British Record Shop Archive

[Guest lpman]

I have sent up a web site to archive the history of record shops/depts where we all once went to get are music fix. I have listed many outlets that sold soul but am sure there are more to be added? I am also seeking people stories and images of the places they went to.https://www.britishre...hoparchive.org/

[Wilxy]

Prior to my "exile" from South Wales.....TBH well prior, Late 70's early 80's, there were some great untapped sources of UK releases in the Towns/Cities and Valleys and some Great 45's unearthed on my travels! Paul Gibbs records in Cardiff was unearthed by Ady Pountain,and when he mentioned to me that he'd picked up a few pieces from the "salesbox" on the counter...I visited said place and secured a few Bell's Cellar of soul Lp's, that were on display, but the guy (Paul Gibbs) wasn't really interested in entertaining record "hounds", so my ploy was to phone him, and inform him that I was interested in buying vinyl in bulk, if I could look at his stock!!! Hey presto I spent my days off for several weeks in there,and secured many of the TMG Ep's/45's/Lp's, along with many other more obscure items on Soul City/Verve/Capitol/Stateside etc .....but If I'd known then what I know now...I could possibly be comfortably retrired, as the popstock, in particularly the EP's were phenominal.......Alas I was Just a soul fan ....and very naive in the art of anything else other than adding to my own collection, as well as of not having the funds to speculate so to speak

There was also Hughes's n Pontypridd, which was primarily a toyshop, (and also had another shop in Porth).....I had four copies of Panic-Reparata/Delrons on Bell, plus several rare UK albums out of those places....Clewers in Caerphilly held a pretty mean stock of Albums,( a mainly TV shop ) and I picked up some nice Stateside Albums, but also remember for some reason picking up the first two Jay Boy 45's releases oddly enough??

One of the strangest valley towns I ever visited for its "hostility" was Brynmawr, and the shop belonged to the most miserable bugger I've ever met by the name of Lyndon Sims of which the electrical shop/come record "emporium"could have been more aptly named! I arrived ten minutes before his dinner break in which he closed the store, and he advised me that it wouldn't be worthwhile me returning.....and to bugger off to where I'd come from!!! Luckily my obvious charm at the time/moreover pity from the lady assistant .....she told me to come back in the hour(he had half day today)..... I popped into the local hostelry to kill time and wet my whistle, only for the busy establishment to fall into silence.....after a few comments of "Townie" were whispered aloud.....normal service began!

As for Lyndon Sims records.....I pulled a few Soul City Albums/45's along with a few Action ditties! Never risked the lady assistant tho'

My best find ever in South Wales however was in Barry, and after an unsuccesful visit to Christophers records who's original pigeon holing system still displayed all of the classic UK popular labels had whetted the appetite for a great haul, unfortunately disappointed as they'd just sold their vinyl stock in bulk....I took the wrong road out of Barry luckily as somebody had decided to set up a record shop.....yep.....old stock of Christophers....Atlantic BlackRed, Stax Blue/Yellow Stateside/TMG, but also contained many Soul releases that I drooled over for many weeks!

My best find over the border was in Gloucester, and whilst I can't remember the name of the shop, it was in the precinct and a fairly modern shop (76/7) approximately, and they had a large quantity of UK Jay Boy/President soul 45's @10pence each, and whilst Gloucester is a renowned Soul haven, and that undoubtedly they'd been picked through, I took home some 70 plus items (the lot TBH) albeit one or two duplicated including several copies of Ernie & Ed indication....which had obviously been overlooked somehow

Many more minor finds in South Wales included Bullseye records in Chepstow, John's in Tonypandy, and a few more that escape my memory, however my hometown of Newport didn't unearth much other than the odd second hand store.....which is...... another story!.............Very Happy Days

wilxy

[Craig W]

I have some original old glossy black and white photos of a Department store in Liverpool called Blacklers which I found in a house I cleared some time ago.

Most of the photographs depict a flood and show staff clearing up in various departments afterwoods.

One that has always intrigued me is one partially showing what looks like "Record Corner" It looks like there is a selection of 45's and Lp's?

Does anyone have any info on this store , date the photographs could of been taken and what was sold in record corner as I can find little online.

[Mal C]

in the eighties, Second City Sounds, next to the old mod cafe in Brum was good, regular nighter sounds came and went, but he would put things like Roy Hamilton - Earthquake, Carlena Weaver, etc etc in the £2 box, As I was student and had buggar all cash i bought loads, how much do they pay for these now???

Other good shops in Brum were the Diskery and Reddingtons of course, under the subway before they moved behind Debenhams, me and a mate John Coddington used to go through it every week, always new 45's to be had...then we would travel to a record fair in town and get stuff of Mick Smith.

I collected allot of house in the 8ts up until 92, and the place to buy that early on was Don Christies, which was always an experience for a white kid, proper record shop where they would play that weekend's new releases, and you knodded when you liked it and they flung it on your pile...Don was known for reggae and was the place for the Black community in brum. The flea market was always good, amount of northern I turned down cause I did not know it...DOH

Mal.C.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Mal.C.

[Steve G]

For Tonbridge you can add:

The Music Box, High Street open until about 77

The Music Room High Street, open until the 80s,

and

Rediffusion High Street open until the mid 70s when I think they stopped selling records.

[Guest allnightandy]

Can't get it to work past West Midlands

i can see north west and another box with Lancashire in it

but when i go to click them they bugger off LoL

[Guest lpman]

Yes the tabs for other pages are tricky and you have move your muse slow and firm. Sorry if it is pain but is also the same for me until I get the site upgraded am stuck with it.

If you refresh the page it helps sometimes.

[Steve G]

lpman, an interesting project. I've added a comment to one of the shops based on my recollection, but there are loads more I cannot remember the name of. I just knew they sold records.

Also I have not looked at London yet, but are you going to include market stalls? There were some good ones scattered around and not just Cheapo Cheapo. Whitechapel road (an offshoot of Paul's I think), Dalston market etc

Edited January 29, 2012 by Steve G

[Paul McKay]

Black Wax, Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London SW16. Early mid 70s on. Not sure when it closed.

Record Corner, Bedford Hill, Balham, London, SW4 till quite recently.

Contempo, Hanway St, London W1

Beanos, Croydon, Surrey

Will think of some more.......

[Guest allnightandy]

Global records (R Searling used to work there)

Rare records John Dalton street

Ralphs records corporation street

Robinsons records Blackfriers street

The Spin Inn Cross street

Underground records The Underground Market

Collectors records The Underground Market

HMV Market street

Shuedhill outdoor market

Piccadilly records

ALL ABOVE ARE MANCHESTER

PYE radio and television shop Bury New road Prestwich

Soul Bowl 15 Portland street Kings Lynn Norfolk

Selectadisc ? Nottingham

[Guest lpman]

lpman, an interesting project. I've added a comment to one of the shops based on my recollection, but there are loads more I cannot remember the name of. I just knew they sold records.

Also I have not looked at London yet, but are you going to include market stalls? There were some good ones scattered around and not just Cheapo Cheapo. Whitechapel road (an offshoot of Paul's I think), Dalston market etc

Yes I have included market stalls and any other outlet that sold records. Still got to add all the old pre-war shops that sold bicycle along with records.

[Sheldonsoul]

in the eighties, Second City Sounds, next to the old mod cafe in Brum was good, regular nighter sounds came and went, but he would put things like Roy Hamilton - Earthquake, Carlena Weaver, etc etc in the £2 box, As I was student and had buggar all cash i bought loads, how much do they pay for these now???

Other good shops in Brum were the Diskery and Reddingtons of course, under the subway before they moved behind Debenhams, me and a mate John Coddington used to go through it every week, always new 45's to be had...then we would travel to a record fair in town and get stuff of Mick Smith.

I collected allot of house in the 8ts up until 92, and the place to buy that early on was Don Christies, which was always an experience for a white kid, proper record shop where they would play that weekend's new releases, and you knodded when you liked it and they flung it on your pile...Don was known for reggae and was the place for the Black community in brum. The flea market was always good, amount of northern I turned down cause I did not know it...DOH

Mal.C.

I got 3 mint Kiki dees magic carpet ride from the diskery and got banned from redding tons after a mate grassed me up about finding tunes for peanuts and making big money on em, do remember the import shop in the basement of oasis shop,god I wish I could go through them now bet there was some proper good stuff in there what was unheard of at the time

[TOAD]

best find in the diskery was fathers angels mgm demo at £4 1980. But ive had tons out of there over the years. Enjoyed getting records from reddingtons as they thought they knew everything which they didnt! Had 5 demos of frank wilson left all the uk grapevine demos.

[Guest Pugwash]

Hi, Up here in Barnsley/ Sheffield area the no 1 record shop had to be Violet Mays down Matilda street in sheffield. Violet was about 65/70 in the 70's but she new all her stuff , there were boxes of northern soul at back of counter if she hadn't got it in she'd get it for following week. I used to buy quite a lot of records from Selecta Disc in Nottingham mail order they had thousands on stock. Richard

[Craig W]

Here's some bags I have from the original Oldies Unlimited that used to be in Worcester Street Wolverhampton.Anyone remember it.Must be a few years since it closed down.

There's a current Oldies Unlimited in Darlington Street but as far as I know this has nothing to do with the original shop.

[Pete S]

Here's some bags I have from the original Oldies Unlimited that used to be in Worcester Street Wolverhampton.Anyone remember it.Must be a few years since it closed down.

There's a current Oldies Unlimited in Darlington Street but as far as I know this has nothing to do with the original shop.

It is the same shop Craig, except the old owner just basically gave it to his son and they've 'redeveloped' it. It would be useful if they actually bought some new stock as it hasn't changed for 3 or 4 years.

[Craig W]

Cheers Pete.

Didn't know that.

Don't get up Wolverhampton much nowadays.

[Guest Dave Turner]

Hi, Up here in Barnsley/ Sheffield area the no 1 record shop had to be Violet Mays down Matilda street in sheffield. Violet was about 65/70 in the 70's but she new all her stuff , there were boxes of northern soul at back of counter if she hadn't got it in she'd get it for following week. I used to buy quite a lot of records from Selecta Disc in Nottingham mail order they had thousands on stock. Richard

A couple of Sheffield threads about her and a scan of the book

https://www.sheffield...php/t-4948.html

https://www.sheffield...p/t-381259.html

Edited February 3, 2012 by Dave Turner

[Ric-tic]

I do remember the import shop in the basement of oasis shop

soul galore records

[Sheldonsoul]

soul galore records

do you remember the guy who used to run it,seemed a bit of a dope head with a good mop of black hair, bet there were some great tunes in there which wouldn't have been discovered back then. Also remember being in the back room of the diskery , they had a box labeled Detroit ,went through that but wonder what I left behind being I was so young and niave.

[Ric-tic]

Was this Steve Glovers place? wasn´t he downstairs and Graham Warr upstairs same time, done some good deals with Steve and got some nice sounds as well

Steve

yes it was steve and jans place [downstairs] graham opened the shop i guess from 1973 cos i can remember keep on truckin blasting out of there, steve and graham never spoke at that time as i believe there was some 'history' steve told me all about it once ive half forgotten but remember the jist of it and unfair to write here, for anyone who remembers steve he was one of the top english collectors, one day i was in erdington with him and he revealed where lots had come from, on the high street a little way up from 6 ways on the left hand side , id walked past it a hundred times and never even knew it was there! as it was down a slight alley anyone know anything about that? woudl also love to know when soul galore closed down as i never whent there after say 1976

[Gilly]

The great Alan Day used to have a shop in New St Burton-Upon-Trent in the early 70ts used to go in on a saturday morning(mental place)Dave Gillanders from Derby helped out if i remember correctly.Would love to go back in time i always wondered what was in there that we are only now raving aboutt

[Sheldonsoul]

yes it was steve and jans place [downstairs] graham opened the shop i guess from 1973 cos i can remember keep on truckin blasting out of there, steve and graham never spoke at that time as i believe there was some 'history' steve told me all about it once ive half forgotten but remember the jist of it and unfair to write here, for anyone who remembers steve he was one of the top english collectors, one day i was in erdington with him and he revealed where lots had come from, on the high street a little way up from 6 ways on the left hand side , id walked past it a hundred times and never even knew it was there! as it was down a slight alley anyone know anything about that? woudl also love to know when soul galore closed down as i never whent there after say 1976

I went there around there alot78/79 he had piles of import stuff and loads of ric tic stuff, what was the shop on the Stratford road next to the scooter place, also found a fair few bits down the bottom of alum rock road, in a junk shop

they had loads of records in there

[Ted Massey]

yes it was steve and jans place [downstairs] graham opened the shop i guess from 1973 cos i can remember keep on truckin blasting out of there, steve and graham never spoke at that time as i believe there was some 'history' steve told me all about it once ive half forgotten but remember the jist of it and unfair to write here, for anyone who remembers steve he was one of the top english collectors, one day i was in erdington with him and he revealed where lots had come from, on the high street a little way up from 6 ways on the left hand side , id walked past it a hundred times and never even knew it was there! as it was down a slight alley anyone know anything about that? woudl also love to know when soul galore closed down as i never whent there after say 1976

Steve has some tasty USA stuff as well has about half my Shrine collection swapped for kitchen tiles ( he owns a tile shop )

[Vynilhound]

Some decent stuff went in and came out of Carlows, down the Arcade in Bedford, I couldnt see that on your web site Ipman, also Carousel near the bus station Bedford but not up to Carlows for getting the soul sounds.

[Citizen P]

Global records (R Searling used to work there)

Rare records John Dalton street

Ralphs records corporation street

Robinsons records Blackfriers street

The Spin Inn Cross street

Underground records The Underground Market

Collectors records The Underground Market

HMV Market street

Shuedhill outdoor market

Piccadilly records

ALL ABOVE ARE MANCHESTER

PYE radio and television shop Bury New road Prestwich

Soul Bowl 15 Portland street Kings Lynn Norfolk

Selectadisc ? Nottingham

Hi Andy- you forgot Hime & Addison, across the road from Rare Records, was also one, name slips me, on Stevenson Square that had a few bits.

Also a stall on Salford Market where I "liberated" a copy Of Betty Swann-used to have the usual box of imports, and Spin City on Cross Lane, Salford always had Motown Lps in the window--Chris Clark, Tammi Terrell, Fantastic Four are the standouts I can remember.

ATB

Tony

[Guest allnightandy]

Hi Andy- you forgot Hime & Addison, across the road from Rare Records, was also one, name slips me, on Stevenson Square that had a few bits.

Also a stall on Salford Market where I "liberated" a copy Of Betty Swann-used to have the usual box of imports, and Spin City on Cross Lane, Salford always had Motown Lps in the window--Chris Clark, Tammi Terrell, Fantastic Four are the standouts I can remember.

ATB

Tony

Hi mate ! I'm sure there was one opposite Victoria train station or a few doors up from Pips as well ?

there was those electrical junk shops Mazel's dotted about all over Manchester and Salford which always had a box of records sometimes outside on the street !

Edited February 27, 2012 by allnightandy

[Citizen P]

Hi mate ! I'm sure there was one opposite Victoria train station or a few doors up from Pips as well ?

there was those electrical junk shops Mazel's dotted about all over Manchester and Salford which always had a box of records sometimes outside on the street !

Yep, now I think about it there was one on Fennel Street, same side as Pips( or if you're of a certain vintage Nice N Easy/Time & Place).

I think though that was opened toward back end '70s or early '80s, and I think i'm right in saying it was either a branch of Rare Records or they moved there from John Dalton Street.

Also Robinsons on Blackfriars Bridge,

ATB

Tony

Edited March 2, 2012 by tonyp

[dean jj]

Expansion Records in Manchester, 12 years as a shop, first on Corperation Street then Swan Street, then six years as a mail order [from my basement a former pub beer cellar] and gig stall thang. Owned by John Anderson and Richard Searling, then just John, then just me. I think we sold soul records. Derick Pearson Crown Prince of Bradford has some pictures I think.

cheers

dean

[Guest turntableterra]

the PINK PANTHER................... globe lane carlisle. back in 74 it was thee place to be seen in. tom foster, and the famous FEDS and the guys always willing to spin those unknowns to willing listeners. i got my first taste of motown there. other places were the clydesdale, woolies had all the pop crap as did binns and tesco. smiths dida range too, i got almost a full set of disc doubles there in 77, and as we know carlisle is also famous for printing the BLUES AND SOUL at some stage. not sure of exactly when, late sixties/seventies the web offset as one of the top printers. stanley confirm!

[Chris L]

I have sent up a web site to archive the history of record shops/depts where we all once went to get are music fix. I have listed many outlets that sold soul but am sure there are more to be added? I am also seeking people stories and images of the places they went to.https://www.britishre...hoparchive.org/

Good work, well done that man ! Record Corner was pretty much hallowed ground a lot of stuff around 72/73 came out of their dirty, dank, dark rat invested cellar. Saturday pilgrimages highlight of the week.

I have some in an old black book I'll try and dig it out, has addresses tel nrs and contact names

[Chris L]

Manchester murder squad waiting for the place to open - they're expect a load of stuff on MGM to come in.............

[Denbo]

I have some original old glossy black and white photos of a Department store in Liverpool called Blacklers which I found in a house I cleared some time ago.

Most of the photographs depict a flood and show staff clearing up in various departments afterwoods.

One that has always intrigued me is one partially showing what looks like "Record Corner" It looks like there is a selection of 45's and Lp's?

Does anyone have any info on this store , date the photographs could of been taken and what was sold in record corner as I can find little online.

They look more like 78s and Lps to me Craig. And as such, a little before my time.

The Old Swan branch of Music Box was one of my main haunts. Had many a crackin' UK labelled record from there.

Other than that, apart from one or two other record shops that sold new releases I can't remember the names of, it was Liverpool's 2nd hand record shops and junk shops every weekend that held my attention throughout the late 60s and early 70s.

[Mak]

Pre Selecta-Disc on Arkwright St I used to go to a second hand shop in Heanor Derby's , called Freddie Crooks . It was pretty much a secret at the time . He had started getting crates full of American rock LP's in from America , but mixed in there was a load of soul 45's and LP's . The Albums where mainly Motown . Eventually a top Torch DJ who lived local called Alan Day found out and near enough cleared him out . Later on I used to visit an old record shop in a local town called Alfreton , I've forgot the name of the shop , this guy had a heap of British stuff under the counter and in a store room , Heaven .Again a top localish DJ who spun at Wigan found out about the place and cleared him out . I never met him in there but the owner gave a very good discription that seemed to fit Mr Kev Roberts

Can you imagine how many places like these where never found ?

[Campagnolo 1]

Heres a few, The Record exchange (on brown st I think)Blackburn. He would ask us what was being played at the Wheel or the Mecca & he would then get them in (if available of course)from the wholesalers to sell on in the shop.

After a while we stopped telling him because he never reciprocated i.e.discount on records we bought.!

Also Reidys records(Marie reidy)Penny st and Holts records upstairs on Darwen st(above Holts Shoe Shop,which is now in Whalley)? The Co-op of course,wish i would have bought more picture sleeved vinyl.? they had them all.!!!

Then for a while Tony Charles records in Darwen,which was above what is now Nigel Rostrons Locksmiths shop on Bolton rd.

Marys records in Accrington................e.t.c. they were some of our local ones.

[George Hughes]

Just come across this thread while looking for stuff on Record Corner Balham . Anyway if it still of interest Blacklers is now a Wetherspoons on Charlotte Street in the centre of Liverpool . A friend of mine Graham Jones , now deceased , acquired Going To a Happening , Contours Ep and What Is Soul Ben.E.King LP among others from Blacklers as his girlfriend worked a Saturday job there .

Mention of second hand shops , there were a few in City Road by Goodison Park used to pop on on the way to the Everton game . My best day was Jnr Walker - Come See About Me, Dell-Vikings -Come Go With Me , Fred Hughes- OO Wee Baby I Love You for less than 50p . It was the late 60's !!

[Steviehay]

1 hour ago, George Hughes said:

Just come across this thread while looking for stuff on Record Corner Balham . Anyway if it still of interest Blacklers is now a Wetherspoons on Charlotte Street in the centre of Liverpool . A friend of mine Graham Jones , now deceased , acquired Going To a Happening , Contours Ep and What Is Soul Ben.E.King LP among others from Blacklers as his girlfriend worked a Saturday job there .

Mention of second hand shops , there were a few in City Road by Goodison Park used to pop on on the way to the Everton game . My best day was Jnr Walker - Come See About Me, Dell-Vikings -Come Go With Me , Fred Hughes- OO Wee Baby I Love You for less than 50p . It was the late 60's !!

yep ,also remember the huge santa they used to put up in there too loved it as a kid