Record Store Day Record Shops- Day 4 - Bridport Music - Bridport
Bridport Music *Have you got
any Jose Mourihno records?*
33a South Street, Bridport, Dorset
DT6 3NY
01308 425707
Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm
Established 1976
Stock: Vinyl, CD, Books, In-stores,
Merchandise, Musical Instruments
I experienced the madness of
dealing with the British public the last time I was in Piers and Steph Garner’s
shop Bridport Music. An elderly woman approached the counter and asked “Do you
have any Gene Krupa?”
Piers: “Yes,
“I have this
compilation and it is only £9.”
Elderly woman: “Oh, £9.”
Piers: “It has all his best tracks
on.”
Elderly woman: “It is for a friend
of mine who is not very well, and I thought it might cheer him up. The only
problem is he is so unwell that he may not pull through. I think it is best if
I wait a couple of weeks and if he survives I will come back and get it.”
Piers and I looked at each other,
unsure if we should laugh. Surely, an ill friend is worth £9 of anybody’s money. She never came back, so I
guess he didn’t make it.
This incident started Piers off and
he was soon regaling me with some more crazy happenings from the shop including
the tale of the customer they nicknamed The Crow Woman after the following conversation:
Customer: “Have you got any
classical music for crows to dance to?”
Piers: “I am sorry madam, we do not
have any classical music for crows to dance to.”
Customer: “Ok, can you tell me what other type of music you stock suitable for
crows to dance to?”
The shop also had a visit from the
world’s least knowledgeable blues fan:
Customer: “I am after a CD by a blues
guitarist and I think his first name is Jose.”
Piers: “Jose Gonzalez?”
Customer: “Not him.”
Piers: “Jose Feliciano, the guitarist
famous for his version of The Doors ‘Light my Fire’?”
Customer: “Not him either.”
Suddenly the man’s face lit up as he had a lightbulb moment.
Customer: “Got it, I think his name
is Jose Mourihno.”
Piers pointed out that he used to
manage the Blues as opposed to playing them.
It turned out, after some brilliant
detective work by Piers, that it was none other than Joe Bonamassa that the
customer was after.
Not long after, the world’s least
knowledgeable metal fan visited the shop.
Customer: “Do you have any metal albums in by Maidenhead?”
Piers was not sure if this was a
new supergroup featuring members of Motorhead and Iron Maiden or if some new
metal band had been named after a Berkshire town. It turned out he was after
Motorhead.
Not long after
they had a visit from world’s least knowledgeable disco fan.
Customer: “Do you
have a CD of disco classics?”
Piers showed
him the disco compilation section. Each time he picked one up he would study
the track listings before placing it back in the racks.
Piers: “Is there
a disco track you are looking for?"
Customer: “'Rhinestone
Cowboy’ by Glen Campbell.”
Piers became involved in music when
his brother-in-law Andy Bell phoned him to say he had taken out a lease on a
new shop. Andy already had his own
general store but wanted a record shop and asked Piers if he would be
interested in running it. At the time, Piers was studying law at Sheffield, but
had become disillusioned and was desperately seeking an alternative career
path. He packed his bags, headed to Bridport and in 1979 The Record Centre
opened. Piers married Steph in 1980, and since then this dynamic duo have run
the store. It is a credit to them not only to have stayed married for nearly 40
years but to be running a business together at the same time.
The first thing you notice as you
enter the store, is the bongos, guitars and ukuleles hanging from the ceiling.
Piers and Steph work on a raised platform at the far end of the store, looking
down on their kingdom below. Like most shop owners faced with a CD industry in
slow decline, they realised that survival depended on diversification. After
visiting a stand at a music industry conference, they decided to stock musical
instruments. It proved a wise move, and one which I am surprised more stores
have not followed. In recent years, I have noticed more space being given to
instruments not only in Bridport Music but also in other successful shops I
visit. Piers has even been known to bring his ukulele out and give the
customers a tune, always a good tactic at closing time when looking to clear
the shop.
Unusually, the shop stocks a range
of nose flutes. Following a comical interview with daughter Hannah by Mark
Radcliffe on BBC Radio 6 Music about the instrument, which included some funny
attempts at playing it by the renowned DJ, the shop has received great interest
from the public. As the name suggests you play the flute by blowing through the
nose instead of the mouth. It normally has four holes which can partly be
covered by fingers to make the sounds. Piers has a couple of tips for would-be
purchasers. Always blow your nose first, and don’t lend it to somebody else to have a go.
Bridport Music used to be known
until 2009 as Bridport Record Centre. The name change reflects the new, broader
philosophy. “If it’s music-related then we will have a go at stocking it,” Piers says. Piers and Steph feel that if they were to concentrate
on just one of the many strands that they do then they would inevitably fail,
but by combining them they are successful. They have listened to what customers
have asked for and try to stock it, especially if there is nowhere else in town
to buy it.
They love living and working in
Bridport. The town is full of independent shops, and given the difficulties
faced by independent shops elsewhere, visitors seem amazed to discover that
business is thriving. “I wish we had a shop like yours
where we live,” is a comment they constantly hear.
In 2016, they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the shop opening.
The trouble is that no one can remember the exact date when they started. If
you are in the area, pop in and offer your congratulations. If you have a
wicked sense of humour, you may prefer to ask them for an iTunes voucher. It is
the only time you will find the smile leaving Piers’ face.
Check out 220 more independent record shops in the book 'The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen'
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