The "Help!" store

The main HMV store in Oxford Street, London, December 1965.

Twenty years or so ago, a Norwegian gentleman who was partly involved in selecting Beatles songs to release as singles in Norway told me this story.

He happened to be in London, England on the day The Beatles' album "Help!" was released. As he was walking along Qxford Street, London's main shopping street, he noticed that one of the stores there was just selling "Help!" albums. The Norwegian went inside the shop, and the only question he was met with was "mono or stereo?"

Mono or stereo?

I haven't come across any other references to this shop other than the story he told me, and I have no clue as to for how long the store was in operation. It may have been that this was the regular HMV store, fitted out for the occasion, or that HMV, which was EMI's own record store chain, had rented a vacant shop and stocked it up with "Help!" albums only. I have found no photos of their window display either, that would have been interesting. If you can verify the story about this "Help!" store, please comment.