My God, I loved this shop. James Dace had a couple of shops in Chelmsford but the main was in London Road (opposite Wenleys Department Shop). Downstairs sold sheet music, very popular in the 1950s when I first darkened its doors with my dad. You went up a windy narrow stairway to the record shop - an Aladdin’s Cave of Vinyl (& shellac 78s). Prior to Dace moving sometime in the 1960s it was record heaven. Another excellent shop Pop Inn opened in the mid60s in Baddow Road, but it was never quite the same. At Dace you went to the counter ( a bit scary for a 12 year old) you could ask to listen to some new singles or 45s and you’d take them to a ‘soundproof’ booth and give them a whirl. But you could hear everyone else’s simultaneously- imagine Chuck Berry, Cliff Richard and Bobby Darin all jumbled up. The assistant would give you your record with a ticket for the money owed and you would descend the tortuous stairs and pay at the desk. We were trusted back then. On the stairs was a vast poster advertising The Spinners - not sure why I remember that! James Dace was the first place I would head - from buying 78s of the Robin Hood theme, Frankie Vaughan and Doris Day (for my brother) to in later years buying early Beatles records - bought Please Please Me there. Heady days of 3 45s for £1 and LPs around £1.50 (£1.12 shillings then). God I loved James Dace and Co.
At Dace you went to the counter ( a bit scary for a 12 year old) you could ask to listen to some new singles or 45s and you’d take them to a ‘soundproof’ booth and give them a whirl. But you could hear everyone else’s simultaneously- imagine Chuck Berry, Cliff Richard and Bobby Darin all jumbled up. The assistant would give you your record with a ticket for the money owed and you would descend the tortuous stairs and pay at the desk. We were trusted back then. On the stairs was a vast poster advertising The Spinners - not sure why I remember that! James Dace was the first place I would head - from buying 78s of the Robin Hood theme, Frankie Vaughan and Doris Day (for my brother) to in later years buying early Beatles records - bought Please Please Me there. Heady days of 3 45s for £1 and LPs around £1.50 (£1.12 shillings then). God I loved James Dace and Co.