Comments
Comment: Every Friday, as soon as I got my wages, I was down to Bruce's Record Shop like a shot. The Reform Street shop opened in December 1974. I can also remember the time when most, if not all of Dundee's record shops banned the Sex Pistols album when it first came out, but Bruce's had improvised a huge sign in their round shop window stating proudly that they had the album in stock and on sale. I think the record sold out that same day!
Goodness knows how many albums I ended up buying from there in total but this is the bag design I brought them home in. Bet you didn't know their famous slogan - I FOUND IT AT BRUCE'S - was an anagram of - OBTAIN FUTURE DISC..!!
Name: dn784533
Comment: Three branches, one on Rose Street, one on Princes Street, and later a third one off the West End. The Princes Street one sold records on the ground floor, and T-shirts, posters and other merchandise down in the basement. Remembered for its bright red carrier bags claiming "I found it at Bruce's". All three branches closed c1982.
Name: Liriaz
Comment: First taken c.1978 by older siblings. Is it a rogue memory, or was there a little box on the wall with a hammer? "Thieving little fingers broken"?
(24 November 2012)
Name: Adam Archibald
Comment: Oh yes, never went anywhere else, great memories.
(23 March 2015)
Name: Toby Dammit
Comment: The only good record shop in Clydebank in my lifetime was Bruce's, with its smart red and black bags (which I've still got a couple of in in my mum and dad's attic).
In an empire of blandness, it was packed with goodies - bands I'd never heard of at the time but got into purely because I saw their albums in Bruce's racks or heard them on the sound system - Blue Oyster Cult, U2 (remember when they were good?) Hawkwind, The Slits and Vivian Stanshall etc.
I bought my first album by The Doors from that shop - the rock dude behind the counter saying "Great album son!" in a way nobody would anymore in an easy-to-access-anything culture. I also used to put in pre orders for those fabby picture sleeve singles from The Jam.
It was the one and only shop in Clydebank I could spend ages in and find something new, or accidently meet friends from school. It was a real tragedy when it closed down, and on its last day I bought a Tangerine Dream mirror which was part of the shop fitting. Happy memories, and I bet there's not a single place in Clyedbank or within a seven mile radius where you can buy CULTISAURUS ERECTUS on CD, never mind vinyl.
Name: Grant Whitehead
Comment: I was manager of the Clydebank branch of Bruce's, until its closure. Very well supported by the local populace, proud to have been an honorary Bankie!
(2018)
Name: David McNicoll
Comment: Worked in Clydebank shop 1978. Fond memories.
(2022)
Name: Liam McElhinney
Comment: I worked in Bruce's Clydebank in 1979. My manager was Grant (see above) and Brian McQuarrie and Ronnie McKeown were my co-workers. Grant was great to work for and I have lots of great memories of my time there. Being the youngest, I would get sent on errands occasionally. I remember going on a train to Edinburgh to collect a stylus for a customer. Different times.
(2002)
“POP GOES THE RECORD SHOP: BUSINESS was not booming for Bruce's Record Shop in King Street, Kilmarnock. In fact the profit margin was so low the shop was forced to close after only 15 months. And managing director of Bruce's Records, Mr Brian Findlay, has put the blame on the present record recession and Kilmarnock’s high unemployment. He said: “We looked at the overall picture in Kilmarnock and it seemed to be singularly badly hit by unemployment.”