Warrington, UK | Remember when record shops used to be all over Warrington? Do you remember the days when record stores used to rule Warrington? Before the rise of digital music, the iTunes Store and streaming sites like Spotify, music lovers would sift through albums in the likes of Andy’s Records, Our Price and Virgin Megastore. Even Woolies, which closed in 2009, was pretty good for music back in the day. Now, all we have is HMV in Golden Square while Lizard Inc Records in Legh Street is keeping the faith for vinyl collectors. For an upcoming feature, we would love to hear about your experiences at Warrington record shops that have been and gone. Perhaps you picked up your favourite album at one of those stores or even have a picture from that pre-digital era when nothing could compare to have the tangible record, CD or tape in your hands. Also feel free to share any stories from the days of Head – a record store that was in the town for less than two years.
Kirkcaldy, UK | Sadness as owner of Fife music store announces it will not re-open: KCC Vinyl in Kirkcaldy’s Merchants Quarter is closing permanently. Tony Magee revealed the news with a post on the business’ Facebook page. The shop was based in the east end of the High Street. Tony said: “We have been trying to keep it going for the past six months. I have two staff who had been furloughed and I was covering the cost of the rent. “We were looking at opening up in October, going on towards Christmas, but now we are in a position of further restrictions and things are going backwards. “I have also had a health issue, and I can no longer use my savings to cover the costs of keeping the shop open when we aren’t getting any income. “Furlough is also coming to an end so I would also need to find wages for the staff. It just isn’t viable.” KCC Vinyl started off in the Indoor Market in 2016, with a few thousand second-hand albums, as part of Tony’s brother’s business…
Charlotte, NC | Scooter’s Records still rockin’ and rollin’ amid pandemic: Scott “Scooter” Thomas sits behind the register and basks in the vocals of Texas-based bluegrass group The Gourds. The tune, “Lower 48,” is part of Thomas’ recent kick on Longhorn State bands, though he explains he tries to flip the music playing over the speakers in his store based on the clientele walking in and out. “If Grandma and her kids are coming in, whenever I see him out the door, I’m probably not going to be playing any heavy metal,” he quipped. With wrists coated in bracelets, beads and metal clasps, Thomas’ denim jacket and long graying hair offer him the befitting look of a man who’s record store boasts a collection of vinyl that numbers more than 10,000. The store itself, aptly named Scooter’s Records, is a passion project of sorts for the Louisville native and Starkville transplant.
UK | A new UK record for 2020’s highest-selling vinyl LP in a week was set: Marking its debut on the charts. A new record for 2020’s highest-selling album during a 7-day period was set in the UK, reports Official Charts. Idles’ Ultra Mono clocked up 27,000 copies sold – with vinyl LPs accounting for 15,400 copies of total album sales during the 7-day period. The UK’s best selling vinyl albums in 2020 so far has also been released, with Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours topping the list, followed by Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black and Nirvana’s Nevermind. Check out the top 20 highest-selling vinyl albums in 2020 so far…
Led Zeppelin To Re-Issue ‘Immigrant Song’ On Seven Inch Vinyl: Led Zeppelin will re-issue ‘Immigrant Song’ on seven inch vinyl. The rock giants are toasting the 50th anniversary of their seminal album ‘Led Zeppelin III’, a record that matched crunching stadium anthems against pastoral acoustic workouts. Famously not keen on the singles marketplace, Led Zeppelin did give ‘Immigrant Song’ – the album’s titanic opener – a Japanese 45 release. Now, to celebrate the album’s milestone birthday, the Japanese edition will be given a vinyl re-issue. Limited – it says on the press note – to 19,700 copies, ‘Immigrant Song’ will be paired with the non-album ‘Hey, Hey, What Can I Do’. Out on January 15th, the single will be available to pre-order from Thursday (October 8th).
Perez Hilton Recalls an Afternoon of Record Shopping and McDonald’s With Amy Winehouse in New Book: …Amy shook her head and said she felt like going to visit some of the record stores nearby. “Cool,” I said, closing my laptop. We walked over to the Virgin Megastore, and the minute we got inside, Amy marched right up to one of the guys who worked there. “Where’s the blues section?” she asked. The guy recognized her immediately and couldn’t manage to say a word, he just pointed to an area toward the back of the store. “Thank you,” said Amy, marching over there. I followed her, fascinated by how confident she seemed in what she was looking for. Within just a few minutes, she had picked out a whole stack of CDs — maybe ten or twelve in total. “OK, I’m done,” she said, heading for the checkout. The same guy who had given her directions earlier now ran everything through the register, and as Amy passed him her card, he suddenly seemed incredibly embarrassed. “Uh . . . ” he said, “it . . . uh, doesn’t seem to work.”
Pressed to the edge: Why vinyl hype is destroying the record: We have a problem. …It’s easy to get swept up in the hype – after all, this is surely a worthy alternative to streaming for the music fan with a fondness for physical objects. However, the vinyl boom is hiding problems that could have disastrous implications for popular culture. Vinyl production worldwide is currently operating way above its capacity, and expensive materials, expert knowledge and antiquated techniques have led to to supply shortages and quality problems. For independent labels, especially those specializing in electronic music, who survived the last two decades by focusing on vinyl in a time when CDs dominated, the resurgence of interest has resulted in more disadvantages than advantages. In fact, their very existence is now in jeopardy. Thaddeus Herrmann, long-standing label owner and editor of German online magazine Das Filter explains why this is the case, what the actual problems are and why the survival of the humble vinyl record is in danger.
