New store and venue triples as European HQ
Third Man Records has opened their Third Man Records London Store, their first location outside the USA. Situated on Marshall Street in the heart of London’s historic Soho — an area renowned for its rich musical history — the London store completes a trio of Third Man physical spaces that includes buildings in Nashville, TN and Detroit, MI. The new location features a two-level retail space, an intimate live music venue named “The Blue Basement,” and a European headquarters for the label.
Third Man founder Jack White opened The Blue Basement in style with a fans-only performance, followed by an encore on artist Damien Hirst’s next door balcony to the whole of Soho.
Located at 1 Marshall Street, London W1F 9BA, the store is now officially open to the public. It was personally designed by White, who recently launched Jack White Art & Design via a comprehensive multimedia website cataloguing two decades of his award-winning creative work, alongside the Third Man creative hive of artists. The store was conceptualized and created throughout 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of creating a physical space to help keep record sales and live performances alive after such a tough period for everyone.
In addition to previously-announced titles from the likes of Paul Weller, David Ruffin, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Cornershop, Gina Birch of The Raincoats and the great, lost Manchester group The Magic Roundabout, Third Man has added a limited edition, screen printed jacket version of The White Stripes Peel Sessions on double vinyl in celebration of the opening. The two live recordings from 2001 with famed BBC DJ John Peel capture Jack and Meg during the international hubbub of White Blood Cells, and are arguably the best document of The White Stripes at that time. Having been widely bootlegged since their initial recordings, and first officially released by Third Man in 2016, this special version and hark back to the duo’s UK success couldn’t be a more fitting release for their London opening. These exclusive releases are now available to buy on black vinyl from the Third Man webstore, at all three Third Man Records stores, and independent record shops everywhere, and on very limited edition yellow vinyl in the Third Man London store only.
Furthermore, Third Man has released clothing collaborations with Bella Freud, Rockins and The Jacksons, all of which are exclusive to the London store for the first three months.
The location features a host of the kind of quirks, details and idiosyncrasies Third Man have become renowned around the world for. These include a Third Man Records token-operated lucky dip book machine designed by the Toronto-based artist Craig Small. Titled the “Literarium,” it is only the second of its kind in the world and much loved by the likes of Margaret Atwood. The store will also feature a Third Man Records token-operated recording booth where artists and the public can record their own material straight to vinyl.
