In our original article on Cann’s we showed the interior of the shop. Neil Anderson has let me have a much clearer version of this photo. A couple of people commented on the sleeves in the racks after the article but I thought I would hold fire until I could post this. And like others I couldn’t resist the challenge of seeing if I could identify a few more sleeves! So here is a list of those which rang bells. If you can spot any more let me know. By sharpening up the images I was able to read a display at the back of the shop which is dated 1972, so I figure that gives us an accurate date for the photo.
A – Dubliners
B – Superbad / James Brown
C – Peddlers / Suite / 1972
D – Deep Purple / In Rock / 1970 (I bought this album locally in 1970, possibly from this very shop).
E – Raph McTell / You Well Meaning Brought Me Here / 1971
F – Moody Blues / A Question Of Balance / 1970
G – Memphis Slim / ?
H – Retrospect / ?
I / J – Johnny Cash
K – Various soundtracks – Goldfinger, Maginficent Seven, John Barry, Paint Your Wagon, Kelly’s Heroes, Henry VIII, My Fair Lady, Easy Rider
L – Ray Coniff
M – Cat Stevens / Catch Bull At Four
N – Byron Lee / Jump Up
O – The Old Kent Roadsters
P – Roy Orbison / Early Orbison
Jeremy Morewood has since picked out ‘Hold Me’ by Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra [directly below (P)] – and on sale too! Another great Polydor sleeve (more on the site). I’ve also just spotted a Judy Collins sleeve, below Cat Stevens (M). It’s what would have been then her new (May 1972) compilation Colours Of The Day. Not sure how I missed it before…
Neil also had a later advert for the shop which he let me borrow.
Cann also did a tie-in with Sheffield’s morning broadsheet, The Telegraph, which ran a record review page in their Saturday edition. The Telegraph sponsored plastic record sleeves with their details on, and Cann’s gave these out to customers in the early seventies. They still turn up in second hand stores in the area!
ST33 
Wow this is really bringing back good old memories, I worked for Canns in my teens. I can’t see the girls clearly but the manageress when I work there was Miss Hinch and a girl named Sylvia looked after the classical racks… Thanks for the fond memories.
Hey Su, If you ever tune back in here – where you at Cann’s around1973? If so, I think I remember you. Were you the girl we knew as ‘Snake Sue’, or ‘Skinhead Sue’? If so, it would be nice to chat with you again – give me a shout – m.armitage@sheffield.ac.uk.
Wonderful site! One more album spotted. The LP in the rack immediately below M (Cat Stevens ‘Catch Bull At Four’) is Judy Collins ‘Colors of the Day’, released May 1973.
Well spotted Stuart, thanks. I have a couple of her sleeves but not that one.
Just discovered your site, Simon – great stuff – I remember scouting for records in that basement well before my disposable cash actually extended to buying any! Oh, and the album between Byron Lee and Roy Orbison is ‘Hold Me’ by Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra (reduced to 50p, it seems…)
Well spotted Jeremy; I do have some Bert Kaempfert albums just for the great sleeves (there is a selection on the site) but not this one.
I am pretty certain Cann’s had a shop on Crookes, it is where i bought my copy of Hoots Mon by Lord Rockingham’s eleven
This is a new one on me, and doesn’t show on any of the shop sleeves I’ve seen. Are you able to tell me roughly when this would be? I could try and check local directories. Thanks.
I’m certain that Cann’s did not have any other shops other than the original on Dixon Lane – which later (around early 60s) moved to Chapel Walk. Could you be thinking of a ‘Vallances’ shop? They took Cann’s over for their last few years (mid-70s) – before they, themselves, closed down.
Mick idea seems a solution, I’ve never heard of the Cann’s name being used in Crookes. We’d need to find some directories from the Fifties to confirm
I’m pretty sure no such shop ever existed.