Greatest record store of your youth? |
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rushfan4
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 65977 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 16:14 | |
Around here we had Harmony House and CD Warehouse which have both gone out of business but I bought a fair amount of CDs and cassettes from them. As far as local record stores we had Car City Records, Record Time, and Flipside Records. I still show at Flipside and once in a while Car City Records. Sadly, both of the Record Time stores have closed. My favorite visit to Record Time was seeing the band Tiles play a show promoting their Fly Paper album a few years ago.
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CPicard
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 03 2008 Location: Là, sui monti. Status: Offline Points: 10837 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 17:55 | |
How I miss Stupeurs & Trompettes and Kaleidoscope! They were two record stores in the center of Marseille: the first one was specialized in avant-garde musics (from Rock In Opposition to industrial music, including free jazz); the second one was more... "generalist", but focused on alternative musics, would it be Heavy Metal, Punk, 70's Funk, Post-Punk, etc...
But they closed before I became a salaryman and get able to spend half my wage on records! |
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HolyMoly
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 26133 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 18:32 | |
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My other avatar is a Porsche
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Finnforest
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 03 2007 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 16913 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 18:40 | |
That sounds great! Wish there were lots more of such opportunities for kids these days to have that music connection in a social venue like that |
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Ajay
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 01 2013 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 221 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 19:01 | |
Cooks Hill Books, Newcastle,
Australia. Still going, as you can see; in fact, it's developed
since I frequented it: what is now the display window used to be the
entrance; what is now the entrance was just a wall; and there was no
deck.
Years ago, it was a cramped, stuffy, dark little box, crammed full of wonders. I'd spend Saturday morning combing the vinyl LP boxes, discovering gems: Steve Swindells' Fresh Blood; Argus by Wishbone Ash; Tommy by The Who, the film soundtrack and orchestral versions; The Eye of Wendor by Mandalaband; The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds Of Fire by Mahavishnu Orchestra; Playing The Fool by Gentle Giant; Initiation by Todd Rundgren; John Barleycorn Must Die, The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys and Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory by Traffic; Crime Of The Century by Supertramp; a compilation of The Goon Show; and far too many others to count. (Cooks Hill Books was also the only bookshop in which I found a copy of Time Of The Hawklords by Michael Butterworth. I still smile at the image of Hawkwind being subdued by the sound of Yes and The Carpenters.) I used to wonder who collected and then sold such a range of wonderful LPs. Only recently, it came to me that, across Darby Street, maybe twenty metres away, was the building which housed 2NX, Newcastle's rock radio station. |
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Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 19:31 | |
We had a branch of Andy's in Bedford - before Andy's moved into town the actual shop itself was a record shop (the name of which escapes me at the moment), they also bought and sold used albums too if I remember correctly. I bought my copy of Dark Side Of The Moon there on the day it was released but everything went all a bit cheap (and nasty) once Andy's took over with a lot of lower quality import copies instead of UK versions filling the racks however by then HMV had opened a branch on Silver Street and in those days it was still a good record shop. An older record shop in Bedford still had listening booths in the mid-70s called Carlows, they also sold sheet-music and musical instruments as well as radios and hi-fi, they rented televisions too. There was another record shop near the bus station (name again escapes) - I remember their shop window displays were always quite impressive, at one time they had a real Van Der Graff Generator in the window to advertise H to He Who Am The Only One. Bedford also had a Harlequin and an Our Price (before they merged into one).
Another small British chain was Revolver Records, none in Bedford but Wellingborough and Rushden had branches - once I became independently mobile (i.e. not reliant on Dad's taxi) those branches became part of my regular "record-hunt" route - I bought a stupidly large top-box for my motorcycle specifically so I could transport albums around - it may have made me look like a Pizza delivery boy but what did I care as long as I could get my latest Amon Düül II find home without dog-earing the corners of the sleeve.
[On holiday in Barcelona a three years ago I was taken aback by seeing the old Revolver logo over a small record shop there - it may have been a strange coincidence but even the colours were the same, unfortunately I found it on the last day of my visit and it was a Sunday, so 'twas shut.]
One of my favourite record shops from the 70s was Memory Lane in Northampton Derngate - from the name you can guess it didn't sell the latest releases. Back then albums were deleted very quickly if they didn't become hits so an album released in 1970 would be rare and unobtainable by 1973 so those kinds of shop were very popular with collectors (and that also explains why Record Collector magazine became so successful in the 80s) - I never did find a copy of Kaleidoscope's Faintly Blowing, but I'd spend hours there flipping through every album just in case.
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Offline Points: 64384 |
Posted: March 11 2013 at 21:29 | |
Though it was a thrill to visit our big Tower records back in the day, about half the time the LP would be inexplicably warped when opened at home-- let's just say there was a lot of "creative repackaging". Then there were the mid-level shops like The Record Factory where at the tender age of nine I picked up my first album ever, Hemispheres. But my fave was of course our little neighborhood place, Streetlight Records; creaky wooden floors, the odor of mildewed cardboard, walls covered in dusty old 45s of James Brown, Stones, Creedence, and Small Faces, and a crew of jaded but chatty clerks. The owner closed it several years ago to the displeasure of the whole neighborhood. A woman's clothing store is now there.
I've heard tell that despite technology, many people young & old sorely miss record shops, and I don't doubt it. To be able to escape the world for awhile and immerse oneself in a musical environment, one that stimulates all the senses and not just the aural ones, was a pleasure that is slowly fading. We still have an Amoeba in town but frankly once you've picked-over things, it is limited, and they don't special order. |
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ProgMetaller2112
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 08 2012 Location: Pacoima,CA,USA Status: Offline Points: 3145 |
Posted: March 12 2013 at 00:01 | |
Too bad we don't have a great record where my family lives but my new home has Mad Platter and Groovers Some great Prog sh*t is hidden in Groovers some rarities and vinyls of Close To The Edge and A Farewell To Kings Edited by ProgMetaller2112 - March 12 2013 at 22:06 |
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“War is peace.
Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
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dwill123
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 19 2006 Status: Offline Points: 4455 |
Posted: March 12 2013 at 22:28 | |
The greatest record store there ever was or ever will be, Freebeing Records. 2nd Ave just around the corner from St. Marks Place (two blocks down from the Fillmore East.) Mainly sold used albums back in the "early" 70s. Used albums in excellent condition sold for $2, albums in not so good shape sold for $1. And you could trade your old or not wanted albums for credit or cash. My friends and I would make runs into NYC from New Jersey almost weekly. Bringing back albums we had purchased the week before and buy others. Sometimes we'd come out of there with 10 or 15 albums each. On the way back to Jersey we'd do a couple of rolled numbers then go to someone's house and listen to all the records rating them. Bad albums never made a complete play. I've still albums I bought from there with the Freebeing sticker on them. Great, great times. I miss them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hernanhernandez/3355689764/ |
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TheProgtologist
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: May 23 2005 Location: Baltimore,Md US Status: Offline Points: 27802 |
Posted: March 13 2013 at 14:01 | |
Record and Tape Traders,a great Maryland chain.There used to be about 12 of these stores,now 1 is left.
Edited by TheProgtologist - March 13 2013 at 14:01 |
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JJLehto
Prog Reviewer Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Status: Offline Points: 34550 |
Posted: March 13 2013 at 14:28 | |
Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ.
A small lil place in a crappy strip mall but has a great metal selection! Largely skewed towards the more obscure, was shocked at some of the things I've found there. Also has prog rock, jazz, "contemporary rock" which tends to hold more alt rock stuff. Tons of music and it's just a cool place. Lots of bands/people have signed or performed there. Very big names even like Black Sabbath. Edited by JJLehto - March 13 2013 at 14:28 |
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Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 04:06 | |
Back in Potters Bar, where I grew up, there was a music shop called Delmars which sold instruments & singles (no albums); I believe this was where at age 7 I bought my first ever single (Monster Mash by the Crypt Kicker Five).
Once the teenage years kicked in, it was either Harlequin Records or Harum Records in Barnet. Harum was a splendid shop run by an old hippy (he was probably 28 ) & it was here I started to build up my late 70s collection of heavy metal & prog - one great feature though was they sold 2nd hand records cheaply, so most Saturdays would find me perusing the 'used' section & then minutely inspecting the album for scratches before parting with £1.00 (single album) or £1.50 (double) - occasionally £2.00 , but that was for a mint version of Santana's triple live 'Lotus' (one of my bargains there was an orignal gatefold sleeve version of Hendrix's 'Band Of Gypsies' for £1.50) We then heard of this legendary place in London's Oxford Street called Virgin, so we paid our £0.20 on the 134 bus (Potters Bar Station to London Centre Point) which dropped us virtually outside... we opened the doors to be confronted by a veritable cavern of Vinyl... whole aisles of heavy rock... a whole section of prog (plus half a floor dedicated to jazz, which we avoided like the plague - how little we knew, eh?) & staff who knew exactly what they were talking about. We had found heaven and this became my 3rd home for much of the early 1980s (my second home was, of course, Hammersmith Odeon). Incidentally, next door was a place we'd never head of called MacDonalds (I think it was the first one in London) where we could get real American burgers! [edit] It's all a long way from Amazon "buy now with one click" Edited by Jim Garten - March 14 2013 at 04:09 |
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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
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Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 04:23 | |
I remember when Virgin was a tiny shop on Oxford Street, I seem to recall it was upstairs above another shop, but I could be wrong. I think the first UK McD's was in Woolwich, again, memory could be failing here but I think there's a plaque on the wall commemorating said event. Somewhere between Oxford Street and Soho there was a shop (more of a warehouse) selling discounted American imports in vast quantities - most of them had really thick carboard sleves, bad printing and heavy vinyl - usually they had a corner docked or clipped to show they were imported - managed to pick up quite a few bargains from there.
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Ady Cardiac
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 29 2012 Location: Witney , UK Status: Offline Points: 396 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 06:08 | |
manic hedgehog down cowley road in oxford circa late '80's........even though at the time i was working in our price records i used to pop in on my day off.....the guy who worked there got me into the pixies and cocteau twins.....pretty much anything on 4AD records......used to always leave with some records.
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Ajay
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 01 2013 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 221 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 06:24 | |
My brother and I bought the Monster Mash album from a remainder bin outside a store one Saturday morning. I played it so often, I must have worn an extra groove in it. Even now, when I walk into a room and find myself asking, "Now why did I come in here again?," I can remember every bloody word of that song. I liked your telling very much, btw. |
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Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 07:52 | |
^^^
I now have the song running around in my head
The one we went to must've been just after the Megastore opened |
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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
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Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 08:15 | |
We used to make Saturday excursions by train from Bedford just to visit Virgin and HMV on Oxford Street and that was prior to the Megastore opening. ..and much later of course Tower Records at Piccalilli circus (anywhere that had a seperate "Goth" section was okay by me).
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Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 08:23 | |
And of all of them, Virgin, HMV, Our Price, Tower, Harum, Harlequin...
...only HMV remains (and that's only just) |
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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
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Dean
Special Collaborator Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: March 14 2013 at 09:15 | |
...and HMV is a sad and sorry place.
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 04 2007 Location: Grok City Status: Offline Points: 16207 |
Posted: March 16 2013 at 11:51 | |
Hi,
More than one! Moby Disk in Van Nuys in the earliest days before it moved to the other side of 101 on Ventura Blvd ... in the LA area. There is no 2nd! Other great ones: The Warehouse - in Westwood (LA). Had 2 or 3 floors of music ... can't remember now, and it specialized in Classical, Jazz and anything but rock music. You could get the soundtrack to your bathroom if you needed it! Rasputin Records in Berkeley. The biggest and the best insanity ever. And it was so big that they split the jazz classical into another store. Best used bins ever! All of these in California, btw. Portland, these days, has Everyday Music, which is not bad, and you can get some used stuff, but its organizational side is really poor all around, as they have a huge section at the front that has supposedly newer stuff, and it's all duplicates and crap! Not sure I would do that to my store, and place the more attractive stuff at the front, not the back! But their folks there, are not very intelligent in terms of the music, or when you bring in your old LP's ... and they only want to give you 50 cents for it! I played this game a bit, and brought in Hawkwind's Space Ritual on the double cover foldout and asked how much ... and the guy said $1.50 ... and I told him he was an idiot ... look up the internet ... how much those double ups go for! He was just being his jerk'y self! Never been in NY, but can't imagine NY not having a great store. They certainly do not ahve any shortage of distributors! AND, please remember that in those days, these things were "IMPORTS", and not known as "progressive".
Edited by moshkito - March 16 2013 at 12:00 |
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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