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| From | Career Records <eldeluxe@mcn.net> |
| Subject | Re: Audities record store workers |
| Date | Wed, 02 Jun 2004 10:00:35 -0700 |
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I think my record shop career landed between early '72 to early '80. I
started out opening a new Wherehouse in San Jose, but as soon as that
opened they moved me to the ghetto store (The first day there the
owner's son was there and gave me a rash of shit. I was suppose to be
the assistant manager, and he was just a clerk. A few choice words with
the management and he was gone).... Story and King Rds in E. San Jose...
anyone ever heard Clifford Colter? He'll tell you about it. It was the
PCP epicenter of the world. Average sale $.89. I told them they were
crazy, but I was assured by our district manager (and ex-drug detail
man) that they had researched it. At one point the chain was on hold and
we couldn't buy anything. I asked them what was in all the boxes stacked
up in the back room. "oh, over stock" Like what? I cracked open a few
boxes and found it was all good stuff. I was able to restock the whole
Bay Area. When I decided to leave, they offered me $.05 raise.
After that is was much better over at the famous Discount Records in
Valley Fair (San Jose's first Mall). This was the only shop I ever
worked at that had it together. Old school retail. You had to know
catalog numbers to write up sales slips. (a look at Career Records
catalog number is a tribute to this) THis wasn't a very big shop but we
had or could get anything....anything that was in print in the world. If
you ordered something, I could tell you when and the response. They
weren't a mass merchandiser, only one of each in the bins, and a few
hits stacked up front. Some of the guys were pretty serious classical
heads, so you'd hear some very intense discussions about opera singers
and such.
I met all kinds of famous locals while there, cause it was where you had
to shop in the late 60's. We also reported to KYA or KFRC in SF so I was
able to manipulate the charts some. The Move and ELO had hits in the Bay
Area around this time!! It was at this shop that I met Cyril Jordan, Roy
Loney, Sharkey (syndicate Of Sound), Dave Aguilar (Choc Watch), Scott
McCaughey, Jud Cost, Ken Barnes, and a load of others, some who are
still friends.
The deal was, Discount was owned by CBS. Marvin Saines got a good job at
Masterworks when he sold out. By '74 the accountants had moved in and
the whole style changed. I bailed when I got offered a gig in Berkeley.
The district manager thought I had the right idea. It got sold to
Musicland, who promptly closed it down. I think Iggy worked at the shop
in Ann Arbor... one of those guys did.
Odyssey was just a scam. I mostly skated through my year on Telegraph
Ave. The owner would open stores and do silly promotions to get credit,
and then never pay. We had huge stacks of Wish You Were Here, a BTO
album and a crappy Allman Bros album hidden under the stairs. Great gig,
cause it got me out of San Jose and honed my instincts for shark bosses
and crooks.
I finally called in sick, got a week's sick leave and started a new job
for Record Factory. I got there and it turned out they were behind
schedule so there was no work for me. I had to get tough and tell them
to put me to work in the warehouse until the shop was ready for me. Now
this gig in San Rafael was a good one. On the harbor, lots of beautiful
women shoppers, lots of big time musicians, and good $$$. This lasted
for three more years, but like the others the weak links started
showing. They'd fired my pal who was the president due to nose powder
problems, but then the straight guy who took over got his own habit!! I
was the only buyer who could actually order from the labels, so I ended
up with all the other managers coming to my shop to take all the good
stuff for them selves. This was so stupid, cause they could sell Zappa
catalog just as well as I could... This was ok until I started to come
unraveled, and asked for a huge raise.
I spent a few months sitting by the pool drinking until I got a part
time job at a small shop in SF. I was too miserable by this time to
really have an opinion. My g/f had dumped me, KSAN had folded, I was
broke and didn't want to do this anymore. I still got to see my pals
like Scott McCaughey and Jud Cost when they were in the city, but it
wasn't' fun anymore.
When I got to Montana, I considered buying the local indie which was for
sale. I worked there one night to help out, but broke out in hives when
I got asked all the same stupid questions I had heard for years: "hey
where are the 8 tracks???....you get the idea. Now I'm just a thorough
shopper and enjoy, or don't enjoy my shopping experiences. Fortunately
my wife also is a record hound. She did time at a Budget in Bismarck ND
and has her own serious collection. Part of our travels always includes
a stop at one or more shops. She looks out for me and I try and find
stuff for her. Perfect deal...
that's the whole story, and mostly the truth.
RS
floatingunder wrote:
> Yet, another thread perhaps...
>
> I'm assuming many people have worked at record stores on this list. I
> say that per it was always a job I REALLY coveted and still have very
> fond memories of having worked at one.
>
> Me: Wazoo Records, Madison, WI (1984-85).
>
> Anyone care to come forward?
-- Ronald Sanchez
Director Of A&R
Career Records
www.CareerRecords.com
The Donovan's Brain Web Site
www.Donovans-Brain.com
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