James Anderson, owner of Slipped Discs, previously worked as a sound engineer and an electrical design engineer.  Commuting and challenging work environments made him reconsider his career choices and he’s not looked back since.

Slipped Discs was established in Cobblestone Walk, a “shopping village” in Steyning, West Sussex, England, in 2020.  Despite opening immediately after the first lockdown and during restricted times, a loyal customer base was quickly built both in the shop and online. 3 years on and the shop has relocated a stones-throw up the road in Steyning High Street and has just been approved for Record Store Day Black Friday

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What was your weirdest customer experience?

“Despite being surrounded by records and music, an old lady must have mistaken the premises for a cafe and asked me for a bowl of soup… Weird customer experiences happen on a regular basis, it is the nature of having a record shop. There are a number of people who do not understand that people still buy vinyl or even why people buy records.”

Have you ever had any encounters with famous musicians or bands visiting your store?

“We recently had the pleasure of meeting members of the Dune Rats on their UK tour. They were a very friendly bunch and were in awe that we had a good selection of Zappa albums. Dune Rat, Brett Jansch (not Bert), was particularly enamoured with our rare copy of “Trout Mask Replica” by Beefheart on coloured vinyl (Third Man pressing). Plenty of well known bands and musicians are Sussex based, and several frequent Slipped Discs. “

Have you ever had to search extensively for a particular record to fulfil a customer’s request?

“We keep a file of customers’ wants lists and regularly check through to see if we have acquired any of their missing titles. One of the most embarrassing occasions was a search for a record that wasn’t particularly rare and took a year to track down! On the flip-side, a customer asked for some hard-to-find 3″ CD singles and we managed to find them within a couple of days.”

What is your personal favourite record currently in store, and why?

“‘Revelation’ by Siena Root. A pure analogue disc, cut from the master tapes, which we have stocked in limited edition green, clear and black vinyl. Despite being released in 2023, it sounds like something from the late 60s / early 70s and generates significant interest from browsers virtually every time it’s played.”

How do you handle the preservation and restoration of old or damaged records that come into your possession?

“A truly damaged disc is irreparable, however, we have an Orb disc flattener which is a fantastic device (which looks like a cross-between a trouser-press and a sandwich toaster) and with a high success rate will flatten warped and dished records. We also have a Loricraft professional record cleaning machine which works magic on dirty discs, and even new vinyl benefits sonically from a deep vacuum clean.”