In case you didn’t know it, Saturday, April 16, 2011, is Record Store Day.
Many many years ago I worked in a record store in Hackensack, NJ with a whole mess of great people, many of whom I’m still in touch with. (Hi Rita, Sam, Bill, Bob, Jack, Helen, and Wayne.) Though it was a chain store and not an independently owned shop, it was still very High Fidelity. Oh, the lists…
A certain kind of person works in a record store, then and now. Then the customers ran the gamut, from Kenny G. fans to people who couldn’t wait to get the latest Ministry 12″. Now, it seems the only people who visit record stores are more apt to dig for that Ministry 12″. Well, maybe not Ministry.
Certain things have been gained with the digital revolution where music is concerned. But some things have been lost, too. I miss two things. 1) That tactile sense of holding an LP, reading the liner notes, staring at album cover art groovy enough for framing. 2) As the number of record stores continue to dwindle, the face-to-face interaction with other folks interested in music is disappearing. And I think that’s a shame. (Yeah, I know, you can find folks with similar musical tastes online, but it isn’t the same, really, than, you know, leaving your house and talking to someone.)
So, to honor Record Store Day and the interactions that happen in such establishments, I put together the following blog-only clip from footage Wolfgang Held shot at Hyde Park Records in Chicago, when we first met Robert Darden. Mine is the low voice you hear in the beginning, talking about the Redd Foxx LP being displayed above the gospel section, “the sacred and profane in one eyeful.”
Big thanks to Redd Foxx and the wonderful customer for making this pretty special. I hope you like it. And why not celebrate the day by going to your local record store and taking part in the festivities. Maybe buy a cd while you’re there.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9b3U3t26vw[/youtube]Click here to view a clip from the documentary, A Life’s Work (work in progress), featuring more footage shot in HPR.
Artist Rita Flores, who was one of my co-workers all those years ago, today coincidentally posted a piece about the joys of record stores on her blog, Through the Lava Lamp.
Things I love Thursday: Daniel Johnston and Record Store Day | Through the Lava Lamp
[…] one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had. My friend David also wrote a blog post about it here. Yes, it was a little like High Fidelity with a little bit of Empire Records thrown in. We are […]
Jane Rashdan
When I read your “top 15” list, I was immediately intrigued by this item. I was just talking with my son about the times, back in the early 80’s, when I would go to Manhattan with my brother and a few friends to visit record stores in the Village. The guys were looking for cool stuff, like an XTC or REM import. I was in search of Cliff Richard, Lesley Gore or The Monkees. I can still remember how much fun it was flipping through those record bins and the excitement of finding a rare album or 45. My brother still has all of his “finds” in his extensive record collection.
I am pleased that my son loves music and loves to browse in record stores and pick up a CD or two (Modest Mouse, Radiohead and Pearl Jam are some of his recent acquisitions.) Perhaps on April 16, I’ll take him to Bleecker Bobs in the Village, or maybe to Things From England in Cliffside Park. I’m sure we’ll have a great time.
David Licata
Thanks for the comment, Jane.
Things from England in Cliffside. That store has been there forever, hasn’t it? It’s nice to know it’s still there.
It’s nice to know your son thinks somethings are worth digging for, that there are diamonds to be found in musty crates, if you just look. Record stores, bookstores, thrift stores, it’s all good.
I still have all of my vinyl. My prizes are every Mothers of Invention and Frank Zappa album until about 1978, except Burnt Weenie Sandwich. They are my retirement.