And pukes! Literally! Here’s the story—in 1970 Columbia Records head honcho Clive Davis, eager to resuscitate Tony Bennett’s faltering career by updating his sound, browbeat Bennett into singing the songs of The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Peggy Lee, Dusty Springfield, Richard Harris and the like—you know, freaky countercultural stuff, one small step away from Wild Man Fischer.
And Tony—a 100-percent Great American Songbook kind of guy—did what any great singer in his shoes would do. Threw up on them. Because he was backed into a corner and Captain Beefheart covers couldn’t be far away. He later recalled: “I started planning the record by listening to as many current hits as I could stand. I mean some of the songs made me physically nauseous.” The poor dear man. George Harrison’s “Something” has that effect on people.
Nausea, as we all know, is one small step away from actually blowing chunks, and that’s exactly what Bennett did come time to record such rancid hippie fare as “Eleanor Rigby” and the druggy “Little Green Apples.” Davis himself reported that Bennett vomited at the start of the sessions. Tony, a class act in all respects, used a more polite term: “I actually regurgitated when I made that awful album.”
Bennett was hardly alone in his aversion and disgust for the sounds of the younger generation. Way back in 1957 Frank Sinatra called rock and roll “the most brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious form of expression it has been my displeasure to hear.” Ol’ Blue Eyes went on to say “It is sung, played and written for the most part by cretinous goons,” before dismissing it as a “rancid smelling aphrodisiac” and “the martial music of every sideburned delinquent on the face of the earth.”
Kingston, UK | Kingston’s Banquet Records among 18 UK record stores crowned ‘the greatest in the world.’ The Financial Times has curated a list of 38 record stores worldwide crowned as the “greatest in the world”, 18 of which are in the UK. Among the 18 in the FT’s list is our very own Banquet Records. But why did Banquet Records make the list? The FT says: “Come for the comprehensive edit of contemporary indie, rock and dance records – stay for the 200 gigs a year the shop puts on, whether in its intimate onsite space, the Pryzm nightclub around the corner or St John’s Church on the outskirts of town. Tickets are not expensive and sometimes free when you buy an album. “While many record stores rightly cherish the past, Banquet feels like it’s got its eye on the future.” Speaking about the store’s recognition in the Financial Times, Banquet Records’ Jon Tolley told KIngston Nub: “
Hexham, UK | Snap Records store, Hexham supports Blue Spirit charity: The proceeds of a vinyl collection were donated to charity. Blue Spirit is a charity established in Hexham that helps young people experiencing mental health challenges, or facing social or economic disadvantage, to experience the freedom of sailing. It was established in memory of Laury Gratiet, who died of a mental illness at 21 years of age. Andy Lees, Laury’s uncle, sold approximately 60 records and a turntable to Snap Records in the town centre and donated the proceeds of £550 to Blue Spirit. Solen said: “This amount is a significant contribution to Blue Spirit and it will allow one young person to go on a five-day group sailing voyage from North Shields or Hartlepool, or will allow 16 young people a half-day dinghy sailing session on the Derwent Reservoir. “These experiences are potentially life-changing, and at the very least give young people the chance to do something that would normally be out of their reach and that will 
Edinburgh, UK | We visited the Edinburgh record store named in list of ‘best in the world.’ After The Financial Times named a Bruntsfield record store among the best in the world, we headed over to see what all the fuss was about and spoke to owner Mark Thorne who told us the secret to his success. An Edinburgh record store has been named among the best in the world, and we nipped over to Bruntsfield to see what all the fuss was about. Thorne Records was crowned by The Financial Times alongside 37 other record stores across the globe that are ‘go to venues for a vinyl fix’. Mark Thorne, who opened the store back in 2022, feels the key to his success comes from keeping sales in store and forming bonds with the community. We paid a visit to the store on a dour afternoon, that was immediately brightened by the chipper and welcoming yellow walls of Thorne. Mark was happy to take some time to have a chat, something that clearly 
US | Post Malone named Record Store Day 2025 ambassador: Post Malone doesn’t need any help to be the official Record Store Day 2025 ambassador. In his new role, the rapper-turned-pop star-turned-country star will be encouraging folks to shop in their local independent record stores on April 12. “What an honor,” says Posty in a statement. “Record Store Day is so important, and I really hope to do my part to keep it alive.” “We love hitting local shops when we’re on the road, seeing all the crazy artwork … the whole energy in a record store is just super inspiring,” he continues. “I feel at home. It’s really an unexplainable feeling to hit up a shop and dig through crates, just see what grabs your eye. You can be looking for something super specific and end up finding something totally different. 
Liverpool, UK | Liverpool record shop the oldest of its kind in England: A Liverpool family-run shop has become the oldest independent record store in England. The Musical Box in Tuebrook has been run by four generations of the same family since it was opened in 1947. The shop first sold toys and LPs to customers before becoming a much-loved record shop. Grandmother Diane Cain has been associated with the shop for its entire 77 year history. The shop was originally owned by Diane’s uncle Jack Lewis, and later by her mother, Dorothy. Today, the business is run by Diane’s son Tony Quinn and his wife Paula, with her grandsons also helping and running the social media accounts. Paula says the family are delighted that their independent record shop is the oldest in the country. “We were aware that we were Liverpool’s oldest record shop, but with so many customers constantly saying we must be the oldest in the country, we decided to enquire. “We thought it would be fitting for Diane, who is second generation, to be able to know, with her being 87 year sold. Our customers are so happy for us, to know 
Los Angeles, CA | Album donation drive: Help this record shop help fire evacuees find their music: Record Safari in Los Angeles is accepting vinyl donations, both “new and used”; find how to contribute. A favorite song, a beloved musician, our go-to group, the album we’d take to a desert island: The beautiful ballads and rocking anthems of our lives have bolstered us when we required bolstering and provided some solace when a sense of peace was desperately needed. Alex Rodriguez, the owner of the music shop Record Safari, wanted to help the people who’ve lost their homes and 
Here in the US The Troggs are primarily (if not exclusively) known for the cave man stomp “Wild Thing,” but in England’s green and pleasant land they scored a fair number of hits, which is where 1967’s Best of the Troggs comes in. You may not have wanted to let these guys anywhere near a live chicken (the results were invariably bloodcurdling), but their early work holds up as a prime example of the sonic possibilities of inspired primitivism.
