Queues are expected outside shops across the county this weekend when vinyl fans mark Record Store Day.

Staff at Truck Store in Oxford's Cowley Road, and its sister store in Witney, formerly Rapture, expect long queues before they open at 8am on Saturday as music fans turn out in the hope of snapping up limited edition releases.

Record Store Day (RSD) launched in the UK in 2008, and this year will have more than 270 independent record shops celebrating their culture by selling special vinyl releases and hosting artist performances across the country.

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A statement on Truck's website said: "Our stores in Oxford and Witney will both open at 8am, what time you start to queue is up to you.

"Expect a queue in the morning. We usually have queues ’round the block for at least the first few hours of the day so please do come prepared to wait.

"We will let a comfortable number of customers into the RSD area of the store at a time to ensure the process is as fair and civilised as possible.

Oxford Mail: Vinyl fans at Truck Store"There are no reservations on RSD product at all, everything is sold on a first-come first-served basis and is limited to one copy per customer.

"No buying extra copies for mates we’re afraid."

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Truck in Cowley Road will also host an in-store performance from singer Lucy Rose at 4pm on Sunday.

This year's Record Store Day ambassador is Kate Bush, who is thought to live in South Oxfordshire.

The singer, who topped the charts aged 19 in 1978 with Wuthering Heights, is releasing a special edition of Eat The Music.

The song was scheduled for release from the 1993 Red Shoes album but Rubberband Girl was released as a single in its place.

Oxford Mail: Eat The Music by Kate BushKate Bush described it as a “huge honour” and a “great privilege” to join the illustrious list of previous Record Store Day ambassadors, including Taylor Swift, Sir Elton John, Noel Gallagher and The 1975.

She added: "Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees. I love that.

“I know there are many, many artists who are just as excited to see the audience turning the tide.

"In the same way that some people like to read a book on Kindle but also want to have a book as a physical object, a lot of people like vinyl and streaming. Both have different appeals.

Oxford Mail: Kate Bush named official ambassador for Record Store Day UK (Trevor Leighton/PA)“The added bonus of vinyl is that it encourages people to listen to albums. An art form that I’ve always thought can be treasured in a unique way.

“An album on vinyl is a beautiful thing, given a strong identity by its large-scale artwork. There’s a much more personal connection with the artist and their work.”

Releases highlighted by Truck Store in Oxford include David Bowie's Waiting In The Sky (£29.99) and a picture disc of Blur's Parklife (£29.99).

Not all independent record stores choose to take part in the event.

Riverman Records in Walton Street supports Record Store Day but is not taking part.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

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