Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx John in the shops

Even NYC suffers from a lack of music stores. And if you are outside of Manhattan it is even worse; you have to rely on electronics stores and shopping mall shops that have a very limited selection (especially of the classic 1980s).

It will be a sad, sad day when there is no longer a Woolworth's on the HIgh Street. It is an iconic store, and its presence in a strange town provides familiarity and comfort. On holiday, I always make the local TIC my first port of call and then inevitably gravitate to Woollies where I have found myself able to buy more or less anything I need. It's like visiting an old friend for a cup of tea and home made cake. You know where you are with Woolworths

Its a strange situation of late, not just for John's music being in stores or the lack of. Im thinking lately this is happening to other artists too and it probably due to the popularity of downloads. The only artists that appear to still fill record shelves are 'meg stars' such as madonna and elton john. How long before theres no woolworths or any record shops.

I am sorry but I find it difficult to think of Woolworths as a destination for music. We used to have them here but I never ever remember a music section. I do remember eating at the lunch counter.

I imagine their selection of music is akin to Walmart or Target here. Just the latest and greatest.

BTW: Being New York, my record shop has a large selection of Bowie.

Thats just the point M. Woolworths is not really a record store as such, but these shops are going and lately even some of the dedicated music shops.

Bowie lives in NY, he probably delivered them personally.

It is true enough that Woolworth isn't particularly a GOOD record shop, but it is certainly a shop that sells all the most popular albums on the market. No back cat of course.
But I have the fondest memories of my youth when I could take my week's cash down to Woollies and rummage through the 'ex-chart' shoebox on a Monday afternoon and pick up singles for, what, 39p??
This is in fact how I discovered the very marvellous Thomas Dolby.
I liked the cover of "Europa And The Pirate Twins" so much that I was willing to pay that much for a song I'd never heard before.

Woolworths in Sheffield and Chesterfield are absolutely pointless shops. Round here they're certainly not what they used to be. They're good for sweets and toys, that's it. You can forget music and DVDs - a pathetic, small selection of the stuff that sells well, all extremely overpriced.

Pretty much can be said about Smith's too. It's just like a big newsagents.

Another big name closing down soon and right next to our Woolworths is Littlewoods. Over ten years a wide range of shops have closed in our area, only to be replaced with 'second hand shops' and 'fast food outlets'. If i go out these days, all i can do is wear an old jacket and eat grease. :rolleyes:

That brings back my memories of saving my money and when the family would go shopping at a department store called Korvettes (a couple of steps above a Woolworths; they are long gone also)I would browse their record section and get all the vinyls I wanted on the cheap.........even those ridiculous K-Tel hits lps :rolleyes:

Remember "Our Price"?

Since the closure of Our Price, Fopp and Music Zone in Sheffield, there's only HMV and Zavvie (formerly Virgin) left. Granted they have most choice, but it comes at a price sometimes.

And book shops - what has happened to book shops? In Sheffield there are only 2 - Waterstones (which granted, is excellent if pricey, and you can generally find what you want) and Smiths (which is crap).

I do more and more shopping online. It used to be because online retailers offer a much better price - which is still the case, but now it's also because I can get what I want online, ini the absence of it in shops, or the general absence of shops!

I don't own a mobile phone, so these endless phone shop chains are of no use to me and I don't bother with clothes shops very often as I don't want to look like everyone else, in their faded, tatty looking clothes, which seems to be the current trend.

I'm a proper grumpy old man and I'm not even 30 yet!!