( Feb 22, 2016) This shop started trading in 1966 and rode the crest of several waves until it closed just a few years ago (2013?) During the 80s and early 90s it was mainly known for selling dance music and hip hop. Fatboy Slim and Midfield Genral are well known for once working there. When the bottom started dropping out of House it went back to selling more mainstream pop and rock... but I always found good stuff in the racks at good prices. The staff were always good for a chinwag too. I did a brilliant deal in there once, towards the end of the shop's life, when I bought the entire contents of their January CD sale for not very much money. The same guy who owns Sister Rays in Soho also ran Rounder - but decided it wasn't making any money... hence the sad closure in 2013. Comment: Michael Bradshaw.
Skint records crew Damiam Harris (Used to work in Rounders Records before getting a spot as a back room DJ at the Zap club. He then became a journalist at I-D and DJ magazines before becoming head of A&R at Loaded Records.) & Norman Cook ( Fat boy slim) also worked here.
Rounder Records, 19 Brighton Square, Brighton, BN1 1HD.
The nearest to a real life version of the shop in ‘High Fidelity’ that we have had in Brighton. The place where you could get all the tunes you wanted and find stuff that you didn’t know you wanted until you heard it there first. Famously employed Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim behind the counter, and Skint Records boss Damian Harris aka Midfield General. It was a very sad day when they closed on 29th July 2012. Was owned by Phil Barton. Prior to them closing I made a note of their staff’s favourite albums of the year for the whole duration that they were open, from 1966. It was listed inside their store above their front window. They also had a branch for some time at 92 Church Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 9BB, which didn’t quite have the same buzz as the Brighton store. Brighton Rounder was my favourite independent vinyl store in the 80’s and 90’s. I must have spent a fortune in there!
(Update: Graham Gilbert 02.04.20 – “Hi Nick! If Rounder was your favourite shop through the 80’s and 90’s you will know me, I think. I owned Rounder from 1982 till selling up in 2000. Rounder started in 1978 in Church Road, Burgess Hill, about a year after I left Virgin’s Marble Arch branch. We were getting Brighton DJ’s coming up on Saturday’s because of our dance imports. Fine Records and Brighton Square opened in 1966 and I bought it from Ralph(?) in 1982. His record buyer decided to leave. I’d been in Brighton since 1971 and used to buy early punk toons there. Good shop, great position. Because we were in a tourist area we could open 364 days a year! Norman left to join the Housemartins and Damian came on board a little later. He was an excellent photographer and already known to the shop. I remember one of our earliest customers was “King” Jerry and when he saw our dance stuff and was told, as a DJ he’d get a 10% discount, he then went up to HMV and harangued fellow DJ customers till then came down to check us out. I would like to say thanks to Jerry as I have never thanked him properly. In the 80’s Rounder was voted Brighton Record Shop of the Year, which year? Oh, something I picked out from your great listing. Phats and Small’s video of “Can’t Turn Around” was filmed in Rounder. The first shot is the front of Urban Records. They couldn’t get a good enough shot of Rounder. A quick mention of Req, also a Skint artist. Req (Ian) used to breakdance Saturday afternoon’s outside the back of the shop and then became our resident graffiti artist graffitiing album covers or whatever on the back wall every week. His work can now be seen on the end wall of the Prince Albert pub. Your list brought back a lot of memories and reminded me of some old friends and Brighton characters. Izzy from Red Rat, Rick at Attrix and the ever-lovable Dave Minns at Borderline. I have recently finished reading “Going for a Song” by Garth Cartwright which is, “A Chronicle of British Record shops – highly recommended”).
Graham Gilbert 2 April 2020 at 2.37pm Reply Hi Nick! If Rounder was your favorite shop through the 80’s and 90’s you will know me, I think. I owned Rounder from 1982 till selling up in 2000. Rounder started in 1978 in Church Road, Burgess Hill, about a year after I left Virgin’s Marble Arch branch. We were getting Brighton DJ’s coming up on Saturday’s because of our dance imports. Fine Records and Brighton Square opened in 1966 and I bought it from Ralph(?) in 1982. His record buyer decided to leave. I’d been in Brighton since 1971 and used to buy early punk toons there. Good shop, great position. Because we were in a tourist area we could open 364 days a year! Norman left to join the Housemartins and Damian came on board a little later. He was an excellent photographer and already known to the shop. I remember one of our earliest customers was “King” Jerry and when he saw our dance stuff and was told, as a DJ he’d get a 10% discount, he then went up to HMV and harangued fellow DJ customers till then came down to check us out. I would like to say thanks to Jerry as I have never thanked him properly. In the 80’s Rounder was voted Brighton Record Shop of the Year, which year? Oh, something I picked out from your great listing. Phats and Small’s video of “Can’t Turn Around” was filmed in Rounder. The first shot is the front of Urban Records. They couldn’t get a good enough shot of Rounder. A quick mention of Req, also a Skint artist. Req (Ian) used to breakdance Saturday afternoon’s outside the back of the shop and then became our resident graffiti artist graffitiing album covers or whatever on the back wall every week. His work can now be seen on the end wall of the Prince Albert pub. Your list brought back a lot of memories and reminded me of some old friends and Brighton characters. Izzy from Red Rat, Rick at Attrix and the ever-lovable Dave Minns at Borderline. I have recently finished reading “Going for a Song” by Garth Cartwright which is, “A Chronicle of British Record shops – highly recommended.
