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Saturday Deluxe / 12 November 2016

By Paul Sinclair

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38

sde_berlin

SDE in Berlin

I’ll be in Berlin next week checking out the city (first time visitor) and on a trail of record shops and music-related activities. Much like last year’s NYC trip I’ll be documenting events in a diary-like fashion and hopefully meeting lots of interesting people, including record-shop proprietors and the like.

I haven’t done much planning yet, so I’m reaching out to SDE readers and friends for tips on the best record shops to visit, essential places to see and great bars and restaurants! Hansa Studios is an obvious place of interest…

If you can help, please leave a comment on this post with tips, suggestions and ideas!

R.E.M. / Out Of Time / 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

R.E.M. unboxing video

It may seems as though EVERYTHING great came out yesterday, 11 November, but there’s still a few very good, high profile releases in the schedule for 2016. One is the four-disc R.E.M. Out Of Time ‘box set’. It’s not a box set of course, it’s really a ‘book set’ and many of you have commented on the price, which is currently about £43 (in the UK) having been over £50 for ages. This delivers the same kind of packaging as Paul McCartney‘s 3-disc New deluxe edition which was about £22 and when you consider that a remastered version of the Out Of Time and lossless 5.1 surround sound mix was issued in 2005 it’s hard to understand where this premium pricing comes from. Only two discs here are truly ‘new’ and unreleased. Anyway, thought you might like to see a new (official) unboxing video, below.

Read more about this R.E.M. set here.

cbs_paulsigning

We’re S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G, we’re shopping

Things are progressing quite well with the SDE shop, called appropriately enough, ShopSuperDeluxe.com. It’s been open for business since the summer when the It’s Immaterial Life’s Hard And Then You Die reissue that I curated came out. We still have some of that release in stock, along with the exclusive Driving Away From Home T-shirts, or a bundle that combines both for a special price.

As I think I’ve said before, it’s a bit of a fools errand trying to compete with Amazon, so the aim is to bring you interesting items that you either can’t find anywhere else, or perhaps are available at a special price. The SDE-curated Sam Brown box set is very exciting, since that’s a complete exclusive and won’t be available anywhere else until well into next year. Even better, we have SIGNED versions available for pre-order. These will be released and despatched in early December.

We also have some of Sony’s Paul Young Tomb of Memories: The CBS Years four-CD sets available, SIGNED by the man himself. I took the photo above as he was doing this, so there’s your ‘provenance’ :) We had about 100 of these and since being posted on the shop on Thursday, we’re down to the last 20. I very much doubt there will ever been any signed stock available again, so without wanting to give you the ‘hard sell’ if you are interested, then I’d advise you get an order in now. We ship worldwide and any orders placed (for Paul Young) over the weekend will be despatched on Monday.

Visit ShopSuperDeluxe.com

RIP Leonard Cohen

Yesterday, really was truly a ‘black friday’ so I’m signing off this week with this clip of a live version of one of my favourite Leonard Cohen songs, Famous Blue Raincoat.

SuperDeluxeEdition.com helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.

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38 Comments

38 thoughts on “Saturday Deluxe / 12 November 2016”

  1. Take the Hansa tour, I went 3 weeks ago and its very interesting for Bowie, U2 and Depeche Mode fans… it took about 3 hours but the guy has a lot to tell.

  3. This site is essential when traveling to any city in the world – The website says;

    ‘It’s like Discogs, for Record Shops & Record Events. Our mission is to document every physical record shop and record event on the planet’

    http://www.Vinylhub.com

    Enjoy!

  5. Another recommendation for the Sunday market at Mauerpark. Loads of good quality record stalls, as well as some really good clothing and arts/crafts stalls. And some tremendous food stalls. And make sure to get a cup or 2 of warming Gluhwein along the way.
    If you’re lucky Ruperts Kitchen Orchestra will be playing some great funky music in the park next to the market.
    Enjoy!

  6. Interesting places for you + address:

    Hansa Studios (Köthener Str. 38, 10963 Berlin) Train: U-S Potzdamerplatz
    David Bowies Berlin Flat 1976-1978 (Hauptstraße 155, 10827 Berlin) Train: U7 Kleistpark
    Neues Ufer (David Bowie fav. Cafe) (Hauptstraße 157, 10827 Berlin)

    Famous Video shooting places:

    Depeche Mode – Everything Count:
    Prinzenstraße Train Station area (Train U1 Prinzenstraße)
    Strandbad Wannsee (Wannseebadweg 25, 14129 Berlin) Train: S1 Nikolassee

    Depeche Mode – Striped:
    Near Martin-Gropius-Bau? (Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin)

    U2:
    Köthener Str. (near Hansa – see above)

    I’ll comment with more places.

  7. Hi Paul!
    As a Berliner I strongly recommend to visit Dodo Beach Records (Vorbergstraße 8, 10823 Berlin). It’s a very nice shop run by music enthusiasts such as you ;)

  8. Berlin. There are a number of stalls selling vinyl at the Mauerpark Sunday flea market, which is just along the road from the “other” part of the remaining Berlin Wall, (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) which is an outdoor museum documenting the history of the Wall. U-Bahn Eberswalderstrasse on the U2. You often get good buskers there. In that area (but not open on Sunday) are a number of small record shops. I also recommend the Reichstag, which can be combined with seeing the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust memorial – the free museum under it is both fascinating and heart-breaking. And for a treat, go to Fassbender & Rausch at Gendarmenmarkt – it claims to be the biggest chocolate shop in Europe, with chocolate models of the Brandenburg Gate, etc and a café restaurant upstairs where you can indulge in the German tradition of coffee and very delicious cake. U-Bahn Stadtmitte.

  9. Was there last september. It’s a great city to be in. When you go the comeback records shop on Hasenheide nr 9 don’t forget the vietnamese restaurant that’s next to it. Wonderful food for only 5 euro’s or so. leaves you a bigger budget for records :-)
    Bowie’s home was at the Hauptstrasse 155. Make a visit and have a drink at the café neues ufer. It’s full of memories.

  10. Have a nice trip to Germany, Paul. I travel twice a year to Berlin (when on business) to see that there is a lot of chance in record stores. As everywhere long established store vanish, the cool new ones where seldom my cup of coffee (electronics). I would suggest a walk in the streets of Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain. You will find a lot of record store and a lot of pretty gentrification in different stages. In the last two years the west is coming back, exspecially Charlottenburg. There are a lot of record store lists in the net for all theses areas. In this one are all the classics and some good recommondations in the comments: http://www.top10berlin.de/de/cat/shopping-271/plattenlaeden-1771

  12. I also have the PY boxset already but ordered a signed copy. This man has a fantastic voice. Saw him a couple of times (opening for Genesis in Rotterdam which was great, amongst others)

    I hope there will be more signed boxsets, only next time when they are initially released. So I don’t have to buy them twice.

    Enjoy Berlin, Paul. Great city.

    1. Thanks Alex. Yes, unfortunately the ShopSuperDeluxe store wasn’t open last year when the Paul Young set was released, but with Sam Brown we are able to offer SIGNED sets straight off the bat, which I’m happy about.

      1. Hi Paul, yes I know about the Sam Brown boxset. I loved her duet with Fish and started listening to her own cd’s since then. Beautiful voice. Love her work. So did not hesitate when I received your e-mail about the boxset and ordered it right way.
        Hope to see more signed editions in your shop in the future.

        All the best from Holland

  13. Went to Berlin a few years ago and would echo the comments above. If you like football, a trip to see Hertha Berlin is advisable (they are doing well in the Bundesliga) and they play at the Olympic Stadium which is worth the trip alone.

  17. Just to add to William’s Hansa comment. You actually can go visit Hansa studios, if you book through the Berlin Music Tour link, i posted earlier. They also have a special “Bowie” tour.

  19. I was there in August. Definitely go to the Reichstag. You will need to book in advance if you want to tour as security is strict but definitely worth it. You can see across most of Berlin. If you want to see all of Berlin then go up the TV tower. We had breakfast there and the top part revolves and you can see for miles. Again, you will need to book and breakfast is on top (which my wife didn’t know, to her horror).

    We went to Hansa studios, you can’t go in and view but it was good to see where U2, Depeche Mode and, one of the main reasons we were there, to follow in David Bowie’s footsteps, recorded. Where Are We Now was playing in my head wherever we went to the places mentioned in the song.

    East Side gallery is good too. This is where the longest existing stretch of the Berlin wall resides. Lots of artists have ‘decorated’ these walls.

    Checkpoint Charlie and The Palace of Tears are very affecting as they tell the story of the separation that occurred whilst the wall was in place.

    Didn’t get to see any record shops (was with the family) so can’t advise on those but I would definitely go back. As much as I love London, it’s so much cleaner, less congested and not sprawling with high rise buildings. Also, it’s pretty flat so easy to get around.

    Have a great trip and let me know if you need any more info.

  21. Forgot about this one, a music tour by bus around Berlin, in 2009 they included a visit to Hansa studios, as U2 were playing at the Olympic Stadium

  22. Oh and by the way did you see the amount of spelling mistakes for the Out of Time set on the advert they placed in Uncut? I spotted three right off the bat.

  24. Paul, in Berlin, check out the Trabant Safari: http://www.trabi-safari.de/index.php?language=en

    I’d also recomend visting the Reichstag, but would advise booking ahead, as friends eho,went there a few weeks back were turned away, as it was fukky booked all day. http://www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestag/dome/registration/245686

    There are lots of museums, but this one was my favourite, concentrating exclusively on what life was like during the years if soviet East Berlin, http://www.ddr-museum.de/en
    They have a section on music/ censorship if western music etc.

    Great German Weihenstephaner beer & German food at Hackecher market in East Berlin
    http://weihenstephanerberlin.livebookings.biz/#home

    Finally, cool restaurant/night club http://m.spindlerklatt.com/en/

  26. Paul you should get yourself along to Bowie and Iggy’s old flat. It’s easy to find, just down the road from a tube station. I can’t remember the actual address off the top of my head, plus there’s a chance you’ll think to yourself ‘why am I here? It’s just a normal looking building.’ But when you get home you’ll at least know that you visited it.

  27. I can’t help you on the music front I’m afraid – but having spent six of the happiest months of my life living in Berlin I can advise on “non music” places to visit. If interested let me know and I’ll either post on here or drop you an email.

    Haven’t done so straight away as not sure you’ll have time to do anything non music related :D

  28. You will love Berlin, it is a fantastic city, places of interest, obviously Brandenberg Gate, Alexanderplatz is an excellent and vibrant area and it is well worth going up the TV Tower there for the views, it is stunning. Regards music shops etc, I went to Media Markt, Berlin, which is in the Alexa Shopping Complex and they have a huge selection of CD’s and Vinyl etc and reasonably priced too, you could spend hours in there!!

    One other tourist attraction is the Holocaust Memorial just through Brandenberg Gate, an amazing place. A good place to learn about the culture is the DDR Museum, which is very popular, if that is your thing of course.

    I want to go back there at some point.

  29. Paul…I wad in Berlin for 1st time in August. .fab city…try have breakfast at Reichstag restaurant. .amazing views over city…re record shops…I didn’t get chance to visit but friend who is frequent visitor recommends the following :
    GALACTIC SUPERMARKET
    PETERS BURGER STRASSE 89 FRIEDRICH STAIN

    DODO BEACH SCHONENBERG(bit further out but worth it !!)

    PANDORA’S BOX..STUBENRANSTRASSE 70..SCHOENBERG

    WOWS VILLE BAR/CAFE&RECORD SHOP
    ON LAVER STRASSE 33 KREVZBERG

    RUMPSTI PUMSTI MUSIC
    WEBER STRASSE 170 NEUKOLIN

    RECORD STORE BERLIN
    BRUNNENSTRASSE 186 MOTTE

    I have copied these from a handwritten list so best to have a’Google. .
    Also..If you haven’t done so go online and buy a Welcome card…gives you travel on amazing underground train and bus system you validate it upon arrival at Airport. ..There are NO barriers on underground…but if you found without ticket it’s 100 euro fine on spot !!…
    I’m returning in February so be grateful for heads up if any shops worth a particular visit
    Enjoy ur trip

  30. The PY set is fantastic and although I already have it I have sprung for a signed one. PY along with George Michael and Stephen Duffy are the voices of my teens. Hope there are a couple left!

    1. My personal list

      Dussmann
      Friedrichstrasse 90
      10-24 Mon-Sat
      Bhf Friedrichstraße

      Saturn
      Alexanderplatz
      Kurfürstendamm
      Mo-Fr:10:00 – 22:00 Uhr
      Sa:10:00 – 22:00 Uhr
      So:13:00 – 18:00 Uhr
      Bhf Alexanderplatz

      MediaMarkt Charlottenbourg
      Mo-Sa 10.00 bis 20.00 Uhr

      Cover Music
      Kurfürstendamm 11
      10-20, Sa 10-18
      U1 Kurfürstendamm

      Flohmarkt Strasse (second hand)
      Strasse 17 Juni
      10-17 Sat-Sun
      Bhf Tiergarten

      Platten Pedro (second hand vinyl)
      Tegeler Weg 102
      10-18 mon-fri
      10-13 sat
      Bhf Mierendorffplatz

      Mr Dead and Mrs Free (new and audiophile)
      Bulowstrasse 5
      12-19 mon-fri
      11-16 sat
      Bhf Nollendorfplatz

      Scratch Records
      Zossener Strasse 31
      11-19 mon-wed
      11-20 thu-fri
      11-16 sat
      Bhf Gneisenaustrasse

      1. Hi Paul,

        just a short comment on Marco’s post for you as i’m not sure if you speak any german:

        “Bhf” is the german abbreviation for “Bahnhof”, which means station in english (either for trains or subways) otherwise excellent research from Marco.

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