HUNDREDS of people queued outside Oxford's last independent record shop from the early hours of the morning in a bid to get their hands on special vinyl releases.

The eighth celebration of Record Store Day on Saturday[apr18] saw a long queue form from about 4am outside The Truck Store, in Cowley Road, in anticipation for its 8am opening. And fans were treated to an acoustic set by alternative indie folk band Stornoway.

The annual promotion has been held in the UK since 2008, in support of independent record stores and hundreds of specially produced vinyls are released for it.

Manager Carl Smithson said artists that proved the most popular this year included former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, as well as Foo Fighters and the Sex Pistols.

He added: “We sold out of quite a few things, it seems to be getting busier every year.

“We do sell vinyl throughout the year and I think Record Store Day has played a big part in leading that increase in interest.

“One of my favourite things about the day is always seeing families browsing records together.

“We had a father and daughter at the front of the queue this year, so we are selling to lots of different people from different generations.

“People are also listening to vinyl more and more as a great way to listen to albums.

“These days it is so easy to have access to pretty any bit of music at any time and it can sometimes be overwhelming.

“It’s good for people to take the time out to stop and put on a record and just listen to an album cover to cover. You need that in this day and age.”

One shopper at Truck Records also emerged from the store particularly happy.

Gary Sale, of Plantation Road, thought at first that he would not be able to get a copy of the seven-inch record of Walk On By, by Dionne Warwick, covered by The Stranglers. He had been queuing since about 6am.

The 52-year-old, who is a chef at St John’s College, said: “It is my all time favourite, but when I asked one of the shop staff about it her face just dropped.

“Then someone else said that there was one left and someone must be holding it.

“I asked this elderly gentleman who had a pile of records if he had it and he had the last copy.

“He offered it to me and just said ‘that’s alright, you want it much more than I do’.

“I thought that was brilliant, he was a really good samaritan.”

At Rapture in Witney, shop manager Mark Sharman said it had been the most successful year yet.

He added: “Each year you think it can’t get any bigger, but then it does again.

“There was a good 60 to 70 people queuing outside down to WH Smiths when we opened and most got what they wanted.

“People really enjoy it and it also brings out all the collectors.”