Re: [ARSCLIST] Record Store Day 4-18-09

[George Brock-Nannestad <pattac@xxxxxxxx>]

From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad

Hello All,

I spent some of Record Store Day in Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, 
United Kingdom. They claim to be the oldest record shop in the world, having 
been founded in 1894. It seems that the original Mr. Spiller founded the 
record shop, not as a music store taking in records (nor as a bicycle shop 
doing the same), but as a dedicated shop. We all know of, say, Alf. Imhof in 
London, which was a music and music instrument shop. The south coast of Wales 
was a very wealthy area, being the major copper exporter as well as shipping 
coal and lead. Apparently he was able to cater for the rich and their 
interest in all novelties. And he had a repair shop for all machines.

It is rumored that not only cylinders and machines were sold, but also disc 
records. I queried that, because to my knowledge, in 1894 a disc record 
repertoire was only available in Washington, D.C. But I assured them that 
from 1898, discs were on in the U.K.

Anyway, the day was celebrated by changing disc-jockeys demonstrating live 
analog reproduction of LP records, complete with back-cueing and their skills 
in mixing repertoire. A celebratory T-shirt had been prepared (apparently 
only in XL and XXL, so no buy for me). But I bought a newly made 10" vinyl 78 
rpm record - from the looks it is only the rpm but not the groove dimension 
that is old standard. When I have examined it more I shall report, hopefully. 
A disco with some live performance had been arranged for the evening, but I 
had had my full measure of modern sound for the day, and I did not go.

Earlier I had bought a very interesting book that is freshly out:

Graham Jones: "Last Shop Standing. Whatever happened to record shops", Proper 
Music Publishing, London 2009. 314 pp. ISBN 978-0-9561-2120-2
Endorsed by Suzi Quatro and others

As the back cover says ".... is a hilarious yet harrowing account by a man 
who has been there and sold that". I have not read it yet, but it seems 
chatty and quite anecdotal. 

All the best for a period of archive-destroying sunshine, at least in the 
northern hemisphere,


George



From Mike Biel:
> From: Jim Long <JJimLong@xxxxxx>
> > We very much enjoyed the second annual Record Store Day last Saturday. 
> > we headed north to the Grand Rapids area, sporting two participating 
> > stores. Lots of vinyl at both locations, new and old.The Corner Record
> > Shop boasted vintage-audio repair and sales/display rooms, Vertigo Music
> > had a more festive, gallery-like atmosphere. Both were busy and full
> > of people, mostly a lot younger than me (67)!
> 
> The pictures were great.  It seemed like an interesting contrast in the
> two places, because it seemed at The Corner Record Shop it started out
> as mainly a couple of old folks like us and just a couple of kids, but
> at Vertigo it was mobbed with kids -- and the kids were interested in
> vinyl. (I was interested in that blond!)