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Hearsay Records, Market Sq. Hemel Hempstead.
Prop. Tony Clifford
Music guru: Dave Sinnott and also Nigel?

Name: Peter Wagon
Comment: Nigel, was Nigel Thompson.
(2 December 2016)

Name: Mark Cathcart (now basd in Austin, Texas)
Comment: Hearsay was the centre of the universe for the Hemel soulboys. They regularly carried soul, jazz and jazz-funk albums and singles going back to at least 1972. I first recall going there to buy the George McRae Rock Your Baby LP in the summer of 1974. It was a regular hangout for the disco years through to at least 1979, Tony and Dave would regularly get import 7-inch singles way before they became popular.

Tony also had a stall on Hemel Hempstead market where he sold pub mirrors and selected pop memorabilia, Bay City Rollers, David Cassidy etc. I worked for him on that stall and on the weekends at Wembley market, selling pub mirrors, pop memorabilia and with a couple of boxes of LPs through to 1978. I understand that when the store closed, Tony took the record stall to Watford market, but I don't have dates for that.


Name: Jon Buck.
Comment: You've got to be joking, It Really Hurts Me Girl by The Carstairs is a soul classic - always has been, always will be. It never was a Country & Western record that became a soul classic... It is what it is. I bought this as a new release in 1973 at our local record shop, Hearsay in Hemel Hempstead, and it was in the soul section... it was on Red Coach and cost £1.25.

Name: Gloria Sinnot
Comment: I would love to chase these memories. Good times. Tell me more.
​(2022)

Name: John Donnelly
Comment: I worked on the stall 1974/5 - great memories, next to ABC bakers. The market was the best market in Hertfordshire. The 1970s were great times for young people in Hemel Hempstead. Hopefully good times come back again - and record shops.
(2022)


Comments

Paul Rymer
03 Oct 2024 at 10:49
This shop had more for vinyl collectors than Old Town Records where I worked in the mid 80s, which became more upscale and CD orientated. They had very crowded walls with multiple displays - which were sometimes given away at the end of campaigns. I didn’t realise the market stall was linked to the shop; if it’s the same one it focused more on selling used stock. I bought a bunch of Bowie 45s there cheap. I remember there were occasional stalls at Hemel market selling bootleg tapes and a guy would also turn up at the other side of the market with a suitcase selling pirate tapes of new releases. There was also a shop on the opposite side selling posters, patches and ex-jukebox singles. Moved away in ‘87.

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