Article 06
EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS
Track record stands for itself
10th
November 2004
GILLIAN LAW
BUSINESS EDITOR
IN these days of instantly downloadable music and ringtones
that change every week, it comes as a relief to know that
there are still old-fashioned record shops, selling
everything from the latest DVD to old eight-track recordings
of obscure tunes.
And that there are still
customers willing to search them out, customers who will be
happy to know Tommy Robertson has been running Backtrack
Music in Tollcross for 15 years.
"Back then, I was working as a
hotel manager in the Suffolk Hall Hotel, and running a disco
business part-time. Then the hotel was sold to St Margaret’s
girls’ school and I was out of work. So I decided to go
full-time into the music business," he says.
With his knowledge and vast
collection of music, opening a shop seemed the ideal
solution, and so, after looking around for a while, he found
premises in Brougham Street, near Tollcross.
"It’s near the town centre, and
also lots of students from Warrender Park, Marchmont. And so
I bought this, and I’ve watched things progress," he says.
From record and tapes through
to CDs and DVDs, and to the current menace of music pirated
over the internet, Backtrack Music has followed it all, he
says.
While developments such as file
sharing and online music sales obviously threaten his
traditional business, Mr Robertson is sanguine. "You just
have to hold on to the traditional roots and remember that
there will always be people who can’t find what they want
online." People who come in looking for rare Beatles
recordings, for instance.
"They go into the high street
stores and they just get a blank look, especially if it’s
something that was only on tape or record. Most of the high
street shops don’t even sell tapes any more," he says. "And
so that’s where I can step into the breach."
It’s all about knowledge,
experience and personal service, he says.
"If someone comes in looking
for something, for example, by Bob Newhart - well, he’s a
well-known comedian from many years ago, but the chances are
in most shops they’ll just look at them with an open mouth.
"And that’s where I hope to
pick things up. I have specialised areas, and I do try to
find things that people have been looking for, sometimes for
years," he says.
How hard he’ll try depends on
how much the buyer is prepared to pay. If you’re just
interested and would pay a small price, he’ll keep your
request in a mental list of things to look out for as he
scans the wares on offer at record fairs.
But offer to pay more, say £100
or so, and Mr Robertson will put his sleuthing hat on.
Record fairs, phone calls to people in the know and some
wily searching on the internet can often come up trumps for
the keen collector.
Of course, they could do all
that themselves, particularly the online searching, without
paying a premium to Mr Robertson "but there are so many
crooks moving into the internet music sites, that it’s a big
decision for people to go along that route".
Mr Robertson also sells
secondhand equipment, from full hi-fis to computers, to
games consoles and software. Other items that have passed
through the shop recently include cameras, electric guitars,
speaker stands and a Diesel watch - regulars pop in just to
see what they can pick up.
"It’s all tried and tested
before it goes on sale. A lot of students have good stereos
at home but they just want something secondhand when they’re
at university. And, indeed, a lot of these might not look as
good aesthetically but they produce a bigger sound."
It’s a tough job. What with
running the shop, searching through record fairs and the
mobile disco business that Mr Robertson still runs, every
week is a seven-day week.
"I need to keep working to feed
myself! I never really switch off. If a customer says they
want an old Bee Gees record, I’ll go and look for it for
them."
The shop pulls in a turnover of
around £20,000 per year, he says - enough to keep going but
not enough to pay staff. The "around £20,000" is an
approximation, Mr Robertson says, because "the one thing
that suffers is my bookwork".
The Mad Hat Man disco business
is, Mr Robertson believes, the longest established in
Edinburgh. "It’s been going for 27 years now. I’ve played in
back rooms and I’ve played in castles. I’ve done weddings
for dukes.
"I would hire other staff to do
it but DJs now are totally different to what I do. A lot
will play music and that’s all. But with my hotel background
as a maitre d’ I’m always aware of everything that’s
happening."
"I used to play in clubs years
ago but not now - I’m not of the mixing generation. I
integrate the music into the overseeing of family events. My
barometer of success is the dance floor!"
Or the footpath, it would seem.
During the annual fundraising Great Scottish Walk, Mad Hat
Man follows the walkers around town in his "boogiebus",
encouraging people along.
In a kilt and variety of hats,
Mr Robertson gives out prizes, flowers and vouchers to
anyone in an interesting costume - or, of course, in a mad
hat.
Mr Robertson’s shop is a
treasure trove, full of gems to find if you look hard
enough. "I think we probably have more items per square inch
than anywhere else in town," he says, laughing. "It’s all in
order, so it’s easy to browse."
Not that he can always help.
"Someone came in yesterday, and they were looking for an
eight-track player. They ended their days 20 years ago! But
we do still have eight-track recordings, even reel to reel,
tape recorders, record players - I can set you up with a
record player for about £30."
The future, however, looks
daunting for small traders like Mr Robertson.
"You’ve always got to be aware
of what’s happening. Some things are fine, like the way that
DVDs are taking over from CDs, but what really hits us is
piracy.
"People are buying so much
copied material and I don’t think the powers that be are
doing enough to stamp it out. I see it every week when I’m
out at markets, and it’s blatant, there’s no attempt to hide
it. How they can let that go when small traders are getting
squeezed - it’s not fair."
Read a little bit more about the history of Backtracks
Music
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