Reckless Records (London)

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I did my usual Saturday lunchtime stroll down Berwick Street and both branches of Reckless were shut and bolted up! Apparently they have gone into abrupt receivership without so much as a closing-down sale. Possibly not surprising given the closure of the Islington and Camden branches, or indeed their optimistic pricings, but I'm still sad that they're gone after 20-odd years of my patronage...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 14:48 (eighteen years ago)

I used to stroll down BerSt lots of times, but I think I went into Reckless about twice. The pricing had a lot to do with it.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 5 February 2007 14:59 (eighteen years ago)

the dance version of reckless was always a mine of interesting and cheap stuff

― antidote against poisoning (lex pretend), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:01 (eighteen years ago)

i'd even forgotten they existed, which is indicative i guess. i think the first time i bought a 2nd hand record on ebay, i think i never went to another 2nd hand record store again. i went to charity shops and thrift stores, and when i went to another city, but, otherwise, no.

i feel sad to an extent, typing that out. perhaps because it shows its inevitability

while having things delivered is great, i do like going to shops, but i don't miss trailing up and down berwick st on a saturday afternoon when they didn't have quite what i was looking for

― Friendly Tree (688), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:02 (eighteen years ago)

at other points in the past, stores which felt like part of my history disappeared, replaced with cafes or estate agents or other things. im not sure i ever really felt that about any stores in london in the same way

― Friendly Tree (688), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:04 (eighteen years ago)

I have bought some good shit in both shops when I've had a free afternoon in that London. I hope they pull through somehow

― Hell Hath No Furry (DJ Mencap), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

The great thing about trailing up and down Berwick Street (or Portobello or Camden or wherever) was not so much to look for specific records (since there are Proper Record Shops for those) but just to browse and accidentally come across the unexpected or the long-forgotten. Nearly all my worthwhile second-hand purchases have come about that way.

The trick is, if you're looking for something, not to look for it.

However I do think Reckless really missed an important trick by not doing weekly/fortnightly price markdowns like MVE up the road.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

I agree Marcello, i think what i meant was, not so much that i was looking for specific things, but that i was looking for "kinds of things", perhaps not even really knowing what they were, but knowing them when i saw them.

nearly all my favourite records are random impulse buys, perhaps this is easier when in another town or country, where the stock is v different

― Friendly Tree (688), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:08 (eighteen years ago)

Proper Record Shops

heh, miss these even less!

― Friendly Tree (688), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:09 (eighteen years ago)

I do admire the way that when I am looking for a new, not-easy-to-find CD, HMV in Oxford Circus invariably has ONE COPY in stock on the telepathic understanding that I'm the only one who's going to buy it! Maybe they should just send them round to my house directly and save themselves some floor space for those all-important discount DVDs...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:11 (eighteen years ago)

RIP Reckless. Stickiest stickers ever that place. I know exactly which albums I bought there, cos they've all got a bloody big chunk of the sleeve missing.

They used to release their own stuff too, didn't they? Black Sun Ensemble, Rustic Hinge, lots of good hippy stuff like that.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:16 (eighteen years ago)

They were big on the Porcupine Tree front.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

A few Bevis Frond's also came out on Reckless.

― tiit (tiit), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:24 (eighteen years ago)

nearly all my favourite records are random impulse buys, perhaps this is easier when in another town or country, where the stock is v different

This rings true for me as well.

I've only been to Berwick Street once (quite recently), went to Sister Ray, bought KMFDM album. The adventure has only just begun...

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago)

Oh well. Maybe they should have tried charging less. Especially for things that cost less new in HMV than they do used in Reckless.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:42 (eighteen years ago)

IIRC Porcupine Tree was on Delerium, not Reckless?

I sold a load of CDs there years ago to fund a new synthesiser. Got a good price for them, can't really remember much about the place.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:44 (eighteen years ago)

They should have never gotten rid of their cassette section.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

That's a pity. Are Selectadisc and Tape & Record Exchange still going on Berwick St. I think the secondhand record market was at it's best in the mid 90s. Everybody was tradng in their stuff for CDs so you'd get these fantastic bargains on vinyl. I got Tusk for a quid! You could pick up 10 great albums for £15 or less.

― David Gunnip (David Gunnip), Monday, 5 February 2007 16:02 (eighteen years ago)

Sister Ray took over the Selectadisc shop, which is sort of the same but gradually being swallowed up by the DVD section. MVE is still there, as surprisingly is Cheapo Cheapo if you're brave enough to venture in there.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago)

Oh wait, I've been to that music and video exchange as well. They had some great CDs at ridiculously low prices! Definitely going back there...

― to scour or to pop? (Haberdager), Monday, 5 February 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah I was in London last November and the Tape & Record Exchange was predominantly CD orientated. A lot of the vinyl has been cleared out of the Camden and Berwick St stores. Not the same browsing through dirty CDs.

― David Gunnip (David Gunnip), Monday, 5 February 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago)

There's still tons of dirty vinyl in the Berwick St MVE! Probably 80% of the floor space covers vinyl. Haven't been to the Camden one in a while.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Monday, 5 February 2007 16:12 (eighteen years ago)

MVE took over what was the Rhythm Records shop in Camden High Street for their ultra-cheapo stuff. It smells dirty even from Mornington Crescent.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 5 February 2007 16:29 (eighteen years ago)

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Reckless Records (London) - RIP?