings semi-retired and the staff took it on as a business, relocating to a trading estate in Purley Way and running RC without a retail outlet.

Things weren't what they used to be, however, and RC ceased to trade completely about 2 years ago.

I still see Dave Hastings quiite often, and I see Terry Davinson every week (seeing him tonight in fact) for a pint - he's also my little girl's Godfather. Thy're still in fine fettle, even if Record Corner no longer is...

[Anoraks Corner]

I see Terry Davinson every week (seeing him tonight in fact) for a pint - he's also my little girl's Godfather. Thy're still in fine fettle, even if Record Corner no longer is...

Please pass on my regards to Terry...was always a pleasure presenting Charly's new releases to him...even if some of it was tosh!

[Pauldonnelly]

what was the name of the small record shop in East Ham? we used to do that, then off the Record Corner (hell of a tube journey then Berwick Street, must have been 73ish.

PD

[Mike Lofthouse]

what was the name of the small record shop in East Ham? we used to do that, then off the Record Corner (hell of a tube journey then Berwick Street, must have been 73ish.

PD

Moondogs ? - Great mail order - trailed across London in '76 to visit it once and found it shut:(

[Guest]

Moondogs ? - Great mail order - trailed across London in '76 to visit it once and found it shut:(

Used to go down quite regularly .

The chap who used to run it - Paul - was wary of anyone he did not know . On my first visit , he told me straight away " I am wise to you Northeners looking for records , so don't expect any bargains " ....... nice start

After a while of going down ( usually twice a month ) we built up a good relationship : I got what I wanted , and Paul got what he wanted for the records , so he was happy .

It got to the point where he used to ask me to visit on the shop's half day closing , as it was quieter in the morning and he could give me help if I needed it . I usually arrived at 10 AM , and when it came to closing up for the half day , Paul would ask me to leave a list of what records I had taken ( telling me " you can pay me the next time you northern C**t , I trust you " ) , hand me the shop keys telling me to lock up when I had done , and to put them through the letter box .

Circumstances and commitments resulted in my visits becoming less regular ( every four / five months became the norm as opposed to twice a month ) , and on one particular trip , I found the business had closed .

Malc

Edited July 16, 2010 by Malc Burton

[Guest Dave Turner]

Used to go down quite regularly .

The chap who used to run it - Paul - was wary of anyone he did not know . On my first visit , he told me straight away " I am wise to you Northeners looking for records , so don't expect any bargains " ....... nice start

After a while of going down ( usually twice a month ) we built up a good relationship : I got what I wanted , and Paul got what he wanted for the records , so he was happy .

It got to the point where he used to ask me to visit on the shop's half day closing , as it was quieter in the morning and he could give me help if I needed it . I usually arrived at 10 AM , and when it came to closing up for the half day , Paul would ask me to leave a list of what records I had taken ( telling me " you can pay me the next time you northern C**t , I trust you " ) , hand me the shop keys telling me to lock up when I had done , and to put them through the letter box .

Circumstances and commitments resulted in my visits becoming less regular ( every four / five months became the norm as opposed to twice a month ) , and on one particular trip , I found the business had closed .

Malc

Maybe he lent some other Northern C**t the keys and they fooked off with the contents

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Used to go down quite regularly .

The chap who used to run it - Paul - was wary of anyone he did not know . On my first visit , he told me straight away " I am wise to you Northeners looking for records , so don't expect any bargains " ....... nice start

After a while of going down ( usually twice a month ) we built up a good relationship : I got what I wanted , and Paul got what he wanted for the records , so he was happy .

It got to the point where he used to ask me to visit on the shop's half day closing , as it was quieter in the morning and he could give me help if I needed it . I usually arrived at 10 AM , and when it came to closing up for the half day , Paul would ask me to leave a list of what records I had taken ( telling me " you can pay me the next time you northern C**t , I trust you " ) , hand me the shop keys telling me to lock up when I had done , and to put them through the letter box .

Circumstances and commitments resulted in my visits becoming less regular ( every four / five months became the norm as opposed to twice a month ) , and on one particular trip , I found the business had closed .

Malc

Paul's still around and still dealing in records. He's now living in Somerset - somewhere near Wells - and I think he has something to do with the running of the Bristol Record Fair. He still comes up for the Great Portland Street record fair (although he doesn't do every single one) and he hasn't changed much since you last saw him - although he possibly trusts northerners a little more than he used to.

I was actually Moondogs' very first customer - I found the shop, by accident, while doing my regular midweek East End junkshopping on the day it opened and I was the first person, other than Paul and his partners John Stainze and Roger Ford, to walk though the doors.

I can even remember what record I bought - Lee Dorsey "Lover Of Love". I paid £2.50 for it - NOT (Sorry Manus, couldn't resist...) Actually it was probably just the 50 pence that I paid...

As well as Paul, John Stainze is still around and still buying and selling records as a sideline to his day job as an official greeter at the airport in Austin, Tx. Roger Ford also moved to America and dropped out of sight years ago, John told me he had a very edgy conversation with him around the turn of the century but that neither he nor Paul have had anything else to do with him since Moondog's closed.

Edited July 16, 2010 by TONY ROUNCE

[manus]

Paul's still around and still dealing in records. He's now living in Somerset - somewhere near Wells - and I think he has something to do with the running of the Bristol Record Fair. He still comes up for the Great Portland Street record fair (although he doesn't do every single one) and he hasn't changed much since you last saw him - although he possibly trusts northerners a little more than he used to.

I was actually Moondogs' very first customer - I found the shop, by accident, while doing my regular midweek East End junkshopping on the day it opened and I was the first person, other than Paul and his partners John Stainze and Roger Ford, to walk though the doors.

I can ever remember what record I bought - Lee Dorsey "Lover Of Love". I paid £2.50 for it - NOT (Sorry Manus, couldn't resist...) Actually it was probably just the 50 pence that I paid...

As well as Paul, John Stainze is still around and still buying and selling records as a sideline to his day job as an official greeter at the airport in Austin, Tx. Roger Ford also moved to America and dropped out of sight years ago, John told me he had a very edgy conversation with him around the turn of the century but that neither he nor Paul have had anything else to do with him since Moondog's closed.

I think I mistakenly put a decimal point in there Tony - I actually paid £250 for it

It may or may not have been Cheapo - we certainly visted it that day if it was another stall it would have had to have been fairly close by and the guy who was working it was certainly clued up enough to know it was getting plays and to charge £2.50 - I sold it on for a tenner so I was happy.

Cheers

Manus

Edited July 16, 2010 by manus

[Ady Croasdell]

I think I mistakenly put a decimal point in there Tony - I actually paid £250 for it

It may or may not have been Cheapo - we certainly visted it that day if it was another stall it would have had to have been fairly close by and the guy who was working it was certainly clued up enough to know it was getting plays and to charge £2.50 - I sold it on for a tenner so I was happy.

Cheers

Manus

Ignore Tony Manus, he's jet lagged and was only my understudy! :lol:It could have been Graham selling it from his "special" stash, he knew some records were fetching more than the 25ps and 30ps we were putting most discs out for. I remember him asking £2 for a UK Tymes 'Here She Comes' demo and being such a skint student I couldn't afford it.

[Ady Croasdell]

Moondogs ? - Great mail order - trailed across London in '76 to visit it once and found it shut:(

I got the second copy of John Leach Put That Woman Down out of there when it was hewge.

Mick Smith would have scored some good 'uns from there too.

[Guest]

Paul's still around and still dealing in records. He's now living in Somerset - somewhere near Wells - and I think he has something to do with the running of the Bristol Record Fair. He still comes up for the Great Portland Street record fair (although he doesn't do every single one) and he hasn't changed much since you last saw him - although he possibly trusts northerners a little more than he used to.

I was actually Moondogs' very first customer - I found the shop, by accident, while doing my regular midweek East End junkshopping on the day it opened and I was the first person, other than Paul and his partners John Stainze and Roger Ford, to walk though the doors.

I can even remember what record I bought - Lee Dorsey "Lover Of Love". I paid £2.50 for it - NOT (Sorry Manus, couldn't resist...) Actually it was probably just the 50 pence that I paid...

As well as Paul, John Stainze is still around and still buying and selling records as a sideline to his day job as an official greeter at the airport in Austin, Tx. Roger Ford also moved to America and dropped out of sight years ago, John told me he had a very edgy conversation with him around the turn of the century but that neither he nor Paul have had anything else to do with him since Moondog's closed.

Thanks for that Tony : I appreciate the update .

If Paul has not changed much , he will be still be wearing those brothel creepers

Paul was always on his own when I visiited , but once introduced me to a John ( obviously JS ) who was in the shop , but I never met or was introduced to Roger .

Malc

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Thanks for that Tony : I appreciate the update .

If Paul has not changed much , he will be still be wearing those brothel creepers

Paul was always on his own when I visiited , but once introduced me to a John ( obviously JS ) who was in the shop , but I never met or was introduced to Roger .

Malc

Yep - all that's changed about Paul is his hairline You'd recognise him immediately if you saw him anywhere...

I think Roger was kept out of the shop as much as possible - he tended to look down his nose at anyone who bought anything other than rock and roll and rockabilly , and even then he was resentful of anyone who hadn't bought the Johnny Burnette Rock 'n' Roll Trio 10 inch LP when it came out in the UK ....

He wasn't actually a nice person, so his record retail credentials were obviously impeccable!!!!!

[Guest]

Yep - all that's changed about Paul is his hairline You'd recognise him immediately if you saw him anywhere...

I think Roger was kept out of the shop as much as possible - he tended to look down his nose at anyone who bought anything other than rock and roll and rockabilly , and even then he was resentful of anyone who hadn't bought the Johnny Burnette Rock 'n' Roll Trio 10 inch LP when it came out in the UK ....

He wasn't actually a nice person, so his record retail credentials were obviously impeccable!!!!!

The hairline has probably gone from slicking back that quiff

I always assumed because of the amount of rock & roll records in the shop , that it was named after Alan Freed's

" Moondog's Rock & Roll Party " .

I asked Paul about this , to which he replied " F**k knows "

Malc

[manus]

Ignore Tony Manus, he's jet lagged and was only my understudy! :lol:It could have been Graham selling it from his "special" stash, he knew some records were fetching more than the 25ps and 30ps we were putting most discs out for. I remember him asking £2 for a UK Tymes 'Here She Comes' demo and being such a skint student I couldn't afford it.

That sounds about right Ady

Cheers

Manus

[Guest Paul]

Great thread.

I visited the Cheapo stall when I spent a week in London in August 1975. I'd just left school and it was a red hot summer.

I suppose Tony could have been working there at the time.

I can't remember what I bought at Cheapo but I do remember buying Millie Jackson's Still Caught Up album at Contempo in Hanway Street on the Saturday morning. It had just been released in the US so I thought I was really "upfront".

Contempo was small but it was packed with people buying stuff by Hamilton Bohannon, MFSB, KC & The Sunshine Band etc. 'Hypertension' by Caldender was also big at the time.

Paul

[cloth ears]

following on from the thread about Bostocks in Bradford, I had many bargains whilst studying in the smoke from a stall on Berwick streeet market, one i particularly remember was the chosen few- birth of a playboy, in multiples on both labels, but there were many more, I'm sure I can remember someone finding- Doctor truelove down there too. This was the early 8ts but I know it had been there for a long, long time before that. anyone else remember digging through the stock?

way too many to mention!!!! I think graham still has a couple of garages full of stuff that he hasnt gone through

[Guest keithh]

I first visited the Rupert Street stall in '72 and was like a kid in a toy shop. For the next 4 years it formed part of a very happy period in my life.

My lunchtimes were spent at either Rupert street, Contempo or Harlequin records in Berwick street where Dave Burton used to have records from Selecta (mostly bootlegs). I remember him excitedly playing me a new discovery he had made. He had covered it up as (I think) Freddie Jones - 'My hearts wide open', and was selling it to Ian Levine for a considerable sum. Shortly after the sale, Dave got drunk and told everyone it was really 'Crazy baby' by the Coasters, which I think didn't best please Levine.

Initially John used to serve me on the stall - after a few visits he even nodded a hello at me, which for him was almost garrulous. I met Ady when he took over somewhere around mid '73, and he used to play me what good new stuff was in. We enjoyed (?) a few Donner Kebabs from the local shop, which must have either been better than average, or perhaps down to a rugged constitution, none of them ever made me ill !

I remember meeting Ady at the stall one afternoon and going for what I thought would be a swift pint, prior to him going to the States for his first record hunting trip. I'm not sure if my brain was fuzzed by alchohol but did he really drink Barley Wine with Creme de Menthe chasers? However his pint-in-one was no illusion and was impressive to behold - can you still do that Ady?

I was there one day when a vaguely familiar face appeared, carrying records into the shop behind the stall. It was Mike Raven, former radio DJ, who I think had the first soul show on radio, and he was selling his collection. I bought a few of those, all pristine UK demos.

I changed jobs in '76 and was no longer in the area, next time I went there Tony Rounce was running it - didn't Ian Clarke take a turn there for a while? Another recollection was selling some records to someone, possibly Ian at the stall, then going and having more to drink with them than I should have, falling asleep on the last train home and waking up in the middle of nowhere. I then had to spend all of the money I had made on a taxi home.

Happy days!

[dthedrug]

HI ALL Don't no how I stumbled over this thread, but it was good to read through it again, and evokes many memories, going back to 68 there was always a barrow selling of vinyl, and only a very small number of soul collectors back then had the knowledge to no what they were looking at back then,

I can remember a Barrow in Brewer St (what a stupid thing to say? there were barrows of every street that linked up with Oxford St) that was the place that you could get the best brogues from, "the County of Squares" the proper home of ROYALS, Not cheap to buy, QUINCIES was also a shop for to get the right look, to be a proper show off in the NORTH BANK or CHICKEN RUN?

Many of the records that I saw on barrows in SOHO back in 71 meant nothing to me, yet history of the RARE SOUL SCENE shows us, that with knowledge and 2 years older, it was from of the Barrows of SOHO & CHEAPO CHEAPO in Berwick St,for top soul collector Mick Smith to find play and take to the early Northern soul DJ's in Wolves Stoke & Blackpool, meanwhile I waited until I read a copy of BLUES & SOUL to get my info, make a list. and buy it cheap at CONTEMPOS in Hannaway St.

As CHEAPOS was one of Mick places I never got to meet Ady until a year later at WIGAN, or TONY SHAM BUT TRUE, As I was well into REGGAE in the late 6t's how MICK & CLIVE got into Rare soul is another story??? DAVE

[Cheapsiderecords]

Another shop was out in Leytonstone? Jim Wilson? I remember buying Soul stuff from him.

We were travelling up from Cheltenham late 70's once a month to Soul and reggae concerts and used to stay at my mate Bob Deane's (not a Soul fan, a mate from school who moved up to work) flat in Balham. He used to share with 3 other blokes who went home every weekend so we had a bed for the weekend. He used to go mad as we would clean the fridge out as well after he had gone to bed when we got back from the concerts.

We used to spend all day Saturday and Sunday looking for records and get the last coach home from Victoria - happy days.

[nsoul2]

Great thread.

I visited the Cheapo stall when I spent a week in London in August 1975. I'd just left school and it was a red hot summer.

I suppose Tony could have been working there at the time.

I can't remember what I bought at Cheapo but I do remember buying Millie Jackson's Still Caught Up album at Contempo in Hanway Street on the Saturday morning. It had just been released in the US so I thought I was really "upfront".

Contempo was small but it was packed with people buying stuff by Hamilton Bohannon, MFSB, KC & The Sunshine Band etc. 'Hypertension' by Caldender was also big at the time.

Paul

[nsoul2]

I used to go to Cheapos then on to Contempo for current imports to. Was never expecting or really looking for rare northern dancers,but Cheapos always had a lot of the vocal groups I liked The Manhattans,Persuaders, Temprees etc and Stax/Volt releases. There were plenty of mid tempo dancers, overlooked at the time but in demand now as already mentioned

Think they got a bit of aggro from another stallholder about jungle music .

My memory of Contempo is up a flight of stairs, a small room with a hatch, No record racks out. Think all the new arrivals where written up on the wall.

Think I probably got my first Millie Jackson there to. Used to get a lot Westbound stuff and sure Betty Davis stuff to. Cant think where else I could have got that.

Was it only Saturday mornings? Was living in London then and have no memory of going other days even though I was working in the west end.

Think that was the buzz, going on the Saturday to see what was in that week., Used to listen to American forces radio from GermanyThey had a late night show you could pick up in London, and used to get Billboard every week to see what was in the R & B charts stateside. That knowledge helped at Contempo.