Featured Store: The Centre for Better Grooves

The Centre for Better Grooves opened its doors in March 2015, the latest venture by legendary record retailer Gordon Montgomery, founder of Fopp and Rise.

Graham Jones first sold records to Gordon more than 30 years ago, when he owned two Fopp stores in Glasgow. He caught up with him to find out about his current venture.

How did the Centre for Better Grooves come about?
Initially located in a small shop just off the main drag, the idea behind the shop was simple: a focus on a quality selection, stocking both new and used records across a broad range of genres, with perhaps a somewhat keener curatorial eye on Jazz, Soul and Funk. We wanted to offer something that wasn’t being catered for in Bristol at the time.

We also aimed to shake off some of the stereotypes associated with record stores at the time. The shop was immaculately laid out, well organised and welcoming, regardless of what you were looking for.

After two years at the original location, the shop moved to the high street, sharing a unit with Paul Roberts Hi-Fi on the popular Gloucester Road, a long stretch of independent retailers.

In the new location, the offer has continued to expand and adapt, stocking everything from chart-toppers to rare and obscure titles. Inclusivity has always been part of the ethos of the business.

Having been in record retail my entire working life, I’ve taken elements from my experience to create a space that is as much a haven for seasoned collectors as it is a neighbourhood record store where people can pick up all the latest releases. That same focus on quality remains paramount.

Do you remember your first day?
The opening day of the shop was somewhat more like an opening week.

On the Monday and Tuesday, we loaded in the fixtures and fittings. On Wednesday, we started filling the racks, at which point we decided to keep the doors open so curious passers-by could browse the selection we had put out, although officially the opening date was the Saturday.

Any funny or interesting anecdotes since you opened?
One of the more memorable anecdotes from our first year in the original shop involved Bristol drum & bass innovator DJ Krush mistaking us for another of the city’s record stores whilst on a record-buying trip with Gilles Peterson.

Despite our extensive selection of Jazz, Funk and Soul records — which was what we had assumed would be what he was looking for — he ended up leaving with an early Hawkwind album.

What Proper releases are you looking forward to?
Two forthcoming Proper releases we’re very much looking forward to are the Music On Vinyl reissues of Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay and Herbie Hancock’s Original Soundtrack to Death Wish.

Red Clay is a perfect example of when Creed Taylor’s CTI label was at the height of its powers. An immaculately produced album, it marked the beginning of Hubbard’s shift towards the Soul Jazz/Fusion sound and started a truly incredible run of albums for the label. It’s an album that we’ve always sold as soon as it comes in.

Herbie’s Death Wish soundtrack is a truly unique record in his catalogue, taking cues from film noir soundtracks while also harnessing his experiments with electronics from the Mwandishi band era. It’s another captivating listen.

Written when his Head Hunters band were at the top of their game, it’s a great example of a record that knows how to take things far out without ever crossing the line into becoming a jarring listen.

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