Lost record shops

[mathias broucek]

Someone's mention of Orchesography made me become nostalgic for the "lost record shops" of yesteryear! I sometimes find myself passing the site of one and hoping that it will by some miracle have reappeared!

I'll start with the old skool (pre-takeover) Farringdon Records - my favourite was Cheapside with the wonderful Tony in the basement.

What other lost favourites do people have?

[MrGongGong]

Mole Jazz at Kings Cross ,loads of "odd" stuff and improv lps

[pastoralguy]

Rae Mackintosh in South Queenferry Street, Edinburgh. Talk about a mis-spent youth?! There's one part of the shop still active as a music shop but no records and only a rack of Naxos cds.

The part that sold records is now a burger bar! There must be many ghosts amongt the fries...

[Don Petter]

Albert's Records on Holloway Road.

[Roehre]

The Classical Record Player in both Canterbury and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
The Kavern in Llandudno

[doversoul1]

The Classical Record Player in both Canterbury and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
The Kavern in Llandudno

Classical Longplayer

To me, it symbolises the decline of Canterbury itself. Very sad indeed.

[ostuni]

Vincent's, Needless Alley, Birmingham. A good portion of my pocket money was spent there, in the late 60s/early 70s.

[verismissimo]

Orchesography in Cecil Court, as mentioned. The backbone of my early LP collection.

Slightly grumpy Kiwi there. What was he called?

[Ferretfancy]

EMG in the corner of Soho Square. They would only willingly sell you what you were supposed to have, rather than what you wanted! Then, of course there was Henry Staves, and James Asmans Jazz shop in Cecil Court. They often had excellent mint classicals at bargain prices, as did that funny little shop with the outside browser boxes in the alley that leads up to Chinatown.

I go back far enough to recall the individual listening booths at the original Oxford Street HMV, where the classical records were on the ground floor. You could collect a heap of 78s, go into the Elgar booth or the Beethoven booth, spend an age sampling, and then buy one!

[amateur51]

Mole Jazz at Kings Cross ,loads of "odd" stuff and improv lps

and a great 'Indian' next door - where I first tasted green banana curry

[amateur51]

The Classical Record Player in both Canterbury and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
The Kavern in Llandudno

Our annual holiday often took place in Rhos-on-Sea so Llandudno was the cultural mecca of my teens but I didn't spot the Kavern, roehre - what did it sell?

Do you recall Sumner's restaurant & Sandbach's cafe with their home-made sweets? :diabeticswoon:

[amateur51]

EMG in the corner of Soho Square. They would only willingly sell you what you were supposed to have, rather than what you wanted! Then, of course there was Henry Staves, and James Asmans Jazz shop in Cecil Court. They often had excellent mint classicals at bargain prices, as did that funny little shop with the outside browser boxes in the alley that leads up to Chinatown.

Oh yes, memories memories Ferret.

EMG was a bit like going in for a consultation, wasn't it? I worked in Henry Stave at Great Marlborough Street, Dean Street and King William IV Street (London Bridge) in the '70s.

The guys in the funny little shop in Newport Court were always good for a chat too - silly low prices sometimes too.

I now have a silly grin on my face - daft 'aporth

[JFLL]

Vincent's, Needless Alley, Birmingham. A good portion of my pocket money was spent there, in the late 60s/early 70s.

I remember it well, ostuni, and will forever associate it with the smell of cooking from an extractor fan somewehere in Needless Alley! Old Mr Vincent was not averse to giving his sometimes unfavourable opinion on the LP one had selected and trying, often successfully, to persuade one to buy his preferred version. I remember him saying that he was planning to have the slow movement of Elgar's Serenade for Strings at his funeral. I wonder if he did.

[Nick Armstrong]

I'll start with the old skool (pre-takeover) Farringdon Records - my favourite was Cheapside with the wonderful Tony in the basement.

That one!

From 1984 - 1992, my walk to work took me past it twice a day

The hours... the money .... I spent in there!

There was also a little MDC in Creed Lane, just off Ludgate Hill...

After 1992, I lived in West London - I transferred my allegiance to HMV Oxford St I'm afraid

[amateur51]

'My' Farringdon Records was the one by the National Portrait Galley in London, just off Charing Cross Road. Floor-to-ceiling stock, very knowledgeable staff who could get you any available recording & always had some surprising bargains. A veritable Tardis of a shop