Proper music shops

 

the larger stores are full of gems

I purchased all the early Fleetwood Mac titles there along with many of the underground British Blues Boom artists. I spent thousands there and years later it was all released in the U.K. and available through mail service vendors in America. I used to order from Jem Records in the 70's and 80's. Marty from Jem who used to sell imports from the back of his station wagon opened Jem Imports in South Plainfield and North Plainfield N,J. It was the best way to obtain Gong, Hawkwind, and Guru, Guru titles. Unless you ordered from a record shop that dealt with Marty. Better to order from the source though. Archie Patterson who was associated with Green World on the west coast was part of the same early movement as Jem. Their goal was to sell underground progressive music. Whether it was electronic, krautrock, space rock, or what was labeld then as Progressive Rock like PFM. These guys broke down the barrier at a time when this kind of music was well known in the U.K. but, hardly available in America. These 2 guys were extremely vital to the change in business.

Plastic Fantastic in Ardmore P.A. sold mainly used copies of rare (or rare then), progressive European albums. I bought the Beaver & Krause collection there in the 80's. Third Street Jazz and Rock in Philadelphia was a wonderful shop with 2 floors. Upstairs you had Jazz, Downstairs were actual collections of Blues music and Progressive Rock. Imported versions of Guru, Guru on Atlantic Records and plenty of Klaus Schulze. They sold the import cd's of Jade Warrior on the German Line label. They were supposedly phased wrong and I passed on them. Goblin, Eloy, and many others were available week to week. When Wayside Music entered the picture, it was then more possible to obtain Univers Zero, Conventum, and just many bands from countires unthought of by Americans. Steve F. made it possible for fans of progressive to obtain even a wider spectrum of prog like Pulsar, Art Zoyd, and he also stocked many albums that were released by Mexican musicians. Then I became aware that there was an electronic scene in Mexico. Also many Mexican prog bands that blew me away!