Name: Ben Jones.
Comment: My dad, Alan Jones, opened Out on The Floor originally and I worked for him throughout my teens. He started with a stall in Camden Market at the weekends and then moved on to various indoor all-week markets in Camden before taking on this shop. At the time there was nothing else in Inverness Street other than the cafés and normal shops. There were no bars or other record shops. When we opened there were four other record shops in Camden: Rock On, Honest Jons (Rhythm), Record and Tape Exchange, and one on Buck Street that changed names so many times that I don't remember what it was called.
We had everyone from Robert Smith, Oasis, Alan McGee, Nick Hornby, Madness Blur, Marc Almond, Paul Weller, Bobby Byrd and Maceo, and loads more. Lots of stories like Johnny Thunders trying to sell us the rights to his image from his album cover when he was out of it and desperate for cash.
Name: Mark Armstrong
Comment: I'm pretty sure I remember your dad's shop, Ben. That's if you're the same Ben Jones I was friends with for a short while when I lived in London in the early eighties. Remember Night Train? Sad it didn't work out.
Name: Mark Griffiths.
Comment: I remember Alan very well and used to buy from him at the shop up by the Lock Market and then when he moved to Inverness Street. A shame when he closed down.
Name: Rick Conrad
Comment: Out On The Floor is still open; Alan left in around 2002 but the shop continues to this day at the same address, almost the 'last man standing' in Camden Town in its original location.
(25 July 2016)
Name: Charlie M
Comment: The record shop on Buck Street was at one time called Vinyl Experience - I think through most of the time I lived in London - 1985-91. For several years VE had a motorbike mounted so it was sticking through their front window - half in and half out of the shop. Insane... and freezing in the winter. Great shop.
(2021)
Name: Mark Jamieson
Comment: I remember Alan well. He was a very nice and funny guy. Stood out in an era when most other record shop owners were irascible or grumpy most of the time. I liked him a lot.
(2021)
Name: Mark Griffiths
Comment: Vinyl Experience in Buck Street had previously been Flash Forward, a Reggae second-hand specialist run by Paul before he moved just over the road with a stall and then further up the road to the Stables Market. Just round the corner was a building housing several little record shop units - one was run by Bernard, who always stocked a good line in Northern Soul 45s. I sometimes wonder where all these peeps are now.
(2021)
