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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "John L. Micek" <jlmicek@mindspring.com> |
| Subject | Re: Best 'Box' music department |
| Date | Sat, 19 Jul 2003 12:21:25 -0400 |
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I think we may have had this discussion in a slightly mutated form
before, but when I was teenager growing up in Connecticut (c.1983-84),
the undisputed king of cool chain record departments was Caldor.
I bought my first 45 there in 1979(?), I think. It was The Kinks'
"Superman." And I recall that you had to pick from a numerical list
posted to the front of this raised dais. The records were behind in
corresponding cubbyholes, and the person behind would give you the
7-inch, and you paid for it in the front of the store.
I bought my first real record at a Caldor as well. It was U2's "Under a
Blood Red Sky" EP, in the spring of 1984. We had just gotten cable in
the little town where I grew up (Canton, for Auditeers of the Nutmeg
variety), and I remember seeing the Red Rocks concert on the Saturday
Night Concert show, and it just blew my mind. (The concert later
inspired me to start playing bass, leaving me the frustrated musician I
am today).
My Dad owned a restaurant across the street from the Torrington, Conn.
Caldor, and I'd work there on Saturday afternoons. I remember running
across the street after my Dad paid me to plunk down the $5.99 or $6.99
or whatever it was for the EP. In fairly short order, I started going
over there every Saturday afternoon after work. I must have bought the
first 20 or 30 records I own from that store.
Alas, Caldor too joined WG Grants, Two-Guys and Zayre in the great
retail hereafter in 1999 or so.
John Micek
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