Fanzine The Rubber Gun sold out of its first issues at Revolution Records.
Comment: Revolution Records probably opened in the early 1970s, but became arguably Sheffield’s most important indie record shop for a time in the Punk era (Record Collector is more famous but was not in the centre.)
They specialised in singles, and also sold imported Punk and New Wave records. There was a handwritten listing on the wall showing what was coming out and release dates so you could pre-order, and the shop staff clearly enjoyed their work. I think the owner had worked for one of the major labels before setting up the shop, so knew his stuff.
Revolution was three floors up on a walkway on what was known as The Castle Market Gallery, part of the large post-war market redevelopment of the early 1960s, so you had to know it was there and make a special trip to visit. It was quite a modest sized lock-up shop, with the walls about the racks covered with promotional posters. I remember them letting me have a wonderful screen-printed Sire Records display for the second Talking Heads album, on a silver plastic sheet (which I have never been able to part with!). I also bought an import coloured vinyl Stranglers EP there, and probably more stuff now forgotten.
It was, needless to say, a busy hang-out point on a Saturday for punk fans. A measure of how important it was is the fact that The Jam came here for an in-store appearance rather than any of the bigger shops, and were famously photographed outside for the local press.
I’m not sure what happened to the business. The original acrylic shop sign was revealed recently (it needs saving!) and can still just be seen from the street, though the walkway is now locked off and the shops all closed following the wanton and expensive destruction of the fine market building itself on the orders of thick idiots at the council.
