IB Members Get

  10% off second-hand/used and vintage LPs and CDs

A man once said that “without music, life would be a mistake”. He was right.

Not usually one for buying CDs, with my laptop broken (making i-tunes inaccessible) and having recently beheld what I can only describe as an unbelievably awesome vinyl record collection, I decided that it was time to make a change. So as new dawn fades into a tepid Tuesday afternoon, I went in search of a likely location to start my CD collection. Cue Swordfish Records.

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Founded in 1979 by owners Mike and Gaz, Swordfish Records began life as ‘Rockers’- a haven for music fans and local bands to hang out and pass the time. Selling mainly punk, post-punk and new romantic vinyls, ‘Rockers’ soon became popular within the music-loving community and even had their own record label – putting out releases by bands such as The Scarecrows, Lilac Time and Zodiac Motel.  1989 saw ‘Rockers’ move premises and become Swordfish Records, with the introduction of the CD creating a temporary boom in business. However, the coming of the internet heralded a drastic change within the music industry and the downloading of music, along with a global recession, soon led to many independently owned record stores going out of business.

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In spite of this, Swordfish Records survived and has recently moved to their current premises on Dalton Street (just around the corner from the old Carling Academy/O2 Arena).  Selling new and used vinyls ranging from The Beatles to New Order, CDs and classic collectibles and boasting a number of famous customers over the years (including Dave Grohl – former member of Nirvana and lead singer of the Foo Fighters, The Horrors, Neil Diamond, Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand), it’s safe to say that Swordfish Records is still a haven for music-lovers. With cool t-shirts and stylish photographs lining the walls, rows upon rows of vinyl records and CDs, Swordfish Records is steeped in musical history and definitely deserves a visit.

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It’s like Hendrix said, “Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music”. So join me in making a change – stop downloading your music and get on down to Swordfish Records to support your independents!

Now offering Independent Birmingham Members: 10% off second-hand/used and vintage LPs and CDs