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Sinfonia on Cookson Street run by Sandy Mountain This was always my last stop before boarding the coach or the train at Talbot Street after a day of (at one point) getting around 18 places selling records.
Sandy Mountain, very knowledgable and helpful, apparently once told me went to school with Ian Levine (of 'Mecca' fame), stated that he loved the 'Record Shack' and 'Nightmare' years but was disappointed with the move to his 'Motorcity' project recording with old Motown stars and the like. Great memories of the eighties and early nineties, so long Sandy!
Martyn Cain (2022)
The Great British Record Buying Experience
These were the shops to hunt down. In 1988, once I’d finished sixth form, even before getting a job, I’d take my cash down to any of the Cobweb stores or the bizarrely named Sandy Mountain’s Sinfonia record shop on Cookson Street in Blackpool on a Friday afternoon and take advantage of the cheap new releases. These CD singles and 12 inches were cheap because the record company reps would target these shops, giving them the latest singles at cut down prices in order to get them into the charts for Sunday. So I’d get the latest Mondays single for £1.99 whereas poor old Record Centre or even HMV couldn’t compete, having to charge full whack. Now the downside in buying records so cheap was that you’d also end up buying some right shit along the way for 99p – Climie Fisher anyone?
I was getting a bit savvy and realised that new record deliveries were on Monday, so it would be best to get down there on a Monday lunch for the latest releases, and more important, the limited editions. Yep, I’m a mug for a special edition. Fine Young Cannibals in a tin? Yes please. Chris Rea Car shaped CD box? Why not. Voice Of The Beehive honey filled PVC sleeve? Oh go on. Any old bollocks I’d probably buy if I had enough money left. It was amusing buying from Sinfonia as owner Sandy was a full on Christian and would take offence at certain records and try not to sell them you. He nearly didn't stock Happy Monday's "Hallelujah" for some reason.
I also remember the record shop "Sinfonia" on Cookson Street run by Sandy Mountain and his mum Freda. Bought loads of rare import records here, he'd order anything you wanted. Used to play truant from school back in the late '60's and early '70's and spend all day in there with a few mates listening to Motown music. Great days.
