I found a ton of old record store business cards last night. Many of them are over 30 years old. Now we have some actual information about the names and locations of some of the record stores I used to frequent as a teenager! It was such a blast of reality finding this little stack of business cards! Nothing quite like have some ‘proof’ instead of always having to rely upon my memory!
Mundae Records & Tapes
17 39th Place (Belmont Pier)
Long Beach CA 90803
434-4788
Dick Heckstall-Smith “A Story Ended”, David Bowie “Ziggy Stardust”
Wenzel’s Music Town (Tom & Maxine)
Home of…Oldies but Goodies
13117 Lakewood Blvd
Downey CA 90242
634-2928
Rolling Stones “She’s A Rainbow” picture sleeve
Vogue Records and Tapes
1025 Westwood Blvd (Westwood Village)
Los Angeles CA 90024
270-3142
John Cage “Indeterminacy” (my 2nd copy!)
Vogue Records and Tapes
6666 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood CA 90028
466-7276
Led Zeppelin “IV” (white label promo), Mephistopheles “In Frustration I Hear Singing”
Vogue Records and Tapes
3576 Rosemead Blvd (Rosemead Square Shopping Center)
Rosemead CA 91770
280-3323
(Can’t actually remember what I might’ve bought at this location – more Battisti LP’s?)
Platterpuss Records
4661 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood CA 90027 (?)
660-0666
King Crimson “Lizard”
Platterpuss Records
5536 East 7th Street
Long Beach
498-1765
Michel Berger “self-titled” debut LP on WB France, Second Hand “Death May be Your Santa Claus”
Platterpuss Records
104 East Broadway
Glendale
246-3300
Cream “Wheels Of Fire” (foil-covered jacket)
Platterpuss Records
320 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach
372-4214
Family “Family Entertainment” (with a poster)
Platterpuss Records
2204 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica
392-6622
Gracious! – “self-titled” debut, US copy…for 10 cents!
Platterpuss Records
1909 S. Catalina
South Redondo Beach
373-7111
Robert Wyatt “Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard”
Moby Disc
14626 Victory Blvd
Van Nuys CA
787-7100
Tea & Symphony “Jo Sago” (and way too many to mention!)
I actually used to shop at almost all of these stores – back when I was still in school, didn’t have any money to speak of etc. Before I drove, I had to rely upon others to get me places that were outside of my loop – sometimes my dad, sometimes my brother – and eventually I got friends that had cars, and were ‘up’ for some “record cruising”.
The Vogue stores are the only ones listed here that did not have ‘used’ LP’s as such – I think they had a ‘cheapie bin’ – but the records were all new. The Vogue in Westwood is where I used to buy all my Lucio Battisti albums.
Moby Disc was a real trek from Long Beach – but I only had to show my brother that store once, and then whenever he hit town (he lived in Europe), we would make the 35+ mile drive to Van Nuys. A little later in the 70’s, I once went to Moby Disc the same day that I had a tooth extracted – that is an amusing memory. First, I had to tell me friend Bob how to drive to Van Nuys from Long Beach – then I had to have my wits about me as I sifted great big bins of used LP’s – in search of mid-70’s prog rock gold. I seem to remember getting a promo copy of the British (Virgin) double album “Unlimited Edition” by Can on that fateful evening.
And I couldn’t swear to it, but I think the Platterpuss in Redondo Beach eventually turned into a “Ray Avery’s Rare Records” (where I found my Dion McGregor LP!). Places like Platterpuss often had LP’s for under $1 (and I could easily ride my bike to the Long Beach store). A good Long Beach bicycle circuit was the Platterpuss on 7th Street and Mundae at the Long Beach Pier. I had a blue 10-speed bike.
A good L.A. “record run” also likely included a visit to Aron Record Shop on Melrose Avenue and possibly Tower Records on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood – and let’s not forget Rhino Records on Westwood Blvd. Or Poo Bah Record Shop (on Fair Oaks) in Pasadena. Hint, folks: only one of these shops is still alive – go to Poo Bah’s on Colorado Blvd. in (east) Pasadena! Say “Hi” to Michael, Gary & Chad!
Hollywood Blvd. was a good place to go to look for records – there were cheap places to eat, and about a dozen or more stores within a few blocks – places like Pacific Discount, Vogue, Phil Harris Record Shop, Lewin’ Record Paradise. My dad was always “OK” with going to Hollywood Blvd. – and he knew where it was! I wish I could remember who told me to go to Aron’s, Moby Disc etc. I’d love to give credit where credit is due.
After learning to drive – and while still in high school – I remember somehow obtaining my dad’s car and ditching school and driving from Long Beach to Aron’s on Melrose – likely parking around the corner on Genesee Avenue. I got a parking ticket – can’t remember if it was an “expired meter” or possibly a street sweeping ticket. But a $5 ticket really stung in those days – and that would’ve been practically my entire budget for a “record run”!
Somebody groovy told me about the record collector swap meet that took place in the parking lot of Capitol Records – probably about 1975 or so. I think it was my brother and myself who drove up there early one Sunday morning – I bought Frank Zappa 45’s on verve – and I remember someone having the entire international A&M label publishing library – with Japanese Cat Stevens EP’s (I got a white label Esperanto 45!). The swap meet had guys trying to be cool – with their skinny ties…other guys with miner’s helmets, guys who were drunk, people who had been up all night after a show at the Whisky or the Roxy. Eventually, we decided to do the “stay up all night” thing – and my brother & I discovered that people did, in fact, start showing up at Capitol around midnight – what silly people we had been, going at 6:00am, we could’ve been there all night!
Then the ‘Capitol meet’ moved across the street – eventually out to the Country Club in Reseda – talk about a drive from Long Beach!!!
