|
The first gramophone records |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
| In
1923 a colleague in the Southend-on-Sea store noted in her diary -
"Today we heard the sad news that Mr. Fred Moore Woolworth had
died. He has led the company since 1909. We were given the rest of the
day off. At least now perhaps we will be allowed to stock gramophone
records like everyone else". She was right. John Snow had wanted to
introduce records for some time - and now was his chance.
He worked with the British manufacturer Vocalion to establish a private Woolworth label called "Little Marvel" bearing the Diamond W motif. The tiny 5 inch records (the same size as today's CDs) played at 80 rpm, and sold for sixpence (2½p) in all stores. They were a big hit. |
 |
||
| The first records were of light classical musical - Strauss Waltzes and the like. They were often played by a famous orchestra but working incognito with a made-up name. This allowed the players to earn extra money without breaking their contracts and without having to share their fees with the orchestra that employed them full time. Over the next forty years many of the biggest names in show business appeared on Woolworths labels with false names! | |||
| It
wasn't long before a vocal was added to some of the instrumentals -
initially just a member of the orchestra singing a few bars somewhere in
the middle of the record - but it was only at the end of the decade that
company started to sell songs and 'hits' separately.
Sales grew steadily throughout the 1920s before rocketing in the 1930s when company bosses bought each store a gramophone so that they could actually play the records. Before long Woolies was firmly established as Britain's favourite music store. Our first music went on sale before nipper ever heard his master's voice and when "our price" meant sixpence. But then we have been having fun for almost 100 years! |
|||
 |
|
||
|
|
|||
|
20s
overview: stepping up the pace Visit
a 1920s store |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Music
and video introduction Sixpenny
pops: We'll have a Woolworth wedding (20s Gallery)
|
|||
