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Record shops in Birmingham

Heidibutler said:
My mum worked in the record department in Rackhams and before that in Walker Brothers, she then went to London to work in a record store in Kings Roaf
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I reckon they would be my two favorite places to work especially in a HiFi or record shop
 
I remember Clark and Piercey on the Lozells Road. I did a lot of window shopping there as a nipper. It was run by a miserable grump who "didn't suffer fools gladly" as she put it. She threatened to throw me out of her shop because I objected to a styrene record she handed to me and couldn't be bothered to see if she had any vinyl copies in stock.

For those that don't remember, styrene was a poor relation to vinyl, pressed exclusively in the US. They wore out very quickly and wouldn't even play on some record players. A lot of US pressed styrene found its way to the UK in the 70s when there was a strike in a large number of the vinyl pressing plants and demand outstripped supply.
 
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I remember once going to one of the record shops, I think on New Street, just after a meal and trying to chat up the clerk there. she said, "OH you just had Sausage and chips didn't you!" I have never been so embarrassed in my life I blushed and left!!!
 
The rag market had some good little record stalls over the year's, I remember one guy selling all sorts of items on his pitch and in the corner had a pile of American 7" singles, most of those were styrene an were already pretty poor condition. I don't know where this chap got some of his stock but in later year's he had some cracking stuff
 
The record stall I remember was in the bull ring rather than the market. They had an exhibition there for a week or two called "The daily necessities fair of the People's Republic of China" and the stall was selling 5 LP's for £1. Some had little holes in the top right corner like they'd been hung on a string somewhere. Most of the material and the acts were ones that I didn't think anyone would have heard of (although there's an LP in the Diskery at £20 that I paid 20p for) and even the ones you had heard of weren't necessarily going to make it to the local record shops.
 
wam said:
The record stall I remember was in the bull ring rather than the market. They had an exhibition there for a week or two called "The daily necessities fair of the People's Republic of China" and the stall was selling 5 LP's for £1. Some had little holes in the top right corner like they'd been hung on a string somewhere. Most of the material and the acts were ones that I didn't think anyone would have heard of (although there's an LP in the Diskery at £20 that I paid 20p for) and even the ones you had heard of weren't necessarily going to make it to the local record shops.
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The guy in the rag market was called Stan, he sold absolutely anything he could get his hands on, I reckon he used to maybe do house clearance work etc, never knew where he got his records from, some week's he had nothing then the next week a box full. I used to have a jukebox and had all my 7" singles off him to fill it up. You can normally find record's at car boots now, but half the time they've been sitting in the sun all day or the sleeves are ruined due to getting caught in a downpour.
 
I thought there was a Revolver record shop in Birmingham but I can't find anything on the net.
I have, however, found this about the founder of the record label who is from Birmingham...

www.bcu.ac.uk

Founder of Revolver Records honoured at University ceremony

Paul Birch, the music mogul who founded independent label Revolver Records, will receive an honorary degree from Birmingham City University next month.
www.bcu.ac.uk www.bcu.ac.uk

Edit to add: the bag was possibly a promotion for the label.
 
A Sparks said:
I thought there was a Revolver record shop in Birmingham but I can't find anything on the net.
I have, however, found this about the founder of the record label who is from Birmingham...

www.bcu.ac.uk

Founder of Revolver Records honoured at University ceremony

Paul Birch, the music mogul who founded independent label Revolver Records, will receive an honorary degree from Birmingham City University next month.
www.bcu.ac.uk www.bcu.ac.uk

Edit to add: the bag was possibly a promotion for the label.
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I thought there was to, Dalton street sprung to mind but thats where swordfish record's are
 
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wam said:
Some had little holes in the top right corner like they'd been hung on a string somewhere. .
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That, and the clipping of a corner was a standard practice to show that an album was discontinued and sold off by the label at a discount. It prevented unsold copies being returned to the label.
 
SDUG said:
That, and the clipping of a corner was a standard practice to show that an album was discontinued and sold off by the label at a discount. It prevented unsold copies being returned to the label.
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I've also heard that in some places the sleeve was punched and hung up by a piece of string on market stalls. These were holed by some sharp pointed instrument which always seemed to make that more likely.
 
If I remember correctly, Revolver records at one time had a bag with a gun on it and half a dozen bullet holes each of which had the address of one of their shops but, strangely, none of the addresses were in Birmingham. I think they had a small shop in the Pallasades on the centre block opposite the ramp exit.
 
From Soho road, go down the hill of Rookery road, on the right hand side there was 'The Record Shop' at 112 Rookery Road, I went between 1962 - 64, and bought two 45rpm records. Shop was run by P.O. Deeley.
Below from Kelly's 1967-68.

record shop.jpg
 
My memory of buying records comes from when I lived in Shard End. I don't remember the actual shop, but I went there on my push bike so not a million miles away. My favourite tune was 'Foot Tapper' by the Shadows. (It still is one of my favourites). On the way back, record in hand, a drain cover leapt out at me and caused an unscheduled dismount. The Shadows selflessly intervened to prevent too much grazing on my arm, but as a result became unplayable. Nowadays I can call it up from any number of places, but then I was mortified. I saved hard for that record, and it still rankles.
Andrew.
 
I know a bloke much older than me :cool: who has never bought a record during his lifetime. I was gobsmacked when he told me as I could not believe anybody, and I mean anybody, who has not been moved enough by a piece of music to buy a copy to enjoy. Unbelievable.

By the way, in a former life I owned a record shop for some years in the Black Country. Had some great times but paying the rent and VAT was always a worry.
 
Astoness said:
im racking my brains to think of the shop in town i got my records from...used to play many great song in my friends front room in villa st when her mom and dad were tucked up in the vine pub a bit further up the street:)...barmy on motown but the one song we used to dance crazy to was shout by lulu...no way could i keep up with that one nowadays:laughing: happy days

lyn
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I got six of the best on each hand from the headmaster for listening to records at a friends house . That was due to the fact I was going out of school at lunchtime instead of staying for school dinners . After all listening to records was far more interesting , than spooning chocolate concrete and lumpy custard down , wouldn't you all agree ?
 
Dionysius//88 said:
I got six of the best on each hand from the headmaster for listening to records at a friends house . That was due to the fact I was going out of school at lunchtime instead of staying for school dinners . After all listening to records was far more interesting , than spooning chocolate concrete and lumpy custard down , wouldn't you all agree ?
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Very definitely! I would say however that the chocolate concrete was better (less bad) than most of the other stuff! I oft wonder who the cretin was than thought up the school dinners. Off topic but in retrospect they were really bad.
 
wam said:
Dug out a few old record bags. Swordfish used to be in Needless Alley, Inferno on Dale End. The one I've found on Hurst St was called Rockers. I have an early issue of Brum Beat 1979(?) where they made the cover story along with Inferno after having been raided by the police for selling Crass albums.
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What a great shop Inferno and Tempest Records were ,I bought a lot of my record collection from them , especially all the Crass ones , In the 80's helped distribute illegal Crass flexi discs as they were forbidden give them away . I still have a Couple of Brum Beats from 1981.
 
I think the "illegal" thing about Crass records was part of the selling point. The record that the police raided for and took away (not a flexi disc) was still for sale at the high street chains.
 
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