Defunct House & Garage Record shops in London

[davedoublem]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to put together some details regarding the defunct record shops within London, that were known for selling House & Garage vinyl (especially the early UK Garage sound), when the scene started growing. Any shops that were around mid 90's through to the early 2000's and have since closed down. These might have been places you have fond memories of visiting to spend your hard earned cash.

If you can give a name and location it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[stethoscope]

Pure Groove in Archway - without a doubt the big one in the late 90s/early 00s house/ukg and associated with Locked On - Pure Groove

Big Apple in Croydon - instrumental in that dark garage into early dubstep era - Big Apple Records

Blackmarket in Soho - most commonly known for jungle/d'n'b but was certainly important on the house and garage tip too especially as Azuli was run out the shop - Black Market Records (4)

 

[danski]

City Sounds, Proctor St. WC1

Moved later to Farringdon, somewhere (only went once there)

Used to go for hardcore/ rave early 90s. Ray Keith worked there back then. Saw a lot of big hitters in there. Even Paul Smith, buying music for a fashion show.

After the rave madness fizzled for me, I started looking for a deeper, houser vibe. Got it in spades there.
All the US imports. Todd Terry was my new god (although he was always high up there)

There stuff online about Dave Silby who ran (owned?) it.

This is from the Farringdon shop -

 

[DaveCinzano]

Dug Out was a dingy side room in Elpees in Orpington, specialising in House mainly, I think

Elpees/Dug Out

Name: Ken Shabby … Comment: I used to buy from Elpees (I think) in North Heath. There was also a shop in Erith if you were desperate.

www.britishrecordshoparchive.org

 

[stethoscope]

Yes! City Sounds, forgot about them - City Sounds danski

 

[spitfire]

Not so much garage but house/trance/techno

Tag Records

Choci's Chewns

Both Soho.

Bit of garage, lots of house and breakbeat

Bar Vinyl - Camden. Martin Moveya on Facebook has loads of pictures if you can find him.

 

[Spandex]

Blackmarket in Soho - most commonly known for jungle/d'n'b but was certainly important on the house and garage tip too especially as Azuli was run out the shop - Black Market Records (4)

The UKG was downstairs at Blackmarket around 2000 when it was at its peak. Big scrum at the counter on a Saturday, trying to grab the attention of the people who worked there, what's that 12" that people are clamouring over? They used super sticky labels on the sleeves that I could never peel off. Still can't:

Big Apple in Croydon - instrumental in that dark garage into early dubstep era - Big Apple Records

Was a great shop. I used to get the train down to Croydon from Brixton just to go there:


There was an excellent small shop round the corner from Clapham North. No idea what it's called now or what road it was on, mainly techno and breakbeat, but it had an amazing UKG section with 12"s I never saw anywhere else.

 

[Ted Striker]

City Sounds, Proctor St. WC1

Moved later to Farringdon, somewhere (only went once there)

Used to go for hardcore/ rave early 90s. Ray Keith worked there back then. Saw a lot of big hitters in there. Even Paul Smith, buying music for a fashion show.

After the rave madness fizzled for me, I started looking for a deeper, houser vibe. Got it in spades there.
All the US imports. Todd Terry was my new god (although he was always high up there)

There stuff online about Dave Silby who ran (owned?) it.

This is from the Farringdon shop -

Nothing to do with record shops, soz, but still the greatest moment in all UKG'ers hearts (from the same visit)



Playing Fabric next weekend too

 

[stethoscope]

Love this old pirate studio clip

 

[Elpenor]

Dug Out was a dingy side room in Elpees in Orpington, specialising in House mainly, I think

Elpees/Dug Out

Name: Ken Shabby … Comment: I used to buy from Elpees (I think) in North Heath. There was also a shop in Erith if you were desperate.

www.britishrecordshoparchive.org

I remember seeing that when I went in Elpees as a teenager - I think

 

[Ming]

I was going to say Shades but that was pure rock.

 

[ska invita]

Not mentioned yet

Unity on Beak Street Soho had good UKG selection
For deeper/jazzier house Release The Groove on Denman Street had interesting bits
Good mix with a specialism in 90s tech house was Swag in Croydon

...there must've been some proper east london and deep west london ukg shops...??

I wonder when Boogie Times ROmford shut? If they made it through the 90s I bet they wouldve stocked UKG

 

[rubbershoes]

City Sounds, Proctor St. WC1

Moved later to Farringdon, somewhere (only went once there)

Used to go for hardcore/ rave early 90s. Ray Keith worked there back then. Saw a lot of big hitters in there. Even Paul Smith, buying music for a fashion show.

After the rave madness fizzled for me, I started looking for a deeper, houser vibe. Got it in spades there.
All the US imports. Todd Terry was my new god (although he was always high up there)

There stuff online about Dave Silby who ran (owned?) it.

This is from the Farringdon shop -

Used to go there at lunchtimes. I was always more on the house tip but the guy there said he was going to turn me into a garage fan. Dear reader, he failed.

 

[ddraig]

There was a shop Kent way that had a few garage tunes, can't remember name, bought a few jungle/dnb tunes in there and remember seeing igloo in the rack above counter

 

[skyscraper101]

Uptown Records on D'Arblay Street was a favourite of mine

"Uptown Records" - 3 D'Arblay Street, Soho, London - Electric Soul Show

www.electricsoulshow.com

 

[danski]

Not mentioned yet

Unity on Beak Street Soho had good UKG selection
For deeper/jazzier house Release The Groove on Denman Street had interesting bits
Good mix with a specialism in 90s tech house was Swag in Croydon

...there must've been some proper east london and deep west london ukg shops...??

I wonder when Boogie Times ROmford shut? If they made it through the 90s I bet they wouldve stocked UKG

Dj Operator (as in Baffled and Operator) used to go to somewhere in Bethnal Green. Name is on the tip of my tongue.
Operator is another Thanet bloke.

 

[Supine]

Google Soho Record Store Map for a big list of shops that are or were available in the west end.

 

[Callie]

Wax city in Croydon

 

[stethoscope]

Dj Operator (as in Baffled and Operator) used to go to somewhere in Bethnal Green. Name is on the tip of my tongue.

Not Total Music? I used to go there occasionally in 93 for hardcore/jungle.

 

[stethoscope]

Uptown Records on D'Arblay Street was a favourite of mine

I was trying to think of Uptown - Uptown Records (22) last night and could I?!

 

[stethoscope]

Not mentioned yet
Unity on Beak Street Soho had good UKG selection

I wonder when Boogie Times Romford shut? If they made it through the 90s I bet they wouldve stocked UKG

I wondered about Unity - I think the last time I went was in 95 to pick up Mash Dem Down!

Have a feeling Boogie Times might have closed by mid 90s, that said, Dan Donnelly started up house/garage label Quench Recordings towards the end of Sub Base days.

 

[stethoscope]

I don't know whether Music Power - Music Power Records stocked house/garage by mid-late 90s into early 00s but presume it would have done, its always been a central part of dance music scenes.

 

[danski]

Chuffed is an understatement.
Found this when going through some old shit.

 

[RevolutionSound]

Swag in Croydon, for that deep tech-house sound (when tech-house wasn't a dirty word)