Tower Records closes

[MiNe 109]

Good article for anyone who wonders why it'll be missed.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/19/DDGPJLR16L32.DTL&
type=music

Some good bits:

When the store sold those black vinyl discs in 12-inch cardboard sleeves
.... there was magic in the place...

When the product changed to a small shiny wafer in a crummy plastic box
that cost 20 bucks, that was the tectonic shift that led to the ugly,
prolonged collapse of a chain store that people at one time actually
loved.

"Tower was where music nuts, not a socially adept breed, had to face
each other in the flesh," wrote Los Angeles Times pop music critic Ann
Powers...

Before Tower Records opened, all record stores were little mom-and-pop
shops with limited inventory that kept business hours and charged list
price. Tower sold records cheap, all day and night, and stocked
everything.

"On Friday nights, the place was like an event," says record promotion
man Dave Sholin, who back in the '70s ran the city's ruling Top 40
station, KFRC. "Just going in and seeing everybody in the place, the
aisles jammed, all the new releases -- it would be hard to describe to
someone who wasn't there..."

It was a place that could be packed for in-store appearances by Joan
Jett or Luciano Pavarotti. The opera in-stores were an annual event, in
fact, and all the big names in the field made appearances. Tower always
had the best selection of classical records at the lowest prices, too.

--

End quote

[[email protected]]

MiNe 109 wrote:
> Good article for anyone who wonders why it'll be missed.
>
> http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/19/DDGPJLR16L32.DTL&
> type=music
>
> Some good bits:
>
> When the store sold those black vinyl discs in 12-inch cardboard sleeves
> ... there was magic in the place...
>
> When the product changed to a small shiny wafer in a crummy plastic box
> that cost 20 bucks, that was the tectonic shift that led to the ugly,
> prolonged collapse of a chain store that people at one time actually
> loved.
>
> "Tower was where music nuts, not a socially adept breed, had to face
> each other in the flesh," wrote Los Angeles Times pop music critic Ann
> Powers...
>
> Before Tower Records opened, all record stores were little mom-and-pop
> shops with limited inventory that kept business hours and charged list
> price. Tower sold records cheap, all day and night, and stocked
> everything.
>
> "On Friday nights, the place was like an event," says record promotion
> man Dave Sholin, who back in the '70s ran the city's ruling Top 40
> station, KFRC. "Just going in and seeing everybody in the place, the
> aisles jammed, all the new releases -- it would be hard to describe to
> someone who wasn't there..."
>
> It was a place that could be packed for in-store appearances by Joan
> Jett or Luciano Pavarotti. The opera in-stores were an annual event, in
> fact, and all the big names in the field made appearances. Tower always
> had the best selection of classical records at the lowest prices, too.
>
> --
>
> End quote

I went today, and the place had been picked over pretty good. However,
everything was still just 20% off. 20% off of $17.99-$19.99. Which
means I can order from Amazon, get the stuff sent to my house, and
still save money over Tower's so-called Liquidation Sale.

Boon

[MiNe 109]

In article . com>,
wrote:

> MiNe 109 wrote:
> > Good article for anyone who wonders why it'll be missed.
> >
> > http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/19/DDGPJLR16L32.DTL&
> > type=music
> >
> > Some good bits:
> >
> > When the store sold those black vinyl discs in 12-inch cardboard sleeves
> > ... there was magic in the place...
> >
> > When the product changed to a small shiny wafer in a crummy plastic box
> > that cost 20 bucks, that was the tectonic shift that led to the ugly,
> > prolonged collapse of a chain store that people at one time actually
> > loved.
> >
> > "Tower was where music nuts, not a socially adept breed, had to face
> > each other in the flesh," wrote Los Angeles Times pop music critic Ann
> > Powers...
> >
> > Before Tower Records opened, all record stores were little mom-and-pop
> > shops with limited inventory that kept business hours and charged list
> > price. Tower sold records cheap, all day and night, and stocked
> > everything.
> >
> > "On Friday nights, the place was like an event," says record promotion
> > man Dave Sholin, who back in the '70s ran the city's ruling Top 40
> > station, KFRC. "Just going in and seeing everybody in the place, the
> > aisles jammed, all the new releases -- it would be hard to describe to
> > someone who wasn't there..."
> >
> > It was a place that could be packed for in-store appearances by Joan
> > Jett or Luciano Pavarotti. The opera in-stores were an annual event, in
> > fact, and all the big names in the field made appearances. Tower always
> > had the best selection of classical records at the lowest prices, too.
> >
> > --
> >
> > End quote
>
> I went today, and the place had been picked over pretty good. However,
> everything was still just 20% off. 20% off of $17.99-$19.99. Which
> means I can order from Amazon, get the stuff sent to my house, and
> still save money over Tower's so-called Liquidation Sale.

The "sale" is run by liquidators. I guess discounts will remain small
until they dump the remaining stock on secondary markets.

I hope the small classical labels get paid, but I have my doubts.

Stephen

[[email protected]]

MiNe 109 wrote:
> In article . com>,
> wrote:
>
> > MiNe 109 wrote:
> > > Good article for anyone who wonders why it'll be missed.
> > >
> > > http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/19/DDGPJLR16L32.DTL&
> > > type=music
> > >
> > > Some good bits:
> > >
> > > When the store sold those black vinyl discs in 12-inch cardboard sleeves
> > > ... there was magic in the place...
> > >
> > > When the product changed to a small shiny wafer in a crummy plastic box
> > > that cost 20 bucks, that was the tectonic shift that led to the ugly,
> > > prolonged collapse of a chain store that people at one time actually
> > > loved.
> > >
> > > "Tower was where music nuts, not a socially adept breed, had to face
> > > each other in the flesh," wrote Los Angeles Times pop music critic Ann
> > > Powers...
> > >
> > > Before Tower Records opened, all record stores were little mom-and-pop
> > > shops with limited inventory that kept business hours and charged list
> > > price. Tower sold records cheap, all day and night, and stocked
> > > everything.
> > >
> > > "On Friday nights, the place was like an event," says record promotion
> > > man Dave Sholin, who back in the '70s ran the city's ruling Top 40
> > > station, KFRC. "Just going in and seeing everybody in the place, the
> > > aisles jammed, all the new releases -- it would be hard to describe to
> > > someone who wasn't there..."
> > >
> > > It was a place that could be packed for in-store appearances by Joan
> > > Jett or Luciano Pavarotti. The opera in-stores were an annual event, in
> > > fact, and all the big names in the field made appearances. Tower always
> > > had the best selection of classical records at the lowest prices, too.
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > End quote
> >
> > I went today, and the place had been picked over pretty good. However,
> > everything was still just 20% off. 20% off of $17.99-$19.99. Which
> > means I can order from Amazon, get the stuff sent to my house, and
> > still save money over Tower's so-called Liquidation Sale.
>
> The "sale" is run by liquidators. I guess discounts will remain small
> until they dump the remaining stock on secondary markets.
>
> I hope the small classical labels get paid, but I have my doubts.

That's why I went...I knew that the popular stock would be sent to
other retailers, and what would remain would basically be leftovers,
but I'm into leftovers, so I thought it would work out for me. I
thought the classical section, in particular, would be worthwhile. Not
so.

Boon

[MiNe 109]

In article . com>,
wrote:

> MiNe 109 wrote:
> > In article . com>,
> > wrote:
> >
> > > MiNe 109 wrote:
> > > > Good article for anyone who wonders why it'll be missed.
> > > >
> > > > http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/19/DDGPJLR16L32.DTL
> > > > &
> > > > type=music
> > > >
> > > > Some good bits:
> > > >
> > > > When the store sold those black vinyl discs in 12-inch cardboard
> > > > sleeves
> > > > ... there was magic in the place...
> > > >
> > > > When the product changed to a small shiny wafer in a crummy plastic box
> > > > that cost 20 bucks, that was the tectonic shift that led to the ugly,
> > > > prolonged collapse of a chain store that people at one time actually
> > > > loved.
> > > >
> > > > "Tower was where music nuts, not a socially adept breed, had to face
> > > > each other in the flesh," wrote Los Angeles Times pop music critic Ann
> > > > Powers...
> > > >
> > > > Before Tower Records opened, all record stores were little mom-and-pop
> > > > shops with limited inventory that kept business hours and charged list
> > > > price. Tower sold records cheap, all day and night, and stocked
> > > > everything.
> > > >
> > > > "On Friday nights, the place was like an event," says record promotion
> > > > man Dave Sholin, who back in the '70s ran the city's ruling Top 40
> > > > station, KFRC. "Just going in and seeing everybody in the place, the
> > > > aisles jammed, all the new releases -- it would be hard to describe to
> > > > someone who wasn't there..."
> > > >
> > > > It was a place that could be packed for in-store appearances by Joan
> > > > Jett or Luciano Pavarotti. The opera in-stores were an annual event, in
> > > > fact, and all the big names in the field made appearances. Tower always
> > > > had the best selection of classical records at the lowest prices, too.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > End quote
> > >
> > > I went today, and the place had been picked over pretty good. However,
> > > everything was still just 20% off. 20% off of $17.99-$19.99. Which
> > > means I can order from Amazon, get the stuff sent to my house, and
> > > still save money over Tower's so-called Liquidation Sale.
> >
> > The "sale" is run by liquidators. I guess discounts will remain small
> > until they dump the remaining stock on secondary markets.
> >
> > I hope the small classical labels get paid, but I have my doubts.
>
> That's why I went...I knew that the popular stock would be sent to
> other retailers, and what would remain would basically be leftovers,
> but I'm into leftovers, so I thought it would work out for me. I
> thought the classical section, in particular, would be worthwhile. Not
> so.

I'm not up on the secondary markets but I do try to keep up with
Berkshire Record Outlet (recently had the Telarc catalogue at $2.99
after an ownership change). Flea markets, ebay, Tuesday Morning?

Just looked at Berkshire: 122 Telarc titles, 99 at $2.99.

Stephen