Reddington's Selling Up

[Guest Chris61]

Just found this and thought some of you might be interested,

 

https://www.factmag.com/2014/08/11/birmingham-record-store-to-sell-entire-stock-of-75000-records-for-1-each/

 

Chris..

[TOAD]

Nothing in there its been plundered by soul fans for years and a well known DJ has left his wanted list in there.not much in there anyway

[El Corol]

He wouldn't have to sell so many off for a pound a pop if he'd ever priced his records up more realistically in the first place!

[Guest Matt Male]

When I worked at the Jag, a guy who knew him used to bring round boxes of records to sell (alongside the hooky fags and porn videos) but there was never anything decent. I popped over a few times in the early 90s, but generally it was mainly albums he sold.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Matt Male

[Guest Polyvelts]

God I feel old, I remember when he was the boy of the shop .

[Sheldonsoul]

I got a fair few bits from there 76/77  jackie Trent you baby, bobby Goldsboro tmp demo, jackie de Shannon find my love which were all quite big around then 30 p each, till the one time I went in and they told me to get out ( someone had let them on to how much I was selling stuff on for ) was never allowed in again !!!!

[Steve G]

It would be ludicrous to think that there would be any real finds left in a store that has advertised widely for donkeys years.

[Len]

Bet I’d find somat……one mans ‘real find’……ahem, is everyone else’s ‘Midtempo Durge’…….apparently……

 

 

 

Len  

[TOAD]

Bet you won't

[Len]

It must be bad then  

 

Len  

[Guest MBarrett]

they told me to get out ( someone had let them on to how much I was selling stuff on for ) was never allowed in again !!!!

 

What a weird attitude. Having said that I never did really like the vibe in Reddington's old shop in the City Centre. Can't put my finger on why.

 

The Diskery though, exactly the opposite. IMHO.

 

Here's a little vignette of the Diskery - Reddington's one time competitors. Just a bit out of date now as I believe Morris Hunting died a couple of years back.

 

[Guest MissHongkongfuey]

I was planning on taking the day off work, but am not too fussed now.  

Edited August 12, 2014 by MissHongkongfuey

[Steve G]

What a weird attitude. Having said that I never did really like the vibe in Reddington's old shop in the City Centre. Can't put my finger on why.

 

The Diskery though, exactly the opposite. IMHO.

 

Here's a little vignette of the Diskery - Reddington's one time competitors. Just a bit out of date now as I believe Morris Hunting died a couple of years back.

 

 

amazing "I've worked here for 40 years"….that's a lifetime.

[pikeys dog]

Last time I went in Reddingtons (heading up for 20 years ago) I got the square root of knob all out of there.

 

Wouldn't waste my time.

[El Corol]

What a weird attitude. Having said that I never did really like the vibe in Reddington's old shop in the City Centre. Can't put my finger on why.

 

The Diskery though, exactly the opposite. IMHO.

 

Here's a little vignette of the Diskery - Reddington's one time competitors. Just a bit out of date now as I believe Morris Hunting died a couple of years back.

 

https://youtu.be/VhQVBxvkwwU

Reddingtons has never been liked much as a place to hang out and talk music, they wanted your cash and move on. Diskery is better as more of a vibe of really liking music. That said Morris was not the most customer orientated person I've ever met and getting a deal at Diskery is hard work, particularly if its Jimmy you're dealing with. Prices on some lp's that have been in there for years do finally now reflect what they are probably worth as they have always been a tad expensive (similar to Reddingtons, unless of course you find something that they don't have a clue on, again same as Reddingtons). Years ago I've walked out leaving records in there as they wouldn't give a deal on multiple purchases. Better and friendlier these days but has been picked dry for soul, funk, reggae, RnB unless of course you happen to visit when something new has come in, like all shops but a much rarer occurance these days.

Lots of jazz if thats your thing, but again I suspect its been picked dry of the valuable stuff.....

The Reddingtons sale might be good for something a little bit different but I wouldn't expect to find anything major in soul terms, but could be a laugh if nothing better to do. I might be able to complete my collection of Now Thats What I Call Music :-)

[El Corol]

Another thing is that a record dealer ( more rock orientated) I was talking to about 6 weeks ago told me that Reddington was selling off his stock and had been phoning round dealers, so to me that would indicate the stocks been picked over for the best stuff of all types of music. But I suspect there may be an opportunity to maybe buy some cheaper/mid price stuff for a squid.

[Guest MBarrett]

Might be the end of Danny Reddington's "radio career" too I guess.

 

I've heard him a few times on Radio WM. From time to time they have a phone in on values of records and pop memorabilia. He is the expert that they have usually had in the studio to give the values.

[TOAD]

They got there stock from radio stations like brmb this is why there's not gonna be much soulful music.

[Frankie Crocker]

End of an era. Would go there in the 70's breaking the journey between London and Manchester. One of the better stores back in the day but surely must be mined out long ago?

[Steve G]

My last post on the subject - this shop is within half an hours drive of literally hundreds of serious record collectors. The idea that there is anything of any value left at this point is fanciful.  

[Sheldonsoul]

What a weird attitude. Having said that I never did really like the vibe in Reddington's old shop in the City Centre. Can't put my finger on why.

 

The Diskery though, exactly the opposite. IMHO.

 

Here's a little vignette of the Diskery - Reddington's one time competitors. Just a bit out of date now as I believe Morris Hunting died a couple of years back.

 

Spent many hours in the diskery, found 3 mint unplaced copy's of Kiki dee oamcr just sitting on a shelf in the back when it had just become massive the 3 copy's cost me £2 in total 

[Sheldonsoul]

My last post on the subject - this shop is within half an hours drive of literally hundreds of serious record collectors. The idea that there is anything of any value left at this point is fanciful.  

To true

[Deadwaxdetective]

Just found this and thought some of you might be interested,

 

https://www.factmag.com/2014/08/11/birmingham-record-store-to-sell-entire-stock-of-75000-records-for-1-each/

 

Chris..

[Deadwaxdetective]

[Pete S]

From my article about how it took me 30 years to find a record, printed elsewhere

 

 

Go forward now to 1981, and it was my 21st birthday.  Me and my then girlfriend Debbie decided to go to Birmingham for a day to do a bit of shopping.  Now I don't know Birmingham at all, in fact apart from visiting the Locarno and the old Birmingham Odeon, I've only ever been to the shops there twice in my life.  But I somehow managed to find Reddingtons Rare Records.  Guess what I found in there then?  Yes, it was Rise And Fall and I thought "right you bastard, you've eluded me for almost 10 years, I'm having you this time".
Then the bloke behind the counter told me the price.
"That's £5 please mate"
"£5??? Are you joking?  It's only worth a quid"
"Well go and find one somewhere else for a quid then"
"I f-cking will, it's all overpriced in here anyway"
So I stormed out of the shop due to this appalling customer service and left the record in there.

[Agentsmith]

last time i went there , was probably 99' couldn't believed it had moved from it's original sight and in a basement at that. so all i laid my hands on was a box of motown records...i pulled out a u.k. issue of "no one there" - martha reeves..£3...i think this tune had just broke big at the time...took it to goodyears and it promptly cleared the floor!! moral of the story: then as now, there will always be slow learners..used to love the shops in the bullring mind.

[Lionelonthevinyl]

From my article about how it took me 30 years to find a record, printed elsewhere

 

 

Go forward now to 1981, and it was my 21st birthday.  Me and my then girlfriend Debbie decided to go to Birmingham for a day to do a bit of shopping.  Now I don't know Birmingham at all, in fact apart from visiting the Locarno and the old Birmingham Odeon, I've only ever been to the shops there twice in my life.  But I somehow managed to find Reddingtons Rare Records.  Guess what I found in there then?  Yes, it was Rise And Fall and I thought "right you bastard, you've eluded me for almost 10 years, I'm having you this time".

Then the bloke behind the counter told me the price.

"That's £5 please mate"

"£5??? Are you joking?  It's only worth a quid"

"Well go and find one somewhere else for a quid then"

"I f-cking will, it's all overpriced in here anyway"

So I stormed out of the shop due to this appalling customer service and left the record in there.

I was in there pete when I was about 14 and getting into soul music....for the life of me I can't remember the record I asked about, but when told the price I questioned it....he kicked me out! Never been kicked out of anywhere in my life, and hardly bragging rights with your mates saying you got kicked out of a record shop!.....Rob

[Guest MBarrett]

 Having said that I never did really like the vibe in Reddington's old shop in the City Centre. Can't put my finger on why.

 

 

From my article about how it took me 30 years to find a record, printed elsewhere

 

So I stormed out of the shop due to this appalling customer service and left the record in there.

 

 

....he kicked me out! Never been kicked out of anywhere in my life, and hardly bragging rights with your mates saying you got kicked out of a record shop!.....Rob

 

Feeling better now, I thought it was just me.

[Lionelonthevinyl]

Ha-ha! Yeah definitely a theme.......Rob

[Swifty]

Remember going there in the 80's and had some ok stuff on the walls but silly prices , and yes felt under pressure and uncomfortable in there to be honest .

[El Corol]

Seeing as Reddingtons has pissed so many of us off over many years maybe we should all pile over on his sale day and piss him off somehow?

Get the Blackpool flashmob dancers down,...........then again he'd milk it for publicity.

He's just been on Midlands Today advertising it so I would imagine it will be busy.

[TOAD]

Never pissed me off as i allways got one over them. They didn't have a clue

[Nickinstoke]

I've occasionally bought records from Reddington's by mail - they still send them out wrapped in corrugated cardboard instead of proper stiffening. You'd think they'd have learned after all these years

[Philt]

Bought a decent wooden box at Diskery when I lived in Brum mid-late 80s. Never found any vinyl I really wanted in there or Reddingtons to be honest. There was a place over the roundabout up past the town hall too I seem to recall. Mostly LPs n pressings from memory but I liked it in there as a callow youth. Happy days, miserable bleeders.

[El Corol]

Bought a decent wooden box at Diskery when I lived in Brum mid-late 80s. Never found any vinyl I really wanted in there or Reddingtons to be honest. There was a place over the roundabout up past the town hall too I seem to recall. Mostly LPs n pressings from memory but I liked it in there as a callow youth. Happy days, miserable bleeders.

Second City Sounds.

I passed on a copy of Bowies first album on Deram in there. I regret that.

[Jules]

I used to go in reddingtons on a saturday about 76, always thought they were clueless and stupidly overpriced, saw a woman ask for abraham martin and john only to be told it was £12 !!!!  used to go in graham warrs in the oasis, anyone remember it?

[Guest MBarrett]

used to go in graham warrs in the oasis, anyone remember it?

 

I used to like Oasis back in those days.

 

Here's a funny story. I was always fairly adept with a needle and thread and some time early 70s I had a classic pair of "hippy" jeans, which I had assembled from pieces and patches from about 10 other pairs.

 

My girlfriend at the time was approx the same height and waist size as me and one Saturday she put these jeans on when we went into Brum inc. as usual Oasis. We were browsing in one of the clothes "shops" in Oasis and one of the people in there said "Wow! fantastic jeans. If you can sew like that and you want a job then you can start when you like." Much smirking between us and we made our excuses and left . . . . . . !

 

Have wondered often if I might have missed my true vocation!

 

Mark

[Sheldonsoul]

Second City Sounds.

I passed on a copy of Bowies first album on Deram in there. I regret that.

The only thing I ever pulled out of there rob was a big maybelle I can't wait any longer CBS demo for about £1.50, the guy in there came across as a nice friendly bloke, did you ever go to garrisons junk shop on the Stratford road 1000s of records and loads of imports I always wonder what unknown stuff we left behind could have been big now 

[Sheldonsoul]

I used to go in reddingtons on a saturday about 76, always thought they were clueless and stupidly overpriced, saw a woman ask for abraham martin and john only to be told it was £12 !!!!  used to go in graham warrs in the oasis, anyone remember it?

Got my first northern record from graham warr a pressing of hit & run he used to do all the latest ns pressings, there was another guy in there with a record store a hippy lookin guy loads of soul imports ric-tic etc 

[El Corol]

The only thing I ever pulled out of there rob was a big maybelle I can't wait any longer CBS demo for about £1.50, the guy in there came across as a nice friendly bloke, did you ever go to garrisons junk shop on the Stratford road 1000s of records and loads of imports I always wonder what unknown stuff we left behind could have been big now 

Yes Pete I remember Garrisons and you're right about what might have been in there. Reddingtons had a storage place on the Stratford Rd if I remember right but I never got in there but think Mitchell might have?

 

Do you remember the junk shop up by Yardley Cemetery he used to have quite a lot of records in there at times, again wonder what I might have missed when a naive newbie.

 

Yes the bloke in Second City was friendly though I never got anything particualrly good out of there, mostly fillers nothing as good as your Big Maybelle I'm afraid.

 

By the way how come you weren't at Martins wedding the other week?

[Sheldonsoul]

Was away for the wkend rob for oboyles wedding, never really got much from stock land rd ,I remember going in the back room at the diskery and there was a box labelled Detroit on the bottom shelf, now that's my big regret wondering what could have been in that box, I also remember a junk shop at the lights at alum rock loads of imports and obscure motown imports by obscure artists 

[Sheldonsoul]

feck me Danny reddingtons got a copy of frank Wilson, I'm up there with my quid lol lol

[El Corol]

Was away for the wkend rob for oboyles wedding, never really got much from stock land rd ,I remember going in the back room at the diskery and there was a box labelled Detroit on the bottom shelf, now that's my big regret wondering what could have been in that box, I also remember a junk shop at the lights at alum rock loads of imports and obscure motown imports by obscure artists 

Was that a junk shop? I remember a record shop down Alum Rock early 80s that was run by an ex Reddingtons staff member if I remember right, but it was definately a proper record shop. Could be a different shop mind as there were a number of junk shops round there and Saltley back then.

[El Corol]

image.jpg feck me Danny reddingtons got a copy of frank Wilson, I'm up there with my quid lol lol

Pete, you've uncovered the mystery buyer, Danny Reddington. So if he paid Kenny Burrell 25K for it he must have it up for at least 100K as he was always 4 times too expensive

[Sheldonsoul]

Was that a junk shop? I remember a record shop down Alum Rock early 80s that was run by an ex Reddingtons staff member if I remember right, but it was definately a proper record shop. Could be a different shop mind as there were a number of junk shops round there and Saltley back then.

There was a proper record shop that's where I used to get all the grapevine demos from 5 copy's of everything that was released, but further down was another junk shop where I got nita Rossi & pleasure girl bobby Colman pye demo from 10p each 

Edited August 14, 2014 by sheldonsoul

[M12 OKEH]

I think the other record shop in Oasis was called Soul Galore.  Who was the young lady who worked at Graham Warr's mid 70's?  Stunner.  Couple of shops on the Bristol Road in Selly Oak were great for penniless students.  Funky Dunc's was one - soul and disco loving gay.  Can't remember the name of the other to save my life but he had a huge box of imports that were about 30p a shot.

[Guest MBarrett]

Hope my mind's not playing tricks but not too far from Reddington's there was Graduate Records wasn't there? Bull Street??

 

Much more into the Progressive end of the market.

 

But the founder started the Graduate Record label and gave UB40 their first record deal. The iconic "Signing Off" album and the first 3 or so singles were released on the Graduate label.   

[El Corol]

Hope my mind's not playing tricks but not too far from Reddington's there was Graduate Records wasn't there? Bull Street??

 

Much more into the Progressive end of the market.

 

But the founder started the Graduate Record label and gave UB40 their first record deal. The iconic "Signing Off" album and the first 3 or so singles were released on the Graduate label.

Virgin records was on Bull St.

The guy who started Graduate did so in Dudley and had a number of shops in the Mid's, can't remember one in B'ham but could be completely wrong?

Anyone?

[Guest MBarrett]

Virgin records was on Bull St.

The guy who started Graduate did so in Dudley and had a number of shops in the Mid's, can't remember one in B'ham but could be completely wrong?

Anyone?

 

Thanks. My first thought was that that shop on Bull Street was one of the early Virgin shops. But then for some mad reason I decided it was Graduate Records.

 

I think the Graduate shop I was thinking of was the one in Wolverhampton. A bit similar looking? That's my excuse anyway. So I am sure you are right that there wasn't a Graduate Records in Brum.

 

Anyway to get back on topic just by chance came across these images re Reddingtons. Shows 2 of their addresses i.e. Moor Street and Cannon Street.

 

https://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org/reddingtonrsquos-rare-records.html

[Guest]

I went to the Diskery and several of the other places mentioned, whilst on the rounds with Dave Evison...it was my "one day of training" on joining Charly Records as a rep! I actually did rather well and can still recall that I picked up: Charles Anthony -Film Town, Edward St.Ann - USA, Amanda Humphrey -USA, James Bryant -Renee WD...all for peanuts. Took them back to Guy Hennigans place that evening, as I was staying there for a couple of days...he had just covered up Bunny Shivel "Top Twenty".

Why do I remember such useless information

Edited August 15, 2014 by Flynny