UK | 100 years of HMV: an interview with its MD Phil Halliday. In what has been a tumultuous 18 months for the high street, one of the flagship high street brands a staple of pop culture iconography is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The brand in question is of course HMV, initially launching as His Masters Voice in July 1921 with the opening of their first store 363 Oxford Street, opened by the classical composer Elgar. While their fortunes have fluctuated in recent years, since being accumulated into Sunset Records in 2019, HMV have seen something of a rebirth with plans recently announced for ten new stores this year and up to 70 in the coming years, indicating a strong sense of commitment to the high street and the brand itself. Ed Sheeran has been on hand to open the new Coventry store and with other instore gigs and signings imminent, it appears the future of the brand for at least the short term is promising. We were fortunate enough to speak with Phil Halliday, MD of HMV and Fopp about how the brand has fared during the pandemic, the continued resurgence of the vinyl market in the UK as well as their anniversary and plans for the future.
Charlotte, NC | Charlotte-Area Record Stores Benefit From Surge In Vinyl During Pandemic: It was a hot day in July when Jampac Records owner Walter Gibson had floor fans placed around the Monroe shop because the building does not have central air. “Oh no, this is a real old-school record store,” Gibson said. “And the thing is we bought this building about 20 years ago when downtown was probably a cat, a dog and a horse on the highway. That’s about it.” While other businesses saw a decline in customers during the pandemic, Gibson says his sales increased. That’s in part because he focused on selling online. From this small store in Monroe, he ships records to customers all over the world. “You have to be global,” Gibson said. “If you’re not global, you just won’t make it. And that’s how we made it, because when they shut down that increased our online sales.” Gibson estimates about 80% of his business right now is online. Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was split about 50-50 between online sales and customers walking through the door.
Detroit, MI | Exploring 5 of metro Detroit’s greatest record shops with Kirby Glover: Perhaps it was an unfair question. Okay, it was 100 percent an unfair question. When we asked Kirby Glover to name her favorite Detroit record that she owns on vinyl — oh, the pain in her voice. You could hear her mentally thumb through her enormous vinyl collection, one that’s somewhere near 1,000 records — and growing. On this particular day, at that particular moment, Kirby settled on Detroit Revolution(s), a.k.a. Revo, from Clear Soul Forces. But ask her later in the day and it could be something completely different. Kirby Glover is a musichead. She loves a wide range of artists, genres, and eras, a fact that’s surely represented in her sizable collection. If you’re half the fan of music that she is, chances are you’ve been in the same local record shops or have attended the same local concerts — and maybe even at the same time. Her concert photography has been published in outlets like the Detroit News and she’s a fixture of Detroit’s music community.
Denver, CO | Love Vinyl Records Keeps the Art of Vinyl Deejaying Alive: Love Vinyl Records is a record store for DJs by DJs. While it stocks the normal array of classic rock, jazz, pop, metal and other genres, its primary focus has been on dance records, like house, techno, hip-hop, disco and breaks. That’s because proprietor Seth Nichols is a DJ himself and has been spinning vinyl for decades. Name a club in Denver, and he has probably played it. Even though some would say records are a delicate and antiquated technology that doesn’t produce the same fidelity as CDs (or WAV files, for that matter) and can easily be destroyed by sunlight, vinyl sales have doubled over the past year. We caught up with Nichols to discuss why DJs still use vinyl, despite the limitations, and what vinyl DJs can do to get the most out of their records while playing clubs.
AU | This record label is giving out free vinyl to Australians for getting vaccinated: Rock The Vax is pushing music lovers to get jabbed. Golden Robot Records has launched an initiative to encourage Australians to get vaccinated against COVID-19, offering a free album on CD or vinyl to anyone who books in to get jabbed before August 15. Dubbed Rock The Vax, the initiative allows participants to request a record of their choice to be mailed to their door in exchange for proof of vaccination. What you need to know: Rock The Vax registrations are open until August 15. Participants can request which record they would like to receive from the Golden Robot Records catalogue Proof of vaccination will need to be provided to take part in the initiative.
South Bend, IN | South Bend Record Show returns: The South Bend Record Show will host an event at the Ramada by Wyndham, 52890 State Road 933 N, on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free show remains to be the largest one-day sale of music in Michiana by featuring nearly 40 music dealers from nine states that will fill 92 tables with thousands of different music items. Items being showcased are new vinyl releases, 45s, CDs, cassettes, music videos, posters, memorabilia, and vintage stereo gear among various genres between the 1960’s and today. “We have had a great turnout at our first three shows this year and are expecting another vinyl hungry crowd this Sunday. Many of our regular vendors are coming back with newly stocked crates, and we have several record sellers who are coming to the show for the first time. It just continues to grow,” said Jeremy D. Bonfiglio, the event’s organizer. Food and beverages, including beer, will be available for purchase from 11 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the show.
Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell” Sees Seven-Inch Black Vinyl Release: On Monday (August 2), Bob Dylan announced plans to release “Blind Willie McTell” on a new seven-inch vinyl. Issued via Third Man Records, the release will include two previously unreleased takes of the song, originally written during sessions for Dylan’s 1983 studio album Infidels. Eight years after those sessions, an acoustic piano/guitar version, performed with Mark Knopfler on the very last day of studio time, found its way onto a 1991 release called The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 – 3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991. The upcoming single released will feature full-band takes performed with Mick Taylor, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare, as well as Knopfler. Side A (“take 1”) will be made only available on the vinyl release, whereas Side B (“take 5”) will also feature on the forthcoming Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 (1980-1985).
