The speed that SalfordOnline.com’s stories spread around the globe can be frightening at times, but just 12 hours after posting a history story on a famed Eccles record shop we’ve already had an answer from the owner, who now lives in Lanzarote.
Arthur Robinson contacted us after spotting this piece by our resident history expert Tony Flynn about one of Eccles’ first ever recording studios.
Read: 50 years ago in Eccles: Can’t stop the Beat as Salford’s own Abbey Road studio opens
Arthur set up The Disc Centre on Liverpool Road in 1960 before opening an upstairs studio in October 1965 for musicians of the Beat generation.
Readers were also able to shed some light on more hitherto unknown recording studios in Eccles: Starphonic on Cawdor Street, Patricroft, and the wonderfully-named Erotica Studios at 31 Peel Street.
In 1951 Erotica recorded Eccles Grammar School Choir singing The Pied Piper for a 78rpm disc, Andrew Ferguson tells us.
Arthur now lives in somewhat sunnier climes in Las Palmas, Lanzarote, and told us: “In answer to Tony’s questions: no I never produced any chart hits but I did demo tapes for quite a few budding artists.
“I did however take some customers over to John at Strawberry Studio’s in Stockport, where 10cc did some of their recordings.
“Later I got involved in producing a Christmas disc called ‘Snowflakes’ at the Starlight studio in Fallowfield with Lorne Lesley, a great singer. It was written by Northern Dance Orchestra (NDO) drummer Bobby Turner and co-produced by leader Brian Fitztgerald.
TV stations jumped on board to help Arthur and the NDO promote the single, but they were to be scuppered by the BBC’s policy of not playing Christmas records until 14 days before the holiday, so their backers pulled the plug.
Had it not been for Auntie Beeb, Eccles could have had the glory of producing a hit Christmas single.
