November 1966, Bexleyheath
The plan to open Britain 1st record shop selling only American R&B is hatched. Inspired by a 45 on Cameo Parkway, a true deep soul tune ‘Who Knows’ by The Soul City, our shop is to be called Soul City! Dave Godin and I are partners in the venture and he brings Robert Blackmore, same age as me who has sales assistance from working in a local shop, to be our third partner. Problem is, none of us have the financial resources to get it going! Dave has found a location, 21 Deptford High Street…but how to fund it? Dave suggests we ran an ad in his Rhythm & Soul USA magazine listing rare US LPs available from our new (at the time non-existent) mail order service! R&B fans send in postal orders for LPs like “Major Lance’s Greatest Hits” which has been hard for get (like Irma Thomas’ “Wish Someone Would Care ” and Gladys Knight & The Pips’ Maxx album, both of which I’ve paid a fortune for, getting them from Transat Imports, a basement shop near Leicester Square!). Plan is to get the LPs that people are paying for AFTER we open Soul City!! Guess who has to answer the calls to Dave’s house when upset customers ask where their rare import LPs are??!!!!
