Broad Green Record Centre

Brian Nevill Bought & sold my first ever used rock 'n' roll 45s here.
Chris Farrell i loved this shop used to live around the corner in hathaway rd

(May 15, 2015) Went here once or twice when I was into `50s stuff - must have been about 1976 and I'm guessing from the photo that either of the two Tony's would have served me (I remember whoever it was as looking distinctly 'un-ted' like). I think I bought a US pressing of 'Summertime Blues' on the United Artists Silver Spotlight series. The disc is long gone but I still have the sleeve with a little 'Broad Green Record Centre' stickered label on. I'm pretty sure the shop had gone by about `78.

Comment: Marc Griffiths.

( March 19. 2016) “Tony Martin was my first best man! (believe it or not!) so I am very familiar with BGRC. He lived at the time in a flat above the shop. Tony Scott lived in Brighton, current whereabouts unknown. Just remembered, that must have been the day that Tony got Screaming Lord Sutch’s autograph for me!!!” Barry Canham

Comment
According to an article in 'Now Dig This' magazine, Tony Martin began his career in record retailing at Tony Scott's Broad Green Record Centre, West Croydon in the early 1970's. In 1975 he moved to Superdisc at 330 Norwood Road, West Norwood where he ran the mail order department. He later ran his own company (Tonal Records) in West Norwood in the 1980's. Sadly, he died in 2020, aged 75
According to Trev Faull's book 'A Collector's Guide to 60's Brit-Pop Instrumentals' there is an advert for Stack-A-Records in Hove (nr. Brighton) run by Tony Scott (who had previously worked at Broad Green) in issue 13 of his instro fanzine 'Instrumental Obscurities Unlimited' (published around 1976).
Broad Green Record Centre gets a mention on p.216 of Chris Groom's book 'Rockin' & Around Croydon': "... Broad Green Record Centre, which even published its own magazine - 'Red Hot', for a couple of issues during the mid seventies."
Name
Dave Harwood
(2022)

Comment
The most likely date for Jules McEwan's photo of the two Tony's, Screaming Lord Sutch and Roger LaVern outside BGRC is 1975, as that is the year that Roger LaVern returned to England from Mexico where he had been living since 1972. He reunited with two other former members of the Tornados (calling themselves the Original Tornados) to record and release a new version of 'Telstar' on George Bellamy's SRT label in 1975. Roger LaVern also took over the management of Screaming Lord Sutch and Jet Harris, the former Shadows bass guitarist, who released a Roger LaVern tune 'Theme For A Fallen Idol' on SRT in 1975. I vaguely remember somebody commenting that Jet Harris made a personal appearance at BGRC in 1975 as well, which would tie things in nicely if true.
Name
Dave Harwood
(2022)

Comment
According to 'Rockin' and around Croydon' Screaming Lord Sutch played a gig at the Top Rank Suite at Broad Green on Friday, 27th August 1971. If you squint hard enough, you can just about read the wording on the window display behind Tony Scott in the photo. I think it says 'NEXT FRIDAY SCREAMING LORD SUTCH' so that might be the date of the photo not 1975. They all seem to be wearing summer clothing and the sun is shining so perhaps SLS made a personal appearance at BGRC before his gig at the Top Rank Suite that evening.
Screaming Lord Sutch's gig at Croydon's Top Rank Suite was advertised on page 43 of the 14th August 1971 issue of Melody Maker:
MIDSUMMER ROCK‘N’ROLL at TOP RANK, CROYDON
EVERY FRIDAY until 3rd SEPTEMBER
13th August Rock of All Ages
20th August The Magic Rock Band
27th August Screaming Lord Sutch and The Housebreakers
3rd September The Rock Rebellion
8 p.m. – MIDNIGHT ADMISSION 40p
179 – 183 LONDON ROAD, WEST CROYDON (near West Croydon Station)
Name
Dave Harwood
(2022)