Ex DJ Duncan Finlayson, better known as Funky Dunc, first started music retail at The Top Ten Shop, 594 Bristol Rd, Selly oak – his Saturday job for Jo and Iris Beckett, who had the shop for years.
In 1976 he brought the business off the Becketts, which was predominately a chart shop with a big interest in dance and soul music (also selling leather goods). In those early days it was just Duncan and Christine Norton who worked there.
In 1982 he relocated to 598 Bristol Road, just a few shops away, renaming it Loading Bay Records and specialising in High Energy dance and soul music.
He started his own record label, which was also called Loading Bay Records, buying the rights to many European tracks (he always had an ear for an amazing song). With 85 releases on the label!
Loading Bay Records – “Purveyors Of Fine Vinyl”
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/label/14543-Loading-Bay-Records
There was discussions about starting up a soul music label, but that never happened.
In the early days there was Duncan Finlayson, Christine Norton, and Dave Allen (who worked Saturdays). In later years Tony Millican joined the team. The shop stopped trading after his death in 1996, at the age of just 45.
Thanks to Christine Norton, Dave Allen and Mickey Nold for their help with this page. Now we need your memories…
Funky Duncan an amazin fun guy, really missed xxxx
Duncan was a fantastic guy. I used to love walking down “the village” and dropping in to listen to what was playing, look through the racks and buy a disc or 2.
I got to know him in the 90’s when I was ordering direct from Loading Bay when NRG was getting scarce in the US. The last time we talked, he mentioned he was be in my area, and suggested we meet. The next time I called the poor guy who answered the phone had to tell me he had passed. I’ll always regret not have the chance to meet him in person, he was very very nice to me. I’m glad to see this page.
Loading Bay was at 586 Bristol road. The property is now a hairdressers. so the details above aren’t quite correct. I worked for him for just a few years.. though those few years had a major impact on the course of my life. I will always be indebted to Duncan and the kindness he showed to me. There is no lasting memorial to him.. no grave. all we have are the records he released when he had his label and our memories of course. My memories revolve around his music.. certain tracks that give me pause and even now.. all these years later can overwhelm me. (this doesn’t stop me listening to them though.)
I used to call at loadingbay, when I worked as a rep for Polygram. I’ll never forget Duncan and Christine, it was always a pleasure to go into the shop. Great times.
I remember Duncan doing his thursday night DJ session at the Powerhouse back in the late 80’s and I would sometimes pop down to the shop with friends and we’d sit at the counter drinking tea and listening to some of his latest Hi NRG Europop 12″. I still have some Loading Bay records in my collection today. It was a privilege to have known Duncan and he helped to create the soundtrack to my life in those formative years!
Duncan was so helpful to me. I used to play a lot of Loading Bay Releases, and he eventually started to send me the occassional releases for FREE… 1 of 50 TP’s I believe of Rofos Theme, BEFORE it was signed to PWL. I can remember playing it in the club and it just filled the dancefloor, I had 2 people on it’s first ever play ask me what it was.
I knew Funky Dunc from the mid ’70s when we were both members of the Lickey Ash motorcycle club in Bromsgrove. Almost uniquely be owned a Lambretta scooter AND a life threatening Kawasaki 900, dangerous and fast.
A friend sent me a video of Hotel California just now, which reminded me of ordering the album from Top Ten records in about 1977, and then to your website. I’d long since most touch with Duncan, but perhaps inevitable that we lost him so young, but very sad to read nonetheless.
When.my first wife divorced me Duncan immediately called me to offer me the use of one of his student flats, for as long as I needed it. Top bloke, I can still hear his voice…..
I bought Duncan’s Lambretta TV200 off him in 1972, he went on to buy a special edition from Roy’s of Hornchurch which had his name on the side panels. Both would very desirable machines now.
Hi John,
I’ve just come across this site after seeing some pictures of the road outside Duncan’s shop. I knew Duncan well as a good friend and was sad to hear about his passing. I remember his Kawasaki Z1R, and he rode it very fast, I did a 24hr ride with him covering over 600 miles (i was on the back). I watched him racing a Lambretta at Snetterton. He convinced me to buy a Vespa 200 which I used to take up to the outer Hebrides and Germany where I was stationed in the Army.
He once got tickets to Heatwave (in Brum ) and also was able to gain access to the backstage party afterwards with me in attendance due to his music ‘connections’
RIP Duncan
DJ Duncan was always friendly. I remember at the Powerhouse we could not disturb him when he was “triple tracking” – merging three 12” vinyl records simultaneously to create unique dance sounds. Brilliant at the time. I bought plenty of records from him in the shop he ran on Thursdays in the club. The gay night was packed. It was called Cruisin’ and I still have my membership card. Lee G
Legend
I met Duncan, We went out briefly together, he was a wonderful man, and I still miss him today
I used to spend every Saturday morning down there, waiting eagerly for Dave Allen to open the shop and to see what Northern vinyl he had for me. Duncan would arrive around 10.00-10.30am with his usual smile on his face asking what i’d bought. I’d stay and watch to see what white label dance tracks he had from the companies. Loved the place. I met Christine on my very 1st visit, around 82-83 I think and had a couple of motown tracks off her.
I had a lot of vinyl off Dave over the next couple of years, but I lost touch with him with marriage and responsibilities that happen in ones life.
I wish I knew where he was today, would love a chat over old times, and ask If he still had any of Duncans old mix tapes as I lost my copies.
Fab store, fab guys, really miss the old times
Nigel…[Northern Nige] as Duncan named me 🙂
I LIVED WITH DUNCAN IN THE 80’s AND I USED TO WALK “ARCHWAY” HIS GOLDEN LAB. I MET CHRIS AND OTHER LADYFRIENDS. WE WENT TO SEE “THE TEMPTATIONS” AND IT WAS A FAB NIGHT. DUNCAN USED TO HOLD PARTIES BEYOND BELIEF AND ONE SPRINGS TO MIND. IT WAS A “MAPP & LUCIA” DO AND I WAS MAJOR MAPP-FLINT. I REMEMBER HE HAD A KAWASAKI MOTOR BIKE AND ALSO A SUZUKI JEEP OF WHICH HE WAS FOND. HE WAS A PERFECTIONIST AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN TIMES. HE WAS PLEASED WHEN I WORKED AT THE “GALE” AND HE WORKED HIS MAGIC AT “AUGUSTA’S” IN LEAMINGTON SPA. HIS POPULARITY NEVER FAILED AND WE RAISED MONEY FOR THE GUIDE DOGS AT THE DOME WITH DARYLL PANDY MAKING AN APPEARANCE. I RECALL THAT ONE DAY A LADY ASKED ME OF MY SON’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BUT I TOLD HER I WAS NOT HIS FATHER BUT WE WERE SISTERS WHICH NEEDE CLARIFICATION. I MUST SAY I MISS BANTER AND THE FRIENDS I MADE THROUGH HIM. GREAT AND FAB GUY. “AURESERVOIR” FOR NOW UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.
GRAHAM
Sorry to hijack this but does anyone remember Roy Stanier? He was my Uncle and ran Music Beat Records. Prior to that, he DJ’d the Archway in Manchester in the 80s.
Hi Ross,
I used to be the partner of your uncle Roy from 1993 to 1996. I also used to sometimex work in the shop and on the record bars that were held in various venues across the UK.
If your mum is called Joy, we once came down to your house for the weekend.when you were very young!
I had heard that Roy had died when I went to visit him as I was passing through Birmingham, is this actually true?
Hi Robert!
Only seen this now, yes I do remember you! I’m afraid Roy passed away in 2009.
Please feel free to send me an email at spiral_sid@yahoo.co.uk – would be great to catch up.
There’s not a wrong word to say about Loading Bay Records, bring back the 80’s 90’s when Gay Night Clubs where so popular with Funky and Classic Records from Loading Bay, Thank you once again for the trip down memory lane.
I first got to know Duncan when I was a singles buyer for HMV in York. Like people have said he was an amazing man and so friendly. Never a dud tune supplied by him. We has a fantastic working relationship.
I was lucky enough to meet him on his stall at London pride it was 1992 or 1994.
A true legend and still missed today.
RIP Duncan x
I remember Funky Duncan from the Thursday gay night at the Powerhouse nightclub in Birmingham,
I just loved the music he played, plus the lights provided by, I think they were called, the Twisted Sisters?
When I found out he’d got a record shop in Selly Oak, I went in there regularly to buy the latest releases I’d heard at the Powerhouse. I used to work at Selly Oak hospital, so it was just around the corner.
I moved to Portsmouth but still kept in touch with Duncan, regularly purchasing his latest recommendations through the post.
I was devastated when he died and Loading Bay Records closed. He played and sold the music of my teenage and twenties years.
My record collection has long gone since I’ve downsized. However, I’m just building a vinyl collection up again. Can anyone suggest where I might find Loading Bay records for sale?
Many happy memories of Duncan, The Powerhouse & Loading Bay Records!
The atmosphere that Duncan and his team created at The Powerhouse in the 80’s was so electric and mesmerising that it’s spirit has lived with me all my life!
I remember him doing an amazing skilled mix of Divine’s ‘You Think You’re A Man’ with two 12″ where the verses double and answer back to one another & someone playing amazing keyboard parts live over the mix!
I first heard Italo Disco played in a club here by Duncan magical, nostalgic and shiver inducing then and still now.
Once on the dance floor Duncan played a track so spectacular that under the lasers and lights it was like you’d entered an alternate reality. I remember calling up to him in the booth asking what it was. He teased me a bit then passed down a note with “Ti Sento – Matia Bazar” which I still have!
In the early nineties I went regularly to Loading Bay to buy Hi-Nrg & Italo 12″ singles.
Duncan would play me things he thought I might like while sitting up at the pay desk.
I remember buying ‘Shy Shy Sugarman’ and Deborah Sasson’s singles there both Powerhouse favourites!
When I was about to relocate to Toronto it turned out that Duncan was working with Canadian label Power Records on some licensing deals and new releases. He had already been out to Canada and told me about Starsound Records which then became a favourite haunt of mine in Toronto.
I remember once he told me he had done a photo shoot for a forthcoming Paul Parker 12″ single sleeve and I felt so star struck!
Such happy memories live on forever!
We miss you Funky Dunk Ti Sento! 🙂
I ordered load this double CD album from discogs only to
Receive just disc two
Bought a number of the early releases in the nineties, still have in my collection. They were great still listening to them now all these years later. Wish I’d continued. collecting.
All the best Nidge
Bought a number of the early releases in the nineties, still have in my collection. They were great,still listening to them now all these years later. Wish I’d continued. collecting.
All the best Nidge
What a blast from the past! I used to go in the Top Ten Shop when I was a student at Brum University at the end of the ’60s. I remember buying the Chris Farlowe E.P. on Island from their reduced-to-clear box.
Loading Bay was crucial for bringing Hi-NRG to the UK in the late 80’s, early 90’s, making it cheaper to buy compared to the import versions, (£3.50 per 12″ record compared to £5.50 for the import version). Bought from Hitsville USA record shop Old Eldon Square Newcastle Upon Tyne. I’ve still got them gathering dust in a crate. It’s all digital now so got cd & mp3 versions that I still play. I’ve a Loading Bay tribute on my YouTube and Mixcloud channel, thanks to Funky Dunc