Featured Store: Spinning Around Records

Graham Jones recently visited a unique pink record shop specialising in pop in the unlikely location of Wellington near Telford.

The shop has plenty of quirky pop memorabilia and even has a life size cardboard cut out of Taylor Swift behind the counter. If you are a pop fan driving through the Midlands, it is a must visit.

Graham asked owner Emma Perks history why she decided to open a record shop?
I was being made redundant and getting an enhanced redundancy package, and realised I could use this to change my lifepath somehow. Being a pop collector, I knew we struggled to find the stuff we liked in stores so I decided to open a pop focused record shop!
I opened in September 2023 and have been overwhelmed with how many have embraced my idea and passion.
I may be a pop gal but you will find a good mix of genres in store, and really my ethos is that I don’t care what music you are buying as long as you will be listening to it on vinyl.

What are your memories of your first day?
I had been gathering a following on TikTok for 12 months before I announced that I was opening a shop, and then had been documenting the whole set up process on there, but was totally taken back with how many people had come down for the grand opening, I had people from the East Midlands, Liverpool and Stoke that had travelled down to be there…I may of cried a little!
I looked bare by the end of the day but so many locals were so so pleased to have a record shop back in the town, and I’ve even had someone say they bought their first record from me when I opened which is amazing.

You have a unique selling point of being a pop shop, what gave you the idea?
I definitely know my contemporary pop artists and have been able to stock them when others weren’t. I love that the young customers can come in and ask about Conan Gray or Tove Lo and I know exactly who they mean when a lot of shops might not.
Knowing my pop also means I can spot ‘hard to get’ lines when they come up and grab them, which has given me a reputation as a miracle worker which is a hard thing to live up to!
Never think I don’t know my non pop music though… I was a teen in the Britpop years and had a diverse education from my older brothers, Led Zepp & Pink Floyd to Erasure & Deacon Blue to AC/DC & Iron Maiden, so I do know my stuff….and am always learning.

Most shops have funny or interesting tales about their life in record retailing, how about you?
I recently went to see Hard-Fi in Wolverhampton, and my friend and I were on the barrier in the middle. During the gig, the singer Richard was telling the crowd about their new EP being out on vinyl, and where you could buy it….as he was right in front of us, and as it went quiet, I couldn’t stop myself yelling ‘its available in my shop’….when he asked what I was called and gave me a shout out over the mic some people in the crowd cheered….turns out they shop with me!
He did say about popping over to the shop after the gig, but alas, they’ve never visited. So surreal!

Any Proper releases that you are enjoying or looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to the forthcoming Betty Boo releases. Firstly, I adored her as a kid and saw her live a few years ago and she was amazing! And secondly, I love that these retro pop titles are getting modern presses, especially as when I started collecting in 2015 not a lot of pop was being issued on vinyl.
I’m loving the new Kim Wilde album Closer and excited for Closer – The Exclusive RSD Mixes this April. I don’t think it is a sister album to Close like she said, but it definitely reminds me of her sound from ’81 – ’86 and I’m all here for that!

The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made It Happen

Graham Jones is the author of ‘The Vinyl Revival and the Shops That Made It Happen’ which has features on over 200 independent record shops that he has visited. The book was made in to a film titled ‘The Vinyl Revival’ available on DVD. Both can be ordered from Proper, independent record shops, Amazon and other online retailers.

Read about the book, film and vinyl soundtrack here