Gone but not Forgotten Record Stores

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

In the late 70's I did have a real local shop called Caldwell Connection that sold albums but I mainly went there for guitar lessons. I can remember at that time Bon Jovi was just getting big and John Mellencamp was going through that Johnny Cougar phase.

Rock'n'Roll Elitist · **Joined:** 31 Jul 2007 **Posts:** 415

REALLY should have taken more pics back then. Too much fun!

This where it all started for me. On the Sunset Strip. Tower was across the street, but Licorice Pizza had its own hip clientele and easily stood on its own. Our staff was inseparable and we did EVERYTHING together. Worked with Matt Groening (pre-Simpsons) and Susanna Hoffs (pre-Bangs). Sam Goody swallowed up the 34-store chain in 1984, and I moved across the street.

Here's me and Maria McKee when we were at Tower Sunset. (Lone Justice was still playing the Palomino in North Hollywood, and the Geffen signing was a few months away.) Another bunch of crazies terrorizing the strip, but who's minding the cassette wall? (lol)

Thanks for letting me reminisce.

Robert Meagher · 30 Sep 2006

New Haven Ct had a ton right near the center of Yale

Cutler's - still there
the Music Box
Merle's Record Rack
Rhyme's Records
Festoon's Record's
Replay Record's
The Flip Side
plus every discount store had huge selections...

days gone past...

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Love that pic above of Jon Anderson's solo album Olias Of Sunhillow. That is one impressive billboard. Also a great pic of you with Maria, damn she was cute!

Seth · 12 Jul 2006

gainsworth wrote:

A tip of the hat to Cellophane Square of Seattle and Bellingham. A wonderful store that knew its stuff during the punk / new wave era. They got bought up by a national as internet sales started hurting the local mom & pop stores. National management was the death knell. They went down hill, then they went away. I have fond memories of Saturday afternoons digging through the bins finding vinyl treasures and becoming aware of the whole UK import scene, singles in particular. Sigh...

I went to Cellophane Square (and some other Seattle stores) when I spent a month there in August 1991 for a trial. Wasn't it in the university area? I remember a great selection of singles that it took me several hours to go through. Sorry to hear it's gone, but I can't say I'm surprised. Also stopped in at Popllama on that trip.

In New Haven, Cutler's is still there, but I also remember Rhymes down the block. Bought my first NRBQ record there.

I couldn't possibly list all the old NYC stores, but a few that are gone but not forgotten are Venus on 8th St., Subterranean on Cornelia St., Tower, Virgin, HMV, Revolver on 8th St., Second Coming on Sullivan St., Vinylmania on Carmine St.,and of course the original location of Discorama.

Rock'n'Roll Elitist · **Joined:** 31 Jul 2007 **Posts:** 415

@JohnG: Yeah, over the years there have been some really exceptional billboards. Here are a few others for you and all to enjoy:

alantig · 20 Sep 2006

Rock'n'Roll Elitist wrote:

Here's me and Maria McKee when we were at Tower Sunset. (Lone Justice was still playing the Palomino in North Hollywood, and the Geffen signing was a few months away.) Another bunch of crazies terrorizing the strip, but who's minding the cassette wall? :lol:

Sorry - which one's you and which one's Maria? :shock:

Murdog · 29 Sep 2006

More photos of Gone but Not Forgotten from this No Depression piece on Record Store Day...

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/bl ... 1#comments

Don57 · 01 Feb 2008

JohnG wrote:

When I was a kid (before I had a car) my record buying excursions were mainly to Flushing NY (home of the NY Mets) and back then dept stores sold records. So I'd buy em at EJ Korvettes or Gertz or Alexanders or sometimes Woolworths. There was an independent store called King Karol Records and another small shop that I think was called Record Explosion.
That was back in the day that record buying was fun and memorable. I can still remember buying certain albums at certain stores.

But even those stores didn't last long even back then.

Then I started to work in Manhattan so I would load up during my lunch breaks down in Wall Street. J&R Music World was the center of the universe in those days. An absolutely incredible store. Bought my first Madonna 12" there. These days J&R is a shell of its former self but at least it still exists (and is essentially the only large record store left in Manhattan!). For me it is the only record shop I would make a trip for while in NYC.

Once I started to work on LI, it was weekly excursions to a Tower Records. We had two, Carle Place (a real large one) and then the Massapequa store when I moved to that town in 1991.
So I enjoyed the Massapequa Tower from 1991 to 2006. And that was the end of record shopping for me.

After that it was the internet.

You should have moved to Massapequa a decade earlier . It was the home of 3 excellent record stores . There was the "Wax Museum" on the corner of Park and Clark (the Stray Cats would always play at a bar right across the street). You also had the "Record Collection" on Merrick Rd next to the High School . Dee Sniders younger brother Mark worked there for a few years and he gave me many great live bootlegs on cassette . The third one was "Uncle Phils" on Sunrise Hwy near Friendlys . Uncle Phils was 3 floors , I think it is now a picture frame store .

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Don57 wrote:

JohnG wrote:

When I was a kid (before I had a car) my record buying excursions were mainly to Flushing NY (home of the NY Mets) and back then dept stores sold records. So I'd buy em at EJ Korvettes or Gertz or Alexanders or sometimes Woolworths. There was an independent store called King Karol Records and another small shop that I think was called Record Explosion.
That was back in the day that record buying was fun and memorable. I can still remember buying certain albums at certain stores.

But even those stores didn't last long even back then.

Then I started to work in Manhattan so I would load up during my lunch breaks down in Wall Street. J&R Music World was the center of the universe in those days. An absolutely incredible store. Bought my first Madonna 12" there. These days J&R is a shell of its former self but at least it still exists (and is essentially the only large record store left in Manhattan!). For me it is the only record shop I would make a trip for while in NYC.

Once I started to work on LI, it was weekly excursions to a Tower Records. We had two, Carle Place (a real large one) and then the Massapequa store when I moved to that town in 1991.
So I enjoyed the Massapequa Tower from 1991 to 2006. And that was the end of record shopping for me.

After that it was the internet.

You should have moved to Massapequa a decade earlier . It was the home of 3 excellent record stores . There was the "Wax Museum" on the corner of Park and Clark (the Stray Cats would always play at a bar right across the street). You also had the "Record Collection" on Merrick Rd next to the High School . Dee Sniders younger brother Mark worked there for a few years and he gave me many great live bootlegs on cassette . The third one was "Uncle Phils" on Sunrise Hwy near Friendlys . Uncle Phils was 3 floors , I think it is now a picture frame store .

Wow! Park and Clark is two blocks from me. There was a music instrument shop on Merrick Rd near the high school (now gone) but there hasn't been a record shop since those days (you think that would be a no-brainer).
I do remember there being a CD shop near the Friendly's now that you mention it but it was gone sometime in the middle 90's.
Where the Kohl's is now, there was a "flea market" building that had multiple shops in there and one of them was a CD shop. I did stop in at one point back around 1992 but of course that didn't last either.

Of course the Sunrise Mall had a Sam Goody's that I would browse occassionally but the prices were always out of whack.

milesthedawg · **Joined:** 20 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 185

For me, it was the Annapolis Record Exchange (later the Record and Tape exchange) in Annapolis MD. I bought pretty much all my music there from my first two albums (Boston and Meet The Beatles in 1977) until I moved to college in 1987. Still one of the happiest memories of my childhood is shopping in those stores.

I moved to Philly for college and spent a lot of time in Plastic Fantastic. Now, in SF, it's Amoeba Music. But it's just not the same...

Thanks for the photos!! They are outstanding.

J

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

The lp album era was the peak of collecting, the CD era wasn't really the same (as I basically just re-bought my entire collection). Browsing through a musty record shop (always made me sneeze) was a joy for this then teenager. Nothing will ever beat that feeling.

Plus the music back then! Just a great time for music. As a 12-13 year old I was buying albums that kids today wouldn't even touch like John Lennon's "Mind Games". I still find it amazing that a 13 year old would buy something like that. Not exactly a pop album.

btw....I'm loving all the reminiscing.

Steve · 21 Oct 2004

Anyone read AMERICAN SPLENDOR? A large portion of the series, which didn't make it into the movie, dealt with Harvey Pekar's record collecting in the '70s. He was obsessed.

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

Rockit Records, Nashua NH. Closed a decade ago. New & used CDs, vinyl, bootlegs & promos! Ahh, good memories.

It's now a Newbury Comics.

Rock'n'Roll Elitist · **Joined:** 31 Jul 2007 **Posts:** 415

How is shopping online convenient or even enjoyable? Just you and your computer, completely detached from the human experience. You can't roll a joint on an ipod. For that you need an LP cover. Downloading is like musical methadone compared to the clean cocaine rush of shopping in a great record store (if you'll allow that analogy). It's where music lovers indulge their passion, friendships and romances begin, bands are formed and information is shared. Lastly, if you leave without that classic used vinyl jacket mold on your fingers, you haven't lived. And who can argue with Christmas every Tuesday? Just sayin'...

greelywinger · 22 Dec 2010

Gem City Records Dayton, Ohio

Darryl

Renny · 26 Jun 2006

#1 - "repeat the beat" in cleveland. the owner was from detroit and decided to try to move into cleveland. cleveland used record, movie, and tapes is run by 2 brothers with their "exchange" stores. "repeat the beat" was better than the "exchange" store in every aspect: selection, price, etc. suddenly, in the middle of the night, "repeat the beat" closed up shop and was never heard from in cleveland again.

#2 - "time traveler" in cuyahoga falls (just outside akron ohio). the best CD in the USA. he had everything, and i mean everything (including boots and imports). in the matter of the last year he has gone from the best to possibly the worst. the store is full shitty old vinyl and new releases and catalog titles are useless. it is a sad sad story.

#3 - "sam the record man" in toronto. we used to go to toronto every summer. not anymore. "sam" had the best selection of anywhere.and when the exchange rate was $1.50 for a $1.00......WOW!

#4 - "quonset hut" and akron based chain that always seemed to have a great selection and good prices. seemed to disappear overnight.

Jimbo · 19 Jul 2006

I was a regular in the record departments of Korvette's, TSS, and Alexander's during the early-mid 70s. My best friend in high school and I would spend Saturdays "In pursuit of vinyl!" as we'd say.

In the late 70s it was hard to beat Jimmy's Music World for new releases. Top sellers were $2.99-$3.99, double LPs were $4.99. We'd take a trip over there any time I was home from college.

Attending SUNY Albany at that time, there was a terrific store in Albany called Just A Song that catered to students. New releases were $3.99, and they had a great selection of cutouts for $1.99 each.

When I started working in NYC in 1981, there were a bunch of stores in the Village, but my main hangout was Vinylmania on Carmine St. I bought tons of LPs there, mostly promos--the going rate was $3.69, later raised to $3.99. At one time they had 4 storefronts on the same block, including a CD shop that stocked a fair selection of collectable promos and imports.

In 1991 I discovered Discorama, which is still my home away from home.

ralph · 11 May 2009

Forgot about Jimmy's Music World. They had a small store on Nassau St. downtown that had thousands of dollar albums in the basement. Spent many a lunch hour there. As far as downtown Manhattan goes, J&R is a pale shell of the store I've been shopping in since 1974. And Vinylmania was a great store,and Charlie was a super nice guy. Too bad it went under.

JohnG · 03 Aug 2006

Nassau St had a great record store where I would peruse during my lunch hour around 1983 or so. Forget its name but it may have been a Jimmy's. The basement was fantastic.

In those days J&R was the happiest record store on Earth.

ralph · 11 May 2009

That was Jimmy's Music World on Nassau. Great hunting in that basement. I can't believe that J&R grew from that one tiny store with the records in the basement to the behemoth it is. Unfortunately it's nowhere near the same. Branched out too much, the music just isn't a priority anymore. The sales staff is from hunger.

Tricky Kid · **Joined:** 23 Sep 2007 **Posts:** 8298

Dr. Chris Evil wrote:

Rockit Records, Nashua NH. Closed a decade ago. New & used CDs, vinyl, bootlegs & promos! Ahh, good memories.

I remember hitting that when I was in the area for a friend's wedding... I know for sure my copy of the debut Wu Tang Clan CD came from there.

Gone but not Forgotten Record Stores

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