MP3 of the Day

Rough Trade Records opened up its first retail shop in London at 202 Kensington Park Road in Notting Hill on this day in 1976. The shop was opened by Geoff Travis and his friend Ken. Their goal was to sell unusual singles, out of print discs and second hand vinyl. Geoff had traveled thru North America and amassed a huge record collection. He shipped these records back to the UK and they became the basis of the Rough Trade Shop. A record label grew out of the Rough Trade Shop in 1978 and also went into the distribution business. The label became independent from the shop in 1982 - then went bankrupt in 1991. Rough Trade Records was re-launched in 2000. Today we have Crashing Through by BEAT HAPPENING from their Jamboree album, which was manufactured and distributed by Rough Trade Records in 1988.