HMV’s Doug Putman on the future of CD: HMV’s owner Doug Putman has spoken to Music Week about the future of the chain and physical music following its reopening. In the latest issue, Putman calls on the music industry to back HMV as it tries to regain some momentum after lockdown – and warns on a possible change to the product mix if suppliers don’t fully support him. HMV stores were able to open from June 15, in line with other record shops. The entertainment chain introduced strict safety measures, including social distancing signage, screens and sanitiser. Across the music retail sector, sales were up last week and were given a further boost by the Love Record Stores promotion at the weekend Shoppers returned to HMV from last week, and Putman is confident that vinyl fans will accept the new normal. “I think that’s just the culture, if you love being in an HMV,” he said. “We just have really great customers.” HMV also launched a new personal shopper service, which enables customers to leave a list with staff, who could also provide recommendations.
Kirkley, UK | Former restaurant to be transformed into vinyl lounge: A record store is to relocate and expand its business with the opening of a vinyl lounge in a popular former restaurant. Aux Records will move from its Waterloo Road base, in Kirkley, around the corner to London Road South as it prepares to welcome customers to the new vinyl lounge. The new site has been empty for almost a year after the closure of Desmond’s restaurant. Owner Jan Mulder said: “We are relocating to the former Desmond’s restaurant around the corner on London Road South and expanding our current business. “It is still going to be based around our vinyl store, but with a cafe and lounge where people can come and listen to music and have a coffee. People can still come and browse and buy records with a wide range on offer.” The store opened last autumn after Mr Mulder left his job at a care agency to pursue his passion for music. He said: “I’m really excited about the move. The current business has been building since I opened last October and we are ready to take it to the next level.
Move The Record aims to support local vinyl stores with live music streams: A bit like High Fidelity, but online and with many record stores. Want to save independent record stores (who often gain essential revenue from hosting live events and representing acts under their own labels) from closing, as a result of the coronavirus? Good, Rob at Championship Vinyl would salute you – but we’ll stop talking about the Nick Hornby novel and subsequent John Cusack movie High Fidelity now (promise). Move the Record is a global initiative devised in response to the uncertain future that bricks-and-mortar record shops are facing worldwide. And let’s not forget, the 33⅓ vinyl LP only just celebrated its 72nd birthday, so it’s high time for an online event. Move the Record’s first edition is set to take place across Friday 3rd July and Saturday 4th July, and will comprise 2 x 12-hour broadcasts of 2-hour sets from record shops around the world, featuring a diverse range of some of the world’s best DJs, all playing in the world’s best record stores. Organisers say that discounts of up to 20% – as well as various other offers and events – will be in place across partaking stores’ online platforms for 48 hours.
Aberdeen, UK | Aberdeen Vinyl Records shop relocates and announces plans to reopen: Aberdeen Vinyl Records has moved premises and announced its plans to reopen. The store, which was based in Aberdeen Market, stated it has now moved to a new unit on Union Street. Located on 101 -103 Union Street near HSBC, the popular vinyl record store will reopen on Monday June 29. The shop’s spokesperson said: “We’ll be sharing the shop with our good friends at Gift Wrap and we’ll have slightly more floor space than we had in the Market. “We’re getting our shop signage and social distancing measures all worked out and ordered up now.” In addition to more than 5,000 LPs, the store also has some reasonably-priced collectables on offer.
Jonathan Richman’s Classic ‘I Jonathan’ Gets First-Ever Vinyl Release: With things out there feeling hella dark, the music of Jonathan Richman seems more important now than ever. After all, few other musicians have managed to convey the same level of genuine optimism in their work. So it’s welcome news indeed that one of his all-time best albums, 1992’s I, Jonathan, is at last getting its first-ever vinyl release. The very first vinyl pressing of I Jonathan will arrive on August 14 via Craft Recordings. The album marked the fourth proper solo effort from Richman outside his work with Modern Lovers, and it contains some of his most beloved work. This includes “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar,” “That Summer Feeling,” “Parties in the U.S.A.” and “Twilight in Boston.” The reissue will keep the original album’s 10-song tracklist, with the vinyl pressing coming in honour of the 50th anniversary of Rounder Records, who originally issued the record. You can now pre-order I, Jonathan directly from Craft Recordings.
Studio One unveils 6×7″ box set of rare Coxsone Records singles: Featuring tunes from Joe Higgs, Winston Jarrett, The Sound Dimension, The Melodians and more. Studio One is releasing a new Coxsone Records 6 x7” box set of rare singles released on the sub-label, appropriately titled The Blue Coxsone Box Set, this July. The sub-label takes takes its name from Studio One founder and producer Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd, with its “Blue Coxsone” nickname emerging from the signature blue label that adorned releases. Alongside rare tunes from Joe Higgs, Winston Jarrett, Zoot Simms, and The Melodians, The Blue Coxsone Box Set also includes a previously unreleased single – featuring The Sound Dimension’s cover of The Venture’s ‘Walk Don’t Run’, and Trevor Clarke’s ‘Giving Up On Love’ on the flip. Studio One’s extensive discography was recently celebrated in Morgan Nixon’s book exploring a selection of the label’s iconic releases, titled No Man is an Island: A Guide To Choice Studio One Pressings.
