Your Favourite record shop

[grosun]

I rather like Fopp too, although they don't sell vinyl so I can't really count them in my own list...

Damn, which one are you going to? I thought at least the London branch had a wee bit of vinyl left downstairs, but then I've pretty much given up buying vinyl these days anyway, so I've not checked for a while. Kinda sad though, if they've given it up completely & replaced with DVDs, but I guess it's people like me who're bringing it on

 

[killer b]

pelicaneck in manchester is my current fave - it's got it all: rude staff, snobbish customers & high prices. plus an attached cake shop for the mrs to cool her heels in while i spend my monthly wages...

the best record shops are never going to be the best stocked or owt - it's the ones where you build up a rapport with the staff, and they know what you like so stick stuff to one side for you... with that in mind, action records in preston (can spend hours there chatting to the staff, plus the occasional smoke or whatever), and real records in the same town (second hand, run by a very odd bloke... sold me the entire crass back catalogue for £3, and loads of classic shut up and dance for a quid. i always spend whatever is in my wallet whenever i go there )

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

Damn, which one are you going to? I thought at least the London branch had a wee bit of vinyl left downstairs, but then I've pretty much given up buying vinyl these days anyway, so I've not checked for a while. Kinda sad though, if they've given it up completely & replaced with DVDs, but I guess it's people like me who're bringing it on

Strange - vinyl seems to be gradually being phased out by the Fopps and slowly phased back in by the likes of HMV et al. There's apparently been a vinyl renaissance happening for the last five or so years, but I feel it has yet to be realised.

I think the real dog's rod though has to be when the music sections are phased out altogether in favour of games and mobile phones/accessories. It's as though the large stores hounded out the smaller independents via masquerading as music stores, then screwed everyone over by not selling music anymore. No wonder it only takes selling 42 copies for a single to go top ten these days...

 

[boing!]

We've got Banquet Records in Kingston which is a great little record shop. They have rock/indie/punk,etc.. on one side and drum and bass, breaks, hip hop, techno, electronica, deep house, reggae, grime, breakcore... all sorts of good stuff on the other side of the shop. The staff are nice and friendly and promote quite a few nights round here and occasionally they'll have a band doing instore gigs now and then.

Online i mostly buy stuff from boomkat or amazon's used and new bit for anything else cos its so cheap.

 

[Dr. Furface]

Used to like Reckless Records at Islington - now sadly closed down - because of the cash they gave me for numerous cd's over the past 5 or so years. Much better payout than the miserable gits at Notting Hill Record Exchange - I'd rather give or throw my old records away than accept the pittance those miserable sods offer.

Used to go to On Broadway in Fulham a lot when I lived over that way - good for cheap new cd's, though not always a great selection, but picked up many bargains there over the years. Can't be arsed with it now though since I moved out the area.

These days I tend to go to Selectadisc and Fopp, but mostly I shop at Slsk!

 

[belboid]

Jumbo records in Leeds was pretty damng good ten - twenty years ago. It's still there, but I dunno if it's much cop anymore.

Sheffield's Record Collector is okay, but nothing amazing.

Selectadisc is pretty much the number one, London or Notts version.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Disque on Chapel Market in Islington, London.

Seconded (and thirded)...loads of stock, knowledgeable and friendly staff, great shop. I went in there last week for first time in quite a few months (been skint ) , handshakes, "how you doing mate?" warm welcome as if i've been spending ££££s every week. and they had the Kanye West album on sale early - woohoo

 

[stavros]

Are you tripping ? I've had nothing but bad experiences with this guy. He's worse than the comic book guy in The Simpsons...
It's a disgrace the way he keeps that record shop ; I just get sad when I go in there when I think of all the gems that must be in there , but you just can't get to them. I'm sure one day there will be a build up of methane and the whole place will explode and take Rob with it. I'm sure that's what happened the the last owner and that's why the shop is in the state it is...

Like I said, it's the chase for the gems that I enjoy. And the fact that it's so hidden itself, up that little alley and with no frontage. It's like a little secret that barely anyone seems to know about.

Fopp is pretty good for fairly mainstream back catalogue stuff. I think I loaded up on Dylan there back in my youth quite cheaply. Ditto MVC a little, although both the ones in Nottingham and my home town of Basingstoke have closed down so it might be going for good. Anyone know anything there?

 

[Dubversion]

i used to really like Rhythm in Camden, which has been sucked into the Record & Tape black hole.. and Selectadisc when i was more of an indie kid. but for me it's Sounds Of The Universe / Soul Jazz all the way now.

 

[tarannau]

Oh, I forgot, Andy's Records in Aberystwyth (not part of the Andy's Reocrds chain). Not been there for a few years, but when I lived there I got all sorts of interesting stuff there.

Long time since I've been there too, but I had real respect for that man and shop.

The guy was a real font of knowledge - he always impressed me with his recommendations on everything from dub to funk, through to hip hop. And I was a far from easily impressed Brixton uber-rare funk snob at the time too; the place was like Mr Ben's magic costume shop...only with, erm, records.

And when we put on our first big night with Bukem (it was 93 after all!)
he was one of the first through the door, just as he seemed an ever present at most of the best gigs, from Desmond Dekker through to the then unsigned Crocketts.

Gem of a place. Hope he's still doing well.

 

[Chuck Wilson]

Pop Art records in Withington, South Manchester owned by my mate Nick the Greek. He won't stock anything that is in the charts, playsmost of the CD stock at home, and floods the shop with what ever musical trend he is into at the time ie Japanese pyschadelia, Chicago punk, Faust etc.

Usually ends up asking a customer to mind the shop so he can go and watch a film at the cinema.Is always trying to coach people into buy something that they wouldn't touch with a barge pole. I was offered a two CD set of the history of American Yodelling and a three CD compilation of Therimin music.

Very pleasant fella, good way of wasting a few hours and sometimes you get to go for a pint with him.

 

[noodles]

Rockaboom in Leicester, it's moved about 3 times over the years, but it still sells....records! yey!

Oh yes.

 

[hiccup]

Long time since I've been there too, but I had real respect for that man and shop.

The guy was a real font of knowledge - he always impressed me with his recommendations on everything from dub to funk, through to hip hop. And I was a far from easily impressed Brixton uber-rare funk snob at the time too; the place was like Mr Ben's magic costume shop...only with, erm, records.

And when we put on our first big night with Bukem (it was 93 after all!)
he was one of the first through the door, just as he seemed an ever present at most of the best gigs, from Desmond Dekker through to the then unsigned Crocketts.

Gem of a place. Hope he's still doing well.

I saw him DJ at The Bay a few times, always played quality stuff. Though I seem to remember he had a slightly unhealthy obsession with Todd Rundgren.

Last I heard he was still there. Change doesn't come fast in Aberystwyth

 

[docus]

The best record shop of all time had to be Fatcat Records in Covent Garden. They were the ultimate mecca for soulful Detroit techno, deep Chicago house, UK electronica, etc. Then Atlas Records sprung up catering for a similar niche, but also went the way of the dodo. Now there's Smallfish Records in Shoreditch, carrying the torch.

Having said that, most of my vinyl came from Reckless Records in Islington. Thatr place was awesome; it's such a shame it's gone.

Agreed with everyone that the Music and Video Exchange in Notting Hill is staffed by wankers. One of them - a kind of nerdy, balding git - banned me from the Camden Exchange about 10 years ago for no good reason at all. He simply took a dislike to me despite my having spent (literally) thousands in there. I was never anything but friendly...

Also, agreed with Dubversion that SOTU is great.

 

[Ich bin ein Mod]

I rather like Fopp too, although they don't sell vinyl so I can't really count them in my own list...

Fopp in Glasgow still sells vinyl

My personal favourite is Avalanche, got a couple of shops in Edinburgh but its the one in Glasgow I go to most often to stock up on new 7" releases. Can occasionally find a classic bargain too.

Sadly too many independant record shops have closed in Glasgow over the last few years

 

[biotec]

for me it's Sounds Of The Universe / Soul Jazz all the way now.

I like sounds of the universes new (ish) second hand section downstairs, some good roots, I'm just waiting for more oldskool hip-hop to build up.

one of my favourites is the downstairs section of selector records on brixton hill. Rammed with classics and rareities and smells of damp bass bins.

 

[Bomber]

Goldsoul

In the land of Northern Soul this place is a little oasis !!

It's in Stoke on Trent Goldsoul