Penny Lane Records

Penny Lane Records in Penny Lane in Liverpool. It was a fabulous shop in the late 1970s. I went to school just up the road and we went in most lunch times. It started off in a really small shop and then moved across the road to larger premises.

It had a good range of 2nd hand vinyl and fulfilled my and my school friends desire for rock. They always gave us the old promo posters so my parents never had to decorate my bedroom. I still have all of my vinyl and many of the LPs still have the posters folded up in the sleeve. They opened further shops in Liverpool city centre and Chester, but the original tiny premises still bring back many happy memories.

Comment: mark 4696

Closed about 1990

(Jan 20, 2015) My record shop was Penny Lane Records in Chester. It was on Foregate Street in one of those typical half-timbered black and white buidings common in Chester. It was opposite the ABC cinema.

The shop interior was quite narrow, but painted black to keep the atmosphere quite claustrophobic. My abiding memory from 1977 to 1982 when I was a regular customer was the display across all the walls of 7" singles. The best picture sleeves were always up on the walls....The Clash, Buzzcocks and Sex Pistols being particularly memorable.

Memories of the staff are vague, but there was one very tall skinny cockney guy I seem to remember working there, very affable and knowledgable. This was the shop you went to for all your essential vinyl. Virtually every 7" single I ever bought came from Penny Lane. It was very cool to be seen round town with their distinctive white plastic bag with bold black lettering....in either 12" or 7" form of course. Comment: Pete Stevens.

( March 22, 20150 I used to travel to Chester from Wrexham to visit Penny lane and stock up on Metal/Rock albums. My memories of it were it being quite small and dark but it did tend to stock a lot of US imports which were harder to find in Wrexham (Phase One & Cob Records.) When CD's first came out they used to sell US Imports which came out in the long boxes which measured approx 6x12". Comment: Paul Bishop.

( June 23, 2015) I used to love travelling on the train from Shotton, Deeside to Chester and trawl the record shops. Particularly Penny Lane for second hand and new punk and rock music. Migrant Mouse was going and Ames records and Tapes but best of all was Penny Lane from 1978 into 1885 Fantastic memories. Karl Hewitt

(October 09, 2015) I remember the branch in Penny Lane its self had someone working there with a Phil Okie hair cut!! Comment: Peter Maddrell.

(Feb 14, 2016) I worked for Merseyside Fire Service and used to cycle to the Bold Street shop, where I bought my very first Joe Satriani c.d. (Flying in a Blue Dream), and then continued to cycle to, and buy my music, from Penny Lane Records in Penny Lane, Liverpool, after work. This shop had the best selection of music anywhere in Liverpool. The guy in charge was called Peter, but I never knew his surname. The staff were great and would always make you feel welcome and make you a cuppa!
Would anybody be able to help me out or put me in touch with Peter, as it would be great to see him again.
Thanks.
Keith P.

Peter Lornie Comment That was Pete McNulty Who used to be in charge ! I worked there for a while before being headhunted by HMV !!! I started to work at PLR in Tarleton Street then did Church Street as well as Bold Street ! My last known whereabouts of Pete was, he entered back go University to Study American History !! That he still lived in Alerton in Liverpool !
Cheers Pete Better known as Foxy !!! X

Name Dave Rushton Comment: I worked in penny lane records sept 1984-Nov 1985, very happy memories. Started off in the 69a church street branch- up the stairs, the shop was being run down with older stock when I was there, the newer bold street shop being the flagship. Then sent out to penny lane branch itself, just myself and manager Gregg at that time, lovely shop, remember cleaning the large glass windows ( saving money on a window cleaner) also lots of Japanese tourists would take photos of the large penny lane sign above the shop, being on the Beatles tourist run.Springsteen born in the USA was big lp seller, remember King love and pride single selling well! B est shop in my opinion was Cheverton Records off Williamson square( super cigs ) last time I looked. Part of Penny Lane Chain, worked majority of my time here, staff were mainly young 20 something Rock fans, ,manager was Ian from Wirral, went on to own his own record shop I believe, Tim , Dave, people I worked with forgotten a lot of names! I worked with Alby in basement, selling early hip/ hop jazz funk, remember it had the best sound system, used to play Prince, George Clinton very loudly! Remember Pete McNulty , very straight but fair boss, very happy times, great staff and music, my first job from school. I was nicknamed Bill ( take on William Rushton) as there were a few other Dave's! (August 19, 2016)

Name Steven Flannery Comment: It was lovely shop sadly missed. (June 11,2017)

We walked inot Penny Lane Records and I freaked. Rows and rows of the coolist imports and wired stuff. And on the wall were lines of hip 45's. 'Little Johny Jewel' by Television, 'Glolia@ by Patti Smith on French import, Stooges bootleg e.p.s and '30 seconds over Tokyo by Pere Ubu. I wanted everythigh, and I could not wait. We looked through every record sleeveand just glowed. I left with an MC5 45 called 'Borderline@ a snatch single and the first Richard Hell e.p.It wa sall American -there was no English punk , not yet. Brian brought nothing . He said he was waiting for the Sex Pistols record 'Anarchy In The UK'was due next week. Julian Cope 'Head On'.

Comment
Bought my first ever record in this shop The Prince by Madness, loved it.
Name
Trevor Hughes
(2018)

Comment
I absolutely loved that shop... I bought my shalamar L. P there and was served by a lovely fella called Tony... From the wirral... Hale I think...
Went back to his empty mother's house
Name
Paula McGeever
(2019)

Comment
I am talking about the BOLD STREET shop in Liverpool.. Where the cheeky lovely fella sales nan was.
Would love it if someone knows him. Like I said.. New Shalimar album was out 1985.greatest hits.
Name
Paula McGeever
(2019)

Comment
Thanks for your replies about Pete McNulty. If anybody out there has any form of address I could contact him with, please let me know.
Would be great to see him again and have a catch-up.
Thanks again.
Keith. ( Firefighter, Merseyside)!! (2019)

Comment
Yes,I lived in Chester from 1980 to 1991,I remember going to penny lane ,on many occasions, I remember stocking up on rare grove and hard core hip hop.there was a fellow called john Locke he worked upstairs on the dance vinyl section, he was also a very great DJ at the blast club chester
Name
Oliver Topham
(2020)

Comment
I used to visit Penny Lane in Chester. Always a had a great selection of Rock & Metal and loads of indie stuff too. I remember they used to cut tiny slots in record sleeves to interlock th together for the window display and then when they were done they'd sell them discounted. I picked up Morrissey's Viva Hate and the Lost Boys soundtrack up nice and cheap that way.
Always remember picture discs up on the walls and the creaky staircase to upstairs where I'd flick through the metal albums while through the window you could see Foregate street bustling below. Sad when it went.
Name
Mike Williams
(2021)


Comment
I used to shop there 1988-1996ish used to get all my death metal and thrash there .used to love getting the train from flint to may mates in Shotton tgen going to Chester...many great memories of this place anyone remember when it closed was it in 1998... Great memories...
Name
Rich Dixon
(2022)