Nerina Pallot

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:53 am

Have you heard the latest release, Sophia, by Nerina Pallot? Radio 2 is playing it quite often. I think it's excellent. I love the high notes especially. I didn't care much for the previous single Everybody's Gone To War, but my opinion of her has changed with Sophia. The single is released this week, so please go to your record shop and purchase it to show the record companies that we appreciate good music. While you're in the record stores, also purchase America by Razorlight, so they can knock the Scissor Sisters from the number 1 position. If I were in the UK, I'd be purchasing multiple copies of each single! Thank you.

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:58 am

I know what Paul, you send us all some money to buy some of those CDs with. But instead of Razorlight, I would buy your favourites the Scissor Sisters instead

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:45 pm

Thank you all very much (and especially Robert) for buying multiple copies of America to give Razorlight their first number 1 single in the UK. And it's even sweeter because they knocked the Scissor Sisters from the top spot. [Actually it should be Razorlight's second #1, but the sensational Somewhere Else was denied the top position by the charity single (Is This The Way To) Amarillo.]

Nerina Pallot also got a major hit at #32 with her beautiful Sophia.

I'm thrilled with the chart placement of both America and Sophia. Thanks again!

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:41 am

Paul, I don't think we, on this forum had anything to do with those chart positions

or were you just thanking the British public, in general.

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:16 am

I was thanking the members of the Matt Monro Forum and the British public by purchasing enough copies of the Razorlight single to put a British band at the top of the singles chart. This was the first British #1 since the 23rd of July. British artists have had a better showing on the album chart, which is great. And I'm pleased that such a unique and high quality (almost art song status) song, such as Sophia made the top 40; that is quite an achievement.

On a somewhat related topic, there's very sad news this week. Tower Records is closing its stores in the United States. Some of the locations have legendary status: Sunset Strip in West Hollywood; Columbus Street in San Francisco (one of the first); and Greenwich Village in New York. It truly is a cultural loss.

Tower was the last great US record retail chain. The only remaining stores are: Borders Books and Music (the best of the remaining lot), Barnes & Nobles, Sam Goody (terrible), Best Buy, and Circuit City (no selection at all). None of these feature the knowledgeable personnel that Tower had and none sell the UK CD singles that I love so much. I guess I will need to take quarterly trips to the UK now for CD shopping!

I encourage all of you to not purchase your music on the internet. Make the trip to an HMV, Virgin, or even Woolworths, so that music retail stores continue forever in the UK. There's nothing like browsing the CDs in a record store and touching the actual CD, looking at the artwork, checking the track listing, and deciding what to purchase. I want to experience that for the next 40 years in the UK, and I want HMV and Virgin to remain in business for at least 100 more years! When I see how busy HMV is on weekends, I think they may just make it!

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:17 am

Hi Paul-I hear what you are saying-I love to go in a record shop and browse through--and maybe come across an unexpected gem---however , it is not always easy for me to get into town---there are NO record shops where I live, and my nearest town Tonbridge has only 1 bus every 2 hours-if you're lucky.

Plus price-wise--it is so much cheaper on the Internet---and a much , much bigger choice. Obviously the big stores in London have a larger range than the local stores, but I just do not get to London these days.

Marian

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:27 am

It's annoying to see Barry Manilow at the top of the Your Other Favourite Artists

, so I'm bringing back Nerina Pallot to the top where she belongs.

When I was in London last month, I bought the CD single of Nerina Pallot's "Sophia". What a lovely song and what a pleasure to hear someone sing properly with a soprano voice. She's not afraid to hit high notes in a pop song. The B side is her version of the Kylie Minogue's "Confide In Me". I've never heard Kylie's recording, but Nerina's is brilliant. I highly recommend this CD single. It may still be in stock at HMV and Virgin.

jon · Post by **jon** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:13 am

Hi Paul

I had a listen to "Sophia" by Nerina Pallot in HMV the other day as the had the album it comes from on the headphones-listening thingy. I agree with you that it's well sung, with some long, sustained notes, and with more technique than some pop singers display.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:54 am

I agree with Marian about buying on the internet being so much cheaper and convenient. So many stores now sell from Jersey and Guernsey so can sell without charging vat and also offer free postage.

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:24 pm

Hmm - I think the most awful shopping experience is a visit to either a provincial HMV or Virgin on a Saturday afteroon. Its all very well waxing lyrical about the large branches where they have the music to suit the zone that you're browisng in, but most town branches are much smaller and you are subjected to just one type of music: noise! Then there is the hassle of actually getting close to the artist that you are looking for (having negotiated the inex system - does it run vertically up and down the fixture, or across the width!) only then to find the album slot that you want is empty! While you are doing this you are constantly jostled by the other shoppers packed in the narrow long aisls. If only Waterstones sold CDs, with gentle musics, sofas and coffee, I may be convinced to buy CDs and DVDs on the high street. And as a retailer myself, I am aware of the excitement that you get when you get when you see something you like on the shelves at the price you want to pay. But shopping in most UK record shops is not a pleasant or aspirational experience.

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:24 pm

That said.... 'Beanos' of Croydon, Europes largest 2nd hand music store is a an amazing place, with immensely knowledgable staff and a wonderful atmosphere. Locate in an old paper mill, in the only quaint part of Croydon town centre, it is a great shopping experience, on 3 or 4 different floors, each with a different them.

jon · Post by **jon** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:10 pm

Hi Mike

I'm sorry to disappoint you but did you know that Beanos in Croydon has announced it's to close down as it's beome unprofitable? There was a report on this on the BBCV news website on 20 December. It apparently can't compete with downloads etc. I've never been to this shop, and didn't know about it till recently, but I wish now that I had.

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:53 pm

Thanks for that Jon. Funnily enough, I was just thinking after I had written that message that I hadn't been to Beanos for ages, as I don't own a record player anymore! I also suspect that they have received a great offer for the plot of land that they own, as Croydon town centre is about be redeveloped in a very big way. And finally, Ebay offers an easy way to cut out the middle man - Beanos never used to give you much when you sold them your 2nd hand music. A real shame they are going because it was such a great place, and when I hear that I can see Pauls point about supporting High Street music stores. I suspect travel agents will be next to suffer big time, as we all use the internet to book our travel. Thing is, with music, you don't actually need to see, feel, or touch the medium it comes on. With i-tunes I can get a 30 sec sample of every track before I buy it - I just can't do that in a record store.

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:36 pm

The MD of Beanos has posted a message on the website saying that the internet and downloads are not the reason for Beanos closing. He goes so far as to underline that. In fact he blames the closure on the decline in quality of Croydon Town Centre, and the reduction in footfall that has brought with it. He is now trying to come up with a scheme that will save the lovely old building, with a smaller Beanos, and the other floors let out to traders..

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:48 pm

I'm glad you got to listen to Nerina Pallot, John. Thanks for sending your comments. She has a lovely voice.

Michael - I can tell you work at John Lewis. You like very orderly merchandising. I like walking through John Lewis to see the latest fashions, but I prefer my retail stores to have a bit of an edge or be just a bit confusing in their merchandising. So I love going to Virgin and HMV especially when they are crowded and the new pop, dance, R&B, and rock music is playing. Not being able to find what I'm searching for immediately is part of the fun! I'm not sure what you mean by a provincial store, but I've been to many small town and shopping centre HMVs and Virgins in the UK, and I love them all! I can always find something of interest. I like to see the artwork and touch the CD or record before I buy it. I also do a close inspection of the CD case and vinyl record to detect scratches, closing issues, etc. Sometimes I even read the CD booklet if it's not sealed. You can't do any of this online. Also I listened to an entire Kathy Kirby CD at Virgin recently.

I only order online if I have no trips to the UK on the horizon or I know something is no longer available in the stores. For example, I walked all over London looking for the single of Turn This Thing Around by the Scottish group El Presidente. (I didn't want the album version.) But no one had the single, so I will have to order it through the HMV website or recordstore.co.uk.

I'm feeling like a fish out of water in the US. Now that Tower Records has closed we have no remaining record retail stores. Borders Books and Barnes & Noble sell CDs, but it's not the same as going to a record store. I wrote my Retailing class paper on a record store, so I love record stores. We have only a few very small record stores remaining, but they are very inferior to HMV or Virgin. After I retire, I would love to work at HMV in London. It would be a dream come true!