New Northamptonshire record shop for vinyl lovers with music for all tastes

Music fans who prefer to own their records physically rather than as a download have been flocking to a newly-opened Wellingborough shop.

Rotten Records in Midland Road opened its doors last week to fans of vinyl, CDs, and music memorabilia – a reaction to streaming and web-based consumption.

Dad-of-three Warren Lee (known as Lee) started records dealing as a side hustle, a job he could do from home around childcare.

He said: “I started from home when I was a stay-at-home dad. I bought some records from a charity shop and car boot and sold them online.

"I was brought up with records. It was more music than TV. My punishment when I was younger was being made to watch Woodstock with my dad and his mates. They were all ex-hippies.”

Even though his father had owned a record shop in the 1970s it wasn’t Lee’s first career choice, spending six years in the construction industry. He understood people’s love of vinyl.

He said: “It’s tangible. Vinyl has never disappeared. The resurgence is because the production companies realise that streaming was taking revenue out. There’s better quantity and better quality and there it’s part of the shabby chic and retro chic. CDs are making a comeback too. People want to hold things.”

Rotten Records stocks genres from rock and roll of the 1950s through the decades with pop, rock, metal, punk, blues, jazz, soul, prog, psyche and reggae all available.

Lee said: “I’m a fan of the Rolling Stones but my ‘desert island disc’ would be Pink Floyd’s Brain Damage from Dark Side of the Moon. People say it’s an over-rated album but they’re wrong.”

As well as second-hand albums on vinyl and CD the shop stocks collectibles, music DVDs, books and memorabilia.

Lee added: “We are getting new things in all the time and we like to mix it up to keep it fresh and change it around. People can listen to tracks and I buy collections from people.”

Rotten Records is at 65a Midland Road and is open every Thursday and Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturdays from 10am to 5pm and Mondays from 10am to 4pm.

Wellingborough’s last record shop, HMV based in the Swansgate shopping centre, closed in 2013.