The shelves are already beginning to thin, but Music World has reservations in the back room. “Boxes that I have saved, with records that we put out every day in the store, but my wife and I can’t cope & rdquor ;, sighs José Luis Fernández Alfaro, who for 31 years has captained, together with his wife, Carmen Cuñado, this great bastion of vinyl (and CD and DVD) in the Eixample, now decorated with posters announcing ‘full clearance’ and offer discounts of 20 and 50%.
Yes, Music World closes, forced by the circumstances of a rental that expires without the possibility of extension. “They have told us that they will not renew our contract. We thought that they would renew us for another year, or two, but there has been no way & rdquor ;, explains José Luis, sportingly resigned. He takes it philosophically. “The moment has come. I was already tired, although the music cheered me up. I have turned 68, and she is one year away from retirement & rdquor ;.
From 10 cents to 1,000 euros
On June 8, the countdown will end for this Rosselló-Enric Granados store, which in other times coexisted with three other establishments, two of them in Tallers, in what was the golden mile of the record business (and where some veterans struggle: both local Revolver, as well as Impacto and Tesla). In Music World artists such as Los Planetas, Los Suaves or the original singer of Iron Maiden, Paul Di’Anno, signed albums.
There they are, a few more days, fruit boxes full of LPs and ‘singles’ with which they attract the eyes of passers-by. Clients and friends come to hunt both coveted specimens and bargains. “Vinyls of Oasis which in their day were published in very short runs”, explains José Luis, owner of one of the most sought-after vinyl records in Spain, that of the first album by Double hemstitch, published by the Ópalo label in 1971. “It is selling for 1,000 euros and more, and I have it at a slightly lower price”. At the other end, compact at 40, 20 and 10 cents. “The 10 cent ones have already flown, but we have had mountains & rdquor ;.
Network Continuity
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Music World lowers the blind, but will keep online commerce alive, with the chcarmen brand, on the Todocolección website and on other portals, such as Amazon itself. Because José Luis has ‘musical’ buying and selling in his blood. “My wife says I’m crazy, to stop buying now, but if they bring me records, I keep buying them. Music is my passion, and if I don’t sell them here, I’ll sell them online or I’ll keep them.” And the spirit of the store will continue to kick in the ‘playlist’ that has opened on Spotify, Rock Legends, stuffed with classics like the Stones, Chicago or Led Zeppelin. With it, he says, he wants to ”leave a legacy to the people who love rock and who listened to the songs he played in the store or that I sang myself”.
We’re told that currently vinyl factories can’t keep up with demand, while stores like Music World can’t resist. Contrasts. “But I have not fallen. We don’t leave it, they make us leave it”, muses José Luis, who says he has made up his mind without elevating it to tragedy. “Mourn? Some client has cried & rdquor ;. For the afternoon of the 8th, he summons friends and sympathizers to “a party to which all of Barcelona will come & rdquor ;, augurs. “We will put cava, we will raffle some vinyl and we will do something cool & rdquor ;.