Demise Of The Traditional Record Shop

[phatspinner]

I wonder if there will be any traditional record shops left soon. You know, the ones where people go to dig and play through vinyl.

I say this because after 20 years I am about to close my shop and bow to the inevitable.

I've had a good run and have no complaints, the world has moved on. I just don't think that people have the time or inclination to browse any more. E bay and on-line traders are the preferred method of buying vinyl now I guess and as they say, if you can't beat em, join em.

At least 50% of my stock is black music, be it 60s, 70s, 80s, northern, modern, deep, funk or dance yet I have spent whole Saturdays with hardly anyone in who's interested in them.

In my time I have supplied lots of DJs but can only conclude that they have most of what they want except for the mega rareities that are out of my league.

In the city I'm in, a couple of years ago there used to be at least 6 shops which stocked vinyl, in the New Year there will be one full time and one that opens on Saturdays only and as far as I know neither stocks the music we all love.

I used to enjoy Saturdays in the shop chatting about the music we all love but I guess forums like this have replaced even that.

As I say it's time to move on but I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on this subject.

[Soul-slider]

I wonder if there will be any traditional record shops left soon. You know, the ones where people go to dig and play through vinyl.

I say this because after 20 years I am about to close my shop and bow to the inevitable.

I've had a good run and have no complaints, the world has moved on. I just don't think that people have the time or inclination to browse any more. E bay and on-line traders are the preferred method of buying vinyl now I guess and as they say, if you can't beat em, join em.

At least 50% of my stock is black music, be it 60s, 70s, 80s, northern, modern, deep, funk or dance yet I have spent whole Saturdays with hardly anyone in who's interested in them.

In my time I have supplied lots of DJs but can only conclude that they have most of what they want except for the mega rareities that are out of my league.

In the city I'm in, a couple of years ago there used to be at least 6 shops which stocked vinyl, in the New Year there will be one full time and one that opens on Saturdays only and as far as I know neither stocks the music we all love.

I used to enjoy Saturdays in the shop chatting about the music we all love but I guess forums like this have replaced even that.

As I say it's time to move on but I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on this subject.

Hi Mate,

What can I say, sorry to hear about you shutting up shop.

The quote I've highlighted red in your thread is true and exact and I have to hold my hands up and say that I'm one of the people who have turned my back on the 'Record Shop'.

I used to frequent the record fairs too and spend a few hundred in them,the truth is, I can find those same tunes that were costing me £40, 50, 60 each for less than half that on the internet....and that's a fact!! I'm not talking about huge tunes, because they will always go for MORE on the net (ebay, etc), but some run of the mill upto say £75/100....if you look on the net hard enough, you'll find them.

Another factor is time, why bother with frequent trips to the record store (bearing in mind I have to travel 40 miles to Norwich for a sniff of any decent record shops) in the almost vain hope that they will have some 'gems' in when all I gotta do is tap in the title/name of the record I want and you can almost guarantee one will turn up eventually.....albeit mostly from the good ol' USA.

Obviously postage and the old "I like to hold it in my hands first" are the winners when it comes to shops, but to be honest, I just was'nt finding the stuff I wanted in the shops or fairs.

I had a list of wants for years, that's nearly all cleared up now because of the WWW.

I sympathise with you, a guy I've got friendly with who runs a record shop in Norwich is closing down after Xmas, I used to go in there and spend hours chatting and having coffee with him, you can't beat that, but at the end of the day, he could'nt come up with the goods!

I think you may have more success on the net mate.

John

[max millward]

I wonder if there will be any traditional record shops left soon. You know, the ones where people go to dig and play through vinyl.

I say this because after 20 years I am about to close my shop and bow to the inevitable.

I've had a good run and have no complaints, the world has moved on. I just don't think that people have the time or inclination to browse any more. E bay and on-line traders are the preferred method of buying vinyl now I guess and as they say, if you can't beat em, join em.

At least 50% of my stock is black music, be it 60s, 70s, 80s, northern, modern, deep, funk or dance yet I have spent whole Saturdays with hardly anyone in who's interested in them.

In my time I have supplied lots of DJs but can only conclude that they have most of what they want except for the mega rareities that are out of my league.

In the city I'm in, a couple of years ago there used to be at least 6 shops which stocked vinyl, in the New Year there will be one full time and one that opens on Saturdays only and as far as I know neither stocks the music we all love.

I used to enjoy Saturdays in the shop chatting about the music we all love but I guess forums like this have replaced even that.

As I say it's time to move on but I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on this subject.

TOTALLY SPOT ON PAL!!

I HAVE HAD & RUN A RECORD SHOP FOR 45YRS!! YES A LIFETIME!!

I HAVE JUST MANAGED TO GET THRU TO 65YRS OLD! GOT MY PENSION

AND NOW IT IS TIME TO PACK IT ALL IN!

JANUARY WILL SEE ME SELLING ALL STOCKS OFF, IT'S E-BAY FOR THE REST

I WILL THEN SELL THE PROPERTY TO BOOST MY PENSION & SHOULD BE ABLE

TO LIVE A REASONABLY COMFORTABLE LIFE, I CAN'T GIVE UP MY MUSIC! SO

HOPEFULLY I WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE DJ'ING & SOCIALISING.

THAT'S THE PLAN AS IT STANDS.

ALL THE BEST TO YOU WHATEVER YOU WILL BE DOING

MAX

[Guest Gavin Page]

I WILL THEN SELL THE PROPERTY TO BOOST MY PENSION & SHOULD BE ABLE

TO LIVE A REASONABLY COMFORTABLE LIFE, I CAN'T GIVE UP MY MUSIC!

Max, I hope it brings you all the things you deserve.

Good luck my old friend.

There are 3 shops around where I now live. All bar one now survive because of the net.

Tis true this is the shape of what is to come.

Sad days !

[max millward]

Max, I hope it brings you all the things you deserve.

Good luck my old friend.

There are 3 shops around where I now live. All bar one now survive because of the net.

Tis true this is the shape of what is to come.

Sad days !

thanks for those kind words old mate!

i was lucky because of my age!

what if you were in this situation and

were say 55yrs old!!

what kind of job would you be going

to try and get!!!

max

[Guest Gavin Page]

thanks for those kind words old mate!

i was lucky because of my age!

what if you were in this situation and

were say 55yrs old!!

what kind of job would you be going

to try and get!!!

max

I was having that exact conversation with Garry at Crazy Beat the other week.

Hope to see you at some point next year Please give John my love.

Take Care

[max millward]

I was having that exact conversation with Garry at Crazy Beat the other week.

Hope to see you at some point next year Please give John my love.

Take Care

will do gav

seeing him weekend

max

[mischief]

I know nothing about running a shop but I imagine you have to sell a few records each week to pay the rates, rent heating etc.. before any profit, but suppose selling on Ebay, you only have your fees for records that sell.. you only need an old comp a dig camera or scanner and your away..

must be a lot easier...

[Soulhustler]

I WILL THEN SELL THE PROPERTY TO BOOST MY PENSION & SHOULD BE ABLE

TO LIVE A REASONABLY COMFORTABLE LIFE,

MAX

The end of an era round our way where else can i get a coffee and chat with Yourself and whoever else just happens to be passing, better than any coffee shop my old mate. By the way see you for a coffee on friday

Ken

[Guest]

Sad indeed!!...........I was (along with lots more of my "kinfolk") born and brought up in the Electron in Burnley.

The holy grail of Imports run by a bloke who really new his stuff.

Electron, music zone, mvc

The ONLY record shop situated on the steep street that runs down to the car park near what is now

Macdonalds Fats Food outlet.

It was the first record shop in Burnley.

[Guest SoulBoogieAlex]

I love old record shop, love flipping through the stacks of albums, so I always try to support my local store by ordering through them even though I could get a bargain at Amazon. I mainly use the net for browsing to see what I want. A tip for record stores dealing in 45s and albums though, exploit ebay for your own means. I've met quite a few store owners who told me they sell through ebay at the side to keep their store alive.

[Harry Crosby]

The end of an era round our way where else can i get a coffee and chat with Yourself and whoever else just happens to be passing, better than any coffee shop my old mate. By the way see you for a coffee on friday

Ken

Its such a shame that things like this is happening, as a lad in york it was a social event meeting all your mates at sound effect in kings square york one of the guys who worked behind the counter, was into the northern scene and was go

ing to the nighters at the time,we wern`t going then so in a way it was listening to him and listening to the boots in the box on the end of the counter that really started us off, good luck to you both for the future

HARRY

[Guest ScooterNik]

I'm finding the opposite, although i think this is as much to do with the breadth of my music tastes as anything else. I'm spending time pretty much every weekend to nip into my local secondhand record shop to relieve them of a few cds.

Yup....cds..... From the clientelle the shop has, I'd say that music collecting is alive and kicking, but sadly the OVO northern soul aspect of it is dying. A lot of this is due to the pure cost of buying soul... I came out last weekend with 6 imported US ska albums for around £20. Didn't know any of them, but at an average price of £3.25 you can afford to take a punt, and I was discussing/arguing the merits of a few others that I had with kids half my age at the same time, I even put a lad on to a band he'd never heard of but who I loved.

(Does any of that sound familiar? It should do, the lad was who I was 20 odd years ago when I got taken under the wing of a local soulie.....)

End of the day, record shops CAN survive but they have to accept that the market has changed and that stuff we grew up listening to has lost its mass appeal, new sounds have taken over and we can join the specialist collectors with our shrinking market. If I'm honest, I've not bought a soul original single in probably 5 years or more, entirely because I don't have £50 to spend on a single, but I'll happily spend £5 on something from one of my other areas of interest that I don't know.

Such is life though....

[Guest SoulBoogieAlex]

I find myself buying mainly CDs these days as well. Saving my collectors money only for the real gems I really want. I love vinyl but hate spending big money on records when I could get so much more high quality music for the same price. And lets face it, that the stuff you want to hear. Another advantage of CDs is liner notes. A lot of the great reissue labels provide so much entertaining and interesting booklets with their CDs, a shame to let all that good work go to waste.

[Cheapsiderecords]

I am pretty lucky here as I live about 3/4 hour from Toronto and can visit 5 shops that have regular new stuff and decks to listen, then there is Henry's which is at least a 5 hour visit if you want to go through everything. Then there is also all the Rock/Pop shops that turn up stuff every now and again.

This doesnt include Kops which it has to be saidi is pretty grim now for Northern. Everything that is even worth a tenner now seems to go to UK where as in the past I could still pick up nice things.

There is also Stardust in Hamilton which has turned up stuff now and again and has a deck for listening.

[Dave Rimmer]

The end of an era round our way where else can i get a coffee and chat with Yourself and whoever else just happens to be passing, better than any coffee shop my old mate. By the way see you for a coffee on friday

Ken

Couldn't agree more Ken. Last time I called in there were already two other Soulies there, and another turned up whilst we were chatting. Max made everyone a coffee, and then we all stood outside for a smoke and a chat. You don't get that sort of service in any other type of shop.

[Hitsville Chalky]

Couldn't agree more Ken. Last time I called in there were already two other Soulies there, and another turned up whilst we were chatting. Max made everyone a coffee, and then we all stood outside for a smoke and a chat. You don't get that sort of service in any other type of shop.

YES REALLY LOVE GOING TO MAX'S WHEN I'M SKIVING WORK AND ALWAYS A FEW COFFEES THERE, WHATS THE DATE FOR THE SHOP TO FINALLY CLOSE MAX ? MAYBE END OF JAN WOULD BE IDEAL SO A FEW OF US CAN SAY PLUS ONE FINAL COFFEE

[Citizen P]

Guess we're still quite lucky here Manchester way- Still got Beatin' Rythym, King Bee and Vox, so, so far so good for browsin' and chatting.

All the best for the future though.

Tony

[Soulhustler]

YES REALLY LOVE GOING TO MAX'S WHEN I'M SKIVING WORK AND ALWAYS A FEW COFFEES THERE, WHATS THE DATE FOR THE SHOP TO FINALLY CLOSE MAX ? MAYBE END OF JAN WOULD BE IDEAL SO A FEW OF US CAN SAY PLUS ONE FINAL COFFEE

Better still when you know the final closing date we can all turn up for coffee & anoy the public by playing tunes very loud & take over the car parking

[Hitsville Chalky]

Better still when you know the final closing date we can all turn up for coffee & anoy the public by playing tunes very loud & take over the car parking

Great Idea Ken , what better way to close and go out in Style

[Ian Dewhirst]

YES REALLY LOVE GOING TO MAX'S WHEN I'M SKIVING WORK AND ALWAYS A FEW COFFEES THERE, WHATS THE DATE FOR THE SHOP TO FINALLY CLOSE MAX ? MAYBE END OF JAN WOULD BE IDEAL SO A FEW OF US CAN SAY PLUS ONE FINAL COFFEE

Hahaha LOL! That's exactly the problem Chalky. Too many nostalgic old vinyl lovers drinking Max's coffee and shooting the breeze but not necessarily paying the rent in these crazy times.....

All the second-hand record shops are closing down here. Even the Vinyl Resting Place closed a couple of months back and Beanos (the former largest second-hand record shop in Europe) is now down to the ground-floor alone with no traffic even on a Saturday......

Berwick Street - once a second-hand record/cd collector's paradise has lost Cheapo Cheapos, Black Dog, CD City, Reckless, and many, many others whose names elude me. Mr CD, the most successful second-hand and knock-off CD store will shut in 3 days time forever. The end of an era.

Thank God we had the opportunity to experience the sheer joy and education that going to record shops gave us. We've all been very lucky to live through an extraordinary era which revolutionized music and will be looked upon as being a 'golden' era for contemporary popular music.

You're a lucky guy Max. Perfect timing.

Please let me buy you a drink if we ever have the pleasure of meeting.

You had your cake and ate it! Well done mate.

Best,

Ian D

[Cunnie]

I wonder if there will be any traditional record shops left soon. You know, the ones where people go to dig and play through vinyl.

I say this because after 20 years I am about to close my shop and bow to the inevitable.

I've had a good run and have no complaints, the world has moved on. I just don't think that people have the time or inclination to browse any more. E bay and on-line traders are the preferred method of buying vinyl now I guess and as they say, if you can't beat em, join em.

At least 50% of my stock is black music, be it 60s, 70s, 80s, northern, modern, deep, funk or dance yet I have spent whole Saturdays with hardly anyone in who's interested in them.

In my time I have supplied lots of DJs but can only conclude that they have most of what they want except for the mega rareities that are out of my league.

In the city I'm in, a couple of years ago there used to be at least 6 shops which stocked vinyl, in the New Year there will be one full time and one that opens on Saturdays only and as far as I know neither stocks the music we all love.

I used to enjoy Saturdays in the shop chatting about the music we all love but I guess forums like this have replaced even that.

As I say it's time to move on but I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on this subject.

Really sorry to hear this Andy.

I know how much work Pauline & yourself have put into Spin City over the years.

Remember the early days up on the balcony above the market & the stall inside like they were yesterday before you got the 'proper' shop.

Will be in before you finally pull down the shutters for the final time for one last haggle over prices (how come I never win?).

Don't know where i'm going to go for my Northern 'v' Modern arguments with Barry now.

Hope to see you both sometime over the holiday (Qube on the 28th possibly) for a couple of beers.

Be sure to send my best wishes to Pauline & once again, really sorry to hear of this.

Mart....

[Mikevague]

I wonder if there will be any traditional record shops left soon. You know, the ones where people go to dig and play through vinyl.

I say this because after 20 years I am about to close my shop and bow to the inevitable.

I've had a good run and have no complaints, the world has moved on. I just don't think that people have the time or inclination to browse any more. E bay and on-line traders are the preferred method of buying vinyl now I guess and as they say, if you can't beat em, join em.

At least 50% of my stock is black music, be it 60s, 70s, 80s, northern, modern, deep, funk or dance yet I have spent whole Saturdays with hardly anyone in who's interested in them.

In my time I have supplied lots of DJs but can only conclude that they have most of what they want except for the mega rareities that are out of my league.

In the city I'm in, a couple of years ago there used to be at least 6 shops which stocked vinyl, in the New Year there will be one full time and one that opens on Saturdays only and as far as I know neither stocks the music we all love.

I used to enjoy Saturdays in the shop chatting about the music we all love but I guess forums like this have replaced even that.

As I say it's time to move on but I'd be interested to hear any thoughts on this subject.

L.a.'s got the same plight....

Here's a recent article summing it up, w/ some thoughts from yours truly...

https://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/article...umentid=5740712

[Geoff]

Reading this has made me feel really sad. Remember browsing through racks of 45s when I was a kid.

However, to be honest, I didn't buy any vinyl for years, only recently started again, and it's been via the Internet or through friends selling.

I don't think there are any shops in my vicinity. Are there any shops in north London selling soul 45s and LPs? I would be interested to hear.

Good luck to you all for the future, and thanks for what you've done in the past.

[chrissie]

A couple of weekends ago I was at home in Rhyl on my monthly parental trip and went into Mark & Chicos shop, Funky Feet, to pick up a few records I had ordered off them while at a soul night. This was the first time I had been in a "record shop" in about 25 years. It had that great friendly feeling of the old days when people popped in chatted played a few records etc. I had to get out after about half an hour before I spent all my cash. I do think that it now needs to be a combination of the shop, ebay, online sales and sales boxes at events etc.

QoFxx

Edited December 20, 2007 by chrissie

[Guest toby]

Many many moons ago when i first went to Letchworth to live,there was a shop called Davids Music,it was on a corner plot with boxes & boxes of USA labels,also he had a sort of wharehouse down the road where all the records were 1d (one penny) for USA 45s there was 1000,s & 1000,s of them,its where i first met Mick Smith & Taffy..good pickings all round i might add...god knows what we left behind doesnt bear thinking about now .Any way after a few years he moved into a nice new shop in the town centre and it sort of spoiled it a bit,but goodies still to be had,loads of tmg,s + r/w demos etc,and after a few more years things went a bit downhill he got into LPs & CDs etc and now its still a shop but caters for the CD buyer allsorts of pop stuff (you know the chartie sort of stuff).

But saying that its still worth a look in every month or so due to some people still try and flog him vinyl records.

Thats the demise of the local record shop sadly..I can see the reason in this is to make money the shop has to survive etc,but i still miss the old shops full of old 45s etc..

[Mal C]

Until recently I always got my chips Friday afternoon and went over to Roger Stewarts shop, Boogaloo on Broardway near Fulham Broardway..

Great shop, now I'm working in Batersy I'm really missing it, I hope Roger goes on cause his shop is a little oasis with the Friday regulars, I've had some great tracks from him over the last few years..

Long live the few remaining record shops!!

M

[Guest toby]

Until recently I always got my chips Friday afternoon and went over to Roger Stewarts shop, Boogaloo on Broardway near Fulham Broardway..

Great shop, now I'm working in Batersy I'm really missing it, I hope Roger goes on cause his shop is a little oasis with the Friday regulars, I've had some great tracks from him over the last few years..

Long live the few remaining record shops!!

M

Well said !!! Roger's shop is well worth a visit..

[Guest Gavin Page]

Many many moons ago when i first went to Letchworth to live,there was a shop called Davids Music,it was on a corner plot with boxes & boxes of USA labels,also he had a sort of wharehouse down the road where all the records were 1d (one penny) for USA 45s there was 1000,s & 1000,s of them,its where i first met Mick Smith & Taffy..good pickings all round i might add...god knows what we left behind doesnt bear thinking about now .Any way after a few years he moved into a nice new shop in the town centre and it sort of spoiled it a bit,but goodies still to be had,loads of tmg,s + r/w demos etc,and after a few more years things went a bit downhill he got into LPs & CDs etc and now its still a shop but caters for the CD buyer allsorts of pop stuff (you know the chartie sort of stuff).

But saying that its still worth a look in every month or so due to some people still try and flog him vinyl records.

Thats the demise of the local record shop sadly..I can see the reason in this is to make money the shop has to survive etc,but i still miss the old shops full of old 45s etc..

Toby, hope you are well ???

Did you ever get over to F.L Moor's in Leighton Buzzard ?

[Guest toby]

Toby, hope you are well ???

Did you ever get over to F.L Moor's in Leighton Buzzard ?

Hi Gavin,long time no see old mate,I'm not too bad ...

I have reserved you 2no ticket/invites for the free birthday bash Friday 18th Jan 2008(see in events)hope you can make it mate..

I only ever went to the F.L Moore at Luton (near the football ground)by the time i had made a visit it was picked clean of all the goodies,but still got some bits mind you..I had heard about the shop in Buzzard..packed to the gunnels of soul so i was told,no wonder Mick was a regular .

[Guest Gavin Page]

Hi Gavin,long time no see old mate,I'm not too bad ...

I have reserved you 2no ticket/invites for the free birthday bash Friday 18th Jan 2008(see in events)hope you can make it mate..

If it does not fall on my weekend with my little ones I will be there

[Guest eedeecee]

I do think that it now needs to be a combination of the shop, ebay, online sales and sales boxes at events etc.

exactly! and don't forget carboot sales, flea markets, private collections and record fairs

Nowadays I enjoy to find records everywhere and anytime, not just in the local record shop

I guess this enormous offer of choice makes a huge difference with former days

[funkyfeet]

A couple of weekends ago I was at home in Rhyl on my monthly parental trip and went into Mark & Chicos shop, Funky Feet, to pick up a few records I had ordered off them while at a soul night. This was the first time I had been in a "record shop" in about 25 years. It had that great friendly feeling of the old days when people popped in chatted played a few records etc. I had to get out after about half an hour before I spent all my cash. I do think that it now needs to be a combination of the shop, ebay, online sales and sales boxes at events etc.

QoFxx

Chrissie you're always welcome.

Funkyfeet is 12 months old in January and were going from strenght to strenght, with our customer base, our original view was that the shop was somewhere to stock our records and as long as we had enough coming through the door to cover costs that was fine, and our profits would come from on line and our soul nights, it's working out just fine. The advantage of the shop is we have people in off the street who don't have internet access but still collector (All types of Music) especially older people, we also have the opportunity to take in stock from said people, it's supprising what raritites we've pick up this way over the last 12 months, including a 1957 mint Uk mega rare R&R 45 in Ex condition. We're based in RHYL, North Wales and have customer travel from Manchester, Merseyside and Midlands. Our on-line shop should be up and running in the new year, presently we sell on ebay and on SS. If you're down our way come along and have a browse we throw in coffee/tea for free and if you're lucky biscuits as well, we are also pretty good at tracking down people's wants so give us a try.

FUNKY FEET RECORDS

4b BEDFORD STREET

RHYL

DENBIGHSHIRE

LL18 1SY

TEL:01745 334 811

[Deegee]

FUNKY FEET RECORDS

4b BEDFORD STREET

RHYL

DENBIGHSHIRE

LL18 1SY

TEL:01745 334 811

[Guest JJMMWGDuPree]

Interesting article. I guess the logic of it is that any market based upon collecting something old is going to gradually fade away. Even if the clientelle aren't actually dying off yet, if there are no new records of new music in the right vein coming in then everyone is going to slowly fill up their wants list and have no need of any kind of record store after that. Me, I still like to hunt through record shops which still stock vinyl, but I'm looking for something more recent that I still might like, no one makes 60s music any more.

Edited December 21, 2007 by JJMMWGDuPree

[Spacehopper]

Hi Mate,

What can I say, sorry to hear about you shutting up shop.

The quote I've highlighted red in your thread is true and exact and I have to hold my hands up and say that I'm one of the people who have turned my back on the 'Record Shop'.

I used to frequent the record fairs too and spend a few hundred in them,the truth is, I can find those same tunes that were costing me £40, 50, 60 each for less than half that on the internet....and that's a fact!! I'm not talking about huge tunes, because they will always go for MORE on the net (ebay, etc), but some run of the mill upto say £75/100....if you look on the net hard enough, you'll find them.

Another factor is time, why bother with frequent trips to the record store (bearing in mind I have to travel 40 miles to Norwich for a sniff of any decent record shops) in the almost vain hope that they will have some 'gems' in when all I gotta do is tap in the title/name of the record I want and you can almost guarantee one will turn up eventually.....albeit mostly from the good ol' USA.

Obviously postage and the old "I like to hold it in my hands first" are the winners when it comes to shops, but to be honest, I just was'nt finding the stuff I wanted in the shops or fairs.

I had a list of wants for years, that's nearly all cleared up now because of the WWW.

I sympathise with you, a guy I've got friendly with who runs a record shop in Norwich is closing down after Xmas, I used to go in there and spend hours chatting and having coffee with him, you can't beat that, but at the end of the day, he could'nt come up with the goods!

I think you may have more success on the net mate.

John

john,which shop is closing down ?....im based in bristol now but am back in norwich to see the folks for the hols...always nip in shops when im there....anything on next week ??

here in bristol weve seen a few close over the last 10 years or so....only have rubber soul still open for northern...and anything good doesnt stay on the shelves long !..we have a great little record fair full of teddy boys selling their northern/rnb cheap sadly they are starting to realise what they have now....i do tend to but mainly off ebay ,i cant even afford most internet dealers prices(although sean is very fair !)...why pay £50 for a tune that will turn up on ebay for a tenner !...on original...the other day i got ike and tina on a stamped tangerine for £7 from germany and it had arrived before some i had "won" from uk within a week !...so how could a shop compete with that

was chatting to a friend whos a cd dj and he has just downloaded thousands of tunes from real obscure reggae and ska acts that after years of collecting he still had never heard of...and all for free !....cd shops watch out !

[Barry]

john,which shop is closing down ?....im based in bristol now but am back in norwich to see the folks for the hols...always nip in shops when im there....anything on next week ??

here in bristol weve seen a few close over the last 10 years or so....only have rubber soul still open for northern...and anything good doesnt stay on the shelves long !..we have a great little record fair full of teddy boys selling their northern/rnb cheap sadly they are starting to realise what they have now....i do tend to but mainly off ebay ,i cant even afford most internet dealers prices(although sean is very fair !)...why pay £50 for a tune that will turn up on ebay for a tenner !...on original...the other day i got ike and tina on a stamped tangerine for £7 from germany and it had arrived before some i had "won" from uk within a week !...so how could a shop compete with that

was chatting to a friend whos a cd dj and he has just downloaded thousands of tunes from real obscure reggae and ska acts that after years of collecting he still had never heard of...and all for free !....cd shops watch out !

Before I post this, which was a response a few weeks back to a post on a mainly House orientated site (so it probably won't translate as correctly in the context on this particular site - but on the back of that I do believe the essence of the post holds true.)

I did manage and own a record shop for the best part of twenty years, that, as it happens went under due to technological progression (Hey, that's life, I've no problem with that, Life Goes On) but it may help qualify my following churlish statement:

The script is, and I know better than most, that if you knock your milkman on the head, cos it's £3 a month cheaper for you to get your pinta in a placcie bottle from Tesco, then your dyed in the wool milkman is f*cked.

If you moan to your dealer that you can get a full 'un, instead of a 0.8, from someone else for the same money, then your dealer gives you a full 'un to match the deal...same beak, but with more filler.

I am sick of seeing this kind of post on websites but every b*stard has gone down the dumbed down, CDJ, tracks easily 'obtained' (not paid for) route and gives it the big 'AWW, another vinyl outlet has gone' bollox.

Why is everyone a dj these days ay?

Cos it costs f*** all - that's why.

The days where the line 'Put your money where your mouth is' have sadly gone, leaving a door open (a well battered one at that) for a bunch of short lived pretenders to act the big 'un and f*** off, ego intact.

Don't mourn vinyl, just realise that the way that the system was, when vinyl was king, formed a clear hierachy that sorted the wheat form the chaff.

As The Whispers once said 'No Pain, No Gain'.

Yours (drowning in a sea of chaff),

The honestly not-bitter, Barry May

The reason record shops, in the majority, have gone is due to the fact that 85% of your business came through 100% of the people who didn't really give a shit about the ethics of music, it's structure and how people eventually got paid down the line.

(I've not read the whole thread, as I'm struggling , so if my post is partly or wholly irrelevant, please feel free to point it out....I'll read it now)

You produced a track - you paid the studio/engineer - you had it pressed, you paid the plant - you sold it on to a distributor, they paid you - the distributor sold it to a record shop, they paid the distributor - the record shop sold it to a customer, they paid the record shop.

In short - EVERYBODY GOT PAID - not so now.

Edited December 21, 2007 by Barry

[Ian Dewhirst]

was chatting to a friend whos a cd dj and he has just downloaded thousands of tunes from real obscure reggae and ska acts that after years of collecting he still had never heard of...and all for free !....cd shops watch out !

All music is free now! 96% of all music downloads are free - only the other 4% is actually paid for and most of that is via I-Tunes.

The CD is more or less dead now and rare CD's (including all Northern releases) will be highly collectible in the future - a bit like records now. CD's are really top-quality audio-wise compared to downloads, so 'real' music collectors will keep with CD and, in some rare cases, Vinyl.

But the vast majority of the music buying audience really isn't passionate about formats - they want the instant gratification of getting what they want when they want and 9 times out of 10, they'll be hearing music either on headphones or shitty laptop speakers, so quality isn't a the top of their agendas. They want an instant download immediately - f*** queuing in HMV or whiling away a pleasant few hours in a collectors shop - not enough time anymore for some reason......

The way I look at it, is most of us have been incredibly lucky to have lived through one of the great ages of popular music - 1955 saw the birth of rock n' roll and 50 years later we're seeing the death of popular music as we've traditionally known it IMHO....

For once I'm glad to be old LOL...

All of the above makes Northern Soul that much more special.

Merry Xmas All.

Ian D

[Barry]

Music today is like socks Ian.

Any owd grey shit will do.

It's a crying shame that the old Record Shop has gone, the last bastion of the true at heart, give a shit music bod.

The meek eventually inherited the earth and banged the stake into the record shop from bedrooms across the land.

RIP

(...but we're still dying)

Edited December 21, 2007 by Barry

[Ian Dewhirst]

"The meek eventually inherited the earth and banged the stake into the record shop from bedrooms across the land".

RIP

Quote of the year mate.

From what I can see, most people have their heads buried in computers most of the day, then get home switch on their pc's and telly's and spend most of their waking lives looking into a screen....

Bit chilly out so I've been doing exactly that LOL.....

Ian D

[chrissie]

If you're down our way come along and have a browse we throw in coffee/tea for free and if you're lucky biscuits as well, we are also pretty good at tracking down people's wants so give us a try.

FUNKY FEET RECORDS

4b BEDFORD STREET

RHYL

DENBIGHSHIRE

LL18 1SY

TEL:01745 334 811

I never got a cuppa never mind a biccy Will remember that in January when I come in, white with one sugar by the way

QoFxx

[Soul-slider]

john,which shop is closing down ?....im based in bristol now but am back in norwich to see the folks for the hols...always nip in shops when im there....anything on next week ??

here in bristol weve seen a few close over the last 10 years or so....only have rubber soul still open for northern...and anything good doesnt stay on the shelves long !..we have a great little record fair full of teddy boys selling their northern/rnb cheap sadly they are starting to realise what they have now....i do tend to but mainly off ebay ,i cant even afford most internet dealers prices(although sean is very fair !)...why pay £50 for a tune that will turn up on ebay for a tenner !...on original...the other day i got ike and tina on a stamped tangerine for £7 from germany and it had arrived before some i had "won" from uk within a week !...so how could a shop compete with that

was chatting to a friend whos a cd dj and he has just downloaded thousands of tunes from real obscure reggae and ska acts that after years of collecting he still had never heard of...and all for free !....cd shops watch out !

It's 'Fine City Sounds'...the one with the grumpy Paul, he's ok with me though cos' he knows I'll buy something guaranteed! He always made me coffee and we chat for ages while the misses goes shopping in that fine city.

Martin (Circular Sound) is staying though thank God, what else will I do with my time while she skits from store to store trying on the same f****** clothes!!!

[Guest mel brat]

Thank God we had the opportunity to experience the sheer joy and education that going to record shops gave us. We've all been very lucky to live through an extraordinary era which revolutionized music and will be looked upon as being a 'golden' era for contemporary popular music...

Ian D

Yes, I think it's rather amazing that due credit hasn't really been given to all those record shops (and certain owners!) who "kept the faith" for all those years. Places like the Diskery in Birmingham, though not a Soul shop per.se., supplied the likes of Carl Dene with many a UK gem in the earliest days of the scene, so he tells me, and it's a fair bet that Reddington's Rare Records, also in Birmingham and now closed, provided the bulk of Steve Glover's awesome UK collection too - so places like The Cats were the ultimate beneficiaries in those two cases! Sincere thanks to 'em all!

[Guest JJMMWGDuPree]

The way I look at it, is most of us have been incredibly lucky to have lived through one of the great ages of popular music - 1955 saw the birth of rock n' roll and 50 years later we're seeing the death of popular music as we've traditionally known it IMHO....

For once I'm glad to be old

Got it in one!

[Wulfie09]

Couldn't agree more Ken. Last time I called in there were already two other Soulies there, and another turned up whilst we were chatting. Max made everyone a coffee, and then we all stood outside for a smoke and a chat. You don't get that sort of service in any other type of shop.

and half the time I'm smokin HIS fags as well Dave !!

Merry Christmas

Wulfie

[Wulfie09]

Toby, hope you are well ???

Did you ever get over to F.L Moor's in Leighton Buzzard ?

God - I spent hours in there around 79/81 when I was at Stanbridge - The LB Branch was brilliant - didn't find the same ethos or empathy for the soul/funk dj from the Dunstable branch

Wulfie

[Wulfie09]

Yes, I think it's rather amazing that due credit hasn't really been given to all those record shops (and certain owners!) who "kept the faith" for all those years. Places like the Diskery in Birmingham, though not a Soul shop per.se., supplied the likes of Carl Dene with many a UK gem in the earliest days of the scene, so he tells me, and it's a fair bet that Reddington's Rare Records, also in Birmingham and now closed, provided the bulk of Steve Glover's awesome UK collection too - so places like The Cats were the ultimate beneficiaries in those two cases! Sincere thanks to 'em all!

From what I heard - Danny Reddington closed down earlier this year - but is still trading on the web - He guests occasionally on BBC Radio WM Mid morning show which I catch wehn I'm driving arround

Wulfie

[Spacehopper]

It's 'Fine City Sounds'...the one with the grumpy Paul, he's ok with me though cos' he knows I'll buy something guaranteed! He always made me coffee and we chat for ages while the misses goes shopping in that fine city.

Martin (Circular Sound) is staying though thank God, what else will I do with my time while she skits from store to store trying on the same f****** clothes!!!

yeah i know the one...thats a shame hes had a shop along that street forever...bought some good tunes off him over the years...will probably nip in there over the hols and get a couple

[Supercorsa]

The one shop that I miss is Adey Pierces Cotswold Records in the antiques centre, part of the docks area in Gloucester. I'd spent a bit of time in there on Saturdays when visiting the in-laws. One day went down there only to discover it was closed and he was operating from home.

Have to agree with those that say about the internet killing off shops unfortunately.

[Spacehopper]

just heard rubber soul in bristol may be closing after decades...the motoecycle shop next door own it and want to sell it....just cos hes gotta a scoot in the window i reckon !...andy may be working from home....aswell as browsing through northern/reggae/ska/mod/punk vinyl....where am i gonna put my flyers and posters now...one of the last record shops that take them