Hello friends! Join us for the second VoxStock Summer Solstice Fayre with 11 acts spread over two venues over a (bound to be) sunny afternoon in fashionable Stockbridge. The running order is below. Any changes will be announced on the event page and on the shop social media – @voxboxmusic
Curated by Dom who has been powering VoxBox along for almost two years now, these are all top drawer musicians playing a FREE event designed to spread some Summer cheer and celebrate St. Stephen Street and the Scottish & Edinburgh grass roots music scene.
Do let us know if you are coming and please share among friends. This is family and dog friendly community event although The Last Word can’t have children under 5.
RSD is Saturday April 20th. We are having a party. We open at 0800. Live music down the road from just after 1100 and continues until 6pm. The sun will shine and we should have a lot of fun. Wrap up warm in the morning though.
Our dedicated webpage with full details can be found here:
All artists that are performing have a release of some kind and many on vinyl. Please show your support of the local scene and have a look/listen.
A list of the 300+ titles we have is here. We have plenty 1975, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Blur and so on and maybe enough Kate Bush and David Byrne/Paramore to last an hour.
Despite ordering almost all the popular titles, a flaw in one major distributor’s system led to some numbers being very low or not fulfilled at all. Sorry, it couldn’t be helped at our end.
We do not have any of these: Emma Bunton, Catfish, Def Leppard, John Lennon 6515183, Paul Weller, OMD, Pulp, SEB/South Park/S Wilson, Offspring, Blue Note Reimagined.
Very low numbers: Bill Evans, David Sylvian, Noah K/Olivia R, John Lennon – 6517063, Soft Cell, Thin Lizzy, The Cure, Sex Pistols, Pearl Jam.
We also don’t have Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Dandy Warhols, Shed Seven and The Telescopes. It’s only records right? Right?
Some other titles were rejected as unlikely to sell due to either obscurity or the price. Full transparency… the shop mark-up is 30-40% on RSD releases. As always, it isn’t so much about the RSD records but the music community I think. It is always a pleasure to put on the street event and to keep it free. It takes a lot of organising. Thanks Andy! (Gerry Loves Records – A tiny DIY record label in Scotland).
Phew! I have not found an easier way but the list has been finally typed out below.
Firstly, the shop RSD web page is up and running for a full overview of the event itself. www.voxboxmusic.co.uk/rsd
All of the 10 showcased artists have new or recent releases for sale. And of course, the 2 books will be available to buy and be signed by the authors.
We have a wee stall raising money for Scott Hutchison’s charity Tiny Changes. Please stop by and say hi, donate some money or buy some of the merch.
Updates ahead of the day will be posted on the Facebook Event page.
Other updates on Twitter, Instagram and maybe even TikTok – all @voxboxmusic. Unboxing is a thing? Wow…
The VoxBox Record store day list is below. It’s a LOT of vinyl but it is not all of the releases. – we list by first letter of artist/band/composer name. eg Ennio Morricone will be under ‘E’.
-The compilations and some soundtracks will be under V/A for Various Artists.
-Soundtracks are under the composer, not the title. Search for OST. (Original Sound Track)
Try pressing Control and F together to be able to search. But also, please ask.
Sorry, we didn’t order Bluey as it was ridiculously expensive. Likewise, Bros When WilI I be Famous and a few others. We are not music snobs at all but surely no-one wants this and we don’t want to be stuck with them.
We do have plenty Taylor Swift albums and will be cheapest in the UK for these.
A reminder -don’t queue at the shop at 21 St Stephen Street. The records will be in St Vincent’s Chapel – the smaller church at the end of our street. So queue there. We open at 0800. I’ll be there at 0700 and we will get you some hot drinks.
Live music starts at 1100 and the bar opens then. Bring your family. Kids aren’t allowed in the bar area.
The St Vincent’s pub next door to the chapel serve light snacks and are allowing access to their facilities. It can get very busy. Please be considerate. You all know the deal. We are still aware of covid. Please don’t come if you have symptoms. However, the chapel is large, well ventilated and we are using HEPA air filters.
Thank you for shopping with us throughout the year(s). It is always a real pleasure to put this event on. See you soon.
Darren, Dom and Adam
1975 Live With the BBC Symphony Orchestra -vinyl • A Flock of Seagulls B-Sides & Rarities • Acid Mothers Temple Paralysed Brain • Adicts Fifth Overture • Al Wilson Weighing In • Alex Chilton Live at Anvers • Ali Farka Toure Green • Alison Goldfrapp Remix EP • Alison Moyet The Other Live Collection • Altered Images Clara Libre • Althea and Donna Uptown Top Ranking • Amorphous Androgenous (Future Sounds of London) Tales of Ephidrina -vinyl • Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Live at Jazz Workshop 1970 • Bardo Pond Peel Sessions • Bastille MTV Unplugged • Beach House Become • Belinda Carlisle Remixes • Bert Jansch Toy Balloon • Bert Jansch When The Circus Comes to Town • Bevis Frond Hit Squad • Bill Nelson’s Red Noise Live at the Montfort Hall • Billy Joel Live at the Great American Music Hall • Björk Ovule (Sega Bodega Remix) • Black Keys Live at Beachland Tavern • Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live at Levitation • Black Sabbath Never Say Die! • Blitz Vega Strong Forever • Blur Presents the Special Collector’s Edition • Bob Marley & The Wailers Mr Chatter Box • Bob Marley and the Wailers Stir it Up Alternate Jamaican/ Instrumental • Born Heller S/T • Brian Eno FOREVERANDEVERMORE (Bonus Content) • Carl Cox & Juan Atkins Deep Space X • Carole King The Legendary Demos • Carter USM 30 Something • Celeste Lately EP • Cesária Évora / Radio Mindelo (Early Recordings) • Charlie Parker Afro Cuban Bop -The Long-Lost Bird Live Recordings • Chet Baker Chet (Mono) • Chet Baker The 1979 Vara Studio Sessions • Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers • Come – Gently Down the Stream • Confidence Man RE-TILT • Cranberries Wake Up + Smell the Coffee • Cure Show- Live • Darren Hayman Lido • David Bowie LAUGHING WITH LIZA – THE VOCALION AND DERAM SINGLES 1964-1967 • David Byrne The Complete Score From “The Catherine Wheel” • David Shire OST The Conversation • Death Fate: The Best of Death • Delines Night Away Comes • Dermot Kennedy Sonder (Exclusive Pic Disc) • Dirty Projectors & Björk Mount Wittenburg Ora • Dizzy Gillespie Quintet Live in Las Vegas 1963 • Dodie Hot Mess EP • Dolly Parton The Monument Singles Collection 1964-1968 • Duran Duran Carnival Rio! • Durutti Column Treatise on the Steppenwolf • Dusty Springfield Cameo • Echo & The Bunnymen Peel Session 1997 • Ellie Goulding Halcyon – 10th Anniversary 2LP Deluxe Edition • Elton John Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player • Elvis Presley Burning Love – The RCA Rehearsals • Emerson, Lake & Palmer Brain Salad Surgery • Ennio Morricone Senza Sapere Niente di Lei [Segreto #5] • Ernest Ranglin Below the Bassline • Essential Logic Beat Rhythm News • Etta Marcus Heart-Shaped Bruise • Experimental Audio Research Mesmerised • Fall Live 1977 • Flash & the Dynamics The New York Sound • Fleetwood Mac Albatross • Flowers of Hell Odes • Foals Life is Yours (Life is Dub) • Frank Black Live 2006 • Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes • Frank Turner Tape Deck Heart • Frankie and the Witch Fingers ZAM • Fred Davis & The Blues Express S/T • Future Sounds of London Life in Moments • Garbage Witness to Your Love EP • Gaz Coombes Turn the Track Around • Generation X S/T • Geraint Watkins In a Bad Mood • Giant Sand Center of the Universe • Gong Angel’s Egg • Graham Bonnet Line-Up • Grateful Dead Boston Garden 5/7/77 • Groove Armada Black Light • Groundhogs Crosscut Saw • GTR S/T • Hal Blaine Psychedelic Percussion • Half Japanese The Band That Would Be King • Happy Mondays Balearic Beats • Hawkwind Iron Dream Live 1977 • Heidi Berry Below the Waves • Heidi Berry FireFly • Heroin Discography • Hoax So What • Honey Bane Violence Grows • Jah Thomas Tribute to Reggae King Bob N Marley • Jah Wobble • James Bernard OST The Devil Rides Out • Jamiroquai Live at Maida Vale • Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires The Sound Emporium EP • Jazz Artist Guild Newport Rebels • Jazz Butcher Dr Chomondley Repents • Jerry Lee Lewis Live at the Palomino Club • Jessie Ware Free Yourself 7” • Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Up Your Alley • Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros Streetcore • John Lunn & Eivør The Last Kingdom – Destiny is All • John Massoni with Sonic Boom Think of Me When You Hear Waves • John Powell How to Train Your Dragon 2 OST • Jonathan Richman Jonathan Goes Country • Jorja Smith & Joy Orbison Rose Rouge • Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos, Mauricio Maestro Visions of Dawn • Kae Tempest Nice Idea EP • Kasabian Rocket Fuel • Keith Richards Vintage Vinos • Koko Taylor I Got What it Takes • Lacuna Coil Dark Adrenaline • Lacuna Coil Shallow Life • Laibach Nova Akropola • Landscape From the Tearooms of Mars • Leftfield Version Excursion • Liminanas & David Menke Thatcher’s Not Dead (OST) • London Grammar If You Wait • Loyle Carner Yesterday’s Gone • M.E.B. That You Not Dare To Forget • M/Robin Scott Muzik/Baby Close the Window • Madness I do Like to be B-side the A-Side • Madonna American Life Mix Show Mix • MAL-ONE Punk Rock Pictures on My Wall • Mansun Before the Grey Lantern • Marc Almond Fantastic Star • Marcel King Reach For Love – Singles 1983-88 • March Violets Made Glorious • Maria McKee Late December Live Acoustic • Marianne Faithfull A Secret Life Vinyl • Mars Volta Frances The Mute + The Widow -Live • Marvin Gaye & Shorty Long This Love Starved Heart of Mine 7” • Max Romeo Every Man Ought to Know • Metronomy Small World Special Edition • Midlake Live at The Roundhouse • Mike Oldfield OPUS ONE • Mikey Dread/ Edi Fitzroy / Original General / Queen Of Harlesden (10inch coloured) RSD23 • Motley Crue Helter Skelter • Motörhead Lost Tapes Vol:4 • Mozzy Bladadah • Mr Benn The Music • Muddy Waters Hollywood Blues Summit • NAS Made You Look: God’s Son Live 2002 • Nino Rota/Carmine Coppola OST The Godfather Suite • Ocean Colour Scene Besides, Seasides and Freerides • OFF! FLSD EP • Oh Sees Smote Reverser (Golden Fleece Edition) • Ol’ Dirty Bastard Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version • Orville Peck Broco • Paul McCartney Red Rose Speedway Half-Speed Mastered • Paul Simpson Astral Girl EP • Pearl Jam Give Way • Pearls Before Swine Balaklava • Pere Ubu Raygun Suitcase • Peter Tosh Live & Dangerous: Boston 1976 • Pixies Demos • Pixies Doolittle Live in Brussels 2009 • Pogues The Stiff Records B-Sides 1984-87 • Poison Girls Hex • Police Every Breath You Take • Porcupine Tree IA / DW / XT • Porridge Radio 7 Seconds/ • Prodigy Invaders Must Die Remixes • Ramones Pleasant Dreams -New York Sessions • Republica Speed Ballads • Rich Kids Ghosts of Princes in Towers • Rolling Stones Beggar’s Banquet • Sam Fender Wild Grey Ocean/Little Bit of Blithe 7” • Sam Smith Unholy • Schleimer K S/T • Sea Power Everthing Was Forever • Selecter Live at the NEC 1980 • Self Esteem Compliments Please • Sheena Easton The Essential 7” Singles • Sigur Ros Kveikur • Simple Minds Neapolis • Siouxsie & the Banshees A Kiss in the Dreamhouse • Sisters of Mercy The Reptile House EP • Six by Seven System One • Slade Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply • Slits Rough Cut • Smoke It’s Smoke Time • Snapped Ankles Blurtations • Soft Cell Light Sleepers • Sonny Stitt Boppin’ in Baltimore • Sonny Stitt The Bubba’s Sessions • Soul Asylum MTV Unplugged • Soweto Kinch & LSO White Juju • Spectrum and Silver Apples A Lake of Teardrops • Stairsteps (aka The Five Stairsteps) 2nd Resurrection • Stetsasonic In Full Gear • Stevie Nicks Bella Donna Live 1981 • Stewart Copeland Klark Kent • Suede The “Suede” Demos LP • Suggs and Paul Weller OOH DO U FINK U R • Suicide Way of Life – The Rarities • Sun Ra Haverford College 1980 • Sunn 0))) and Boris Altar • Supergrass St. Petersburg • Suzi Quatro S/T • Swell Maps C21 Polar Regions • Sylvie Vartan Salut les Copains! Beginnings of YE-YE! • T. Rex Rockin’ & Rollin’ • Taylor Swift folklore: the long pond studio sessions • Tears For Fears Saturnine Martial & Lunatic • Ted Nugent Nuge Vault VOL 1 • Telescopes Hungry Audio Tapes • Terry Callier Hidden Conversations • The Dismemberment Plan Change • The Nightingales Out of True • Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous – Hammersmith 1986 • Tori Amos Little Earthquakes Rarities • Travis The Invisible Band (Live) • Tricky Pre-Millennium Tension • U2 Two Hearts Beat as One/Sunday Bloody Sunday White 12” + Poster EP • Una Luz Y El Zigui Buenos Días Juventud • Unloved Killing Eve’r “Ode to the Lovers” • V/A (Mike D) Brazil 45 Boxset Vol.4 • V/A Akilla’s Escape OST • V/A Behind the Dykes 3 (Beat Blues and Psychedelic Nuggets) • V/A Bossa Nova at Carnegie Hall • V/A Chicago Soul ‘67 • V/A Jazz Dispensary: Hotel Jolie Dame • V/A Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage • V/A Lee Hazlewood Fools, Rebel Rousers & Girls on Death Row • V/A Memphis Soul ‘69 • V/A Mighty Instrumentals R&B Style 1962 • V/A Monsters, Vampires, Voodoos & Spooks • V/A Nuggets 50th Anniversary Box • V/A Psyche France Vol 8 • V/A Reggae Specials Beatles Reggae Vol.2 • V/A Ska La-Rama • V/A Soho Scene ’62 Vol. 1 (Jazz Goes Mod) • V/A Soho Scene ’62 Vol. 2 (Jazz Goes Mod) • V/A Soul Jazz Records Presents 200% Dynamite! Ska, Soul, Rocksteady etc • V/A Soul Jazz Records Presents GIPSSY RHUMBA • V/A Soul Jazz Records Presents Holy Church of the Ecstatic Soul • V/A Soul Jazz Records Presents New York Noise • V/A Soul Jazz Records Presents STUDIO ONE SKA • V/A West Coast Soul ‘67 • Violent Femmes S/T Pic Disc • Virgin Prunes The Debut EPs • White Town Women in Technology • Wilco Crosseyed Strangers: An Alternate Yankee Hotel Foxtrot • X-Press 2 Lazy/Kill 100 • Yard Act 100% Endurance (Elton John Version) • YES Live at Knoxville Civic Auditorium
And if that isn’t enough, we’ll have these on the go playing as many bangers that we can from 0800-1100 until the live music begins.
The annual Record Store Day event hosted by the VoxBox Music team. Thanks for shopping with us through the year. We have a fantastic event for you! Featuring Live Music from artists in the local and national scene. All ten artists (and 2 authors) have new releases and for many, this will be the first time the songs will have been played live.
1400 BOOK Hungry Beat – The Scottish Independent Underground Pop Movement (1977-1984) by Grant McPhee & Douglas MacIntyre (White Rabbit Books) – Interview by Neil Cooper https://www.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/…/hun…/9781399600248/
List of the Record Store Day records is here: https://recordstoreday.co.uk/We will have a list of what we have soon. We have hired St Vincent’s Chapel again and will have a pop up RSD shop, licensed bar and live music inside. Shop opens at 0800 on the day, Live music is from 1100 until 1810. The normal shop on 21 St Stephen Street isn’t big enough for all of this but will be open from 0800 selling our usual beauties and directing people to St Vincent’s just up the road. It’s free, child and dog friendly and quite simply a nice day out. Support your local scene. Join us. Come to Stockbridge. Have fun.
The nice people that run Classic Album Sundays came to film us last year for the return of the lovely Behind The Counter series. This is a series of short interviews with the nice people that own and run record shops and include mostly those that you may not have heard of before. It is a very worthy project and I enjoyed spending an afternoon with 2 nice young chaps.
So cue lots of filming of record shop stuff. Looking at records, handling records, putting the needle on records and so on. Loads of footage taken over 3 hours, the cameraman whizzing around. I suppose that this was so that they know they will have enough to edit it together into something that will look good. The outtakes would be good blackmail material.
And it came out pretty well. So thank you to them. It is sponsored by B&W speakers so thanks to them too for helping this series carry on.
Not shown in the footage are the heroes of the shop at the moment; VoxBox Adam who is ordering in some lovely esoteric records, both reissues and new releases; and VoxBox Dom who is a second hand expert and has tidied up the front shop and added a wee touch of professionalism, a record cleaning machine and vintage hi-fi.
It was filmed on a Monday afternoon. I had just finished working a hospital an on-call from 7pm Friday, working two 12 hour weekend days and ending at 9am Monday. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that The Beatles should not really be above the Scottish Indie section but nobody’s perfect.
Record shop work is much more fun than that, so I’ve reduced the on-call commitment and we are looking forward to putting together a nice RSD event on Saturday 22nd April at St Vincent’s Chapel with the RSD records and better than that, a full day of live music and family friendly good vibes.
Thanks as always to those that come in. Adam told me the other day on the anniversary of Ivor Cutler’s birthday, a customer told a wee story of how they were taught by the great man. On the first day of his class the topic was ‘How to Walk Like an American”. Made me smile. I love the stories… Keep sharing.
We’re on Instagram @voxboxmusic, Twitter @voxboxmusic and at facebook.com/voxboxmusic.
Phew. There must be an easier way. The VOXBOX Record store day list is below. – we list by first letter of artist/band name -Various Artists and Soundtracks are listed separately at the bottom. Try pressing Control and F together to be able to search.
Sorry, we didn’t The Prodigy due to a mistake at the distributor. We’ve 15 Taylor Swift singles. Not enough of The Streets or Simple Minds. My our rep at on smaller distributor was off sick and we missed out on a small number of titles unfortunately including The Jonny Trunk Record Bag book which I quite fancied myself.
A reminder -don’t queue at the shop. The records will be in St Vincent’s Chapel at the end of our street. So queue there. We open at 0800. I’ll be there at 0700 and we will get you some hot drinks.
We are still encouraging masks. The chapel is well ventilated and are using HEPA filters. Don’t come if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
Live music starts at 1130 and the bar opens then. Bring your kids. The St Vincent’s pub next door to the chapel serve light snacks and are allowing access to their facilities.
See you tomorrow, Darren, Andy, Jamie and Adam.
50 Foot Wave -both releases The Academic Ace of Base Ade & Connan Mockasin Alice in Chains America Alternates Amy Michelle Angelo Badalamenti Art Pepper ASIA XXX Associates Covers Azymuth Bad Company Belinda Carlisle Bernard Butler Betty Davis Bill Evans Birds -singles box Bleeding Hearts Blondie Sunday Girl Blur Bobbi Humphrey Bob Dylan -Talkin’ New York Brian Bennett Bring Me The Horizon Bruno Nicolai Buena Vista Social Club Camera Obscura Ceyleib People Charles Mingus Chicago At Carnegie Childish Gambino Chrissi Christ Moore Ride On Commander Venus Coolio Corinne Bailey The Cranberries The Cure Cypress Hill Dali’s Car The Damned Strawberries Dana Gillespie Darlene Love Dave Davies David Bowie Brilliant Adventure EP Vinyl and CD David Bowie TOY Vinyl and CD Dead Famous People Def Leppard Del Shannon Dermot Kennedy Dieter Meier Dillinger Escape Plan Dire Straits Doctor Who Donna Summer The Doors LA Woman Sessions Dusty Springfield Echo and the Bunnymen Electronic Remix Elton John E. Lundquist Elvis Presley -Les Disques Elvis Presley -Blondes etc Erasure Eric De Casier Everlast The Everly Brothers Hey Doll Baby Everything But The Girl Foo Fighters Fragma Frankie and the Wtch Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frightened Rabbit State Hospital Frightened Rabbit A Frightened Rabbit EP 10 inch Future Sounds of London Gabriels Glass Animals Gojira Live at Brixton Academy Golden Smog Gong -In The 70s Gorgon City The GO Team Grateful Dead Wembley Empire Pool Handsome Boy Modelling Happy Mondays Harry Stone Holly Humberstone Howard McGhee Quintet The Human League Ian Dury & The Blockheads Iggy Pop -Berlin 91 The Inn House Crew James Blake Covers Jasmine Minks Jennylee Jesus Jones Joan Jett Joe Dog and Paul Blacks LPs John Coltrane Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye Johnny Marr Spirit Power and Soul John Murry Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers Jon Hopkin Joni Mitchell Blue Highlights Jorma Kaukonen The Land of Heroes Joseph Cotton Joss Stone Kathryn Williams Katy J Pearson Keane Kevin Davy & The Inn House Crew Kevin Rowland Kirk Hammett Kraan La Femme Larry Coryell -Fairyland Laura Nyro Les Baxter Lida Husik Limperatrice Lou Reed Luciano Luciani Luke Haines The Lumineers Madonna Who’s That Girl Mansun Mariah Carey Maria McKee Mary Lou Cord Mel C Northern 10 copies Metronomy Posse EP Michael Chapman Mickey Dread & Edi Fitzroy Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells II Motorhead The Lost Tapes Vol. 2 Mustasch -Killing It For Life The Muffs MXTOON Neiked Mae Muller Nick Mono All the Money Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Live Seeds Nick Lowe Nico -Live at the Hacienda Nico Camera Obscura The Nightingales Nirvana -the 1960s band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds The Offspring Opeth Patti Smith Pearls Before Swine Peter Tosh Complete Captured Live Pete Townshend Phil Lynott Pink Pantheress Pixies Rebecca Vasmant The Pretty Reckless Primal Scream Prince Lincoln The Proclaimers -expensive Reigning Sound The Replacements The Residents Rex Orange County Rick Astley Rizzle Kicks ROB Robert Lester Folsom Roddy Woomble The Rolling Stones Ron Sexsmith Rory Gallagher Live Sam Fender Alright Sam Smith Sandy Denny Santana Sara Kays Scott Walker Sepultura Revolusongs Shankar & Friends Shocking Blue At Home Sheena Easton Simon Fowler & Oscar Harrison (Ocean Colour Scene) Simple Minds -not enough Slade Ballzy Sleep Token The Sound Steve Earle Stevie Nicks Bella Donna Stone Broken The Streets Original Pirate Material St Vincent Stiff Little Fingers BBC Live Suede Superchunk Suzanne Vega Taylor Swift The Lakes 15 copies Tegan and Sara Tesseract Thomas Dolby Trevor Lucas T-Rex U2 A Celebration Ultravox Urferd Resan Van McCoy Vince Guaraldi Trio Walkmen Wallows Weyes Blood Innocents Weyes Blood A Certain…
Whole Darn Family Wild Willy Barrett Alien Talk Willy Nelson Live Winston Reedy Wipers Wire
Various Artists Soul Power ‘68 De-Lite Fully Soul Jazz Wanderer You Flexi Thing Franco Nero Best of Chi-Sounds Kenny Dope Punk 45 -Soul Jazz
OST John Barry The Tamarind Seed John Carpenter Escape From New York Mark Ishham The Hitcher Sailing By The BBC R4 Shipping Forecast Ennio Morricone -Trio
Belated thanks for your responses to the Q & A. I’ve cued the article up to be featured on-site on Thursday.
Good luck with your preparations for RSD, and thanks again for getting involved with Muso’s at what must be a pretty busy time! I’m looking forward to popping in – with my elbows out so I can get near the swag- on Saturday.
Best wishes,
On 13 Apr 2013, at 23:31, Darren Yeats wrote:
1) Vox Box is the new kid on the block in Edinburgh’s record store scene: what made you and xxxxx decide to open a record store, and how have you been settling in?
xxxxx is officially retired but he has always dealt in used records through market stalls and record fairs. It made sense for him to keep stock in one place and wind down the number of stalls and fairs he does through the year -although that’s yet to happen! I had been collecting records for 10 years and had developed a lot of overspill. xxxxx had been my favourite record dealer. We did our sums and a shop seemed like a good starting place.
It’s almost two years since we opened and this will be our second Record Store Day. Working at the minor end of the record industry is eye opening. The bands, labels and venues work so hard, we have the easier job. Our goal had just been to be listed in the top 5 record shops in Edinburgh and I think we’re up there. We helped set up a traders association on our street which has led to the council agreeing to improve and better sign-post us. Many of the other traders have become firm friends.
2) For the uninitiated thinking of ambling on down to Vox Box for the first time, what has your store on offer got to tantalise folk with? All of our pre-owned front shop records are near mint. We also have a backroom of budget records that are on the whole underpriced. Apart from selling some really nice classic vinyl, VoxBox is in the best part of Edinburgh. Stockbridge is full of independent boutique shops and cafes. It’s my favourite part of town. Anyone coming into our shop is always in for a cheery welcome.
3) What do you make of the current vinyl revival? Since opening, have you noticed a significant increase in demand for the format? Vinyl is cool again! People like new things. Remember that records are a new technology for young people, some are amazed you can play both sides! Our sales are growing consistently but it’s hard to know how much is natural growth as we become better known to the old school record buyers and how much is due to the revival. Vinyl is still a very niche market but there are definitely a lot of young people coming in after getting their first record player. It’s great to see someone who’s ears are yet to be opened.
4) What makes vinyl so particularly fab? [This has been gone over a lot] Records are yours to keep, frame, pass on, turn into a fruit bowl, frisbee or listen to. George is an audiophile and really believes in the superior sound quality. Personally, I like the artwork. I really feel that it gives a band an extra layer of expression. Many album covers are better known than the music on them. Liner notes on the back which Dylan revolutionised, the lyric insert you can read while you play a new album. I’ve bought countless albums because of the sleeve alone and have rarely been disappointed. The ritual of taking a new record home and taking care of the music you bought. Then the tea room ritual of actually playing it. Yes, they attract dust and you need to clean your records and stylus a lot but they belong to you and they carry some history with them. They soak up the smells, if they get partied they can get some scratches. You remember who gave a record to you and even if a record becomes unplayable, you will still have a work of art album sleeve which could be considered a limited edition print.
There are hugely popular bands recording now that may not ever have a record out. It will be a shame for One Direction’s Harry Styles to tell his kids he was in this massive thing and only have a few CDs to show for it -and his kids won’t have anything to play the obsolete technology on either, which is maybe just as well. Which makes me wonder if their gold discs are pimped up pre-owned Top of the Pops records.
So many records have been out of print for too long despite a steady demand. The industry had been hoping vinyl would go away for 20 years. Now they’re become over-excited and are repressing the million sellers again which can be odd as you can often pick up a good copy in charity shops for pennies. For instance, Billy Joel is great but I’m not sure why the company has created a £25 remastered copy of The Stranger.
5) Where do you see shops like yours fitting into the future of music retail, now that the high street’s dying a death and the internet’s ruling the world? The future is a huge virtual Amazon warehouse that has everything. The internet side will keep getting bigger!
It’s difficult for a small shop like us despite it often being touted as the future. There is very little profit in selling new records from a shop our size. The prices are kept down by the Amazon sellers who are happy to sell in great numbers and make £1 a time. There are American sellers who can ship a record to you for less than a shop can buy the same item from a UK distributor for. It is a global marketplace.
We don’t stock the new records where we can’t compete with online sellers. I’m concerned that new-co HMV will have better terms from suppliers. The high street landlords have already reduced their rent.
The most sustainable medium sized shops will offer something else. Mono is Glasgow is good as it’s a bar, cafe, venue and record shop rolled into one. There’s a shop offering Pie and Vinyl.
6) Are you guys involved with the local music scene, and promoting smaller labels and acts?
Yep. We sought out some of the local labels and I was surprised by the amount of sheer talent on our doorstep. We work with Matthew and Ian from Song by Toad which luckily is based around the corner and with Andy and Paddy from Gerry Loves Records, they have been a great help in arranging the live music. This year both labels have released items to coincide with RSD.
The Beer vs Records experiment is worth a mention too http://www.beervsrecords.com/
7) Record Store Day: is it worth the hyperbole laden on it by music fans and the press? Every day for me is record shop day! And I think RSD is a brilliant thing. It has its detractors and they are almost all right! Every criticism levelled against it is true. Inflated prices, yes. Big labels taking advantage of fans, yes. The early-bird ebay chancers and records that are too limited or not limited enough, yes it’s all true. But for me and lots of the people I talk to, it is not about the exclusive releases at all. Yes they’re often totally oversubscribed and we may get allocated two copies of a limited edition of 500 when four of my friends have already asked if I can get them a copy. It is a really odd experience. As a collector myself, I agree that some do seem too dear or too limited but the exclusive records and long queues create the vinyl fever which is hard for the press to ignore and what is without doubt is that record shops would be worse off without Record Store Day. I’ve become good friends with local label owners, bands and venue owners due to our RSD last year. My favourite band is now PAWS, who I found only because they had recorded for Gerry Loves Records and through their influence came and played for us on RSD 2012.
8) What made VoxBox get involved with RSD, and what’s the preparation process like? (Frantic..?) We got involved as we are a record shop. I’ve never really made the distinction between a used record shop and a new music shop as until recently the new music shops would have a terrible selection of records. I though you could just sign up to RSD and they’d send you a list! I found out that to get access to the bulk of the records you have to open accounts with ten record companies and then three or four distribution companies. Older shops will tend to have the accounts set up already. It is difficult as a newcomer to find out who supplies what or to find the contact details you need for a big company, but thanks to Record Store Day, this year, EMI got in touch with us. In the run up, I’ve sent a hundred emails and researched a hundred bands I’d never heard of. Facebook is really handy when you don’t have a clue. Any UK band with less than 5000 likes I didn’t order.
Thanks to RSD a lot of second hand shops will start selling new records. It makes sense to combine out of print David Bowie records with his new releases. We won’t make a great deal of money on the RSD products as we keep the prices down but we’ll get some new customers in and the publicity generated is fantastic for our shop and our street. It will also be a great showcase for our favourite Edinburgh labels and bands.
9) What are your plans for the big day We’ll open a bit earlier and get a cup of tea or coffee for any waiting punters from Rosie’s Tea Shop at number 24 across the road. Anyone queuing will get to see a list of what we have. We’ll put on some food at noon or so and if it’s a nice day, the live music will start around then with Wounded Knee on the steps of the shop to kick off the performances. Song by Toad, Gerry Loves Records and Fence are great friends of the shop so it made sense to showcase the talent on their books and we’ve managed to get a truly mouth-watering selection of artists representing old and new music which is hard to beat. Representing the new on local labels we have Adam Stafford, eagleowl, Kid Canaveral, Rob St. John, Magic Eye, Wounded Knee and Honeyblood. But Mike Heron of Edinburgh’s Incredible String Band is the highlight for me. He is a true music legend but usually known only to the older fans and record collectors. He is now 70 years old and was a contemporary and an influence on Dylan and The Beatles. Few people in Edinburgh even know of The Incredible String Band or that they played at Woodstock in 1969. Mike Heron is from Edinburgh and his father taught the shop’s George English at school! So I see him as part of the local talent too. Mike Hastings of Trembling Bells, John Frog Pocket Wilson and Georgia Seddon perform with him and will perform some fantastic songs of their own.
I feel really lucky and honoured to have so much talent support us on the day.
10) Are there any releases on this year’s list that you’re particularly excited about and would like to nab for your own turntable? Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die. Willie Nelson’s RSD single and as perfect a title as you can get.
That’s the best I could do!
Darren
I’ve attached some Q&As that have I’ve been asked and have not been published anywhere if you need any filler/background. Feel free to tweak into the piece if need be. Some are a bit lengthy.
On 10 Apr 2013, at 15:05, Darren Yeats wrote:
Hi xxx, Thanks for getting in touch. The last 2 weeks have been hectic with RSD orders and getting the lineup sorted. Now time to relax and start the plugging in earnest.
I’m very happy to help. George is away on holiday this week. Popping in would be fine but I’m not in until later Thursday afternoon and also on Saturday and Sunday but no doubt it’d be best to get something done sooner.
If you fire some questions by email in the meantime, I can think up some (hopefully useful) answers.
There is a real negative side to RSD. The detractors always have a valid point but I like to focus on the sunny side – the celebration of the day. Where the major labels get in touch with small shops and record labels and bands come together to have a party.
This year, we’re lucky to have Mike Heron from the Edinburgh’s Incredible String Band. To me he is psychedelic folk royalty and few realise the ISB was the only Scottish band to play Woodstock and were influential on the Beatles and Dylan. He’s 70 now and we’re trying to increase his profile among the younger musos in Edinburgh and beyond.
This is our line up for the day: http://www.facebook.com/events/159619074197662/ An old and new feel which ties into the music we sell.
There may be an interesting piece for someone to do regarding the ISB. If anyone is up for that, they can contact Mike’s partner, at xxxxxx The last good quality ISB recording has just come out -Live at The Fillmore so it may make a nice review piece.
Due to the Coronavirus uncertainty and limits on personal time, I decided to not order any RSD records this year -for this weekend and also the next RSD Drop in July. This year was the 10th anniversary of the shop opening and I am glad of that and would have loved to celebrate with everybody that has followed us on a wonderful journey.
We are still a Record Store Day shop but if you are after the Official RSD releases, there are other shops in Edinburgh that will be stocking them. Underground Solushn and Assai.
I’ve been slow in getting new releases in but will work on that in the coming months. Thanks for the patience. VoxBox will have the usual event next year if things settle down. It will be the best in the UK.
The Skinny wrote a nice piece after interviewing record shops about RSD. I always say about RSD that with 500 releases, you are not meant to like most of them. And that every one will be special to a tribe of people. When queuing, remember that even with a queue of 100, everyone could easily be looking for for something different.
It’s a special day. Please remember to talk to those around you and find out what they love and share with others what makes your legs move/blows mind/etc. You will be in good company.
The Skinny asked for record shop RSD recommendations. I miss Warren Zevon a lot. So I’ll pick up a copy soon.
After I bought out my business partner in 2013 or so, I was still doing part time hospital work and I needed someone to work a few days at the shop.
Nigel was a regular customer and total enthusiast. I had met him when he was volunteering at the Oxfam Music shop on Raeburn Place and sometimes he would offer to do a shift if I was ever short staffed. So when I needed the help I didn’t advertise. It was just, hey Nigel would like some paid work?
And he slotted in perfectly wth VoxBox Andy. The shop has never been so Rock and Roll since those days.
Google has us pinned as a “quirky shop for vinyl”. Sometimes I’llbequirky- for 40 year old Simpsons fans… and I always have been attracted to the unusual. Nigel had an unusual appetite for music. Nothing fazed him. And he was a bit unusual. God broke the mould after making Nigel. There aren’t any others. And boy could he talk! Many rode into St Stephen Street to come record shopping with us and left with a bag of vinyl but having to carry their horse up the road.
Have you heard the one where he was kissed by Marc Bolan!
Nigel walked out of a Led Zeppelin concert more than once due to overlong soloing.
Or… “I couldn’t stand Jim Morrison but I loved his music” I don’t think they ever met but I think Jim would have had his work cut out with Nigel.
He had that thing. It’s often called a love of or passion for music but that doesn’t convey it enough. Better described as he totally gave a shit about music but with no prejudice in taste. It is a joy to be in the company of someone that has this spark. It is so important to care about something. Admittedly, he enjoyed some music that I don’t care for and chartier stuff too and he helped me broaden my musical tastes -both in what I like and for the music I now know I don’t.
Add to that an encyclopaedic knowledge of Reggae, Dylan and the Grateful Dead. He was the perfect employee. Inspired by the VoxBox Vinyl Show on Edinburgh Student Radio he sought out a show of his own and found one and totally outdid us recording ninety (90!) two hour episodes on Glasgow’s SubCity Radio. All vinyl.
It can be a lonely world until you meet others that feel the same as you do. Between his life absorbed in music and latterly his work at Oxfam, VoxBox and his radio show, I think he will have made connections with a host of people and enriched the lives of many. How many customers became great friends?
He quit VoxBox one day. I think he liked his freedom more than any job.
He still came in and asked about the family. He was glad the shop was doing ok.
He was moving house with his immense music collection and would be further away so wouldn’t be able to pop in as often.
He was our John Peel for a while and I cherish the time he spent with us.
I last saw him when I was working a set of night shifts doing my other job in Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital last year during the first wave of coronavirus admissions. When looking after someone else on the cardiology ward I had been surprised to see his name on the computer map of the ward and I wondered if it could be him. I was aware of some medical complaints he had. So I went to visit at 7am. I was hoping it would be another Nigel. Sorry to other Nigels out there, but I was hoping it was you with a mild ailment, rather than my Nigel.
My Nigel was awake and in good spirits and we had a wee catch up. I planned to come back to see him the following morning at the end of the shift. That wasn’t to be due to a busier following night and feeling like a dirty rag at the end of it due to exposure to coronavirus. No-one wants to kill their friends.
I’ve forgotten to do a lot of things this past year and I regret not sending him a message since then.
I heard he was poorly last week and was able to get a few paragraphs to him.
…Thank you so much Nigel. It’s been a long strange trip.
I’ll hopefully see you browsing in the record shops on the other side…
He died in his sleep, at home with family beside him on Sunday.
Good night old chum.
Nigel’s Sub-City Radio shows survive and can be heard here:
“Two hours of solid vinyl from the CHUST SUBLIME collection. No CDs, no streaming, just pure vinyl. No genre and no theme. Just wonderful music. Listen and enjoy” https://www.subcity.org/shows/chustsublime/
Today Faith Eliott came in to drop off Lucy Feliz’s new album Last of the Sun that came out on her label -Edinburgh based- OK PAL Records on the 28th. It is shimmery dream pop of course, but you know, it reminds me of a nice quiet day walking around a beach house silently holding hands with Astrid Gilberto. So this a lovely thing to have on the shelf just coincidentally in time for Record Store Day. So I though I would give it a plug. Try this!
While I’m plugging projects by nice people I should mention that Jill Lorean sent some signed copies of her new mini-album Not Your First recently. It is a terrifyingly lovely collaboration with Frightened Rabbit’s Andy Monaghan and drummer Peter Kelly. It pounds and aches and throbs and I’m still not even sure what this particular song is about but listen in and you will definitely be keeping your eyes on the bird along with me from now on.
And finally, on the plugging theme, one of the artists below released their second album on the VoxBox shop label just as lockdown started. They are the best band in the world and you should check them out. Answer at the bottom of the page.
Anyway, hello! VoxBox will be open at 0800 on this Saturday’s Record Store Drop Day. To prevent the queue getting large, at 0730 I will give a number to anyone queuing so they can wander about and come back for opening at 0800. We’ll carry on with this numbering over the day to prevent a long queue.
Due to the shop size it will be one in one out for the RSD records. There will be room for one casual browser to look at the normal shop stock but if we see bums rubbing together we will have to put a stop to it.
From 0800 until 1000, those who have been shielding and are worried about being among too many people can call and ask for a proxy to queue for them. They will get the next available number and join the queue and hopefully get a record or 2 when their turn comes. We will call back to arrange payment which has to be through PayPal and a collection time. Over complicated? Maybe.
Shop number is 0131 6296775. PayPal is voxbox@live.co.uk
The Covid-balls:
You know this stuff. Don’t come down if you have symptoms or if you have had possible contact and are self isolating. Masks are mandatory. Keep 6 albums away from others. Be nice, and maybe have fun.
We have plenty hand gel for use on arrival and on leaving.
Biffy Clyro Moderns -Modern Leper/Modern Love x10
Bob Marley Redemption Song
Brian Eno Rams: Soundtrack
Charlie Parker at the Howard x1
Christy Moore Prosperous x1
Cinematic Orchestra The Crimson Wing/Flamingoes
David Bowie ChangesNowBowie CD and LP x10 of each
David Bowie I’m Only Dancing CD and LP x10 of each
Davy Graham The Holly Kaleidoscope
Elton John Debut album
Gorillaz D-Sides and G Sides x4 of each
Jake Bugg Savious of the City
John Lennon Instant Karma
Keane Night Train
Kinks Kronicles
Lee Perry & the Black Ark Players Guidance
Linton Kwesi Johnson Bass Culture LKJ in Dub
Mac Demarco Other Here Comes the Cowboy Demos
Manic Street Preachers Done and Dusted x6
Morrissey Honey, You Know Where to Find Me x4
Motorhead Ace of Spades x1
New Order Peel Sessions
Nick Mason See Emily Play
Ocean Colour Scene One for the Modern x4
Paul McCartney McCartney 1
Pink Floyd Arnold Layne Live
Pogues At the BBC 1984
Primal Scream Loaded x6
Ravi Shankar Chants of India x1
Roxy Music Steven Wilson Stereo
Sandie Shaw x1
Shirley Collins & Davy Graham
Supergrass Caught by the Fuzz
Tangerine Dream Phaedra
Charlatans
The Cure Bloodflowers/Seventeen Seconds x4 of each
The Damned Evil Spirits
The Who Odds and Sods
Tyrannosaurus Rex Unicorn
U2 11 O’Clock Tick Tock x4 or so
V/A The Beat Scene/Rock and Roll/Girls/Blues Miracle Glass Company 2 🙂
VoxBox Music became the newest record shop in the world on May 21st 2011. We buy and sell vinyl and other formats of music. We are independent and sell mostly pre-owned records although we are slowly branching into new vinyl too.