Pandemonium Records/Pandemonium Too

Before Pandemonium it was Black Sedan Reecords(Black Seddan then moved to the University Precinct.
George Davenport also had a shop opposite the Odeon on Oxford Rd called the George Davenports Country Music Store (I think). Then I think it possibly had something to do with what became Yanks when it moved back a block or two.?
any one shed any light on that?, Also Am I right in thinking there was a record store in the Univercity Precinct called Paperchase? I know there was a Paperchse somewhere near cross street or near the Royal Exchange

I expect many of you more active collectors than I will already be au fait with the situation, but apparently, this shop in Manchester is on the verge of being closed down, and its stock destroyed: see here for more details. Very sad!

There's a bit more information Here about record shops which I found interesting. It's even counting-down the time for Recordstore Day! Regards Pandemonium, I had never heard of it before now but it's an interesting situation-- it seems to be a 'shop' but he doesn't sell his records, only copies them for people... and charges 50p just to enter the shop... weird!


(Jan 22, 2013) Paul said:Pandemonium was originally situated elsewhere...

www.mdmarchive.co.uk/archive/showartefact.php?vid=539

George Davenport took the name (and the stock?) and started at the location opposite the main Poly building. After the Country Music store shut its doors, he did time I think at Robinsons on Blackfriars St.

I loved the original Pandemonium . Run by guys who knew their music.

(Nov 20, 2012) christian roberts said:Only went in there twice. Wanted to buy a Damned bootleg tape and was told to call back in 2 days. I said that I didn't live local so that was a sale gone. All a bit weird.

( April 16, 2015) 1982 I moved to Hulme and used to shop in Pandemonium. The first record I spotted, the first time I went in there, was Future Days by Can for £3... so that was a good start. I still possess the record. I used to go in there quite often 82/83. I was after a rare record by Ed Askew. I asked George about it and he said 'come back in a couple of days'. Upon my return he had the record - I couldn't believe it. He frowned and said it would be 'a bit more than usual'. I said - ok £8. He looked vaguely surprised but agreed. Another time I went in and bought a Pearls Before Swine album for £3. He got cross with the other guy who worked in there claiming it was under-priced - and said to me 'you'd have paid more than £3 for this wouldn't you?' I didn't want to pay any more so said 'probably not'. Anyway - he was always fair and agreeable to me. I know he has a certain rep now. The other place in Manchester where I got great records was Yanks ... the other end of Oxford Road at the top near the library. All US cut-outs and really cheap.... 5 albums for 99p was the cheapest section. Comment: Mike Bradshaw.


Name William Clarke Comment: George Davenport was friend of my friend used to meet there .at country music store. Garden burms news presenter was there a lot. As wass Tony Wilson .used to get bluegrass gigs going out side on pavement. Thanks was one Street back. Used to get stock from them to resell in Stockport. Cheapest place in England .robisons on blackfriers Rd just in Salford Piccadilly records behind hotel gardends n still there told George could find rare records like a ferret. Such a exspert x. ( Sept 30, 2016).

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That price sticker may well have been written by me. The original Pandemonium records in Manchester was started by Chris Walters and myself in 1975 and the first shop was in Lapwing lane, Didsbury. A couple of years later we opened Pandemonium Too opposite the Toast Rack. In 1979 we took over the old Black Sedan site in Oxford road and planned to open Pandemonium second hand records. Sadly, Chris died in a plane crash. I Closed down Pandemonium 1 and 2 and finished the Oxford road project alone and opened the shop later that year. In 1981 (I think) I sold the Oxford road shop and left Manchester.

Simon Waldock (2020)

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In 1989 I worked there as a volunteer for about a year. I remember George very well and his partner Frankie. The floor bowed under the sheer weight of albums. The ground floor was knee deep in discarded singles. I found one down there, still have it. "Psyche" Killing Joke. Paid £8 for it.
Students would come with entire record collections because they were broke. George would offer £3 for all if they were 'lucky'.

George wasn't a good man. He was greedy and tight-fisted. Paranoid, too. I worked there for about a year as a means to get to know the music scene as I'd moved from Leeds to Manchester.
Lived in Manchester for around 10 years. I now live in Cornwall.
Gossip may not be the direction you'd like to take your site. And you probably won't want to post this.

My mother came to visit and I introduced her to George. The upshot was we all went out drinking (minus Frankie).
In the car on the way back, George was trying to squeeze my mother's breasts and some other stuff. My mother, in predictable fashion, told Frankie. She marched down there and caused quite a scene. I did all the pirate cassette copies.
​Name
Andrea
(2021)

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George was a character, A loveable rogue. He used to try and charge you to come in his shop at Oxford Road. I said I don't pay to go in Woolworths so why should I pay to come in here ?
He let me in cos I stood up to him and made him laugh. It was a good place to get bootlegs, loads of old stuff in there too. He was tight as two coats of paint though. Very eccentric.
I went to his place in the old co-op building in Newton Heath. We chatted a long time. He'd mellowed a bit by then. He had an encyclopaedic mind for music. A real one off he was.

Name
Stuart Schelly