SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

I have just read Martyn Hooper’s letter in this month’s record collector (Indie Shops Unite!, RC 365) and have to say I am dismayed that he wrote a letter to a publication without actually speaking to any of the organisers. Any store can join Record Store Day, as long as their shop is made of bricks and mortar! No-one was refused; did he look at the Record Store Day site at all? It actually asks stores to sign up and get involved! I helped several stores get accounts with WEA and Sony specifically for the day.

In the run up to Record Store Day ‘09, I had ERA, AIM, PIAS, Sony, ROM, WEA & SRD all send out requests for stores to join in the celebrations – do you have accounts with any of them? I worked tirelessly in the run up to Record Store Day, often doing a full day in the shop and then another 8 hours or so when I got home (that is, when I actually went home!) talking with distributors, labels and artists in order to make the celebration worthwhile.

As for the event being an advert for Rough Trade, I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you. The ads featured 24 stores across the country covering all genres. There were over 34 regional radio pieces and 24 regional press pieces – these were interviews with local store owners and not myself, (of course the national press focused on myself, as I was co-ordinator and Rough Trade was bound to be featured) but I was acutely aware that for the piece in The Independent, it was important to ensure that other stores would have a say too (which they did).

I worked on Record Store Day because I love record shops. They are my life, always have been and hopefully always will be. Please feel free to call me, so I can set you up on the Record Store Day site and get you involved next year.

by Spencer Hickman
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