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| Selectadisc Nottingham 1966 - 2009 |
When a condition is terminal, there's nothing more daunting than the inevitable. Usually in such cases, the sadness is offset slightly by the knowledge that any pain and suffering would at least cease. On 27 February 2009, as I sat surfing the Nottingham Evening Post's website, there was no such relief.
The title was enough alone to sink my heart from its jovial Friday high to a sullen low; Selectadisc In Nottingham Is Set To Close. Comments on local forums, industry websites and blogs would chime with the phrases 'credit crunch' and 'death to digital' as people praised a 43-year-old legacy that started with a few books and records on a market stall. As mourners came to lay keyboard-typed wreaths to this 'legendary independent', they spoke of the rarities they'd uncovered, the bands they'd seen hunched playing in front of the counter and the piles of vinyl they escorted from the premises into their own. People were mourning Selectadisc's passing like the fall of an empire that had once threatened to invade the Market Square, before being pinned back for its last stand under the shadow of the Theatre Royal.
As when my Gran died, it'll take me years to walk past Selectadisc, like it did with her house, without having my heart strings snapped at, like the bass from a Washington hardcore band resonating from the shop's doors. Here was a place that provided some of the most enchanting, passionate, comical and heart-warming moments that post-war Nottingham has hosted. A two-way theatre where the cast and punters would interchange depending on what side of the counter they were stood and who was taking the spotlight. Having worked there, it was also the place that helped shape my life; my career as a journalist, the sounds on my stereo and some of the greatest friends I have.
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| Selectadisc Nottingham 1966-2009 |
One Saturday at the age of seventeen, I turned up on Market Street, rather fuzzily-eyed after a night of dancing away at the Marcus Garvey Centre, for my first day as a Saturday lad. Rather than, as I had hoped, being quizzed about Guided By Voices singles or Jeff Mills aliases I was instead given three things; a mop, a shopping list and a pile of CDs to put back in the racks. After two weeks of burning the candle at both ends and exhibiting somewhat 'lethargic' behaviour the next day I had earned the nickname 'Lightning'.
I wasn't the only one; Gary X-Ray, Tommy Teapot, Thrash, Matt Tatt, Nail, Bell, Urn, Tubs, Schmo, Fish, Goose, Monkey, K-9, Panther, Waino, Detail, Metal Ed. . .even the innocuous-sounding Basil (so-called because of once having a tendency for returning records for being 'Faulty') all lent themselves to a bizarre list of aliases, all of whom had their own musical obsessions. Sure, it was a musical Mecca, but it took a triumphantly calamitous mix of people to make it so, whether they be a mild-mannered hip-hop head (Rachel), pogoing front man (Punish the Atom's Joey), globally-loved bass player (Mark Pitchshifter), giggling DJ (Dave Congreve) or aspirational promoter (Detonate's James).
If Selectadisc was a theatre, then Fergus was certainly the pantomime baddie. Owner of the most scornful 'Can I help you?' in the Midlands and with a reputation for 'bluntness', he was renowned for being the weekend retail version of Simon Cowell (if Cowell specialised in drum 'n' bass and techno). After a few Saturday mornings of working the singles store I realised that not only was he a likeable chap, but that having seventeen-year-old bum-fluff kids demanding you play a pile of happy hardcore records at 9am in the morning does not make a bright outlook for the day.
With a reputation that spread across the Atlantic, the customers were far more colourful than the ones in your local branch of Gregg’s. Metallers would hassle Simon Tilton, mums-with-lists would comically mispronounce the names of angst-ridden bands, spectrum-coloured, middle-aged men would cling to the counter for conversation and weekend warriors would buy tickets to the latest Tribal Gathering. All this set in a scene of poster-clad walls where Basil beavered around with his clipboard, Jim marshalled everyone while clutching another pile of obscure train journey DVDs, and Sue's Barnsley cackle broke through even the deepest dub bassline.
For those who cared to look - or those that already knew - the walls and pillars behind the counter may have seemed littered with what seemed to be promo posters and stickers for albums and gigs, but on closer inspection would reveal an endless montage of images doctored with drawn-on glasses, beards (for Bell), big noses (for James) and catchphrases (regulars and staff alike). The wall of media from musicians advertising for like-minded fellows might have chronicled the history of the customers, but those till-side highlighted the endless characteristics and traits of people as mischievous as an Oasis-obsessed Moony or a coiled punk soul like Dickie.
Even when you left, you never truly escaped the reaches of the Selectadisc family. Ten years after I worked there, I'd still receive invites to the Christmas party (my Dad even got invited once when Sue rang my parents' house) and I still to this day refer to it as 'The Shop'. Selectadisc was a living and breathing community, where friends would drop in to spontaneously organise after-work pints, talk music, talk football, swap shit jokes and buy a few tunes while constantly influencing (often subliminally) those that stepped within. Were it not for Selectadisc's existence, there would be a completely different list of names in my phone, my personal career as a journalist might not have been so open-eared and eyed and my list of hangovers would doubtless be a lot shorter. More so than school, college or anywhere else I've worked, the shop was the biggest social influence of my life. Now, it's gone.
All good things don't have to come to an end, and there's hope that Selectadisc will rise again, under Jim's guidance, at a smaller location. And while the beat of the heart, passion and diverse quality will doubtless remain the same, there'll be elements that are lost forever (Little Ben's stomach-churning emissions that cleared the shop on more than one occasion will sadly not be amongst them).
Brian Clough said not to bring him flowers when he was dead, but to bring them when he was alive. Those keen enough to feast on the cheap closing down sale might've done well to heed these words earlier (myself in recent years included), but you can't blame Selectadisc's closure solely on spending patterns, MP3s, credit crunches or anything else. The factors just continued to stack. Regardless, we'll be left with a hole much bigger than that of a 12” and the community will begin to disperse with no central focal point. Never again will you get such a jumble of music-heads assembled in a Nottingham store. The beat goes on but the heart has stopped.
Of all the rarities that people pillaged from there over there years, I acquired something that will stay with me forever. A nickname.
God bless you Selectadisc.
LeftLion's Music Editor on the sad news
Selectadone
Write Commentby floydy Feb 27, 2009, 09:18:51 amone of the best selections of most things aroundthey had one of the best selections of alt-country around.
where the fuck do we go now
please dont say amazon
brum? leeds?
by khongor Feb 27, 2009, 09:25:57 amI suspect the Selectadisc people would say that too many of us were already going to t'internet for our music needs. Meh, price of progress etc etc. iTunes does not, to my knowledge, have people working behind the counter who can help you discover something you'd not previously heard of.
by Metal Monkey Feb 27, 2009, 09:29:35 amI heard about this last night - massive shame.
by Al (G) Feb 27, 2009, 09:41:19 amRubbish.
by Lord of the Nish Feb 27, 2009, 10:19:01 amFuck.
by dom Feb 27, 2009, 10:19:46 amBuggeration, that's a blow.
by it's alan Feb 27, 2009, 10:34:59 amiTunes does not, to my knowledge, have people working behind the counter who can help you discover something you'd not previously heard of.
No but Amazon and most mail order websites do.
"buyers who liked this, also liked these: ......."
Don't get me wrong, it's really sad that Selectadisc is closing down. I did have a few little gripes with it, but it was still a brilliant record shop.
It will be missed, truly.
I for one MUCH prefer buying records (and CD's) in shops. Rubbish news.
by Jared Feb 27, 2009, 10:44:59 amA sad day for Nottingham culture.
by transmetropolitan Feb 27, 2009, 11:24:00 amIt�s really sad news, but (IMO anyway) it was only a matter of time.
The internet is to recorded music as the printing press was to the old way of transcribing books by hand. The future of retailing recorded music is bleak whether online or in shops because bottom line, the customer doesn�t want to pay anymore. It�s very easy to get your music for free, and difficult to force people to pay. That affects Amazon and HMV as much as it does Selectadisc, and I can�t see that changing. As someone who makes music myself, it�s a truly depressing cultural trend.
And as someone who doesn�t have an internet connection at home and can�t get stuff delivered easily (I don�t have secure mail, can�t take deliveries at work), losing Selectadisc seriously impacts my music buying. I really will miss the place.
by floydy Feb 27, 2009, 11:37:33 amActually I do want to pay for some music
I gave my mate back a cdr of the last roots manuva album as I want him to get the royalty
same for most new artists I listen, and most people that are still alive and aren't loaded
I downloaded three Tim Buckley albums last night though, five by the Staple singers and the Os Mutantes discography off BitTorrent
I'm a cunt for ripping off Os Mutantes since they are mostly (?) still alive, and were righteous sociaists in an army governed country
Tim Buckley must have an estate receiving royalties somewhere, same for the Staple family
oh christ
by it's alan Feb 27, 2009, 11:58:08 amPersonally, I blame Donk.
by Piethagoras Feb 27, 2009, 12:02:16 pm
End of an era in Nottingham
I love Selectadisc but ever since it was scaled down to the one shop I've struggled to find the CD's I was looking for.
Only mail order and mp3 left for my musical tastes now.
Thanks for the Memories and the Bargains.
by transmetropolitan Feb 27, 2009, 12:10:14 pmActually I do want to pay for some music
So do I (I love CDs). So do many people. Just not on a big enough scale to sustain the old business model shops have operated on. The goalposts have moved and the market has changed and I can�t personally see it going back. Let�s not forget that Fopp went out of business and Vigin/Xavvi has also closed down.
I agree with the point you make, if you make the decision that you want to make sure some of your cash goes to the artist, and you�ve only got so much cash, how do you choose what to buy and what to download?
by Adrian Feb 27, 2009, 12:15:03 pm
by floydy Feb 27, 2009, 12:32:03 pmActually I do want to pay for some music
how do you choose what to buy and what to download?
by a random, mood driven system
are they alive?
are they minted?
are they tories?
if dead, were they nice/horrible to their kids?
it goes like this
I bet phil spector gets all of his records royalties, bet the singers got dicked, and he's a psycho so I'm not giving him any money
but...he was probably horrible to his kids, and I assume they'll get the dough when he's dead
leaving the question - to pay or not to pay, the kids had a weirdo/psycho dad, and so could do with looking after, but they are probably loaded already, but maybe ronnie can claw some dollar off him...so wait til he's dead and then pay
or perhaps just buy the christmas album from oxfam and get on with your life
?
>>and now, 30 seconds later, I dont want to listen to phil spector girl group stuff, so I wont bother with any of it
you see, it's easy
by Lord of the Nish Feb 27, 2009, 12:34:55 pmQuoteOver the years The Clash, Billy Bragg, Paul Weller and the Ramones all played Selectadisc. More recently the Magic Numbers and the Kooks have turned up.
There's the decline of the music industry, summed up in 26 words.
by alreetcaptain Feb 27, 2009, 02:29:20 pmbollocks!!!!!!!!!!
by adam Feb 27, 2009, 04:54:34 pmthat is really sad.
more than half the records i have ever bought have been from that place :(
by khongor Feb 27, 2009, 05:05:31 pmI was in there at lunchtime. Owner said it was busier than its been in years. Which would seem to be pretty much the point.
by Sara Feb 27, 2009, 06:10:55 pmA proper shame for Nottingham..really is..
by Invisible Conga Man Feb 27, 2009, 06:26:26 pmProper shit - really dug that shop. Lord knows where I'm going to get Italians Do It Better and Clone stuff from now. I'm reluctant to give those divs at Phonica my money after three years of poor service and warped records when I lived in London.
by Haych Feb 27, 2009, 09:39:46 pmIt's very sad to see Nottingham culture take another kick to the bollocks but, as I'm sure they'd admit, Selectadcisc have been barely clinging on for a couple of years now. Sadly, with the advent of the internet, record shops do not shape people's listening habits anymore. The days of absent-mindedly flicking through the racks looking for something new & interesting to purchase are long gone (for most of us) - I'm positive most people enter a record shop these days knowing exactly what they're looking for & if they can't find it they leave (& inevitably order it off of the 'net). For better or worse, the 'net provides a much, much larger, cheaper shop window & there's absolutely no way a simple high street record shop can realistically compete any longer.
In the meantime: give your support to Anarchy Records (the best music store in Nottingham), Funky Monkey, Ohmigosh & (if you like that kinda thing) Heavy Sounds.
Re: Zavvi. HMV have bought the Nottingham store, retained the staff & will be closing their Broadmarch branch & relocating to Wheeler Gate imminently. Just so's you know like...
by D Feb 27, 2009, 11:30:56 pmiTunes does not, to my knowledge, have people working behind the counter who can help you discover something you'd not previously heard of.
No but Amazon and most mail order websites do.
"buyers who liked this, also liked these: ......."
Actually, iTunes does do that with its Genius Sidebar and in essence it can keep on giving you recommendations on your tunes for many more hours than what a store assistant has time for.
It's simply progress - the cycle of life. For everything that grows, something must die etc etc + all that hippy jive.
by Mr Garvey Feb 28, 2009, 12:42:34 amfunkeh munkeh
by Haych Feb 28, 2009, 11:23:34 amIt's simply progress.
True, but it's a shame that the vinyl dept can't be saved at least (it's very good afterall & serves a definite purpose). A move to smaller premises in a cheaper part of town is plausible surely? Apparently Selectadisc started out as a mere market stall, perhaps a tactical retreat is in order...?
by themn Feb 28, 2009, 04:03:22 pm...and they've got a bob pop-quiz team.
by Lord of the Nish Feb 28, 2009, 04:07:42 pmTestifah!
by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. Feb 28, 2009, 04:11:15 pmA move to smaller premises in a cheaper part of town is plausible surely? Apparently Selectadisc started out as a mere market stall, perhaps a tactical retreat is in order...?
I've heard a genuine rumour that this is what's going to happen, from someone who knows someone who knows someone. No idea if there's any real truth in it though.
by Tramorak Feb 28, 2009, 05:47:30 pmReally sucks balls although I am as guilty as the next person of browsing the racks for an hour and leaving empty handed.
It was pretty much inevitable, given that Sister Ray, probably the biggest "independent" closed it's doors last year. Sadly it seems that the indy record shop will go the way of the dodo.
Ironically, the closure of all of these smaller record shops will lead to an increase in illegal downloading. There are some CD/Album's that I have been able to pick up straight away in Selectadisc that I haven't been able to find online, and I don't even want to get started on HMV.
Sad days indeed.
T.
by d-lusion Feb 28, 2009, 07:26:50 pmA move to smaller premises in a cheaper part of town is plausible surely? Apparently Selectadisc started out as a mere market stall, perhaps a tactical retreat is in order...?
I've heard a genuine rumour that this is what's going to happen, from someone who knows someone who knows someone. No idea if there's any real truth in it though.
be cool if that's the case. a shame to see the place go
by Jared Feb 28, 2009, 07:38:53 pmReally sucks balls although I am as guilty as the next person of browsing the racks for an hour and leaving empty handed.
Ditto. Although i'm more of a 15minutes on my lunch-break kind of guy.
But I popped in today to do my bit and came out with a copy of The Great Rock An Roll Swindle on DVD for �4. There are definitely bargains to be had there right now!!
But it did feel sad going in there today and seeing stuff like the dusty overhead lights (you can see all the dust on the top of them from the stairs to the vinyl) and the stairs to the bottom bit, which used to lead to loads of old tape albums, and thinking that soon this will be no more after being there for my whole youth.
Really hope they do relocate to somewhere else! Will never be the same, but will be good to keep the flag flying somewhere...
by LeftLion Feb 28, 2009, 09:12:50 pmClick here to read this article: Selectadisc: 1966 - 2009
RIP Nottingham\'s best loved music shop
Please use this thread to comment on the above LeftLion article.
by Mr BRJ Mar 01, 2009, 11:18:33 amQuoteAdd to that staff who knew their shit, and if you were ever looking for a certain track or wanted a recommendation, they were always willing to point you in the right direction. And if they didn't have it, they would tell you were to get it. That is customer service.
See, in my experience this translates as pretentious and cleeky. That's why I stopped shopping there years ago.
You know that scene in High Fidelity where Jack Black loses it at a guy when he comes in to get a present for his daughter? I had a similar experience (though not as verbal, more eye rolling and grunting) there once when I asked if they had anything by Dead Prez. Maybe I just always managed to catch people on a bad day. I've since met and been friends with a couple of the staff and they are very nice poeple, but something about standing behind that counter seemed to give them a holier-than-thou attitude that I really didn't like.
Still, sad times though, I did like their second hand shop until it closed.
All my music is now either bought at gigs off the bands themseves (there is nothing nicer than seeing my fiver shoved straight into a band members pocket), online, or second hand. I recently picked up some goodies at a community swap shop which was cool and I think that could be a way forward.
I'm no angel though I admit to downloading stuff for free, Although I have a similar system to floydy, I try to only download stuff by bands who I consider to have reached 'legendary' status - downloaded the entire Beatles back catalog recently, I really don't think Macca needs any more money.
by jonnybulldog Mar 01, 2009, 11:56:17 amAs someone who worked in a independent record shop for a good few years, i do find this thing a crying shame. This country is not going to have any identity left soon.
by windows78 Mar 01, 2009, 12:21:55 pmreal sad news......fingers crossed they can move to a smaller shop and keep the vinyl going. i think selectadisc is a strong brand so has a chance but for any indie shop to continue they really need to have a outstanding online store for both digital/physical stock!
by myhouse-yourhouse Mar 01, 2009, 12:53:57 pmwith this going down the pan, KEEP BUYING VINYL AT THE FOLLOWING PLACES...
Funky Monkey.
Mushi Mushi.
Robs.
Anarchy.
by Basia Zamorska Mar 02, 2009, 06:20:02 amI'm devastated quite frankly. Since I moved to NYC in 1990, one of the greatest pleasures for me during trips home to Nottm was my pilgrimage to Selectadisc, despite some half decent indie stores here, it's just not the same.
I would hold off on buying some new music that I had questions about until I came home, as I trusted Ben the former manager to get me. My friends were jealous that I had this kind of service and that I could browse for as long as I wanted and ask to listen to certain tracks. Nothing compares to this, and the cold transactions that pass for music buying these days...well,it's just not in the same realm of passion is it?
<Add to that staff who knew their shit, and if you were ever looking for a certain track or wanted a recommendation, they were always willing to point you in the right direction. And if they didn't have it, they would tell you were to get it. That is customer service.>
You got that right.
<See, in my experience this translates as pretentious and cleeky. That's why I stopped shopping there years ago.
You know that scene in High Fidelity where Jack Black loses it at a guy when he comes in to get a present for his daughter? I had a similar experience (though not as verbal, more eye rolling and grunting) there once when I asked if they had anything by Dead Prez. Maybe I just always managed to catch people on a bad day. I've since met and been friends with a couple of the staff and they are very nice poeple, but something about standing behind that counter seemed to give them a holier-than-thou attitude that I really didn't like.>
That's very funny, because I grew to love that attitude and fed off it and gave it back, and that's how we became friends. I was afforded the best, most laconic put-down in the 90s, before I knew them, when I walked in and asked for Johnny Panic's When I Drink I Love You More which was a whim purchase that I wanted for the song title alone. The shoe-gazer kid, who may have been Ben, didn't even look up from beneath his perfect indie fringe, pointed to one of his colleagues and flat-lined
"He does pop."
Ouch. I loved all that,it was a game, so big deal. And now it's no more. How very sad.
God damn it.
RIP Sleccy.
by Samyouwell Mar 02, 2009, 12:13:03 pmtoo gutted for words. I just got a new job and was really looking forward to spending some hard earned cash but it closes before my 1st pay packet
by adam Mar 02, 2009, 12:25:24 pmTrue...
It is a very sad day for the city, we have lost/ are loosing a great indy (by this..i mean independent- not whiny, tight jeaned- floppy haired bad musicians type of indy)
music shop that had one of THE finest selctions of soul, funk, hip hop and old and new dance music in various forms upstairs..
However, surely i'm not alone in thinking there were also some proper mardy staff there who probaly didnt do too much to help their sales and reputation in recent years...
Par example...
"Hi mate, could i listen to these two singles please "
- "urmm, yeah..sure..whatever"
"er.. okay thanks (i think)"
short pause
"cool i like this one,but not the other one .. ill just take this please"another short pause
"one sec mate, could i listen to this l.p. too please?"
- "oh my god... like.....god..like cant you read.. we dont let people listen to albums. they have to like just buy them.. even if its shit.. you just have to buy it.
"okay.. i guess i could just like smell the grooves on the vinyl and see if it smells like a good record, or kinda try and read them with my finger tips in a braille sorta fashion"
-"what?"
"nothin mate .. ill just take the single please how much is that?"
(shop keep grunts and mumbles, poor thing he actually had to bear the weight of a WHOLE 12" double loud vinyl on his blue-ish white, skinny wrist. bless)
"5 pounds. like duh...."
"cheers mate - i think... (note to ones self - ebay or boomkat next time me thinks)!!!
Imagine a bar where there were some bar staff like that..
Me and a few friends were very shocked when we found ourselves actually having a good chat with a guy who worked upstairs there once about music even.. and yes ...he let me play an l.p.!... but alas he was new.. and hadn't been "broken in " yet.
So.. (asides one from the well sound lady with the short hair and glasses who worked upstairs for ages.. and was always great to buy music from)
maybe a combination of the selecta-dics (sic) who worked there and the changing face of the music industry, and the change in options for the listener come consumer contributed to the demise of an otherwise great shop...?
Discuss.
by daley thompson Mar 02, 2009, 01:05:31 pmi've always found the staff friendly and helpful
will definitely miss selectadisc for sure
by it's alan Mar 02, 2009, 01:22:19 pmOne thing it lacked was good listening facilities.
I remember Reveal in Derby had about 8 CD listening posts, I don't think Selectadisc had any.
That wouldn't have made a difference to its survival though.
I only shopped in Selectadisc about once a month, but it's a shame to lose it, and it will be missed.
by floydy Mar 02, 2009, 02:26:56 pmI loved selectadisc
have done for about half my life
the good massively outweighs the bad, nothing can be perfect
Since you mention surly staff, I think Ferg was even that grumpy with people he liked. I stuck at it with him though, and eventually began to experience something like - rapport would be too strong, non-ridicule is probably nearer the mark
then, i was about 17, I'd bought Rez, and some other boys own records, Roach Motel* and maybe some Harthouse nonsense
There was a single in the window called Underworld
so I bought it, expecting something like Rez
and got 2 Bad Mice 'Underworld' ep, on moving shadow, by Rob Playford and Goldie, with a Rufige Kru remix
this was before drum and bass, it was a PROPER jungle rekkid
didn't listen to in the shop
Fergus gave us a really strange look
bought it
took it home
just stared at the record player
oh god, I can afford like one single every month, this is RUBBISH. i've bought a hardcore record by accident
none of my friends liked it, I started to love it
Ferg must have known I didn't know
wonder how much it pained him to sell it to me?
maybe he wanted to do me a favour
I'll gladly buy them a beer
it's a vocation, selling records, and not everyone is very good at it, but most of the people I've met that get it...
...have worked there at some point
*Roach Motel - 'your love is the joy, your love's got me movin on...'
by Lord of the Nish Mar 02, 2009, 03:34:56 pmQuoteImagine a bar where there were some bar staff like that..
Yeah, imagine them looking down at you when you point at the spirits shelf and say "Can I have a taste of that...and that...and those?"
by floydy Mar 02, 2009, 03:46:30 pmQuoteImagine a bar where there were some bar staff like that..
Yeah, imagine them looking down at you when you point at the spirits shelf and say "Can I have a taste of that...and that...and those?"
and then leaving
by it's alan Mar 02, 2009, 04:05:13 pmQuoteImagine a bar where there were some bar staff like that..
Yeah, imagine them looking down at you when you point at the spirits shelf and say "Can I have a taste of that...and that...and those?"
Hmmmmm. I see where you're coming from, but its not quite the same, is it?
Clothes shops let you try clothes on.
Car dealers let you test drive.
...etc etc etc...
Like I said elsewhere though; I don't think that having better customer service, or better listening facilities wouldn't have allowed the shop to trade any/much longer, so it's not really an issue.
by 44ton Mar 02, 2009, 04:09:16 pmwas gutted when they closed the second hand selectadisc on bridlesmith gate,all the scribble on the wall going up the stairs,used to work in nonesuch just down the road and spent many a dinner hour rifling through for breakbeats,,in fact i found "ub40 live in ireland" in there,was showing a friend what i'd managed to get and he said that he had taken it in just a week or so before,the front had been coloured in with red pen and it was him that had done it !!,and when arcade records shut down,well!! gutted isnt the word.the only shop in the uk that had a copy of the still unreleased"horns of jerhico" by hijack,a master copy they were selling under the counter,,.thank heaven for robs records,an absolute gem ,,and upstairs is a collectors dream come true,truly a sad time..,
by chris_croc Mar 02, 2009, 08:06:04 pmI used to buy all my CDs there when I was at school, keeping the independent dream alive. I used to go in every Friday afternoon and treat myself to a CD and buy a 7" single in the week. I have not been there for a couple of years, I started to go to Fopp as it was cheap and near my bus stop, I now feel like a traitor.
I used to buy my 7" colored vinyls from the singles shop before that closed and turned into a vintage shop. That was the boom years, when loads of bedroom DJs in the late 90s were spending hundreds of pounds on vinyl. Also I remember the second-hand section downstairs where I bought so many cheap CDs,
I know lots of people knew about the shop and went, but it always felt like your unique secret when you went.
AND I learnt my Vinyl shuffle skills from years of shopping there!!
by floydy Mar 03, 2009, 10:11:10 amAND I learnt my Vinyl shuffle skills from years of shopping there!!
Me too
I remember the first time I flicked through a rack of records with the fingertips of both hands
it was like learning to ollie or skin up
"I ladies and gentlemen, have fucking ARRIVED"
(mastery of the advanced dexterity tests, dictated by cultural association is a big deal. In later years, the ability to chiffonade herbs with a sabatier chef's knife and make a good chapatis and good pizza dough from scratch have replaced joint rolling and high-ollies, I now own a classic saab 900 and stick mainly to a basic 3-rizla arrangement)
by geiom Mar 04, 2009, 10:12:14 amits great to see all the vultures swoop down on the bargains now innit - bet there's a lot of people who have just walked past it for years.
I can imagine half of them are saying 'oh its a shame its closing' ! ?
by Haych Mar 04, 2009, 11:35:22 ambet there's a lot of people who have just walked past it for years.
Most people did apparently.
But isn't that what a closing down sale is all about?
by Metal Monkey Mar 04, 2009, 12:03:51 pmIs the online store going down as well... there doesn't seem to be any news on it.
by seamus flannery Mar 04, 2009, 12:31:16 pmIt's a real shame this place is going. A Nottingham institution immortalised by Oasis, I have spent thousands in here. Although, I found when I finished uni I could no longer really afford to have the mad binges I used to have every Friday afternoon. Also, for US hip-hop the range was limited and if buying in bulk it was a lot cheaper to buy from America itself.
On the subject of rude staff, I have never had any complaints. In fact, there was a girl who worked here who got me in to some good UK hip-hop. 'Fancied her a bit as well.
Thanks Selectadisc for many happy afternoons and for my crates of dust-gathering 12s.
by cheque Mar 04, 2009, 12:38:53 pmFor the best part of three years, I spent almost all my dole money on vinyl in Selecta. They had to keep and destroy my Switch card so many times that it became part of the routine. I feel a bit guilty that since then I've associated the place with financial ruin and kept myself away for my own good (nothing personal Selectees, I kept away from Fopp, Rob's Records, Big Apple, Anarchy, etc. too).
In the LeftLion bi-weekly Email I got yesterday, it had a list of Selectadisc rites of passage. I'd like to add one: the day they let you break the listening limit of ten records at once on the decks.Enough to change your whole opinion of the dubious practice completely...
by Jared Mar 04, 2009, 05:45:43 pmIn the LeftLion bi-weekly Email I got yesterday, it had a list of Selectadisc rites of passage.
Oh yeah. I suppose we should post that up in here too. Author is Al Needham:
LeftLion is still dabbing its tear-stained face with its faded Public Enemy t-shirt over the impending demise of Selectadisc. It was more than a record shop; for many people, it was a departure lounge where you bid goodbye to childhood and were introduced to your adolescence. Here are just a few reasons as to why it was so mint;
Loads of impossibly cool t-shirts hung behind the counter�which you could pretend to check out if you suddenly pussied out of asking if they had the new Matt Bianco 12� in yet.
The Galaxian machine in the basement, circa 1983�which meant you could get your arcade jollies without being hassled by scary lads from the Meadows for your last 10p in Playland.
The first time a member of staff nodded at you when you walked in�as if to say �We accept you. One of us�.
The imports
The Ramones. Purple Rain. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. Criminal Minded. Three Feet High and Rising. All available at Selectadisc weeks before anywhere else.
Being the first shop in the country to have the original version of Evil4Zaggin by NWA�while all the other copies were impounded in Customs and Excise. Meaning that people in Nottingham knew it was a shocking let-down before people in London had ever heard it.
The shop in Soho �that expats could go into whenever they felt homesick � but they still saved their money to come back and buy vinyl at the proper shop.
Appearing on the cover of (What�s The Story) Morning Glory�which made everyone in Notts do a double-take and think �Hang on�when was Market Street so flat?�
The guest appearances
Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, at the height of the Young Ones� success, in cowboy hats and signing other band�s records. The Clash, Paul Weller and Billy Bragg busking amongst the LP racks. Frank Sidebottom leaving the shop and walking back to his hotel on a Saturday afternoon, still wearing his papier mache head.
The footy gear
TOFFs shirts. All the local fanzines � The Almighty Brian, Forest Forever, The Pie, The Tricky Tree. The Bend It! collection. Years before the Three Lions bandwagon.
The fact that it was the best independent shop in the UK, it never gave up on vinyl, and we will almost definitely never see its like again.
Closing sale runs until the end of March.
by Jared Mar 06, 2009, 10:44:26 amAccording to BBC Nottingham Selectadisc might relocate back to a Market Stall in Victoria Market. Which will make Viccy Market even more skill!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2009/03/05/selectadisc_history_feature.shtml
by 诺丁汉 Mar 06, 2009, 11:10:06 amA sad day for Nottingham culture.
Really really sad, this is almost certainly the credit crunch but also Derby & Leicesters new found glory.
by Lord of the Nish Mar 06, 2009, 11:15:42 amActually, it was Fopp. When they shut down, Selectadisc's sales went up. When it reopened, sales went down again.
by 诺丁汉 Mar 06, 2009, 11:23:26 amActually, it was Fopp. When they shut down, Selectadisc's sales went up. When it reopened, sales went down again.
Fopp annoys me so much, it reminds me of a posh kid whos dressed all indy to 'be down with the kids' does anyone realise that its actually HMV in disguiss!?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fopp_(retailer)
by Lord of the Nish Mar 06, 2009, 11:51:19 amFopp is perfect for the times, though. The new music-buying generation wants to be told what to have on its shelves, what books it should have lying about, etc.
The idea of having to put the time in to hone an identity through music-buying has gone. It took me years to track down every Sly and the Family Stone LP - I used to go to record fairs hoping that the first LP would somehow turn up. Nowadays, I could download the lot in less than an hour, listen to them once, and then bury them as far back into an external drive as they would go.
by Jared Mar 06, 2009, 11:58:51 amFopp annoys me so much, it reminds me of a posh kid whos dressed all indy to 'be down with the kids' does anyone realise that its actually HMV in disguiss!?
To be fair to Fopp when they started out they were as independent as Selectadisc. They started in a similar way too - as a market stall - but in Glasgow not Nottingham.
It was only when they fucked it by trying to go over-corporate in 2007 that they went bust. Then HMV came in and bought the name and kept the big stores (like the Notts one open). So you're right that these days it is HMV in disguise - but that hasn't always been the case.
However, their aggressive business tactics against other independent record store are definitely a bit too capitalist for my liking. But it's hard to argue with good albums for �3!
But Selecta will always be in our hearts more than Fopp ever could be, because it was ours! I went in the other day and bought a great album called 'Are You Chilling Bob?' which is a Reggae covers album of Bob Dylan classics. Unlikely to be able to find that sort of thing in HMV or Fopp...
by 诺丁汉 Mar 06, 2009, 12:05:51 pmFopp annoys me so much, it reminds me of a posh kid whos dressed all indy to 'be down with the kids' does anyone realise that its actually HMV in disguiss!?
To be fair to Fopp when they started out they were as independent as Selectadisc. They started in a similar way too - as a market stall - but in Glasgow not Nottingham.
It was only when they fucked it by trying to go over-corporate in 2007 that they went bust. Then HMV came in and bought the name and kept the big stores (like the Notts one open). So you're right that these days it is HMV in disguise - but that hasn't always been the case.
However, their aggressive business tactics against other independent record store are definitely a bit too capitalist for my liking. But it's hard to argue with good albums for �3!
But Selecta will always be in our hearts more than Fopp ever could be, because it was ours! I went in the other day and bought a great album called 'Are You Chilling Bob?' which is a Reggae covers album of Bob Dylan classics. Unlikely to be able to find that sort of thing in HMV or Fopp...
They didn't actually go bust they saw everyone else going bust so they gave-up before they did. Quite responcible really.
by pow Mar 06, 2009, 01:04:54 pmfopp definately went bust mate ...
by Monkey Tennis Mar 06, 2009, 01:59:39 pmA sad day for Nottingham culture.
Really really sad, this is almost certainly the credit crunch but also Derby & Leicesters new found glory.
Derby and Leicester are even worse off than Nottingham. Derby doesn't have any independents left. Leicester has Rockaboom and 2Funky(R&B/Hip Hop).
The crunch happened several years ago for most record shops - downloads and huge online outlets have wiped out over 60% of the UK's independent stores in the last few years.
by it's alan Mar 06, 2009, 02:44:44 pmI guess Reveal Records in Derby has gone too? The old store was better than Selectadisc as well, (before it moved to St Peter's Street).
That's for stuff I wanted to buy...
by jenalex Mar 06, 2009, 03:54:37 pma sad day indeed
i've been shopping in there for over 30 years, from back when they were on goldsmith street and bridlesmith gate, and market street was the new shop filled with arcade machines
it's like when mushroom closed down, another independent cultural centre removed from the city, to be replaced by style bars and bead shops
by Samyouwell Mar 06, 2009, 04:02:45 pmI walked past yesterday and they ere taking the sign down. It brought a tear to my eye...
by Jared Mar 06, 2009, 04:11:03 pmit's like when mushroom closed down, another independent cultural centre removed from the city, to be replaced by style bars and bead shops
That place was very awesome. A shame it closed before I was really old enough and back in Nottingham enough to appreciate it like I would nowadays!
by Monkey Tennis Mar 06, 2009, 04:23:42 pmI guess Reveal Records in Derby has gone too? The old store was better than Selectadisc as well, (before it moved to St Peter's Street).
That's for stuff I wanted to buy...
Reveal was a great shop, it closed down just over a year ago. There's only HMV left in Derby now.
Call me a sad old get but I used to love travelling to a different city to go and hunt out the record shops. We've always been spoilt in Nottm but places like Derby, Leicester and Sheffield used to be great. I spoke to someone from Sheffield recently and they said that there's nothing left up there either.
by jenalex Mar 06, 2009, 04:26:51 pmI spoke to someone from Sheffield recently and they said that there's nothing left up there either.
has rare and racy gone as well then?
by Monkey Tennis Mar 06, 2009, 04:32:08 pmI spoke to someone from Sheffield recently and they said that there's nothing left up there either.
has rare and racy gone as well then?
Not sure about that one. He mentioned that Forever Changes had closed. I remember picking up some great second hand bits in there.
by cheque Mar 06, 2009, 05:57:16 pmI was in Sheffield today and saw that the brilliant Spin City Records, which I used extensively when I was doing my masters, has gone, too.
by Haych Mar 06, 2009, 09:18:06 pmhas rare and racy gone as well then?
It was still there last time I visited Sheffield. Rare & Racy's the perfect example of what independent record shops have to become if they want to survive nowadays I think - lots of strange & obscure 2nd hand music & ephemera & a carefully chosen selection of new stuff that HMV / Fopp wouldn't bothering stocking? A bit like the fantastic Anarchy Records actually...
Sheffield has Jack's too doesn't it? Pretty good if you like that sorta thing (indie & 60s stuff basically).
The prospect of Selectadisc relocating to Victora Market is pretty fucking bizarre but, fuck it, I'm up for it! I wonder what they'd sell though as they'd have to slim their stock w-a-y down?
by myhouse-yourhouse Mar 06, 2009, 11:31:10 pmbig up the anarchy! I went there today and came away with no less than 25 records!!
by Denzileo Mar 07, 2009, 01:05:09 amI went to Selectadisc on Weds, and spent just over �100 on vinyl, something I had been meaning to do before I heard they were closing. Got some fantastic Funk. I like their large selection of vinyl, so many different genres, and hope this bit survives in the Viccy Market.
by daley thompson Mar 07, 2009, 10:04:45 amI loved selectadisc
have done for about half my life
the good massively outweighs the bad, nothing can be perfect
Since you mention surly staff, I think Ferg was even that grumpy with people he liked. I stuck at it with him though, and eventually began to experience something like - rapport would be too strong, non-ridicule is probably nearer the mark
then, i was about 17, I'd bought Rez, and some other boys own records, Roach Motel* and maybe some Harthouse nonsense
There was a single in the window called Underworld
so I bought it, expecting something like Rez
and got 2 Bad Mice 'Underworld' ep, on moving shadow, by Rob Playford and Goldie, with a Rufige Kru remix
this was before drum and bass, it was a PROPER jungle rekkid
didn't listen to in the shop
Fergus gave us a really strange look
bought it
took it home
just stared at the record player
oh god, I can afford like one single every month, this is RUBBISH. i've bought a hardcore record by accident
none of my friends liked it, I started to love it
Ferg must have known I didn't know
wonder how much it pained him to sell it to me?
maybe he wanted to do me a favour
I'll gladly buy them a beer
it's a vocation, selling records, and not everyone is very good at it, but most of the people I've met that get it...
...have worked there at some point
*Roach Motel - 'your love is the joy, your love's got me movin on...'
post of the week
i used to work in record shops for about four years (matlock/derby/birmingham) and the best ever request i got was:
have you got any fat boy's limb?
by Rusty_Trombone Mar 07, 2009, 10:34:02 ambig up the anarchy! I went there today and came away with no less than 25 records!!
Was that because it was all "deep house" and no one listens to that fucking shit??
by daley thompson Mar 07, 2009, 10:46:02 ambig up the anarchy! I went there today and came away with no less than 25 records!!
Was that because it was all "deep house" and no one listens to that fucking shit?
ha ha probably
but seriously, anarchy ROCKS - and i am well pissed off by some rubbish tagger who has written what appears to be 'angela' (?) on the shop front
by Yassa Mar 09, 2009, 08:43:00 am
by myhouse-yourhouse Mar 09, 2009, 11:23:06 ambig up the anarchy! I went there today and came away with no less than 25 records!!
Was that because it was all "deep house" and no one listens to that fucking shit?
yea i bought it specifically to annoy you.
but there was plenty of blue note, the warriors soundtrack, portishead, grey boy, plantinum pied pipers, doobie brothers....etc etc
by Lord of the Nish Mar 13, 2009, 12:26:16 amToday's Guardian;QuoteSleccy's vinyl countdown
Mike Atkinson on the rise and fall of Selectadisc, a much-loved institution in Nottingham since 1966
Every city deserves a great record shop: as hang-out for the cognoscenti, learning centre for the novitiate, and focal point for the local scene. Since 1966, Nottingham's music lovers have congregated in Selectadisc - a much-loved institution, widely regarded as one of the country's best. Two weeks ago, to general gasps of dismay, the store announced it would close at the end of March. Although we knew times were hard for independent music retailers, few imagined that good old "Sleccy", of all places, would go under. Then again, how many of us were still pushing money over its counter on a regular basis? As with so many revered institutions, we had taken it for granted for too long.
Selectadisc began life as a market stall, before moving to tiny, condemned premises - with cheap rent to match - on the edge of Nottingham. Before long, owner Brian Selby spotted an opportunity to corner the market in Northern Soul rarities. Opening a "soul cellar" below the main shop, he traded in US imports and UK repressings, offering unmatchable bargains to Midlands soul fans - including a young Pete Waterman, who travelled up frequently from Coventry. A mail-order business followed, along with a record label (Black Magic), which licensed reissues of Northern Soul floor-fillers. Its biggest release, Papa Oom Mow Mow by the Sharonettes, briefly grazed the top 30 in 1975.
By the early 1980s, Selectadisc had graduated to the city centre. In late 1983, Selby bought a dilapidated reggae club in the old Lace Market, relaunching it as the Garage: a hip alternative to the chrome-plated, smart-dress-enforced pick-up joints of the day. Needing someone to play records in the upstairs bar on opening night, Selby press-ganged a young Selectadisc sales assistant called Graeme Park, at under a day's notice. Park's 25-year reputation as an international house DJ was founded at the Garage. Two years ahead of the 1988 "Summer of Love", he spearheaded the introduction of Chicago house into the UK, before graduating to the Hacienda in Manchester. "If it wasn't for Selectadisc, I would never have become a DJ", he says today.
The club's success fed back into the shop, which soon opened a dedicated singles store. Where soul DJs had once cursed Selectadisc for undercutting the value of their rarities, hordes of aspiring bedroom DJs were now flicking through its racks of 12in vinyl - a format the store never abandoned.
"I've always stuck with vinyl," says the current store manager, Jim Cooke. "During the 1990s, I remember going down and talking to people at Warner Brothers when I was trying to get a load of John Coltrane and Charlie Mingus reissued. They just thought: you're a fucking idiot from the sticks. And I proved them wrong. I've talked to EMI, and got Morrissey and Blur albums repressed. I also did a lot of work with Gordon Montgomery, who owned Fopp. The two of us used to work together in getting things reissued."
Ironically, the Nottingham opening of Fopp in 2001 marked the beginning of the end for Selectadisc. Hoovering up the "50-quid bloke" market, Fopp effectively beat Selectadisc at its oldest game: sourcing and discounting overstocks, deletions and cheap imports. When Fopp went into administration in 2007, Selectadisc's profits briefly bounced back up, only to slump again when the Nottingham Fopp was one of six stores in the chain reopened by HMV.
For 18 months, Sleccy soldiered on, "more as a social service than as a normally functioning business", as current owner Phil Barton admits. But squeezed between the defecting 50-quidsters, the convenience of online retailers, and the general decline of recorded music sales, it was living on borrowed time. Now that time has been called, the punters have come flooding back - but you'll still struggle to find anyone in there under the age of 30.
"I had two kids, two weeks ago, come into me", says Cooke. "They were doing a business studies course at the local university. One of them said, 'Why is your shop geared to classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull?' I said, 'When did you last buy a CD?' And he said, 'Six years ago.' So I said, 'Well, there's your fucking answer, mate.'"
by seamus flannery Mar 13, 2009, 12:42:00 amI hate the flippin' Guardian.
by Monkey Tennis Mar 13, 2009, 12:36:31 pmI hate the flippin' Guardian.
Why?
I think it's great that one of the national newspapers has covered this. They also did a great article about the demise of independent record stores a couple of years ago.
I can't think of any other national newspaper that would cover anything like this. Most are too busy spouting shite about immigration or hooded yoofs.
by jenalex Mar 13, 2009, 04:43:59 pmI was just about to post that article
by shifter Mar 15, 2009, 03:04:56 am
yea i bought it specifically to annoy you.
but there was plenty of blue note, the warriors soundtrack, portishead, grey boy, plantinum pied pipers, doobie brothers....etc etc
can you put that back please, im going digging on saturday, cheers
by Tramorak Mar 24, 2009, 10:30:45 amSorry to bring this thread back to life, but I have just truly realised how much I am going to miss Selectadisc.
Yesterday was the first new release of the year that I wanted to own in a physical format and Selectadisc would normally be my first port of call. As it stands we have Fopp and HMV, which, as two sides of the same coin, is only giving an impression of having any choice at all.
I spend 20 minutes or so browsing the CDs in what is left of selectadisc desperately trying to find something to buy, but to no avail. In my current state, both financial and residential, I just can't do vinyl so I kept well away. The stock has been completely raped.
The biggest loss is going to be in back catalogues. Fopp has a reasonable selection of older stuff, but by no means exhaustive while HMV is much more geared towards DVD/Games than Music sales.
Here's hoping that the Viccy market proposal goes ahead. For now I guess a visit to Anarchy is in order.
T.
by pow Mar 24, 2009, 10:48:13 amlast day saturday
lots of 12"s upstairs are a quid now .. fill yer credit crunched boots
by khongor Mar 30, 2009, 10:31:53 amAnd goodnight.
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Selectadisc-shuts-doors-final-time/article-853741-detail/article.html
Out of respect for the venerable institution, I shall refrain from explaining my emotional state via a frowny emoticon.
by Haych Mar 30, 2009, 08:09:48 pmWhile we're on the subject... don't HMV essentially own Waterstone's too? Pretty weird if so, considering how cheap Fopp are chucking books out for at the mo'...
by seamus flannery Mar 31, 2009, 03:00:15 pmIf they're closing down on Saturday, why is a second hand Janet Jackson single still �2.99?
I may have to pillage the vinyl section on Friday. Payday!
by myhouse-yourhouse Mar 31, 2009, 03:04:47 pmit's closed already innit??
by seamus flannery Mar 31, 2009, 03:16:45 pmit's closed already innit??
Ahhhhh! I gets! I've been away for a while, and didn't notice that when someone on this thread said it closes on Saturday, the post was from March 24th!
by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. Mar 31, 2009, 04:00:41 pmSigns up in the window today saying that Selectadisc will be re-opening soon under new ownership.
Anyone got any more info on this?
by khongor Mar 31, 2009, 04:04:19 pmI think they mean the new one-room Selectadisc they're looking to start in a different location. (Jim the longtime manager has kept rights to the name.)
by aldino2 Apr 17, 2009, 02:54:38 pmback soon, but jim-less
