Your favorite "Record" store memories

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

I just thought of this after reading on the main page some comments about the "HMV/PARLOPHONE SINGLES ’88 – ’95" release.

I posted there about a record store I used to frequent in the mid/late '80s.
Go Boy Records of Redondo Beach. I moved away long ago and just did a search and a comment on Yelp says that they are closed and that entry was in early 2008.

That store always had a good singles section. I bought almost all my Smiths and Morrissey discs there.

One memory,
One time I was buying a Morrissey single and there was the option of the UK import and the USA domestic release. I always chose the import when I could.
When I went to the counter to pay, one of the workers there said, "There is the domestic release which cost less." I replied that I knew that, and the other guy working there, who was the owner or manager, replied to his coworker/employee, "It's a Morrissey thing, don't ask." or something to that affect, but I do remember for sure "It's a Morrissey thing" part.

Another,
Where I lived, I had a neighbor who was "punk" girl who was 12 years old. I took her along sometimes to the shop. One time she wanted to buy a record but didn't have the money with, so she asked the guy to hold it for her until she came back. He said ok and asked her for her name so he could hold it.
She replied, "Jamaica", and he replied, "I asked for a name, not a country." She replied, "That is my name." and it was.

I always wonder what happened to Jamaica. She went to school about one day out of ever 2 or 3 weeks. Her mom and her ended up moving to Colorado. I hope she grew up ok.

 

[Kewpie]

Very nice thread, Seeker.

When I went to see my parents in February this year, I was shocked to discover the record shop where I bought 'Hatful of Hollow' and 'Meat Is Murder' closed down.

Other favourite shop Piccadilly Records, Manchester is still around although they moved the location from bus station.

 

[Sicy]

There is a used record store that is still open, about 15 minutes from me. I used to go in there when I was 15 (over 20 years ago). My friend and I would get so excited to find used cassette tapes from our favorite bands for just a couple of dollars. We would beg the owners for the promo posters on the walls and get so excited when they said yes. They always had the coolest stickers and postcards. They always had rare imports and 45's that no other place had.

I love to go in there now simply for nostalgia purposes. The crazy thing is the SAME GUY still owns the place and works there.

 

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

Very nice thread, Seeker.

When I went to see my parents in February this year, I was shocked to discover the record shop where I bought 'Hutful of Hollow' and 'Meat Is Murder' closed down.

Are those the albums by that strange band of vegetarian headhunters from the Amazon jungle?

 

[Morning Star]

When I used to live in Manchester, on my day off from working at the glorious Trafford Centre, I would take the tram into town to go to Vinyl Exchange. I had just started collecting Smiths stuff, so each time, I would buy another piece on vinyl. As an Australian, from a fairly small city, I was amazed at how much stuff was there. Whenever I've been back, VE is first on my agenda.

 

[Dave]

Eucalyptus Records had clerks that could recommend new records that were actually good. One of them gave me a Sex Pistols promo poster that had hung in the store, and I still have it somewhere. It shows them walking in a park, it's pink, and it has the "we're the flowers in the dustbin" line. Back then I was buying things like The Cars, or maybe UFO, and always on vinyl.

The Wherehouse is where I first bought The Smiths. Strangeways was new and had a wall display. Imagine that. A few months later there was a Morrissey record. I didn't even know they broke up. The Wherehouse seemed totally corporate, but they did stock The Smiths.

The Underground was a pretty cool place but the clerks were mostly into metal, and also into relatively obscure stuff, so I heard Godflesh there for the first time. They had lots of Cure and Depeche Mode but hardly any Smiths or Morrissey. They just closed last year. I bought lots of used stuff there and they did have some pretty off the wall stuff, but still limited.

A long time ago I worked at one called Magic Canyon Music. The owner liked New Age music so I got to check out Kitaro and things like that. I made a tape with friends called "What does Kitaro sound like?" Even though lots of good stuff was happening at the time you would not have known it at that store. They did have U2 and Talking Heads, but not Joy Division.

 

[billybu69]

So Morrisseys in town at Manchester hmv doing a signing session. I'm a big fan but Mrs billy just doesn't get it, and to be honest has always been a bit resentful. So how am i going to work this, "should we go out for tea tonight ?" so thats the plan finish work early spot of early evening shopping then a bite to eat in town.

The three of us me, mrs billy, and Jnr (about 3 yrs old), arrive arndale centre car park about 5.00pm, and head of towards market st. Outside HMV a pen has been erected with about 40 - 50 faithful contained, now a bit niaeve i may have been but i remember thinking i expected more of a que. we go inside and start browsing, shes not even noticed there's something happening "it looks like there's something on here tonight", just as i say "oh Morrissey's here doing a signing" they open the pen and people file in down the far right aisle just where i'm standing i wait until they've all filed by then get in the que behind them. It's at this point that i get that look from Mrs Billy the penny's dropped and she's realised why we're in Manchester mid week, but i've got a way with it an i'm here, I'm carrying Jnr all through this, I'm sure he'll want to meet Morrissey as well it'll be something to tell his pals at nursery, unfortunately he has other ideas all the obvious excitement has worried him and he starts to bawl his eyes out. Mrs Billy reaches over the top of a cd rack optimistically thinking i could lift him to her, it's at this point we draw the attention of a pleasant security chap who has realised i,ve just tagged on the end of this que "excuse me sir if you want to meet Morrissey you'll have to get to the back of the que." confused i tell him i am at the back no he says and leads me to the door points down Market st to a what can be best described as a corral with about 15 million people in it,"that's the que, and between you and me half of them won't get in." gutted. So near yet...

Pizza Hut was crap aswell, incidently Jnr is a big Moz fan these days travelling far and wide to shows, I don't think i've ever told him about the day he stopped his dad meeting Morrissey, I'll pull him when he gets in from work tonight.

 

[5am]

I once asked for the new James cd, and the guy who worked in the shop asked me for his last name.

 

[john86]

I once asked for the new James cd, and the guy who worked in the shop asked me for his last name.

brilliant!

 

[I am a Ghost]

Buying this in 1972, my first record purchase.