Green Bay, WI | Taylor Swift fan mistakenly handed an entire box of signed ‘Folklore’ CDs: Here’s what she did: When Taylor Swift sent off surprise shipments of signed copies of her “Folklore” CD to select independent record stores across the country last week, Swifties were eager to get their hands on one. One of those fans ended up getting her hands on an entire box of them outside The Exclusive Co. – by accident – and then did something store manager Tom Smith says “makes you have faith in human beings again.” He learned on Friday the store in downtown Green Bay would be getting 30 of the coveted CDs on Saturday morning. What Smith didn’t know was that UPS would deliver them at 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes before the store was open and an employee was available to sign for the package. When he arrived at 9:59 a.m. to open the doors and turn on the lights, there were two Swift fans sitting on the ground out in front of the shop at 423 Dousman St. The delivery driver had asked one of them to sign for the unmarked box and drove off.
New Brighton, UK | New Brighton’s Victoria Quarter revival boosted as record store gets alcohol licence: The licence will support Rockpoint’s regeneration of Victoria Quarter. A major New Brighton regeneration plan has been bolstered by the granting of an alcohol licence for a multi-purpose record store. Rockpoint Records, one of a number of new outlets to have sprung up in New Brighton’s Victoria Quarter in the last couple of years, will be able to sell alcohol from 9am until 11pm every day of the week. The outlet contains a number of attractions within it, including a cafe, a tattoo parlour, a barbers and a retro vinyl store. The man behind the store, businessman Daniel Davies, has poured £4.5m into New Brighton over the last few years, setting up a number of venues in the seaside town’s Victoria Quarter including The James Atherton Pub, the restaurant Habibi and the clothing store Rockpoint Apparel. Mr Davies said the need for alcohol at the record store was to complement the existing offer of food with the sale of premium craft beers and ciders, as well as a selection of wines. He said he wanted to attract the right kind of footfall to the premises and was not hoping to operate a venue where cheap booze was sold and alcohol was the main attraction.
Oakland, CA | Vinyl sales rock on in spite of Covid-19: It’s not often that a 19th century old technology makes a comeback. But that’s exactly what has happened to the phonograph record. After more than a decade of increasing sales, and the boom continuing through a pandemic, it’s safe to say it: Vinyl is back, baby. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, it wasn’t so clear the record industry would continue to thrive. As a physical good with a complicated manufacturing process, it seemed to be under more threat than streaming, the predominant way people now listen to music. “The biggest issue [in the vinyl industry] is the broken supply chain,” said the Vinyl Alliance, a trade industry group in April 2020. Increasing shipping costs, a lack of live concerts at which to sell merchandise, and a slow down in new vinyl requests from musicians had record production and sales declining. But the demand for vinyl records was too strong to keep the industry down. Manufacturing quickly got back to normal, and, in the US, 2020 unit sales are up over 17% from 2019. The appeal of the record, with its tangibility, beauty and history, just keeps on growing.
The Doors’ ‘Morrison Hotel’ to be reissued for 50th anniversary: The newly remastered record includes over 60 minutes of unreleased studio outtakes and a biographical comic book. Due to arrive on October 9, the double CD/LP deluxe edition of the acclaimed 1970 album will contain the original record newly remastered by the band’s longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick. It will also include over 60 minutes of unreleased studio outtakes. “There are many takes, different arrangements, false starts, and insightful studio conversations between the band and producer Paul Rothchild who was in the control room. It’s like being a fly on the wall,” Botnick said of the reissue. Previewing the 2020 remastered album, previously unreleased takes of ‘Peace Frog’ and ‘Blue Sunday’ have been shared.
Leicester, UK | Record owner turns down £125K offer for world’s most expensive 7in single Do I Love You: ‘No way I am letting this baby out of my hands any time soon.’ The millionaire owner of the world’s most expensive seven-inch single has turned down an offer of £125,000 for the record. Music lover Lee Jeffries, who lives near Market Harborough, was offered the money just days after he recently bought the northern soul 45, Do I Love You, by Frank Wilson. The 38-year-old record label owner and drinks business entrepreneur said he instantly turned down the cash after he had paid £100,000 for the vinyl. “I have only just bought this amazing record after years of coveting it,” said Lee. “So there is no way I am letting this baby out of my hands any time soon, even if it means turning down good profit. “This record represents the Holy Grail of soul records so thanks but no thanks.” Lee took possession of the record after it was handed over in a 10-foot long fishing net. The sale, was brokered by Melton rare vinyl dealer and auctioneer John Manship, who passed over the vinyl in accordance with coronavirus social distancing rules.
