They still do, and 'kids' of all ages should be pleasantly surprised at just how many places in this city they can still buy records from. So this is our one-stop guide to the fantastic record shops of Greater Manchester, from the 'Vinyl Valley' that is Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, to the windswept streets of Bolton, Lancashire. Browse the menu on the right hand side and go shopping! 
Visit Manchester
| Address | Pandemonium Records, Rosedale Shopping Centre, Old Church Street, Newton Heath, Manchester M40 2JL |
| Opening Hours | Not Applicable |
| Phone | 0161-684 8280 |
| None | |
| Website | None |
| Sells: |
This place is a Manchester myth and how much of what I say is true I really couldn’t confirm. I do know that Pandemonium used to have a shop in the City Centre, I think on Oxford Road, however the shop has long since gone and the records relocated to Newton Heath. Legend has is it that the collection of records was so huge that his neighbours underneath the shop became so concerned about the sheer weight of records above their heads that he was compelled to move out.
The current “shop” in Newton Heath is a basement underneath a carpet shop. I don’t have a clue regarding the opening hours but have been told that you must knock on the door and pay a 50p entrance fee in order to enter this land of unknown treasures.
Inside this Aladdins cave is, I am reliably informed, an eye watering collection of vinyl, CD and Tapes covering most genres and including many elusive gems and golden nuggets. According to an article in the Manchester Evening News from a few years back the collection runs to at least 1 million records. The owner, they report, one George Davenport “describes himself as “compulsive obsessive”, said: “I just love music. To send somebody away with something they have never heard of before is wonderful.”
I have been told from a credible source that you will find copies of records often only discussed in hushed voices and more frequently written about than seen. However this is where the fun begins as you may find the owner has no intention of actually selling you these glittering goodies…oh no!. Allegedly, the deal here is that he will “burn” the album or single onto CD for you for I believe the princely sum of £8. If that’s not enough to pique your interest then I have also been told that on rare occasions he will actually dig out a record you are looking for but this process may take a couple of weeks/months and you will be asked for some form of financial incentive, I heard £20, to make it worth his while.
I can say no more and all of the above may be totally false but the fact that these stories exist demand that Pandemonium records is in our list. I’m off to Newton Heath with some blank CD-Rs and a treasure map, care to join me?!
More information as we get it so watch this space.
Link to the MEN article here, including some tiny pictures of the shop:
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/174/174885_its_the_vinyl_countdown.html
I have just spent 2 days in hospital opposite the former owner of Pandemonium on Oxford Rd.
He does indeed live in Newton Heath / Failsworth near the old Co-op and he has over 100,000 records
Walked half of newton Heath and Failsworth and no pandemonium records…does it exist?! NO
Where is Pandamonium?
Those with long memories may recall that back in the 70s, Pandemonium had branches in Fallowfield (opposite Owens Park) and West Didsbury (Lapwing Lane).
Around the same time George Davenport was proprietor of “George Davenports Country Music Centre” on Oxford Road (near where the New Oxford Cinema used to be). The Pandemonium shop in All Saints came later (1980s) and by the time it opened, the two other branches were already long gone.
aA Blog post about the shop… http://akoustikanarkhy.blogspot.com/2012/01/500000-records-counting-north.html