Great Record Shops of Essex

Essex

The county  has gone through a transition, with long-established stores such as Adrians and Fives reducing their outlets to just a single shop. Slipped Discs is also down to one shop but now incorporates an excellent café. Colchester is in need of an independent record shop selling new vinyl.

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Adrians

36-28 High Street, Wickford, Essex SS12 9AZ

01268 73 3318

adriansrecords.co.uk; sales@adrians.co.uk; @AdriansRecords

Monday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm

Sunday 10am-4.30pm

Established 1969

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, Memorabilia, In-stores

Anyone who bought the NME throughout the 1970s and 1980s will be aware of Adrian Rondeau’s shops in Wickford. For twenty years, they had an eye-catching advert highlighting the latest releases.

"If you can't get it at Adrians, you can't get it anywhere" is the shop’s motto.

At one-point Adrian had four shops, but after years of decline he now has just the one, plus a thriving online business. Things did not look great at the beginning of the decade when Adrian became seriously ill and was away from the business for a lot of the time. I am delighted to report that, following numerous operations, he is back to his usual effervescent self. He has also had a huge stroke of luck - although I am sure Adrian will see it as brilliant long-term planning. Back in the 1980s, Adrian had bought, along with his partner, Richard, an old Victorian house that had belonged to a brewery. The huge cellars that came with the house were full of old slate shelving on which ale barrels used to be stored, and which were perfect for stacking up boxes of limited-edition vinyl that he was buying by the van load. Sometimes he would buy up remaining stock from small record labels and importers.

When CDs took over, vinyl sales slumped dramatically. This period coincided with Adrian being in and out of hospital, so the stock in the cellars was rarely visited.

When he was declared fit again, and with no more operations on the horizon, he and Richard fulfilled a lifelong ambition by moving into a rambling house in the countryside. Of course, the existing house had to be sold and the cellar emptied. It took nine months to sell the house and almost as long to empty the cellars. To his amazement, in those long-neglected cellars he discovered box after box of wonderful finds: Beatles picture discs; Oasis white labels; and boxes of rare vinyl from artists such as the Smiths, Abba, the Cure and David Bowie.  Adrian started feeding the vinyl into the shop. The result? Once again record collectors have been looking up where Wickford is on the map and business is better than in 2009, as vinyl fans make a beeline to the shop, where long serving manager Mike Dalby will be happy to show them the many collectable items for sale.

Fives Records

103 Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 1PG

01702 711629

fivesrecords@gmail.com; fives-records.co.uk; @fives_records

Monday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm

Sunday 9am-4pm

Established 1977

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Accessories, In-stores

Founder Peter Driscoll was a fully qualified heating engineer who designed and fitted systems for schools and offices but was looking to do something different. Peter loved music and deep down had always wanted his own record shop. When he noticed that Leigh-on-Sea did not have a record shop, he decided it was time for a career change.

Fives Records is a true family business. The store has been staffed by Peter’s daughters Sandra, Julie, Cheryl and Tracy, as well as his grandchildren Danielle, Kyle and Sarah. Behind the scenes keeping the website and social media ticking along and fixing all the computers when they decide to be awkward, is Sandra’s partner Tony.

Peter allegedly went into semi-retirement in 2006 when the Fives Records shop in Rayleigh closed, but he still cannot keep away and, now aged 78, still gets up around 5.30am  and walks more than a mile to the shop to clean, and pack the online orders that have come in overnight. Peter still works Wednesdays and Sundays when it is Sandra’s days off. When at home he is constantly listing stock, some going back 40 years, for sale online. Sandra is now the joint owner and manager and has a regular spot on the BBC Radio Essex show Vintage Vinyl, hosted by Mark Punter every Sunday (12-2pm) where vinyl records from as far back as the 1950s are played. New and upcoming vinyl releases are also discussed, and Mark runs various little competitions for the listening audience.

Over the years they have had many bands play in-store. The shop received its first complaint from the local council, as reported in the local papers, when the band The Ends played and decided during their set to venture outside onto the high street to entertain passers-by. People stopped to watch and listen as well as dance for about 20 minutes. These events always go down well, as did this one, except for one person complaining. Fives Records was rather pleased with all the publicity generated by the incident, following which, they tell me, all bands playing the shop are welcome to venture onto the pavement.

Intense Records

33-34 Viaduct Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1TS

0124534 7372

intenserecords.com; info@intenserecords.co.uk; @intenserecords

Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm

Established 1999

Stock: Vinyl, CDs, DJ Equipment, Tickets, T-shirts, Turntables

This shop is easy to visit by public transport, being located under the viaduct of Chelmsford railway station, which in turn is next to the bus station. It is an atmospheric location as the shop roof is constructed of corrugated iron within two arches. The trains pass directly overhead so the constant rumbles mix in with the music.

Jonathan Smith was always going to open a record shop. When studying at Chelmsford College, he wrote a business plan on how to open one. A few years later, studying Business Management at Birmingham University, he wrote a thesis on “Why people buy vinyl off the internet”. Both projects turned out to have been instrumental in shaping his career.

While at university, Jonathan started organising student nights that gave him the opportunity to test out his blossoming DJ skills. He moved into a house with four fellow DJs and there was great competition among them to be the first to get their hands on the latest vinyl releases.

Jonathan had a brainwave. He decided to open accounts with record companies, informing them he was a mail order company. The problem was that record companies would only ship orders if they reached their minimum order level, which was normally around £50-£75. Jonathan therefore began ordering extra copies and selling them to his housemates and fellow students. Soon he had a genuine mail order operation as he was also supplying his mates back in Chelmsford.

As part of his course in Business Management, Jonathan was required to set up a pretend business. But he was already doing it for real. Having based all his coursework on his experience of setting up the mail-order business, he duly graduated with flying colours.

Jonathan bought the domain name www.intenserecords.co.uk and proceeded to build a website where customers could search and listen to all the tracks before ordering, and the records would be posted from his office, which was his bedroom. During the next break from university he returned to Chelmsford, where he discovered a new record shop had opened. It was not stocking much drum & bass, which was his forte, so he struck up a deal with the owner to supply the shop with all the latest drum & bass vinyl. Jonathan would collect any profits due when he returned during term breaks. This arrangement continued successfully until he graduated from university and needed a job.

He persuaded the record shop owner to go into partnership with him, Jonathan would sell drum & bass while the owner concentrated on other genres of music. The shop was divided into two, with both having their own counters and walls to display their records. Unfortunately, they both had a set of decks resulting in “counter wars” as they both vied to play their own records. It soon became clear that Jonathan was attracting a greater share of the customers and that he had outgrown the shared premises. He thus resolved to find his own site where he could play drum & bass to his heart’s content.

Jonathan opened his own shop in December 2003. On a memorable first day he played Santa, wrapping 50 packages of 12-inch singles in Christmas paper and giving them away to his first 50 customers. He held a launch party that was a huge triumph, with more than 500 people attending. It was so successful that after the “launch” party he had a “landed” party a couple of weeks later.

The Essex Chronicle came down to interview him for a feature. It was arranged for early morning. Jonathan had been playing a club the previous evening, so the combination of excess drink and minimal sleep resulted in the paper printing a picture of a rather bleary and dishevelled record shop owner to accompany the piece. The next day when walking to work, he noticed the less-than-flattering picture on a lamp post. Soon he was to see dozens more as, unbeknown to him, his mates had printed off 50 posters and fly-posted them all over Chelmsford.

For Jonathan, the best thing about owning Intense Records is that it was where he met his wife Jen. She had been a customer of the shop for more than three years, but always came in with a guy called Pete. Jonathan assumed that they were partners. One day Jen came in on her own and Jonathan enquired if she was still with Pete. Jen explained that Pete was just a mate she went shopping with for vinyl. The rest, as they say, is history.

From 2002 things got tough as record retailing went into a steep decline. Jonathan did everything in his power to keep the business on an even keel. He was organising dance parties, running a website, working in the shop and even set up a separate company running coaches to house parties, although they were never hired to transport the local Women’s Institute for a day trip to Clacton.                                

Jonathan also became a DJ on various pirate radio stations producing a two hour show each week featuring his own Top 10 dance chart. He would produce adverts for his shop on the radio and noticed that whatever background music he used on his adverts would immediately become the shop’s best seller over the following weeks.

With business still slow, he decided to rent out half the shop to another business. Luckily, he found the perfect tenant. Jen, his wife, had started a merchandise printing company called Get Customised, and she moved her operation into the shop. In 2013 the shop’s fortunes revived. It was no coincidence that it was the first year that Intense Records took part in Record Store Day. As the shop was new to the party, Jonathan only dipped into the many releases available. He was apprehensive that the music fans of Chelmsford would not come to a drum & bass shop to buy rock and pop releases. The shop had its best sales day ever. Many people commented that they had never come in before because they thought it was only drum & bass. It was a turning point in the history of the shop. With the new-found customer base that they had gained, they changed direction and started selling all genres of music.

By 2017, Jen’s business had outgrown the shop and she moved out to her own offices.

Most people reading this have probably owned one of her products. In 2015 she was commissioned to print the official Record Store Day plastic carrier bags and other memorabilia supplied to participating shops. If you bought a record on RSD it is almost certain that you carried it home in one of these bags and many UK record shops have continued to use her services.

Jen’s departure allowed the record shop to expand and Jonathan has since allocated one arch of the shop to dance music while the other arch sells a range of genres. The best time to visit Intense is the first Saturday of the month. That is when Jonathan organises the Chelmsford Record Fair in The Ale House, a few doors down from the shop. Live bands and DJ’s play on the day and Jonathan organises his own burger and coffee stalls.

Intense is an ideal name for the shop as it describes how Jonathan’s life has been for nearly 30 years. Jonathan and Jen are great examples of how independent record shops have had to diversify to survive. In this dynamic duo’s case they have diversified to thrive.

Music Mania                                                        * Does anybody know Madness?*

18 High Street, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1NR

01255 222844

malcolmstone68@yahoo.co.uk

Monday-Thursday 9am-5.30pm

Friday/Saturday 9am-6pm

Established 2002

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, DVD, Merchandise, T-shirts

Unlike other seaside towns, such as Margate and Broadstairs, Clacton still has a way to go before it becomes fashionable. Walking down to Music Mania, I pass the brilliantly-named Codgers of Clacton selling comfy beds, next door to Easy Mobility, selling mobility scooters, shops which rather sum up the atmosphere of the town. It reminds me of seaside resorts such as Skegness and Great Yarmouth that look as if they might benefit from investment and which I would describe as cheap and cheerful. Sitting comfortably in this environment is Malcolm Stone’s shop Music Mania.

Malcolm is definitely cheerful and his vinyl is undeniably cheap. Indeed, his prices are among the lowest I have ever come across in UK record shops. Vinyl fans in the town are spoilt, and several dealers from London are happy to travel through the notorious Colchester ring road to make regular visits to the shop.

Malcolm has always been an enthusiastic record collector so much so that between 1983 and 1990 he bought every single to enter the Top 40. If you are a fan of the band Madness, then this is the shop for you. Malcolm owns the largest Madness collection in the world (as far as he knows). He claims not to be obsessive, but nevertheless owns more than 100 variations of the One Step Beyond album on cassette, CD and vinyl from all over the globe. Other Madness product he owns includes:

-       A Madness fruit machine in full working order of which there were only 50 made.

-       All manner of different shaped picture discs.

-       Acetates signed by Suggs.

-       Discs awarded to members of the band.

-       “One Step Beyond” 7-inch on clear vinyl which Malcolm believes to be the only one in existence.

-       A vast collection of memorabilia, posters and badges.

-       An extensive knowledge of the band.

The shop’s favourite customer is known as the Alphabet Woman. Every week she comes in and shouts out a letter. It is then Malcolm’s job to recommend a record by an artist whose name begins with that letter. So far, she has never complained about any of Malcolm’s choices. He did think he would struggle when she asked for Z, but she seemed happy enough with a record by the Romanian pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir. Even Malcolm had to concede defeat with X as the Alphabet Woman is not really a fan of indie, rap or punk so The xx, Xzibit and X-Ray Spex were out. Recently she is becoming more specific, so instead of asking for an artist beginning with J, she will ask for one beginning JU.

Before he retires from record retailing, Malcolm’s great hope is that one day a member of Madness will walk into the shop and purchase something from him. If you know any of the band members, please pass this message on. Malcolm promises to wear his baggy trousers for the visit.

Slipped Discs

57- 59 High Street, Billericay, Essex CM12 9AX

01277 631422

slipped-discs.co.uk; s.discs@btconnect.com

Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm

Sunday 11am-4pm

Established 2008

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, Coffee, Food, Licensed

Slipped Discs is one of the most aromatic record shops you will ever come across due to the smell of fresh coffee wafting out of the Brown Sugar Café located at the back. As the name implies, owner Carl Newsum is a big Rolling Stones fan (as opposed to injuries of the vertebrae).

The shop has a great location right in the middle of the high street and is extremely popular with locals. On arrival you are greeted by a vast selection of CDs and vinyl along with some comfy chairs to relax in.   As you venture further in, you notice that the back of the shop is a cafe and there is hardly a spare seat as people relax over a coffee or something from the extensive menu.  

The walls are adorned with some magnificent pop art, many items created by local artist Nick Dillon (check out the Noel Gallagher collage). Pride of place is taken by a Ronnie Wood print that Carl obtained from Ronnie’s brother. While the shop plays music at normal volume, it is much quieter in the cafe. Customers are encouraged to select music they would like to listen to while they sip their lattes. The shop attracts mothers and toddlers and Carl does a roaring trade in children’s CDs.

Carl has invested £50,000 in turning what was previously a bookshop into the record store he has always wanted. It was a brave move to invest so much at a time when many shops were closing, but others have since followed his model. The old record shop model was not working. Slipped Discs would not be here today if Carl had not had the vision to diversify.

Carl is a genuine Essex boy and, in his youth, spent his spare time travelling into London to buy records. By the time he left school he had acquired a vast collection. He wanted to work in music but ended up working as a greengrocer, which certainly gave him a grounding in how to sell.

At the age of 22 he took the plunge and rented a tiny shop in an alley off Billericay High Street. He had saved and borrowed a total of £5,000 but made the mistake of buying premium racking, which set him back £3,500. He spent the rest on stock, but £1,500 did not go far. Everybody could see what great racking he had, because hardly any of it was obscured by stock. Carl felt he had no option but to add his whole record collection to the stock.

After a year, the shop moved from the alley onto what Carl describes as “the dog-end of the street”. It was the very last shop on the street, but the new location at least had some passing trade. Then, in 1997, Carl heard on the grapevine that a musical instrument shop in Chelmsford was looking to rent out a floor. He contacted the landlord and they agreed a deal where Carl would have the ground floor to sell recorded music, and the instruments would be sold upstairs.

  

Carl was excited by this opportunity to expand and quickly agreed terms. Unfortunately, due to a breakdown in communication, when he arrived with a truck full of stock to move in, the ground floor was still racked out with musical instruments. There was chaos as members of staff struggled to move the instruments upstairs while Carl was loading his stock in through the front door. He decided it would be easier to help them, before bringing any more stock in. As he moved a display cabinet of saxophones, part of the chimney collapsed, and bricks tumbled down around him. When the dust had settled, he surveyed his new premises. All the CDs and racking were covered in dust and bricks were strewn over the floor. It was not the best start, and trading was delayed while builders repaired the chimney breast.

Carl based himself at the new location in Chelmsford while his assistant Paul Moody, who still works with him today, took over the running of the original Billericay shop.  Among the first of the regular customers were Liam Howlett and Keith Flint from The Prodigy, one of the UK’s most successful dance music groups. Carl describes Keith (whose scary look was known to send young kids scurrying behind the sofa) as one of the nicest people he has ever met. He would often hang about the shop for hours talking about music.

Carl took the biggest gamble of his life in 2010, when he and his wife Karen moved into their current premises in the middle of the High Street. Formerly a bookshop, it is three times the size of their previous shop. Karen runs the café and the couple have done a brilliant job of creating the perfect meeting place for music fans. All the cakes are homemade (by Karen) and I can vouch for the almond slice. If other record shop owners are considering adding a coffee shop, pay Slipped Discs a visit to see how it should be done.

South Record Shop

22 Queens Rd, Southend-On-Sea SS1 1LU

01702 826166

southrecordshop.com; shop@southrecordshop.com; @southrecordshop

Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm

Sunday 11am-4pm

Established 2013

Stock: Vinyl, CD, Pre-owned, In-stores

Canvey-born Richard Onslow could not believe that a town such as Southend did not have an independent record shop. After working with the biggest names in music, such as the White Stripes and Katy Perry, during stints as a PR for major record labels EMI and XL Records, he decided to rectify the situation.

With an impressive array of collectable vinyl, the shop has a welcoming atmosphere and if you ask nicely Richard may even make you a cup of liquorice tea. He has established the shop as a musical hub and a meeting place for music fans in the town. One feature you can’t help but notice is the safe located to the left of the counter. It offers no worthwhile purpose other than to display leaflets on. It was built into the shop so when Richard acquired the premises the safe came with it. Unfortunately, there are no keys for it and you could only access it with dynamite. Still, it looks impressive and is a big talking point.

Richard always makes a big effort for Record Store Day and in 2015 he secured the services of locally-based comedian and broadcaster Phill Jupitus to DJ in the shop. Phill has been a great supporter of record shops and had spent a previous Record Store Day working behind the counter at Spillers in Cardiff.

Winyl

16, South Street, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1BB

01206 234089

winyl.co.uk, steve@winyl.co.uk, @WinylLtd,

Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 7pm

Sunday 11am - 4pm

Established 2018

 Winyl specialises in vegan and organic wines, providing easy drinking product for the 3.5m people in the U.K that have chosen a vegan diet.  The vinyl range is wide reaching and a dynamic mix of vintage and new.

Whilst the store is snug, the vibe is relaxed where you can come and browse, play some of the vintage stock, have a chat or just sit and listen and read music magazines with a glass of wine. The wine and vinyl are presented in natural reclaimed wood and upcycled scaffolding racks, using eco-friendly materials and not a plastic cup or straw in sight. . 

Wynyl is the idea of Steve Tattam, former Virgin and Our Price employee who spent 20 years in the industry before moving into duty free  sales and then several entertainment management roles, before ending up in corporate veterinary business management. He always harked back to his happiest days in music retailing and the glory days when vinyl was king. Now with the format back in fine fettle Steve took the opportunity to launch the type of store he would like to visit, combining his passion for music with a love of great wine.

This is a unique shop and well worth making the effort to check out.

Over 220 independent record shops featured in The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made it Happen

 

The books of Graham Jones are available in record shops or online. The latest book The Vinyl Revival and the Shops that Made it Happen has been turned in to a film. It has just been released on DVD and is available in record shops or online. Distributed by Proper Music.

Each week I record The Vinyl Revival Record Shop Podcast. It contains lots of funny tales from the crazy world of record retailing. It is also available on Spotify.

Twitter: @Revival_Vinyl

My blog has over 100 features on record shops and vinyl.

grahamjonesvinylrevival.blogspot.com

For film screenings and talks contact Graham. 

As the person who has visited more record shops than any other human, I often get asked my advice on buying turntables. I always say do not purchase a budget model. What is the point of buying one that costs the price of a few albums? The sound will not do the recordings justice. For a long time, I have recommended Rega Turntables as they are superb quality at great prices. They got more brownie points for sponsoring 'Record Store Day' and manufacturing limited editions just for record shops.