Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Record Shop Quiz

There was a small independent record shop on Grange Rd roughly opposite the Co-op but I can't remember it's name for the life of me

really? at that time?

Dunno, but it's where I would have gone it it was and I was old enough.

Yes definitely.
On racking what's left of my brains a bit further, I reckon it was a bit further up, possibly opposite where Waterstones is.
I can remember they sold posters and other stuff like badges and the sew on patches that were so popular at the time.
Believe it or not, in the early 70's Boots (opposite Woolies) had a good selection of records. I remember buying Bowie's Aladdin Sane when it came out in 73 for a whole £1.99 !
In 1978 there was also a record shop further down right opposite the Co-op where I bought Lou Reed's "Street Hassle" on 12" vinyl. Can't remember the name of that shop either

Clearly the early 70s had a corrosive impact upon the brain cells of untold numbers of folks in Birkenhead I have no recall of any such shop, lies down in darkened room and regresses

How many of you used to take your latest LP's into school to show off to your mates?

There always seemed to be a group of kids who walked around with their LP's permanently glued beneath their armpits! Usually the latest by Yes, or Jethro Tull, or Camel.

Also remember people painting the flaps of their canvas haversacks with the names of their favourite bands.

Didn't there used to be a Rox records at Moreton Cross as well? Such a shame the smaller independant retailers got pushed to the wall by chains like Virgin Megastore, HMV and Our Price, who then in turn felt the squeeze from supermarkets and the internet.

I went into HMV in Birkenhead the other month and, after wondering round looking confused for about ten minutes, asked the assistant where the reggae CD's where. He directed me to the right spot and it's no wonder I couldn't find it.. it consisted of no more than a dozen albums... of which more than half were Bob Marley. The retailers left on the high street it seems can't or won't stock a diversity of music and instead concentrate on chart acts to try and shift units, in amongst DVD's, video games, consumer electronics, books, clothes, posters, chocolate bars & soft drinks and even umbrellas FFS, (no it wasn't a Rihanna promo item!). No wonder there's not enough room to stock music... and no wonder they're going to end up out of business. Their economic model and desperate chase of profit has gotten in the way of supplying actual recorded music.

Online sales may well count for the vast majority of music purchased in the future but I just wish they'd hurry up and adopt a better quality format than MP3. Something at least comparable to CD audio would be nice, but quality as good as vinyl or analogue tape masters must be the eventual goal.

I'm the sort of person who still likes to physically own an album, read the cover notes and put it on my shelf but I'm sure future generations will feel no such need to collect.

Ooo, whats that noise? I think the postie has just delivered me some more ebay 99p CD bounty. Hurrah! That'll get me down of the soapbox.

Yer there was a rox in moreton. First by where sayers is now (upton rd) and then opposite the Big House.

Totally agree, Shambo. That's kind of the point I was making before about how people used to carry their LP's into school with them, full of pride and eager to preach the virtues of their favourite bands with their buddies.

I miss reading all the album notes, and the song lyrics. We've also lost all that fantastic art work that went into so many albums.

And as for your point about Reggae, I'm surprised they didn't have those cd's classified under "World Music".

There was probe and pink moon in liverpool, but i think pink moon was late 70s early 80s. Then there was Ram records in Liscard. I remeber the basement record department in Tj hughes birkenhead used to be really good too.

I bought my first single at Simpson's Spin-Inn (I think it was called) in 1971 . As I recall , they were at the top of Market Street (Argyle St end) and distinctly remember having the p*** taken out of me regarding my musical taste.Admittedly,the record was Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep but I was only 11 and thought it was the greatest record of all time.Within a couple of years though, I was painting my rucksack with the Yes logo and taking Pink Floyd and Led Zep albums into school. We may have gained a lot with sound quality and durability with CDs but there was something about the old LP covers - they were works of art in themselves.
I remember Rushworth's and Mckenzies in Birkenhead - both very good record shops and like Rox , independent dealers.There was also another independent shop in Liscard in the 70s-I can't remember the name - Music Box or Sound Box I think.They were good too.

In the early 60's there was a record shop on New Chester Road, Rock Ferry, on the block between King St. & Nelson Rd. I can't remember the name of it. Anybody ?

Bob.

There was Bargain Box in the precinct - great shop. Closed down about 1979 I think.

I think that may have been a branch of Rox-they were all over the place.They had a branch on the corner of Whetstone Lane and Borough Rd and I think they had a shop in West Kirby too.So many good shops and so many memories-the internet is a great way of buying music and I always prefer CDs to MP3s but it's not the same as going into a shop and walking out with something you can hold.I suppose it's the same as the debate between books and e-readers (I'm definitely on the side of books there).

I am almost 100% certain that this was a branch of Rox. There were quite a few of them around Birkenhead until the 80s. There was one on Argyle St, just up the road from (and other side to) Skeleton's second shop. Another one was on the corner of Charing Cross and Borough Rd.

I distinctly remember the Grange Rd one as they had a huge display for Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper in the window (circa 1979). It was a large stand-up skeleton with moving scythe. I asked if it was for sale and was told rather impolitely that it was not.