The busy north London hub is home to several superb record shops, none more brilliant than Sounds That Swing. That’s a good thing!”ġ61 Rye Lane SE15, maestrorecords.uk Sounds That Swing, Camden TownĬamden Town has long been an centre for rockabillies, punks, goths and indie kids, somewhere they head to socialise, pose, go to gigs and shop. What, I wondered, did he make of the new Peckhamites? “They come here with wealth in their pockets. Maestro sells soul, reggae, funk, rap – now more on vinyl than CD, although Fountaine admits this is a reversal of when he started trading last century – and mixes new and used LPs, 45s and CDs alongside hair oils, books, concert tickets and such. None more so that Maestro Records, a Black music shop run by Michael Fountaine in the space that once housed Reed’s Records (a Peckham mainstay from the 1950s-1990s). What should be noted is how its African-Caribbean traders remain embedded among the chic restaurants and hipster bars. That Peckham has experienced gentrification across the last decade is not news. Stock of vinyl at Maestro Shop and the shop’s owner Michael Fountaine. Wally’s a humble man but when I asked if any noted artists had ever visited Supertone he answered “All of them! Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Twinkle Brothers – Supertone known across the globe.”ġ10 Acre Lane SW2, .uk Rat Records, Camberwell While a reggae vinyl specialist it also stocks CDs and has “big people music” – Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Charley Pride, Ace Cannon et al – available alongside the ska, rocksteady, roots, dub and dancehall releases (from very new to ancient). With its high counter, walls covered in records, community ambience and quiet pride, Supertone has changed little over the decades. Owned by Wally Bryant, a convivial Jamaican national who has run sound systems since the 1960s, Supertone stands as a proud emblem of Brixton as the cultural heart of Black Britain. Norman Grant of reggae band the Twinkle Brothers browsing at Supertone Records.īrixton’s oldest record shop – opened in 1983 – is also one of the world’s foremost reggae record traders. Many of us wouldn’t know what else to do anyway!”ģ0 Berwick Street W1, .uk Sounds Of The Universe, Soho “Sometimes I wonder how, when or if record shops will disappear completely,” says Kerr, “but they keep opening up in the most unexpected places. Two further lockdowns have ensured that customer numbers have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Managed since 1984 by Duncan Kerr – like many record shop workers he also makes music, playing guitar in The Darts and Brainiac 5 – the shop layout was redesigned during lockdown one to allow for social distancing. I picked up LPs by The Fatback Band and Mose Allison last time I popped in and almost never leave empty-handed: from 50p 45s to LPs costing close to £100, Reckless always has gems. Fair prices and friendly staff ensure it is still much loved. Reckless has always dealt in secondhand and continues to offer deep stock (largely LPs but plenty of 45s and CDs too). Opened in 1984, Reckless Records is the oldest record shop in Soho and one of only two now trading on Berwick Street (once Europe’s foremost record shop haven).
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