Used to have a client in Tunbridge Wells & used to love going down there just to go to Ape - great little store, the staff obviously spent a lot of time writing up their own reviews & had a great selection of all sorts of music. Been a while since I was down there, but hope they're still going.
Yeah ape is decent. Was still there when I went down a few months ago. Think the 1 they had in Brighton was the first. Always liked the little reviews they wrote for each album
......what was the name of the record shop in Sidcup High Street; next to boots, opposite Woolworths? Remember buying Thompson Twins album on cassette in there in the '80's.
The Sidcup Music Shop..Great name eh!!! They used too have big yellow/green bags and i must have spent a fortune in there. Elpees in Orpington was my favourite though as the bloke in there was really knowledgable and I can remember that he was a big fan of The Fall (1983/4/5)
Don't get the fascination with Rough Trade. Selection never seems to be that good and everything is far too expensive. Always have to fight to get in because they sell that pretentious coffee as well. If you hadn't guessed I'm not a fan.
Ahhh memories...25 years ago as a young whipper snapper, all my pocket money was spent Saturday mornings at TW Records in Plumstead and then onto The Valley in the afternoons...every other week
Bought Hey Jude there the day it came out in '68. (Price 6/8d.) Was called Twisted Wheel then before it was abbreviated. Also remember sticking the cover of Ogdens Nutgone Flake up my jumper and walking out the store for a lark with my mates. Got 100 yards up the road and had a fit of conscience and snuck it back in again. Was way scarier taking it back. Oh, the larks we got up to in the '60's :-)
The MUSIC SHOP in Thomas St, Woolwich. Everything from records/cassettes/sheet music/instruments!
They used to supply the records played at the Valley in the 60's. Seem to remember the sheet music and stuff was downstairs in some weird basement room staffed by an old hag. Very Addams Family!
(ps Grovelling apologies if any lifer was related in some way ;-)
used to be one on the way to Lewisham from Lee on the right hand side, can't remember the name of it though.
With VHS video rentals in the left hand side of the shop and Vinyl on tge right hand side? That was Chequers. I blew a quarter of my first ever monthly wage packet in there back in 89. The long haired fella that worked there was called Steve, he'd quite happily spin any prospective purchases before you handed over the readies.
Didnt there used to be a record shop in bexleyheath before it was pedestrianised. Pretty sure it was opposite the indoor market.
Yes TW Records which ray owned,he also had a shop in Plumstead High Street.
A Charlton fan and used to supply the records during games.
There was one in erith as well.. got my down in the valley CD from there!
When I was 16 I used to spend ages in TW Records in Erith. Bought loads of stuff from them and was briefly in a band with Ray's daughter. They could never get anything released by Rough Trade. Anyone know what happened to Alison who used to work there?
From early-mid 80s, I can remember buying regular stuff at TW in Erith, and getting more obscure stuff from Cloud 9 in Bexleyheath and one in Orpington whose name i forget. There was also a shop in Sidcup High St staffed by a long haired buy which had cheap imports, I still have a Kate Bush record where the sleevenotes are in English but there's Greek on the label, same with Human League Dare. Remember getting things from Elpees in Northumberland Heath as well.
On Cloud 9, I remember being in there when "True" by Spandau Ballet got to Number One, and there was this soul boy there with his mum, and he asked the guy in the shop who was Number 1 and went "yes!!!!" when he was told. Always thought that was a bit sad.
This is going back a loooooong way, over 50 years in fact, when I first started buying records at Discland in Queen St., Gravesend. The Tech. 5th. form 'gang' hung out there most lunch hours, usually with a bag of chips from the chippy opposite, and a packet of Players Weights (five to a packet for one shilling). As well as all the latest stuff Discland sold ex-juke box singles they got from the local caffs once the record had dropped out of the chart, and sold them off cheap for 2 or 3 bob (10-15p). You could buy a new centre to fill up the big hole in the middle for an extra 4d (2p). Still got some of them though they've got old beer stains and fag burns on them from those teenage parties so long ago, but they've out-lived Discland, Weights,and Gravesend Tech. too, come to that. (But not the chippy, which, I am told, is still going strong).
As well as all the latest stuff Discland sold ex-juke box singles they got from the local caffs once the record had dropped out of the chart, and sold them off cheap for 2 or 3 bob (10-15p).
I don't know Discland, Marchy - but as a 14/15 year old, I used to sometimes cycle from Welling to a record shop by the Sidcup station bridge, and buy a few of these ex-juke box singles and plastic inserts.
It meant my very modest paper round money would stretch a bit further.
I've still got a box of old 45s up in the attic. Haven't played them for years - and I mean years!
I went to school at Eletham Green there used to be a really good record shop at the very top of the High Street past the fire station also Norman's the musical instrument shop used to sell records as well although at the time the bloke who ran it was a miserable git, wouldn't play any tracks and certainly wouldn't let us anywhere near the guitars. As I got older I always vowed never to buy anything in there and never have....silly really
By the way I love these threads although I don't have my vinyl collection anymore (sold it all off to declutter) I still recall the tingle of buying an LP, getting home, putting it on the record playing and then reading the sleeve notes whilst it played. The download generation will never understand that thrill.
I remember hoovering up every Tim Bukley album in Selectadisc, when a very attractive girl working in there told me that Buckley's son, Jeff, is playing at the Garage in a few weeks. I thought, 'Why would I want to go and see Tim Buckley's son?' What a dolt, I was!
Loads of my collection came second hand from Cheapo Cheapos. Grumpy hippies would get really stroppy though if you tried to knock them down. Stock changed every day with record co workers flogging their freebies so lots were as new.
Damn, Dave. The closest I've got to seeing Zeppelin is a Robert Plant solo gig and seeing Terry Reid, who's most famous for, if anything, NOT being the lead singer in Led Zeppelin.
Hawksmoor I did eventually see them a number of times but to see them in such an intimate venue must have been unbelievable, not to mention ear splitting. Nice recall on Terry Reid he was indeed Jimmy Pages first choice but at least Planty then bought John Bonham with him! Don't know if you are aware but Terry Reid was also Richie Blackmores choice for Deep Purple and he turned them down as well so they got Ian Gillan instead. Jeez he said not to two of the biggest rock bands of all time I wonder what he would say about it now?
Don't forget they can only be played on a Phillips Dansette record player, Oggy. Don't sound right on anything else!
Haha, Marchy ........ Mine wasn't a Phillips, but my first record player was very similar. Great in that you could close the lid and simply carry it by the handle round to your mate's bedroom.
And then in 1973 I'd saved enough to buy my first stereo - it was no Bang & Olufsen, but it did the job. Remember thinking this was 'real' sound.
Try telling kids of today - they won't believe you.
Hawksmoor I did eventually see them a number of times but to see them in such an intimate venue must have been unbelievable, not to mention ear splitting. Nice recall on Terry Reid he was indeed Jimmy Pages first choice but at least Planty then bought John Bonham with him! Don't know if you are aware but Terry Reid was also Richie Blackmores choice for Deep Purple and he turned them down as well so they got Ian Gillan instead. Jeez he said not to two of the biggest rock bands of all time I wonder what he would say about it now?
Reid's good-naturedly philosophical about turning down two huge groups. He's still around and still got a great voice, although he clearly enjoys the odd light ale. I saw him at the Jazz Cafe earlier this year, with Rumer making an unannounced appearance on his song Brave Awakening, which she covered on her last album. Nice looking girl, and not nearly as dumpy as she appears on Jools Holland.
The story goes that Reid turned down Page because he was about to support the Stones on a US tour, but he recommended this young kid from Wolverhampton who'd supported him a few weeks before, and not only that, he's got a fantastic drummer!
And Planty is very generous in his praise for Terry Reid. His great quote is: 'Terry Reid should've had my life!'
There was another great quote from Aretha Franklin when she returned to the States after touring the UK. On asked what was happening in 'England', she replied: 'There's only three things happening in England. The Beatles, The Stones and Terry Reid.'
He could have been huge but he was locked into a toxic contract with Mickie Most. Most refused to release any of Reid's records after Reid crossed him and refused to let him out of the contract. So while he was getting great word-of-mouth, and he was a great looking bloke in the Sixties and Seventies, there were no records to back that up.
Comments
Elpees in Orpington was my favourite though as the bloke in there was really knowledgable and I can remember that he was a big fan of The Fall (1983/4/5)
Was called Twisted Wheel then before it was abbreviated.
Also remember sticking the cover of Ogdens Nutgone Flake up my jumper and walking out the store for a lark with my mates. Got 100 yards up the road and had a fit of conscience and snuck it back in again. Was way scarier taking it back.
Oh, the larks we got up to in the '60's :-)
Seem to remember the sheet music and stuff was downstairs in some weird basement room staffed by an old hag.
Very Addams Family!
(ps Grovelling apologies if any lifer was related in some way ;-)
On Cloud 9, I remember being in there when "True" by Spandau Ballet got to Number One, and there was this soul boy there with his mum, and he asked the guy in the shop who was Number 1 and went "yes!!!!" when he was told. Always thought that was a bit sad.
It meant my very modest paper round money would stretch a bit further.
I've still got a box of old 45s up in the attic. Haven't played them for years - and I mean years!
By the way I love these threads although I don't have my vinyl collection anymore (sold it all off to declutter) I still recall the tingle of buying an LP, getting home, putting it on the record playing and then reading the sleeve notes whilst it played. The download generation will never understand that thrill.
Great in that you could close the lid and simply carry it by the handle round to your mate's bedroom.
And then in 1973 I'd saved enough to buy my first stereo - it was no Bang & Olufsen, but it did the job.
Remember thinking this was 'real' sound.
Try telling kids of today - they won't believe you.
;o)
The story goes that Reid turned down Page because he was about to support the Stones on a US tour, but he recommended this young kid from Wolverhampton who'd supported him a few weeks before, and not only that, he's got a fantastic drummer!
And Planty is very generous in his praise for Terry Reid. His great quote is: 'Terry Reid should've had my life!'
There was another great quote from Aretha Franklin when she returned to the States after touring the UK. On asked what was happening in 'England', she replied: 'There's only three things happening in England. The Beatles, The Stones and Terry Reid.'
He could have been huge but he was locked into a toxic contract with Mickie Most. Most refused to release any of Reid's records after Reid crossed him and refused to let him out of the contract. So while he was getting great word-of-mouth, and he was a great looking bloke in the Sixties and Seventies, there were no records to back that up.