Name: John Blaney
Comment: Possibly one of the best record shops in Berkshire in the late 1970s/early 1980s. I should know because I worked there. The shop was blessed, if you were a customer, or cursed, if you were a member of staff, with staff with wildly varying tastes that ran from dub reggae to heavy metal, electronic/ambient and punk/new wave. I was responsible for buying most of the punk/oi/rockabilly singles, which we sold by the bucketfull. Crass and Joy Division were big sellers as was the first Def Leppard 7-inch and pretty much anything by Iron Maiden. If only I'd kept a copy of everything that passed through the shop. It was bloody hard work, Saturdays were manic, but fun. Sadly the shop was knocked down to make way for an open-plan cafe.
Name: Neil
Comment: When Quicksilver went out of business it became Lazer Records for a brief time before becoming Listen Records around 1982 or 1983.
A blast from our past John... I remember you well, Mr. Beatle.
Name: Peter Colton
Comment: Hey, the best shop by a mile... I was the first manager. Neil and Kevin got me out of Derek's Records at the end of Friar Street. Great days indeed.
Ricky Gervais recalls buying his first record - Roxy Music's Do The Strand - in 1973. Although he does not recall the name of the shop It was at the top of the escalator in the Butts Centre which had lava lamps and coloured lightbulbs for sale. My guess it is was this shop but if anyone knows otherwise let me know.
(25 January 2014)
Name: Richard Rowland
Comment: Hi there, really great reading back about Quicksilver and seeing the photos. It was without a doubt the must-go-to store for me in 1979/80/81.
I would listen to soul/jazz-funk DJ Robbie Vincent on a Saturday lunchtime and then rush up to Quicksilver in the afternoon to buy the latest import 12"s and albums I had heard on his show. Always a fine selection of genres, but i would be mostly interested in the soul, jazz, funk and roots reggae. Along with Knights Record Store in Caversham, it's the store that holds the sweetest memories, in my influential years. Thanks.
(17 February 2017)
Name: Mick Hare
Comment: I worked there from 1979-92, the height of the punk era. The pictures are from a PA by The Skids, which was on my day off. We also had PAs by Motorhead (twice), Saxon (twice or three times), Hawkwind, Killing Joke, and a few others. Donny Osmond came in once with a rep, as did Shakin' Stevens. Donny was the nicest person you will ever meet.
It was without doubt the best job I will ever have in terms of job satisfaction, although I took it for granted at the time!
Another weird experience was when I was putting up a display for the first Bon Jovi album, an American woman walked in while I was doing it and said, "I know that guy, he's my best friend's son, she owns a flower shop in New Jersey." I thought she was maybe a nutter, but a few years later I was standing next to JBJ at a gig at The Marquee and the only thing I asked him was whether his mum ever owned a flower shop - "Yes she did."
(2018)
Name: Dizzy Cooke
Comment: I think Ricky is getting his y-fronts in a twist! He is confused with But Is it Art! Derek's, now that was a blast, The Skids came as they were playing down at Bones that night and I got on the guest list thanks to Stuart Adamson and the band bought me a pint... of Coke!
Great memories of the store, bought my copy of Police and Thieves by Junior Murvin on the back of The Clash! My mate Skully worked there for a time as well.
(2018)
Name: Phil Gibbs
Comment: Was this in a shopping mall and was there a buyer who was a bit cider-bonkers? Biker type of bloke but hilarious. Also what was the shop in smelly alley?
(2018)
Name: Graham Franklin
Comment: Mr Blaney, you must have had a great time working at Quicksilver Records at such a time. I remember you at Emmbrook School(?) and imagined you destined for a career in the City! Just goes to show...
Thanks for letting us know what happened to Quicksilver. I wonder if you still have anything to do with music, and that you're keeping well?
(2022)
