Eastern Bloc Records

Record shop and former label based in Manchester.
The shop was opened in 1985 by John Berry, Martin Price and Mick Power and originally located in Afflecks Palace.
It relocated to a larger space on Oldham Street in 1992 before moving to its current location on Stevenson Square in 2011.
In the late 1980s the shop gained a reputation for breaking new dance music and was involved in the early career paths of A Guy Called Gerald and K-Klass.
(Price went on to establish Creed Records in 1988 to release 808 State's debut album; sub-label F.R.O. Records followed in 1990.)
The shop also helped to launch bands such as the Inspiral Carpets and hosted in-store signings with The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays.
Eastern Bloc continued to be owned by Berry and Price until 1993 when it ran into financial difficulties and was bought by Stock, Aitken & Waterman's Assured company.
(The shop became one of four of Waterman's Assured chain of dance outlets which included Eastern Bloc in Leeds, Unity in London and Unity in Liverpool.)
Waterman, Paul Taylor and Mark Hadfield established the Eastern Bloc label in the mid-1990s.
The label was located in the PWL Church aka Castlefield Congregational Chapel where Waterman had a recording studio.
See Nebula for the related label and Eastern Bloc Studios, Manchester and PWL Studios, Manchester aka PWL/Eastern Bloc aka PWL In The North for the related studios.
Berry took back ownership of the shop in Manchester in early 1997 when the four shops were unexpectedly liquidated; he remains director of the company.
Previous members of staff at the shop include Mike E-Bloc, Mark Turner, Justin Robertson, Marcus Intalex & ST Files, Mark XTC and Moonboots.