Last Shop Standing (Whatever happened to record shops?)

[A Lark Ascending]

I was trying to work out the record he's pulling out. Looks familiar but I can't place it.

It's the soundtrack to the film Jimi Hendrix: Wikipedia

Thanks.

I had Hendrix in my head but assumed it couldn't be because it was in the soundtrack section. Had forgotten that film.

[Steve Gray]

Can't recall anything much about Dobell's but I must have been in quite a few times if only to check it out after perusing student books over the road in Foyles. Doug Dobell's face looks familiar. I'm sure I picked up a good number of deletions from there in the late 70s. Strangely enough I have a number of Dobell '77' Label test pressings that I picked up from Mole Jazz many years later for £1 each in the upstairs Alladin's Cave ! Maybe I should offer them up for the exhibition?

I had better luck with LPs at that cheap outlet on the Foyles side of Charing Cross Road, which usually had stacks of Blue Note twofer deletions and Impulses. Not sure if it was an early 'Our Price'. The location now has a Chinese 'all you can eat buffet' in it, I think.

Astonishing just how many excellent jazz outlets there were in the London area in the 70s/80s. At the time it was taken for granted.

Maybe I am misreading what you are saying here, but just to confirm, Dobells was on the same side of the Charing Cross Road as Foyles, but they were separated by Cambridge Circus.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Steve Gray

[Steve Gray]

Meanwhile, according to the Telegraph Dobell's is getting an exhibition.

http://www.telegraph...op-Dobells.html

Next up - 'Mole Jazz - The Musical'?

I have never seen that wonderful picture of Dobells in colour before, but I have seen it in b&w.

The picture of Erroll Garner is interesting. The guys at far left and right only look vaguely familiar but the guy at second left I remember very well. He was always behind the counter. It's Doug Dobell to the right of Erroll of course.

I saw Erroll on that tour in 1962, at Lewisham I think.

[sidewinder]

Dobells was on the same side of the Charing Cross Road as Foyles, but they were separated by Cambridge Circus.

Yes, I am sure you're correct. Show's how memorable Dobell's must have been.

I think Mole Jazz had a similar thing on some bags at one time, but can't be sure.

Yes, the famous bag with the chequered mole on it. And the t-shirt !

[Steve Gray]

Meanwhile, according to the Telegraph Dobell's is getting an exhibition.

http://www.telegraph...op-Dobells.html

Next up - 'Mole Jazz - The Musical'?

I have never seen that wonderful picture of Dobells in colour before, but I have seen it in b&w.

The picture I was thinking of was actually a different one ...

Edited January 18, 2013 by Steve Gray

[Jazzjet]

Meanwhile, according to the Telegraph Dobell's is getting an exhibition.

http://www.telegraph...op-Dobells.html

Next up - 'Mole Jazz - The Musical'?

I have never seen that wonderful picture of Dobells in colour before, but I have seen it in b&w.

The picture I was thinking of was actually a different one ...

My abiding memory of Dobell's was the listening booths which had turntables which could have featured in The Flintstones. The arms were really heavy and could inflict untold damage on an LP which was, of course, put back in the rack to be sold later to some unsuspecting sap.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

My abiding memory of Dobell's was the listening booths which had turntables which could have featured in The Flintstones. The arms were really heavy and could inflict untold damage on an LP which was, of course, put back in the rack to be sold later to some unsuspecting sap.

Yes - quite right too. The ones at HMV Oxford Street weren't much better. And really, it wasn't the weight of the arm, it was the unknown shakiness of the unkown arms who'd tried out the record before you.

MG

[ornette]

I have an abiding memory of sitting (not standing - is that right?) in a booth at HMV Oxford Street, with a friend listening to Compulsion!!!!! by Andrew Hill. It sounded great and I bought it without hesitation.

Thanks for the photos, the staircase is memorable.

Edited January 19, 2013 by ornette

[BillF]

I have an abiding memory of sitting (not standing - is that right?) in a booth at HMV Oxford Street, with a friend listening to Compulsion!!!!! by Andrew Hill. It sounded great and I bought it without hesitation.

Thanks for the photos, the staircase is memorable.

Yes, I seem to remember seats for two. I guess that soon backfired on them!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I have an abiding memory of sitting (not standing - is that right?) in a booth at HMV Oxford Street, with a friend listening to Compulsion!!!!! by Andrew Hill. It sounded great and I bought it without hesitation.

Thanks for the photos, the staircase is memorable.

Yes, I seem to remember seats for two. I guess that soon backfired on them!

Not in the jazz section. There were some proper booths on the ground or first floor where you went in a little room and played the record, and could take a friend I am almost certain that was in the classical area. I remember listening to 'Midnight special' in one of those booths, though why I was allowed to take the record upstairs, I can't remember or readily imagine. Anyway, it sounded great but I didn't buy it because I couldn't afford Blue Notes in those days. It didn't stop me from listening to them, though

MG

[Big Beat Steve]

Can't remmber there still were listening booths at Dobell's (in either of the two shops) when I went there in 1975 to 77. I have vivid memories of the shop overflowing with goodies (and therefore appearing relatively cramped) but no booths.

But I may be mistaken and it may just have been so that I didn't even dare to approach those listening booths as by that time they were a thing of the past in our local record shops at home (except for one shop where you could listen to a record through a sort of telephone receiver at a sort of bar counter but it was the clerk who put the record on the turntable for you so that was mildly discouraging to the potential listener too).

Anybody with more distinct memories of what happened when?

[BillF]

Certainly Dobell's had booths! I remember being chased out of one as a callow 17-year-old in 1957 for taking too long to decide whether to buy a Meade Lux Lewis or Pinetop Smith 78! And the graffiti in those booths were worth reading, too. I remember "Roland Kirk has two mouths" and, as an alternative to "Harold Land, fastest tenor in the West", there was "Norah Bloggins (or some such), greatest white entertainer" with London suburban phone number.

[Steve Gray]

There were definitely booths in Dobells, my experience is similar to MG's, listening to expensive imports (mostly Blue Notes) which I couldn't afford on my student grant.

On the left there were some racks, then the tiny steps downstairs to John Kendall's second hand kingdom, then more racks. On the right at the front there were more racks in front of the counter and at the back on the right were about three booths.

Right at the back was the door to Doug Dobell's office.

I must admit I spent most time downstairs, it's amazing to think now how many second hand Blue Notes, Prestiges and Riversides I bought for £1 to £1 10sh.

[sidewinder]

it's amazing to think now how many second hand Blue Notes, Prestiges and Riversides I bought for £1 to £1 10sh.

Yet more proof that I was born in the wrong decade..

The ones at HMV Oxford Street weren't much better. And really, it wasn't the weight of the arm, it was the unknown shakiness of the unkown arms who'd tried out the record before you.

The ropiest shop deck I ever saw was the one upstairs at Mole in their 'final' location, not long before they closed. That one had a 5p piece taped on the headshell.

Edited January 19, 2013 by sidewinder

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Certainly Dobell's had booths! I remember being chased out of one as a callow 17-year-old in 1957 for taking too long to decide whether to buy a Meade Lux Lewis or Pinetop Smith 78! And the graffiti in those booths were worth reading, too. I remember "Roland Kirk has two mouths" and, as an alternative to "Harold Land, fastest tenor in the West", there was "Norah Bloggins (or some such), greatest white entertainer" with London suburban phone number.

There was also 'Bird lives' and my friend's 'Fred Jackson is the world's greatest jazz musician'. My friend was correct, but the guy who wrote about Mr Parker wasn't.

MG

[Jazzjet]

I must admit I spent most time downstairs, it's amazing to think now how many second hand Blue Notes, Prestiges and Riversides I bought for £1 to £1 10sh.

John Kendall's basement was probably responsible for most of the respiratory ailments among the London jazz record buying public. Damp and dank - not exactly prime conditions for rare vinyl either.

[BillF]

Believe me, albums I bought from John still carry the odour of his musty basement.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Believe me, albums I bought from John still carry the odour of his musty basement.

Never affected my Willis Jacksons

MG

[Head Man]

Never affected my Willis Jacksons

MG

Too much information....?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Never affected my Willis Jacksons

MG

Too much information....?

MG

[Steve Gray]

I doubt that John Kendall was a rich man in the 1960s but he would be now (if he was still alive that is) if he had just kept hold of the best examples of Blue Notes and other items that passed through his hands.

[ejp626]

I doubt that John Kendall was a rich man in the 1960s but he would be now (if he was still alive that is) if he had just kept hold of the best examples of Blue Notes and other items that passed through his hands.

True, though it wouldn't have been much of a shop if he hoarded the best LPs.

I don't know about the UK, but the US changed the way inventory was treated for accounting purposes, and this was one factor in the decline of brick-and-mortar stores.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I doubt that John Kendall was a rich man in the 1960s but he would be now (if he was still alive that is) if he had just kept hold of the best examples of Blue Notes and other items that passed through his hands.

True, though it wouldn't have been much of a shop if he hoarded the best LPs.

I don't know about the UK, but the US changed the way inventory was treated for accounting purposes, and this was one factor in the decline of brick-and-mortar stores.

I doubt that John Kendall was a rich man in the 1960s but he would be now (if he was still alive that is) if he had just kept hold of the best examples of Blue Notes and other items that passed through his hands.

True, though it wouldn't have been much of a shop if he hoarded the best LPs.

I don't know about the UK, but the US changed the way inventory was treated for accounting purposes, and this was one factor in the decline of brick-and-mortar stores.

That sounds like it might be interesting, if I knew what you were talking about. Would you mind explaining?

MG

[Big Beat Steve]

That sounds like it might be interesting, if I knew what you were talking about. Would you mind explaining?

MG

Same here. Please elaborate, ejp626.

[sidewinder]

Walking down Charing Cross Road yesterday and the site of the old Dobells I'm pretty sure now that I never ever saw the place at its original site and that it had already moved (Tower St?) by the time that I started checking these places out.

This is neat. Footage of Charlie Watts delving the racks in Rays, including 'Rare as Hen's Teeth'. From ITN News

Edited February 2, 2013 by sidewinder