“New and second-hand records, good vibes and stuff”. More info coming soon!
Tag: New Vinyl
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All Night Flight
All Night Flight Records is located just off the main market place in Stockport which is now home to some new bars, eateries and some really interesting little shops emerging as Stockport tries to reinvent itself from a poorly planned 1970s town centre struggling to compete with what I’ll politely call “changing shopping habits” into an alternative retail, food & drink and cultural destination. All Night Flight joins SK1 Records as one of the most imaginative and intriguing record shopping destinations in the North and compliments SK1 very well.
Both shops are taking advantage of being off the beaten track but easily reached from the city centre by offering something a bit special and a bit more considered and curated than your average Record Shop. The layout of the shop is kind of austere, wooden crates propped up on breeze blocks and minimalist decor. This isn’t a place for wading through bins full of cheap stock, and if you’re looking for the usual classic rock & pop look elsewhere (you’re well catered for!) but the shop excels in the more experimental, electronic and global side of things. The stock is a mix of 2nd hand spanning the more interesting end of Post Punk, Jazz, Electronics, Dance and some newer hand-picked selections from ANF’s choice of DiY labels and artists.
The nearest comparison I can make is the stuff you could find in Rare & Racy in Sheffield (before the wrecking ball saw it off). It’s not long before my pulse is racing and I spy an LP which has long been on my wants list (Camino Del Sol by Antena on Les Disques du Crépuscule if you must know) which main man Tom fetches down for me and kindly recommends another gem of a similar vintage. There’s a listening deck too, which is always welcome so you can needle drop things of interest. The shop hosts live events too so keep an eye their social media and sign up for the newsletter. So if you’re a bit jaded by the usual stuff on offer in Manchester record shops, I’m saying head to Stockport where inspiration awaits!
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SK1 Records
This is an excellent little shop combined with a Cafe and is well worth your attention. Take a 10 min train ride from relatively booming Manchester to Stockport you’ll see evidence all around of how big towns and cities around the country are struggling to cope with the huge change in retail shopping habits shifting online and economic woes in general. If you’re a Record Shopper like me, you’ll regularly be in places like this – passing boarded up shops, charity shops, vape shops, betting shops while dodging mobility scooters and discarded sleeping bags.
SK1 is situated on Little Underbank which should really be a thriving, vibrant street – it’s got lovely buildings and visually is not unlike the cobbled side streets in York or Chester except large stretches of it are shuttered up and barren. There are signs of life however – businesses are springing up again – things are in transition there is a concerted effort going on to revive and reinvent and SK1 is exactly what the town needs. I’ve only had a very short trip to SK1, between train connections, but I was suitably impressed. It’s a bright, airy and friendly place which also incorporates a Cafe up on a mezzanine level (so it very much feels like a proper Record Shop rather than a Cafe with some records in it). Run by DJ Joe McBride the shop specialises in Electronic, Dance, Soundtracks, Dub, Soul funk and all esoteric points in between – there’s some Rock and Indie stuff as well but it’s great to find a shop with a different focus and a refreshing change from all the classic rock staples you see everywhere.
The prices are very reasonable, lots of interesting stuff to look at and this is a place where you’ll find something a bit unexpected and special – picked up some cool stuff on this short visit and I will definitely be back for a proper dig as I didn’t scratch the surface of what they’ve got.
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Tasty Records
Like most smaller towns, Altrincham has seen record shops come and go. Older readers will recall it had a Virgin Records in the town centre, a branch of Omega Records, Double Four and several others. More recently, Beatnik, Honey Bee and Soda have come and gone all too quickly – all victims not of the desire for Records and music in Alty, but what we might call “complex trading conditions” in a town which is constantly held up as an exemplar of how a failing town centre can be revived . No doubt it’s become a Food & Drink hotspot but that’s presented it’s own challenges for independent retailers. But like all good towns, Altrincham must have a Record Shop, it’s the law! Out of the demise of Soda, a new venture Tasty Records has now fetched up in what used to be an old antiques shop. Gone are the comics, trading cards and other ephemera that Soda sold – it’s strictly vinyl now. It’s a small place but main man Ben has done a good job of laying out the shop so it’s easy to work your away around a very substantial amount of Vinyl. There are some new and reissued items and the shop takes part in Record Store Day but the vast majority is second hand so there’s plenty of pre-loved tunes for digging into. The main racks are the classic rock, pop and soul sections you’d expect and there’s a Indie/Alternative enclave and a bit of dance/electronic stuff and of course there’s a bargain area for those who like to root out the cut price classics. The shop is just across the road from the thriving Market area and in a great little spot so hopefully it should do well and the place was buzzing on my visit and plenty of stuff to go at so if you’re planning to get yer Foodie Fix in Altrincham you can fill yer Vinyl boots here too.
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High Street Books and Records
Don’t let the shop sign fool you…this fine little bookshop also has an absolute gem of a Record Shop in it’s basement. Down the white stone steps you’ll find a wall full of music related books, and beyond that a well stock room full of Vinyl and CD. Most of the stock is second hand but they stock a few more recent pressings too. Classic rock and pop takes up a few racks but most genres are covered and there’s plenty of Indie, Punk, Prog, Jazz and Soul and eyes down for the Dance stuff and loads of 7″ singles at super affordable prices. They also have a big bargain section for those of you who like to dig for cheap and cheerful bargains.
All the stock is labelled helpfully with a description of the condition and a bit of info about each record which is great especially if you fancy taking a punt on something. There’s also a listening post – rejoice! The prices are very reasonable too, they don’t max everything up to Discogs asking price like so many shops these days. There’s a steady stream of new stock coming in all the time so I try and make a regular trip here and I’ve never left without clutching some goodies.
This is a lovely little shop, it’s bright and airy and the stuff dreams are made of (I’m not the only one who dreams about buying records right?). New Mills is a nice little Peak District town with lovely countryside around it and easily reached, having not one but two Railway stations (New Mills Central is nearest but you can also get there from New Mills Newtown in a brisk 10 min walk away).
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Skeleton Records
Skeleton Records has a long history, opened by John Weaver in 1971 – and described as a patchouli scented Head shop that specialised in rare imports , underground press and hippy paraphernalia. The name of the shop was apparently taken from a Syd Barrett song – If It’s in You (“Skeleton Kissed a Steel Rail”).
Known locally as Skelly’s, the shop has changed locations a few times but is now to be found just of off the main drag on Oxton Road. Climb the stairs and you’ll find two rooms crammed full of Vinyl, CDs and DVDs. In the main space you’ll find the more collectible stuff – a good mix from Classic Rock, Indie, to Jazz, Soul and Funk and plenty of music from Skeleton’s Psychedelic and Prog roots. It’s a mix of 2nd hand stuff, new releases and reissues. The other room is dedicated to the more bargain basement end – shedloads of it – either because it’s a bit ‘well loved’ or in a genre that isn’t so collectible – so this is a place to really get stuck in and get digging. Well worth a ferry across the Mersey.
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Probe Records
Described by legendary Liverpool music writer Paul Du Noyer as “the semi-official control room of Liverpool music” – it’s probably a bit of cliche to describe Probe Records as a Liverpool institution but…it really is. Founded by Geoff Davis in 1971, Probe has supplied Liverpudlians, nervous students and unsuspecting tourists with their musical needs through good times and bad. In spite of numerous challenges and location changes they are still at it.
Julian Cope’s excellent autobiography ‘Head On’ paints a vivid picture of the scene around Probe during the late 70s post punk era when it was based in perhaps its most iconic location on Button Street near to Eric’s and the site of the Cavern Club – you could expect short shrift from Probe staffers including Pete ‘Dead Or Alive’ Burns and the numerous, sulky scenesters hanging around there. That vibe persists to this day – albeit slightly more world weary. Don’t expect any ‘counter banter’ or advice on the latest new grooves – this is not Piccadilly Records – if you’re lucky you’ll get a smile and a nod of recognition off whichever misanthrope is on duty – but hey, that’s Probe, and I sort of wouldn’t want it any other way.Probe also has probably one of the coolest looking shop fronts and coolest record bags of any shop in the world. I’m not sure who does their designs but they are a thing of wonder (I’m sure they could make a nice sideline in Tote bags and t-shirts with the designs on if they could be arsed…which they probably couldn’t).
Today, Probe is now in a unit at the front of the Bluecoat Chambers just off Church Street – a prime spot between the hipper end of the city and the Liverpool One shopping behemoth so they get a steady stream of visitors. It’s a small shop but bright and airy and although it doesn’t quite have the historic echoes of the Button St shop I much prefer it to the rather dreary premises they had on Slater Street for many years. There seems to be a large area at the back of the shop which could easily accommodate more stock but instead serves as an office/brew area for the staff to escape from the customers – up front you’ll find a decent mix of Vinyl and CDs – the walls lined with classic reissues, tempting curios, fanzines, highly desirable box sets and other eye-watering treats. To browse the record and CD racks of Probe is to poke around inside the DNA of Liverpool music history – Beefheart, Syd Barrett, Love, and all manner of Fuzz, Garage and Psych and similar Cosmic Scally listening fodder are heavily represented as are local legends like Shack and Half Man Man Half Biscuit (still released on Probe related label ‘Probe Plus’). You’ll find a bunch of new releases, erring toward the more Indie rock end – not so much electronic and dance music but there is a well stocked section of Reggae, Dub and jazzier, funkier stuff too.
Probe does still hark back to the days when Record Shops could be quite intimidating places to visit, and bucks the trend of today where a lot of shops are very chummy and go out of their way to welcome you in. It must also be the most high profile Indie shop in the UK without a website or much social media presence. That said, I have a great affection for it and bought so many great records here in my student days and to be honest whenever I call in I usually end up buying something on the strength of the descriptions on those stickers they put on the records (still written in the same spidery, psychedelic handwriting of old).
Long Live Probe..and as their beautiful record bags state: “still the greatest disaster of them all”.
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Vinyl Revival
Just around the corner from Oldham Street you’ll find Vinyl Revival. They’ve been here since 1997 and sell a mixture of new and secondhand records on CD and Vinyl, plus DVDs. They sell all sorts of stuff but they also specialise in Manchester music from the 1960s to present day – so you’ll find plenty of Smiths, Happy Mondays, New Order etc and a well stocked Factory Records collection so you can fill those gaps in your Stockholm Monsters or Crispy Ambulance collection.They also do a fine line in Manchester music related reproduction posters, T-shirts and other memorabilia and if you’re visiting Manchester just to do the record shops and soak up some of the music heritage this is the place to get a souvenir of your trip. They also stock a wide range of music on 2nd hand and reissue vinyl – plenty of Punk, Reggae, Soul, Rock, Hip Hop, Electro, House, 50s, 60s and more besides.
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Reel Around The Fountain Records
This shop, of course, takes it’s name of course from an old Smiths tune. Mozzer grew up on Kings Road, a short cycle ride of Stretford Mall where this shop is located, and the song references a fountain – stocked with live fish – that once graced the mall in the 1970s. Stretford Mall (formerly Stretford Arndale) is a bit of a relic 1970s town planning. It is now far too big for the town it was built to serve, and is dwarfed by the Trafford Centre enormo-mall just a couple of miles away, so inevitably you’ll encounter empty shop units, a proliferation of Nail Bars and the dreaded BrightHouse. Nevertheless, fans of 70s urban architecture will probably find something to admire – and the place is still the heart of the local community. Reel Around The Fountain had modest beginnings with a few crates of Vinyl in the rather forlorn indoor market area – but soon became an oasis of wonderment in the Mall and a Vinyl destination for those in the know. The owners of the Mall have now lopped off the Market area in order to downsize the site so RATF how now relocated to a very smart, spacious and bright new shop on the upper level, just opposite Tesco in the main shopping area.
At the counter you’ll find the legend that is Nigel, and a very friendly and knowledgeable fella he is too. Inside you’ll find most genres covered – Classic Rock, Jazz, Indie, Punk, Reggae, Folk, Soul etc as well as some bargain racks, CDs and other memorabilia. There are some new reissues but mostly it’s secondhand goodies. You’ll also find sections devoted to Morrissey/Smiths and Manchester music. There are some mega rarities too – keep an eye on the shop Facebook page as Nigel has a habit of turning up some jaw-dropping finds. There’s also a big sofa so you can have a sit down after a well earned rest browsing through the racks. From humble beginnings this is now one of the biggest Record Shops in the north so you really don’t want to miss this one. If you’re heading into the suburbs to visit King Bee on your Manchester record shopping spree, it’s a short bus or tram ride to Stretford so don’t miss RATF off your itinerary.
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X-Records
A bit futher afield, but well worth a visit is X-Records of Bolton, Lancashire. You can get to Bolton by train in about 15-20 minutes so you could easily do a quick detour during your Manchester record-shopping frenzy. The USP of this shop is its massive stock of back catalogue. There is a database on their website of 67,000 of the items they have. The other half you’ll have to come to the shop to look for yourself. I’m not joking! At one time X-Records was spread over three sites, a Dance shop, a Vinyl shop and a CD Shop which are now all crammed into one place so you almost get three shops for the price of one. They carry a mix of new and second hand stuff and they have pretty much all genres of music spread over two levels, packed from floor to ceiling. Upstairs is given over to DVDs and CDs including Dance and Hard Rock/Metal which is one of their specialisms. X-Records also like to promote local bands and club nights, and local bands can flog their music and merchandise here.
The collection of stuff is vast and if you are looking for a long deleted release they may well have it, probably best bring some kind of knee pads to get down to the lower shelves. They also do a fine line in Rock Memorabilia, particularly the band Kiss. If you need a Kiss Baseball Bat, a Kiss Beach Towel, some Kiss Branded Coffee and a Kiss Flask to drink it from then this is the place. They have probably one of the biggest collections of music DVDs I’ve seen anywhere.
Downstairs in the basement there are Indie, Pop, Folk, Punk and 60s CDs and this is also home to the Vinyl Selection, a lot of which is at crazy bargain prices. As with the upstairs bit you will find lots of long-deleted obscure and rare records down here and plenty of crates to rifle through.
X-Records is well worth a diversion to Bolton and is one of those magical shops that frequently turns up something unexpected.
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Eastern Bloc
Eastern Bloc is a bit of a legendary name for most Mancunian music fans of a certain age. Established in 1985 the shop was once partly presided over by Martin Price of 808 State, and was right at the heart of the Madchester/Acid House scene in the late 80s and early 90s.The original shop was across the road on the ground floor of Afflecks Palace, and a cramped and somewhat chaotic place it was too. They then moved over to the much smarter and larger premises on Oldham Street. Originally they were split into two halves; Dance vs Indie but the Indie side was eventually closed (Piccadilly across the road had that covered to be fair). Eastern Bloc now concentrate on specialising on their one true love – the serious Underground Dancefloor Business – and strictly on Vinyl.
Since we wrote our review, Eastern Bloc finally moved from Oldham St in 2011 and can now be found at 5A Stevenson Square just around the corner – and doubles as a Cafe – one of the few Record Shops you can pop into at breakfast time! They’re still providing the usual Vinyl business, but the shop also functions as a cafe and a place to hang out, complete with free WiFi. You can get all the details on their smart website, and follow them on Facebook to keep in touch with live events, in-store DJ Sets and the absolute cutting edge in dance and electronic music (and whatever the cake of the day is!)
Here’s our original review of the Northern Quarter shop from 2009 written by our man Carl:
“Eastern Bloc has for a while been on my update radar. Truth is there was a time when I was a regular, however time and age can play merry tricks and the shop had kind of drifted off my horizon a little…somewhat like the Ghurka Grill in Withington, I love it but just dont go anymore. So, with this in mind I set out to the Northern Quarter on my first New Years adventure.
The shop now deals solely in the harder, edgier end of the dancefloor. This is the place for Deep House (the specialist end, no Scouse House or Handbag) , Techno, Drum n Bass, Dubstep, Electro and repressed classics. You will generally find affable Jim behind the counter supported by one or two of Mark, Will or Andro. Plenty of listening decks are available and the vibe is friendly and well informed. Got to say I was genuinely impressed with the feel of the place and the mission these guys are on.
Nearly all the stock is 12″ vinyl and they place the focus only on those labels that put vinyl releases as a priority….props fellas! This shop cares about, and focuses on, the underground scene, particularly the local Dubstep and Drum n’ Bass troubadours.
All in all my visit back to the Bloc reinforced for me why we are doing this site (the need to celebrate shops like this) as well as stirring some great memories of the dance scene past and excitement for the future. Top work lads.”
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Save Records
*** Stop Press ** – Sadly Save Records has now closed it’s stall on Bury Market. A real shame as this was a little gem of a shop. Best wishes and Good luck Maxine!
Save are still trading online, and looks like they’re popping up at Record Fairs so you can follow them on Facebook and shop online here:
https://www.discogs.com/user/Save-Records
Save Records has been on Bury Market since the mid 70s apparently and before that in Rochdale as far back as 1968. Nestling amid the hustle and bustle of Bury’s famous and massive market, this is a small but delightful shop with a surprisingly large stock of vinyl and CD crammed into that small space. There is plenty of good stuff racked up and lots more in crates on the floor and it’s well worth getting stuck in for a proper dig as this is the kind of shop that throws up nice little surprises. I’ve visited a few times and never left empty handed. The prices are very reasonable, the staff are friendly and welcoming, what more do you want?
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Static Records
Given it’s musical heritage it’s only right and proper that Wigan has its own proper record shop
Recordshopcity reader John was the first to bring this place to our attention –
“Went there for the first time today, a return visit guaranteed. Collectables, cheaps, mid-budget, all genres, mostly vinyl. Owner Paul very helpful and knowledgeable, he may even draw your portrait for you. Definitely worth checking out, apparently opened six months ago after a ten year hiatus”I paid the place a long overdue visit today and sure enough Wigan can boast to having one of the best record shops in the region. The shop was busy and buzzing when I went in on a very rainy afternoon, sadly the main man Paul wasn’t on duty that day but I found Static to be bright, inviting and carrying a good range of records of most genres – not just your usual classic rock vinyl – there is also lots of Dance, Soul, Indie, Prog, Metal, Jazz and a selection of instrumental/esoteric music. There are box sets, CDs, Books and other music related bits and bobs too. Below the main racks there are bargain bins on the floor for those who like to get low down and dirty among the cheap stuff. Most of the stock is 2nd hand although there are some reissues and a few new pieces – Static are also connected with the utterly cool and wonderful Static Caravan record label so you’ll be able to pick up some of their releases too. I was very pleased to take away a lovely limited Seahawks picture disc – the records go in a brown paper bag too which is a nice touch!
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Piccadilly Records
Where do you start with this one? As much a Manchester institution as a pint of Holts or Chips n’ Gravy! From its opening days in the shabby Piccadilly Arcade through to the rather grand Brown Street store and its current location on Oldham St. Since 1978 Piccadilly records has served generations of shoegazers, rude boys, anarcho-punks, goths, moshers, skate punks, grebos and every other indie derivative you can think of.
I first went in at the tender age of 12 and got my mitts on a 7″ copy of UK Decay’s “For my Country”. I went in last week and got my slightly older fingers on the new Bibio album. That says it all. From boy to man my money has passed over this counter so many times I wonder if it might have been better to cut a deal and just give them ten percent of my earnings every year. But what returns; first Bauhaus album – check, first Stone Roses single – check, first Devandra Barnhart album – check, and probably nearly a thousand others with a moment of joy attached to each one.
The current shop is a pleasure to visit. Bright, airy and spacious the floor space is taken up with around seventy percent vinyl including a 7″ rack deep enough and wide enough to justify a parking ticket. There are a couple of multi CD listening stations next to the racks as well as three turntables to browse away the afternoon, and a PC to browse the new releases on the website. Right at the front of the shop as you walk in is the ever useful new releases/recommends rack which I consistently fail to pass without picking at least one selection.
Piccadilly is still the champion of all things indie and by that I mean “Indie” in the old independent charts sense of the word; you know Cherry Red, Rough Trade, Cargo, Domino; small labels exploring the outer recesses and hidden nooks and crannies of the great big music machine. Folk, Drone, Psych, Americana, Kraut, Garage, Punk, Emo and Doom are all in evidence yet balanced nicely with a fine and varied selection of House, Disco, Electro, Hip Hop, Nu Soul, Beats, Reggae, Dubstep and our old favourites Downbeat, Weird and Experimental. If you ever wish to meet me, my office is rack 2 and a half Downbeat/Weird section!
New releases and particularly limited vinyl runs are the shops speciality and if if there is an ultra-limited edition to be had, Piccadilly will have it (but be quick!). The Website is updated every week and check the ‘Just in’ and ‘Released next week’ pages over the weekend to decide what to call in for on the Monday.
Step away from the racks sir and the shop also sells a range of magazines, fanzines,T shirts and record bags as well as having a counter full of flyers and events advertised by Manchester miscreants. The staff are great and very approachable, full of enthusiasm for the music and a shared love of the shop and all it gives to the Manchester scene. Each staff member is pretty much a specialist in one of the genres – just get Phillipa talking!! (I’m reliably informed its Andy you want to get talking! – ed) and from my experience and 2000 hours spent in there will happily share and explore your interests as much as their own.
Keep your eyes peeled for in-store events, special promotions and their regular Newsletters.
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Beatin’ Rhythm
* Note that Beatin’ Rhythm have now moved to Prestwich – This review and photos are of their original store in the Northern Quarter Manchester *
This is the absolute Premier store for Rock’n’Roll, 60s Pop, Funk, Doo-Wop, Girl groups, Rare and Northern Soul, Surf, Psych, Rhythm n’ Blues, Film Themes and more. The guys here must have the worlds best knowledge of the Northern Soul scene and this shop is a veritable shrine to the glory of obscure 45s. When you go in you will see photos of previous customers including Keb Darge and DJ Shadow. The heart of this shop is built around the specialist knowledge of Carl, Tom and Derek and it’s all done with true love for the music.
The wall racks of 7″s are divided into categories which range from Christmas Songs to “Uncharted Canadian”. The Northern Soul section is enough to make a Wigan Casino kid weep, and can happily keep me entertained for hours (with the odd fag break). Man, these guys even have an ‘Answer Songs’ category!
The shop itself is a great space predominantly taken up with Vinyl but lots of stuff on CD too. They also have a good selection of re-issued albums near the main door with the particular focus on Northern and Soul compilations; a couple of which are regulars in my box.
Ultimately, Beatin’ Rhythm is testament to the longevity of the 7″ single, and Talcum-powdered dancefloor action. I defy you to go in and not leave without at least one tune you never expected to have or hear. A truly inspiring Manchester institution
