Newport, UK | Retro Records in Newport closed in May 2024: A popular record store in Newport, with thousands of second-hand singles and albums on offer, has closed. Retro Record Shop, on Corporation Road, was a collaboration between Gwent Radio founder Sean Rafferty and veteran record seller Andrew Young, who for two decades has traded at Abergavenny Market. The store closed on Thursday, February 29, after business owners Mr Raffery and Mr Young chose to go their separate ways. Mr Young told the South Wales Argus that he has decided to focus on selling records as a mail order operation, with an ongoing presence at Abergavenny Market, every Wednesday. He said: “I have always been self-employed, and being a man who has Aspergers it suits me more to work by myself as I have trouble fitting in. “I have been selling records for the past 15 years, which I mostly do by mail order, and I have a stall at Abergavenny which I used to do a couple of days a week.
Harrogate, UK | Harrogate independent shop marks the day 30 years ago it first opened as it prospers from vinyl records revival: A Harrogate shop is celebrating its 30th anniversary today with the offer of a whole host of bargains for customers. It was 30 years ago that P&C Music—Harrogate’s oldest independent record shop—first opened its doors under new owner Peter Robinson. The store had evolved from classical music emporium Pomp and Circumstance which had been founded by Geoffrey Webber and was located, variously at Westminster Arcade off Parliament Street, and Commercial Street, in Harrogate. Having moved to 6 Devonshire Place off Skipton Road, the specialist music shop, renamed P&C Music, has become a mecca for vinyl record fans in a wide variety of genres from the classic era of rock music to today’s new releases. Renowned for embracing the annual Record Store Day when queues of vinyl fans form in the wee small hours, P&C Music’s Peter Robinson is proud to have reached this major milestone.
Edmond, OK | Vinyl Record Show: Don’t miss your chance to pick up a can’t-miss addition to your record collection from the massive selection of items available at the Vinyl Record Show. At this shopping event, you’ll find one of the largest selections of vinyl records, CDs, tee shirts, posters and cassettes for as low as one-dollar as well as rare collectibles that are worth hundreds. These records will span musical genres of all kinds, providing something worth finding for everyone.
Oxnard, CA | Fidelity Record Pressing ‘officially’ opens industry wide—the inside story and more: The world’s most revered record pressing plants are now joined by the planet’s newest hi-tech record pressing facility. Goldmine has the story, interviews and ‘exclusive’ pictorial. …The facility is located in southern California, just north of Malibu, just off of Pacific Coast Highway in the ‘beach municipality’ of world famous Oxnard, CA. Geographically recognized as North Los Angeles, Oxnard is the gateway to the state’s Channel Islands National Park, as well as being the world’s largest producer of strawberries, prompting the annual International Strawberry Festival. Ironically but beneficially, Fidelity is located roughly 10 miles north of the iconic and legendary RTI record pressing plant, making viable every opportunity for both operations to collaborate in many ways. Some fun historical facts: the pressing facility’s physical location is in extreme close proximity to many musically relevant icons.
CBS News surprises Pope Francis with personal gift: Millions of people travel across the globe each year to meet Pope Francis, many coming prepared with customary gifts for the head of the Catholic Church — CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell included. As she wrapped up her recent historic interview with the pope in Vatican City, O’Donnell surprised Francis with a personal gift from CBS News: a vinyl of Walter Cronkite’s 1969 special report on the moon landing. The gift was inspired by Francis’ book, “Life: My Story Through History,” which chronicles major historical moments the pontiff witnessed throughout his life, including a full chapter about joining the millions of people who turned on their television sets in July 1969 to watch Cronkite’s coverage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. …“Your Holiness, I read in your book that when you were growing up in the seminary that you watched Neil Armstrong land on the moon, and it was on CBS — translated. This is a record of that moment,” O’Donnell told Francis, showing him the vinyl cover.
London, UK | Solo artist breaks Guinness World Record gigging at independent record stores: Singer-songwriter Frank Turner set a new Guinness World Record this weekend after performing 15 shows across 24 hours. Frank Turner has successfully broken the record for the most live gigs in different cities in 24 hours after performing 15 shows at UK music venues across a weekend in early May. The event marked the first ever Music Venue Trust world record attempt and coincided with the release of Frank’s tenth album Undefeated. Each show Frank performed was ticketed by an independent record store, supporting the grassroots music scene across the country. Speaking the day after the record-breaking tour, Frank said: “We managed to divert my album promotion budget to independent venues and album sales to independent stores, which is really important to me.” The previous record was held by American country singer Hunter Hayes, who performed ten shows across various US cities in 2014.
UK | Eddie Izzard tells Ryan Tubridy about the ‘unusual’ first record she bought: Eddie Izzard has revealed the first record she ever bought was a pink coloured punk vinyl. Speaking with Ryan Tubridy on his Virgin Radio mid-morning show following an appearance on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with the comedian (also known as Suzy) shared the first record she ever bought was ‘Cool for Cats’ by Squeeze. “It was on pink vinyl and I’ve still got it somewhere,” the actor, who is about to bring her one-woman Hamlet production to London, shared. “I was 17, and when I listened to it for the first time I thought it would go to number one. “My gut instinct said ‘This will go to number one.’ Squeeze was part of the punk movement but it wasn’t aggressive punk music, it was more melodic, unusual and off kilter… it went to number two, so I was pretty damn close!” Virgin Radio listeners can let Ryan know what their first record purchase was via the form here.
The Rolling Stones To Release Vinyl Only 30th Anniversary Edition of ‘Voodoo Lounge.’ The Rolling Stones will mark the 30th anniversary of the ‘Voodoo Lounge’ album but unlike previously expanded editions, this one is vinyl only with only the b-sides added. ‘Voodoo Lounge’ was released on 11 July, 1994. The 30th anniversary comes out 12 July, 2024. ‘Voodoo Lounge’ came five years after the previous album ‘Steel Wheels’ and the solo records, Mick’s ‘Wandering Spirit’ and Keith’s ‘Main Offender’. It was the first album after the departure of Bill Wyman. Wyman was never formerly replaced. Instead, Darryl Jones (formerly with Miles Davis and Sting), joined for the sessions and has been The Stones bass player ever since (although not an official member of the band). ‘Voodoo Lounge’ was a hit record for The Stones earning the band the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995. ‘Voodoo Lounge’ 2024 edition will only be available physically on vinyl. There is no CD edition scheduled). The album will be on red and yellow vinyl with a bonus 10 inch featuring the four b-sides.
