Oxford Street
Adrian Barratt's shop was always a haven for muso's, especially with its (then) close proximity to A1 Repairs, Mameloks and Reno's - not to mention the Wimpy Bar.
Barratts original shop was a small one on the corner of the block, near to where the Railway bridge crosses Oxford Road, the large Barratts Shop (double fronted) was originally their drum shop and was called 'The Percussion Centre'.
As a sax player the shop held little fascination for me but for guitarists it must have been heaven. I can remember Eric Haydock working there after leaving the Hollies and probably after Eric Haydock's Rockhouse. At the time, it was always a good feeling to be served by him - he was a real "pop star".
I shall also remember Brian Higham, the manager extra-ordinary!
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Brian Higham
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Kevin Parry - Learnt to play the trumpet at Barratts
and later worked there. He went on to open his own
shops and play with "The Syd Lawrence Orchestra.
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One thing you may not have realised is that Barratt's had a 'chain' of shops.
The original was 72/77 (?) Oxford Street, the one in the picture, now very ironically The Samaritans! They had the factory and wholesale division for brass instruments at White City Old Trafford, a shop in Preston, managed by the Famous Sid, and a branch in Newcastle managed by Ces, which was just out of the town centre, and another Manchester shop on Oxford Road at number 8a, which was the brass and woodwind (or 'instrument') shop.
Newcastle was the first to go, really they should have moved into the town centre and it would have done well, but they didn't want to relocate.
Preston stayed a Barratt's shop long after Manchester had shut down. In the 80's Adrian had the idea of a "superstore" along the lines of Sound Control/Academy, very visionary really at the time, but he chose to move everything to White City factory, which they owned, (the Manchester stores were rented) but it was too far out of Manchester centre and the stock was never at superstore levels, so the punters didn't go, other than a few die hard brass and woodwind regulars.
On the eve of the big move 8a was transferred out to White City, 72 was shut and we ran the "rock" shop from 8a, right opposite the new BBC, which provided us with some regular hire for drum kits and Rhodes piano's. Then 8a was shut.
72 was re-opened as (I think) Music Maker, with a token staff.The superstore thing only lasted a couple of years, Adrian was ousted by his own board and given the Preston shop, which he named Music Maker and ran until his death around eight or ten years ago I think. Barratt's finally returned to 72/77 Oxford Street under the management of Gerry Kennedy, former rep for Rose Morris, who married Mavis Barratt, Adrian's mum (around 1980 I think).
Sadly Gerry became ill and died twelve months later, so Adrian was brought back in to run Manchester and although it had done well under Gerry's management, things were changing in Manchester, and it went slowly down the tubes and shut after a few years.
Adrian carried on with the Preston shop, by which time A1 had a branch there as well, until he became ill. I heard about his death a few years later through a client here who had a business partner who had bought the assets of the old White City factory.
Did you know Dave Edmunds worked in the Cardiff shop and had Andy Fairweather-Low as a Saturday boy.
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The above photo is the guitar repair workshop, on a quiet day by the look of it, this was on the middle floor of 72 Oxford Street, the little amplifier is an Arbiter Powerhouse, I still own one that I use at home from time to time.
We were due to move down the road to 8a Oxford Road, facing the ‘new’ BBC studios, this branch had been the strings, brass and woodwind shop, or “instrument Shop”, All the stock and staff had been moved out to Chester Road Old Trafford, opposite the White City stadium, where the factory was, this was a bold move at the time and pre dated some of the out of town super stores by several years, but to be successful a shop has to have stock and some reason for people to travel out of town, and to be honest this never happened.
The “instrument” thing really used to annoy us, people would come into the Oxford Street shop looking for brass and woodwind and say “where are all your instruments?” like guitars, keys and drums didn’t fit that category, it happened even more once we moved to 8a.
Strangely Music Ground have just opened a branch either in the same shop or the one next door to 8a on Oxford Road
Paul Braddock
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Adrian Barratt
(no its not Blackpool, its Niagra falls)
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Brian Higham and Hank Marvin in Barratts late 60s
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Hank & John Farrar recieve
some goodies couresty of
Barratts & Selmer at
Barratts of Manchester |
As a 'Manchester Beat' enthusiast, I have enjoyed reading your many comments on the general 'Group' (yes not band)
scene in Manchester during the 19'60s, in particular your experiences as Manager at Barratts Music.
Like yourself, I grew up through that period and played in many groups, and often would make pilgrimages to your shop to seek advice ,borrow and buy. You and Adrian were terrific and really encouraged the young musicians of that time - thank you !
I have just seen your website,where you were playing a red Hofner Verithin in those early days, and the reason for contacting you is that in December 1963 I purchased, from Barratts, a second hand one, same spec., for £40 (on HP) . I am just having a clear out and found the original bill, signed by Adrian. I know you went on to play the 'Country Gent' and I just wondered if the Hofner was the 'same' Guitar ?
If it was, you can see it in one of my early school groups on Manchester Beat -- 'The Secrets of Manchester' and also 'The Citrons'.
I went on, later, to sing in 'The Puzzle', so I must have traded in the Hofner for a Marshall PA, which you sold us along with the ' Marshall Amp Stacks' some years on. Just a thought ?
Thanks again for all your help!
Brian Cochrane
29/1/09
My fondest memories of Barratts were me going down there every saturday afternoon for my drum lesson. If Iremember correctly the teacher was a guy called Dave Edwards. T thanks to him I was in regular work drumming for a good 30 years, playing in various groups and then in various clubs as resident drummer, OH HAPPY DAYS.
Keith Lock
I worked at the Brass and Percussion shop in the summer of 75. I was mad on guitars and would volunteer to run errands up the road to where I would be confronted by Cec and the gang. One day I met this guy called Dave Edwards who used to teach drums,eleven years later he taught me to fly and we both ended up Captains in the Airlines. Dave still gigs and is happy to talk about his muso days especially his starring role with Brian and Michael with whom he played Matchstick cats and dogs. Great Days!!
K. O'Donnell
I was playing in a Kent based band and was making a rare 'tour' into the NW. We were doing a bit of shopping in Manchester, so I took the band into Reno's and Barratts (as you would).
My last memory of Barratts was one of our silly roadies agreeing to have his hands gaffertaped round a lamp post outside the shop. Naturally once his hands were tied and resistance impossible, we continued until both rolls were empty and he became mummified a couple of feet up the lampost. Off to A1 for new rolls of tape and then the Wimpy for a coffee. He had to be rescued by a very understanding policewoman".
Paul Mlynarz, Manchesterbeat webmaster and ex-Phoenix City Smash (Mc/r) and Life 'n' Soul (Kent)
I used to work in Barratt's many years back and I was in the shop on the day of the roadie gaffered to lampost incident, the WPC came in and said, (pointing out of the door towards the street) to the assembled band members "does this belong to you".
We all wandered out for a look and in fact it wasn't just his hands but his head taped up as well! I've often told the story of the taped up roadie, but I knever knew the name of the band.
I recall it was a fairly quiet day when you guys came in, it cheered us up for the rest of the day!"
Paul Braddock, ex-Barratts
2008
"In the late 50s and early 60s
it was the premier music shop in the north west.
I ordered my Fender jazz bass from there in early 1960, when I took delivery of it about 2 weeks later, Barrats got a letter from Jennings ( the importers and agents for Fender ) asking
them to send it back, because it was the first one in the UK ( later found out it was the first
to be exported from the USA ) and was intended to go to Jet Harris of the Shadows, but Adrian Barrat just told them it was already sold and paid for.
We used to have some great sessions there at lunch times, there was always a crowd in
trying the guitars and drums, Adrian's dad who was a dance band musician used to play
hell about the noise, he used to turn off the power so all the amps went off, its the only way
he could get rid of us.
It was also like a job centre for musicians, if you ever wanted a drummer/bass player/guitarist Adrian usually knew someone looking for a group."
Butch Mepham
Remember the Percussion Centre,on Oxford Rd.opposite the Prudential?Owned by Barratts and seperated from Barratts music shop by a tiny pub?I reopened it as manager in 1964,after it was rebuilt following a disatrous fire.One incident I remember.The late Johnny Roadhouse coming to collect an organ.We heaved it into the back of his old Rolls Royce.He slammed the door and it fell off onto the pavement.We picked it up slung it in the back and he drove off without a word.
Syd
27/4/10
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Brian Higham (left) and Adrian Barratt (right) meeting the President of the King Brass & Woodwind company at their main factory in Wyckliffe Cleveland Ohio U.S.A in 1974.
"We flew to New York and then on to Houston, Ttexas to the NAMM show. We stayed there for 4 days then drove from Houston thru Dallas on through Amarillo up to Chicago then on to Cleveland then up to Niagara to Buffalo and Springfield ,into new york state and the into new york itself, stayed there for two days and the home to the uk. When Adrian dropped me off at home I was we knackered. as he got back in his car he said "See you in the morning at the shop 9-30 sharp". He was all heart you know.
Brian Higham |
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On theright, a picture of Barratt's window in early 70s.
The first guitar, the strat, I sold to Hank Marvin and a Les Paul custom which is now owned by Keith Hopwood (Herman's Hermits).
The second one is one of the very first tele thinline model.
I sold this to John Farrar, he's the guy who wrote " You're the one that I want" for the film Grease. |
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The picture on the left is the same one bit with different pick ups, different scratch plate and three bigsby palm pedals on.
To play it you had to be a genius, but then he was...
Brian Higham |
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John Farrar trying out a guitar upstairs in the shop.
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Brian Higham outside the shop 1960s |
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The legendary Maynard Ferguson at Barratts
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I am pretty sure that this is the great Ernie Watson (NDO) - who also doubled Accordian. I went to Birley High School in Hulme and constantly wagged it to hear those guys rehearse and record - they were very kind to me and a mate and would get us a cup of tea and toast. It was amazing how quick they got an arrangment down and recorded.
I am now a saxophone player in Manchester - the stuff on this site made my life.
Paul Baylis |
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Cec Mosley (Boomerangs)
Eric Haydock and Terry Smith
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