Record Store Day

As each successive Record Store Day becomes more popular than the last, I find myself, once a year, in the odd position of having the shops I worked in so many years ago (my own and that of a small chain), occasionally mentioned in passing on the radio or online, indeed both got a nod on Steve Lamacq's show this week. I still remember many of the long gone locations where I made my all-important early vinyl purchases in the 1970's and it's quite touching that I, and my fellow former retailers in sound, are sometimes remembered with similar affection.

I can't make it to a shop to celebrate this year's Record Store Day, so I've been having a rummage through what's left of my own, once large, record collection to mark the day with a couple of fine slabs of vinyl from the Swede archives.

'No Time For Talk' is the first track from a 1983 5 song 12" EP by The Box, an off-shoot of Clock DVA. Tremendously angular stuff. I was so blown away with this EP on release that I actually wrote to the band, in a state of high excitement, singing their praises. To my surprise they sent me a long handwritten letter back, even inviting me to introduce myself if I ever made it to one of their shows, which I unfortunately never did manage to do.

'Love' by Orchestre Jazira just turned up in a new release box one day in 1984 and after a single play I knew I had to have it. The record has been with me ever since and the two tracks on the 12" remain the only ones I've heard by the band. 'Love' is a fabulously infectious tune that comes in at just over 6 minutes, but wouldn't overstay it's welcome if it was double that length.

To those of you who will be up and about early to join the queues - happy hunting. But please remember, a record store is for life, not just for record store day.