Record and music shops in the city

Ah, yes, Thorn rings a bell. Thank you for the info Dutchman.

Most department stores sold records at one time. Boots used to stock lots of records in their basement before they moved. Woolworths even had their own record label.

One of the reasons that companies like Thorn used to buy up other brands (Fidelity, HMV, Marconiphone, Ultra and Baird amongst others) apart from cutting down on the competition was purely for badge engineering. If one brand got a bad reputation then they could switch to another one. In the late seventies Thorn switched their audio equipment to the HMV brand because it was considered a trusted brand by the public and had been about for a long time, rather a contrast to their plight today.

Thanks Old Lincolnian I was familiar with the Embassy record label but unaware it was owned by Woolworths Embassy Records Woolworths was also the only outlet I can remember for the Pickwick label, most famous for their "Top of the Pops" cover recordings. Whilst immensely popular, Pickwick records were banned from the record charts as they were not "full-priced".

I remember the Embassy records from Woolworths. They were absolute rubbish, simply third rate cover versions of current hits done by session musicians. They sounded nothing like the genuine recordings at all. I remember my mother buying a couple when I was quite young, and even then I thought they were a waste of money. They sold because they were cheap, a single being 4/6d as opposed to the real thing which was 6/8d. Typical Woolies, I guess.

Several labels issued budget compilation LPs with cover versions of hit singles on them and they were all of a similar poor quality typically selling for about 75p -

I remember it as being upstairs with listening booths but I may be confusing them with Hogarths which was practically next door?

My memory is that Boots had a basement with all the electrical items and music but I did move around a bit so I could be wrong. Not sure about Hogarths, I didn't move to Coventry until 1972 so maybe it had gone by then.

There was another Hits, Misses and Vintage outlet in late 1980 next door to the Belgrade, next door to the wedding suit hire company. I recall they got into trouble as Hits, Misses & Vintage was abbreviated into HMV. They lasted a year before relocating to Far Gosford Street.

I think Hits and Misses changed their name to Mushroom Records and it went downhill. I spent many an hour in there searching for old Prog rock albums by the likes of Blodwyn Pig, Camel and Caravan! If HMV goes, then the only places selling music will be Poundland and supermarkets. No long tail... Just all the chart stuff, which I don't buy. I'll miss browsing, even thought HMV was pretty poor and sometimes atrociously priced. Leamington has HEAD which has good selection, but I did sometimes find HMV was better for modern jazz. I always thought Earlsdon high street would be a good place for a record/CD shop... The current retail offering there is... odd.

Fennell's was based there at one time. It was short-lived so couldn't have been that good a location?

Do you mean this one?