The announcement this week that HMV are to close 60 retail outlets as a result of poor trading figures in the run up to Christmas, almost certainly signals the death knell of the high street music retailer.

The irony is that HMV, along with former competitor Virgin, were responsible for the extermination of the independent record stores in every town and city in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s. However, every dog has it’s day, and the dog alongside the horn record player in the HMV logo ( which originated on the iconic “His Master’s Voice” record label ) is about to be put to sleep!! But spare a sympathetic thought for HMV. For all HMV’s aggressive marketing and domination in the retail market at the end of the Twentieth Century, the brand has been synonymous with music from the early days of the record in the “Roaring 1920s” when colonial Great Britain partied it’s way through the decade, post the horrors of the First World War. The brand has a strong link with our “glorious” past and our forebears gyrating “The Charleston” around the horn record player.

HMV was one of the original record labels, and presided over the the life and times of the 20th Century from the era of those chunky 78’s, before they were replaced by 45RPM single and 33RPM album in the 1950s, when the advent of the Rock and Roll movement swept away the Swing Bands. HMV continued to be our music friend and ally through the “Swinging Sixties” and on through the eras of Glam Rock, Disco, Punk, New Romanticism, and Indie in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. HMV survived because it was never a fashionable brand, but it’s tradition and heritage gave it a place in the affections, hearts and minds of the British Public. Quite simply we equated the brand with fun and enjoyment!! For as long as music was presented in a tangible, physical format, whether vinyl or compact disc, HMV was able survive the ebb and flow of musical trends. What has finally done for the brand on the high street, is the move from physical product to “invisible” download!!

In practical terms, internet music downloads are the way to go: music can be accessed easily and cost effectively at the click of a button. However the legacy of vinyl records will stay with us, because although sound is a major driving force, vision is just as important- the human being is stimulated by the sensation of colour and form, and the array of brightly coloured record labels gave vinyl a personality of it’s own. The human being is also a tactile creature, and you can’t beat the feel and touch of the vinyl record. But perhaps most importantly, we are an animal that seeks nostalgia………put all these factors together, and you can see why our interest and affection with vinyl records will continue, long after the format became redundant and archaic.

You can capture and preserve these memories, and re-live the good times, by ordering your favourite vinyl record or CD, framed and mounted, by clicking on…….. http://www.myfirstrecord.co.uk/ …….. and this way your favourite record can join the other artefacts and objects of sentimentality in your home!!

Alternatively this would make a unique present or original gift for a special celebration  ie a 40th or 50th Birthday, A Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, an Engagement or Valentine’s Day!!  THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT!!

For information on HMV and their products…….. www.hmv.com