For music lovers, there’s nothing quite like the ritual of flipping through vinyl, the crackle of a freshly dropped needle, and the joy of discovering a hidden gem.
Ahead of Record Store Day this Saturday, April 12th, we caught up with Jess Campbell, manager of one of Altrincham's vinyl havens, Tasty Records on Regent Road.
ALTRINCHAM TODAY: What makes Tasty Records such a special place for music lovers in Altrincham?
JESS CAMPBELL: Tasty is a hub in the community - a space where like minded individuals of any age can come together to bond over something special which we all love… music! We stock everything that you know that you’re looking for, and everything that you didn’t know you wanted.
Though we are small, boy are we mighty! Boasting a hefty selection of high quality pre-loved, reissues of hard-to-find rarities and essentials from across the musical spectrum - everyone that comes into the store ends up with at least an idea of something that they haven’t seen before (and many end up leaving with it too!)
And if you can’t find something? We’ll do our best to track it down for you or recommend something similar - you won’t find better customer service, and we call many customers our friends… it’s something that we’re incredibly proud of.
AT: Record Store Day is a huge event - what does it mean to you as an independent shop?
JC: Record Store Day is an excellent way for customers - new and regular faces! - to come together for something really special.
For many people, Record Store Day is the first time they visit our store so it really helps us spread awareness of what we do and how we do it. The best way to describe it? It’s like Christmas for music lovers. The excitement builds in the weeks leading up to the day, and it’s incredibly hectic behind the scenes but totally worth it.
AT: What’s the atmosphere like on Record Store Day - any memorable moments from past years?
JC: Well, last year we had a cat saunter past the line and straight in! There was also a rumour that Taylor Swift visited the store (but we’ll leave that to you to figure out!) Aside from that, we had our biggest and busiest year to date in 2024 and anticipate that 2025 is only going to be bigger and better.
In the past we’ve had bands play outside the store, and over the last few years we’ve had a selection of talented DJs spinning wax all day… including owner Ben! Our earliest in the queue last year happened as we were closing, and a line started to form around midnight - who knows what will happen this year. No matter what happens though, the atmosphere is always super high - customers who didn’t know each other beforehand end up friends and see each other every year.
As we take requests from our customers beforehand to help with our orders, rarely do people leave unhappy on the day as we ensure that we have the right amount of stock (and more!)
AT: Can you give us a sneak peek of any special releases or surprises planned for this year?
JC: As for stock? No! The list is available to view online, we won’t know how many copies we have secured until they arrive. We do get in some of the US releases when available, so there might be a few unofficial UK RSD additions!
But we do have one thing up our sleeve. We normally work with a local cafe in the area to give away some freebies, and give some goodie bag totes and RSD merch to the first few in line - but in 2025 we’re going bigger. We might have secured some excellent giveaways - available to ANYONE that buys from us on the day, but you’ll have to keep your eyes on our socials for more of that!
AT: What’s the rarest or weirdest record you’ve ever had in the shop?
Rarest? Last year we had a copy of the Bowie - Man Who Sold The World dress sleeve in store. A customer drove from Leeds to pick it up for close to £2,500! We also had a copy of Dave Kriss - Emigrating... one of only 98 pressed, and ours was signed and with a press release!
Weirdest? Plenty of those! We had a Dixieland Jazz LP recorded in Sale in the 70s recently. Frank Sidebottom. A whole LP of ‘obscure’ animal noises. A commentary of a Sunderland football game.
AT: What’s the funniest or strangest request you’ve had from a customer?
JC: Where to begin? Ben gets asked for photos and signatures now from YouTube fans! And one of our customers is soon to be in a copyright battle with Pharrell - all due to an uncleared sample from his album.
AT: Altrincham has a great independent scene - what’s the best part about being part of it?
JC: The people! Everyone is super friendly - whether it’s people on a day trip from the centre of town, locals or those getting a flight out. You never know who is going to come into the shop, or who you’ll meet, but you can guarantee a good chat. Shout out to Chris that runs Needle Drop at the market too - it’s great having neighbours, not competitors and he’s ace.
Tasty Test - Jess Campbell's quickfire Q&A
First album you ever bought?
Honestly? I think it was Destiny’s Child - Survivor! Last album? Oklou - Choke Enough and Cruz & Colon - Only They Could Have Made This Album.
An album that never gets old?
Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy or Deftones - Around The Fur.
Favourite soundtrack in the shop?
Anything funky. But what sells the best? Whenever we get any Nigerian Disco in!
Guilty pleasure record?
Surely no record is a guilty pleasure - we all have different tastes! However, Britney Spears - The Blackout is a certified banger and I won’t hear a bad word about it.
Best gig you’ve ever been to?
Too many to choose from! A few standouts are Jack White at O2 Academy Liverpool, Augustines at The Globe in Cardiff, BCUC at Ramona and Death Grips at Albert Hall.
Dream musician to visit the shop?
Lots of musicians - and other famous faces! - have been in already. If you keep your eyes peeled anywhere around Altrincham they seem to be dotted about. We try to keep it discreet - though I (Jess) never recognise anyone anyway, and wouldn’t want to bother people just trying to live their lives! Johnny Marr once came into the store and walked right out after seeing a Smiths record on the wall - probably for the best before an inevitable swarm!
Tasty Records, 25 Regent Rd, Altrincham WA14 1RX. For more, visit tastyrecords.co.uk or follow @tastyrecords on Instagram
Photography: Laura Marie Linck
