It began as a way to celebrate the little indie record store, you know?” reminisces Jude de Souza over a phone call. In the last decade, he has overseen the Mahim hub of The Revolver Club evolve from a niche hangout for vinyl collectors to the place to be for a generation looking to stand out in a digital-friendly world. On Saturday, the club will mark their 10th Record Store Day with a celebration that expands across the country.
Visitors browse through vinyl records at previous Record Store Day celebrations
The event will be celebrated simultaneously across Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and their new space in Fontainhas, Goa. “A key part this year is the celebration of Gauhar Jaan. She was the first Indian face on a 78 RPM,” de Souza emphasises. Born in 1873 in Kolkata, she became the first Indian singer to agree to record her voice for The Gramophone Company of Fred Gaisberg in 1902. But it was the use of her image, on record covers, matchboxes in Austria and Switzerland, as well as on cigarette cards that immortalised her as a cult figure.
Gauhar Jaan. PICS COURTESY/THE REVOLVER CLUB; Wikimedia Commons
To this end, the club has reached out to India Post to petition the inclusion of the 19th Century singer on a stamp. “The year 2030 will mark the 100th anniversary of her passing, and we hope to help publish a stamp in her name. We will hold a signatory campaign at the clubs over the weekend,” he shares.
The weekend will also witness some rare collectibles on display — from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd and Dire Straits — for a younger generation to savour. DJ Dave Switchenko will turn the vinyl sound into a communal experience for visitors. “Many of them have not heard of these bands, but are curious and embracing the sense of ownership, of listening to whole albums as a collective experience,” de Souza reveals.
Jude de Souza
ON April 18; 12 pm onwards
AT The Revolver Club, Lady Jamshedji Road, Mahim West.
LOG ON TO therevolverclub.com (to register)
ENTRY RSVP mandatory
Get your collectible fix
Gauhar Jaan imprint
Do not miss the special edition artistic recreation of the iconic singer’s likeness that was once present on matchboxes across Europe. It’s memorabilia worth taking home.
Dire Straits-1978
Aside from the New Wave aesthetic, the back cover comes with mugshots of Mark Knopfler and the band, with song lyrics to boot.
Pink Floyd – Obscured by Clouds, 1972
This is a collector’s special, and one of the band’s more complete bluesy, melodic compilations with tracks like Free Four and Wot’s…Uh The Deal included.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Smash Hits
The name alone should draw collectors to this record. The vinyl pressing, with its Rastafarian colour text, is certainly catchy to say the least.
Pink Floyd-Relics
Grotesque masks? Check. This rare album cover is a throwback to a time when not everything had to be aesthetically pleasing and curated.
