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DAVID POOLE
@records_football
Hailing originally from North London, its instantly apparent that David is a music fanatic and not just a records fanatic. He speaks with indelible passion about music, both the past and present and his knowledge about bands, ones from London in particular, knows no limits.
His collection has been impressively put together in only around 5 years after rediscovering the love for vinyl records and his growing hatred for CD’s! This feat would be even more impressive if it wasn't for the fact that his office is in Soho where David has access to some of the worlds best independent record shops almost instantly.
David’s collection without doubt falls into the category of eclectic. With artists ranging from Roxy Music, whom he states as his favourite ever band, to newer artists like Black Midi & Joanna Newsom. Oh, and he has one of the biggest collection of David Bowie records iv'e ever seen!
What was the first record you bought or remember playing?
I already had some records that i listened to from my older brother but the first record i bought with my own money was “London Calling” by The Clash on 7inch single. The first album i bought was “The Wall” by Pink Floyd.
You mentioned your brother, was he an influence on your musical tastes growing up?
Yeah absolutely. My brother is 10 years older than me and it was basically him that got me into the band who would be come my favourite ever band, Roxy Music. I was listening to their self titled debut record when i was about 8 years old and used to play it on my mothers old stereogram. I loved the cover art and used to think how different it was to anything you could hear on the radio in those times. A lot of the records my brother and i used to play back then i've still got in my collection and still play today.
You have the biggest David Bowie collection of records i think i've ever seen! Whats the story?
Yeah i've been a Bowie fan for as long as i can remember, since i was a little kid and loved hearing “The Laughing Gnome”. Its more than just music with David Bowie for me though, i feel like i know him and especially with him being from London. When he spoke he sounded like he could have been one of my family members. Throughout all my life though, David Bowie has been a constant really.
Your listening room looks fantastic. Is that part of your living room?
Yeah its part of our living room which i've set up as my listening space really. The room is split up so i can sit and listen to music either through headphones or without, and my wife can watch the TV. But there are times when we sit and listen to music together.
How many records do you think you have in your collection?
At a guess id say slightly less than 2000 records and these are predominantly LP’s. I did have albums and vinyl catalogued in iTunes at one time with around 3500 albums recorded but i have much less than that now.
Do you use Discogs?
Yeah i do use discogs to catalogue my collection and i also buy from discogs users. But i do try to support independent record shops as much as possible. Ive bought some things recently from my local record store Empire Records (@empirerecordsstalbans) in St Albans to support them, particularly with Record Store Day being postponed.
Where else do you usually buy records from?
Well working in Soho in Central London i have access to some great record shops like Sister Ray, Sounds of the Universe and Rough Trade so i get to visit them almost daily. Which can be dangerous or very convenient!
Most collectors have a specific wants list, do you have one? And whats on it if you do?
Yes I've got a wants list and will always have. Ive quite a specific list of records that are quite rare which i chip away at every few months. In the last few weeks, with everyone being in lockdown, i've added a few off my wantlist due to being housebound and not going out spending money on anything else really. The list is always being updated and ticked off but more is always being added to it!
Is there a record you have been looking to get for a long time? A “holy grail” record we will call it!
I wouldn't say theres one particular record I've not found or been looking for really. A lot of albums from the late 90s’ to early 00s’ didn't even get a vinyl pressing so id have to say some of those albums are ones im wanting to add to my collection. Im also a huge fan of a band called Shack and one of their albums “HMS Fable” which was never pressed on vinyl so id be made up if that finally had a vinyl release. Id say that was sort of a holy grail really.
Looking through your collection, its seems as though you have a quite eclectic music taste? Would you agree?
Yeah i would agree but whenever people ask my what my music tastes are i say “ I just like good music!” It doesn't cross my mind about what genre of music a record im buying might fit into, i buy it because i like the music. And really since punk rock there hasn't been a genre thats stood out on its own. I just think music is music really. But back to your original question, yeah its very eclectic as it cross genres like jazz, folk, hip hop, punk, indie, rock and many others.
You work within the design industry which means you must have an appreciation for the artwork on records?
Oh yeah i absolutely love the artwork on LP’s and there might be certain albums i think i might like but if the artwork is rubbish i might not even buy it on vinyl. I hate bad artwork on album covers as this is something that is going to last forever so the artwork needs to be good. As record collectors we like something tangible to hold and to look at. I think thats what draws us to vinyl just as much as the sound does.
So what would you like to happen to your collection after you have passed on?
Well i've seen my collection as an investment, which is what i've been telling my wife to justify how many i've bought! But they will never be sold. They will be there for the kids to divide it up!
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