THESE days, HMV is well known for its specialist range of music, film and games, while the retailer’s recent move into downloads, technology products, music-inspired fashion and live music and festivals has also attracted widespread interest as it transforms itself into a broad-based entertainment brand.
But customers may not be aware that in the earliest part of its trading history HMV was also one of the leading electrical retailers of the day – stocking its own range of HMV-branded gramophones, radios and TV sets as each new wave of technology opened up greater possibilities of entertainment in the home.
HMV’s flagship emporium at 363 Oxford Street, which had been officially opened in July 1921 by the iconic figure of Sir Edward Elgar, carried many of the latest models, including the very first radios to be produced for sale, while all around the country licensed distributors took the brand out to the burgeoning mass-market.
In the 1950s and ’60s, as popular music took off with the likes Elvis and then The Beatles, HMV moved away from the idea of stocking electrical products so that it could focus exclusively on retailing revolutionary new recorded formats such as LP albums and 45-rpm singles.
But now, half a century on, and as people increasingly change the way they discover and consume music, HMV is going back to its roots by embracing radio once again, only this time the digital variety.
From August 23rd HMV will stock a range of cutting-edge models from PURE – recognised as the world-leading radio maker. T
hese will include the EVOKE-1S Marshall, which has just been launched to critical acclaim featuring a design inspired by the iconic Marshall amplifier beloved of so many rock bands.
HMV is also stocking the Sensia, an internet-connected digital radio with high-resolution colour touch-screen; the EVOKE Flow, a portable internet-connected digital radio; and the AVANTI Flow, a table-top digital music system.
HMV has been taking significant online pre-orders on hmv.com for the EVOKE-1S Marshall and for the other PURE products, which it expects to be among its most popular technology lines over the coming months, especially in the run up to Christmas, when many consumers will be out in force buying ‘must-have’ gifts.
HMV’s commitment to PURE’s products comes at a time when the radio-maker has just launched FlowSongs – a groundbreaking, cloud-based music service that enables the user to identify (tag) tracks playing on any radio station and buy them directly from any PURE radio that has built-in Flow technology.
FlowSongs have been developed for PURE by 7digital, the digital technology provider that is 50 per cent owned by HMV.
Senior HMV technology buyer, Rob Mason, says: “Technology products are rapidly becoming an important part of the HMV offer, and if there’s one device which, to my mind, symbolises what we’re increasingly about as an entertainment brand, it has to be PURE’s EVOKE-1S Marshall digital radio.
“Aside from its inspirational design, it’s a product that brings together our past heritage and our digital future in a very compelling way.”
Paul Smith, PURE’s general manager, adds: “With its long-standing music heritage, HMV is the perfect setting for the EVOKE-1S Marshall, which mixes the legendary style of the world’s leading guitar amplifiers and PURE’s iconic EVOKE-1S digital radio.”
Enquiries
Gennaro Castaldo
gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk / 020 7432 2033 / 07801 194 139
Editor Notes
PURE Resurrects EVOKE Marshall Radio – The radio that rocks is BACK!
PURE, the world-leading radio maker, presents a new and improved version of the highly-acclaimed and multi-award winning EVOKE Marshall digital radio, the EVOKE-1S Marshall.
The PURE EVOKE-1S Marshall (SRP £119.99) combines the award-winning quality of PURE’s EVOKE-1S radio with the legendary style of Marshall Amplification to deliver the ultimate in radio that rocks.
EVOKE-1S Marshall will be initially retailed exclusively through HMV, the UK’s leading specialist music retailer.
Says Paul Smith, PURE’s general manager: “With its long-standing music heritage, HMV is the perfect setting for the EVOKE-1S Marshall, which mixes the legendary style of the world’s leading guitar amplifiers and PURE’s iconic EVOKE-1S digital radio.”
Says Paul Marshall of Marshall Amplification: “We’re excited to bring the Marshall brand back to this fast growing segment of consumer electronics. Working with PURE we’ve created a digital radio that brings iconic Marshall design to an equally iconic radio that all listeners can embrace as a stylish statement of their love for music.”
EVOKE-1S Marshall is wrapped in black vinyl, just like a Marshall amp, with solid wood construction, brass-effect control panel and a black metallic speaker grille. The fierce yellow on black display features adjustable brightness and just like its predecessor, the volume dial goes up to 11!
For maximum sound quality the EVOKE-1S Marshall has an integrated full range hi-fi speaker and features a bass reflex port for enhanced bass performance alongside a custom designed 3″ drive unit and active-filters to provide a natural ‘direct-from-the-studio’ sound. The optional, matching S-1 standalone speaker enables stereo output and even richer, deeper bass.
New features include ChargePAK compatibility for rocking out on the go for up to 24 hours between charges; an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display that is clear from any angle; a light sensor which automatically adjusts display brightness; more station presets (30 digital radio or FM); an auxiliary input to connect an iPod or MP3 player; and FM with RDS for maximum station choice. textSCAN(tm) and Intellitext® have also been added so that scrolling text can be paused and controlled as well as stored for browsing at a later date
The radio has both a countdown timer (ideal for counting down until it’s ‘time to rock!’) and a radio/tone alarm (an ideal way to wake up to Alice Cooper’s breakfast show on Planet Rock). A USB connector allows product updates to be loaded from the Internet so the radio can be kept up to date with any software changes. A headphone socket lets users rock out in private.
EVOKE-1S Marshall can be pre-ordered from HMV.com and will be on the shelf exclusively at HMV from early August and at independent retailers from September. For more information, please visit www.pure.com or call +44 (0) 845 1489001.
About PURE
PURE is the world’s leading manufacturer of broadcast and internet-connected digital radios, the number one supplier of digital radios in Europe and the creator of the EVOKE-1S, the world’s most popular and iconic digital radio. PURE radios increasingly support all the broadcast standards in the DAB family used across all key markets in Europe and beyond.
PURE is also leading the way in internet-connected radios based on its Flow technology and the PURE Lounge portal (www.thelounge.com). Designed and engineered in the UK, all of PURE’s products are manufactured with the environment in mind and at ethically audited facilities. PURE is a division of Imagination Technologies Group plc. See www.pure.com
Contact:
Vicky Deacon tel +44 (0)1923 260 511
PURE fax +44 (0)1923 270 188
Imagination Technologies email: Vicky.deacon@pure.com
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Contact: Gennaro Castaldo
Phone: 020 7432 2033 / 07801 194 139
Email: gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk
Website: http://www.hmv.co.uk
