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Tower Records

gizzyman47

gizzyman47

Addicted Member
Caught a documentary about Tower Records the other day on satellite T.V.! It was really interesting and informative. It sure did bring back some nostalgic memories. Sure wish they were still around in the U.S. ( they still exist in Japan). Anyone have any interesting stories to tell about shopping there back in the day?
 
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20 years ago I had a tower records 1 mile from my home. Some Friday's I'd go there about 11:30PM and just get absorbed in the media. So great!
 
The only one I ever got to shop at was the one at Disney World in Florida . They had an amazing inventory and I bought 4 or 5 discs including the 24 ct version of ELO's Face the Music .
 
gizzyman47 said:
Caught a documentary about Tower Records the other day on satellite T.V.! It was really interesting and informative. It sure did bring back some nostalgic memories. Sure wish they were still around in the U.S. ( they still exist in Japan). Anyone have any interesting stories to tell about shopping there back in the day?
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Do you remember what channel you saw that on ?
 
Sorry I don't remember the exact channel but I know it was in the 500's if that helps. I actually caught the last few minutes of it a couple weeks ago, so they will probably air it again soon. I hope they do because the second time I saw it I didn't catch the very beginning! I'm sure you can see it on You tube? Yep! Just checked. Its on You Tube! Enjoy!
 
All Things Must Pass ... the Tower Records documentary is playing on Showtime. I'll probably catch it on Amazon rental online since I don't subscribe to Showtime
and my local video rental store or Redbox don't stock it.
 
I hated the places at the time. I thought they were basically the "record store" equivalent of places like Nobody Beats the Wiz - loud, rude, annoying, and didn't usually have what I wanted. Kinda like NYC generally.... Still may try to catch the documentary, sounds interesting.
 
Hand Truck Fuel inventory expense.

I had two good friends that worked in the El Toro T.R. (now the city of Lake Forest, Ca). One was in management (assist. manager?), and the other managed the Classical section. Charlie, the classical guy, is a walking encyclopedia of classical releases. People came from long distances to tap his knowledge. He was quite infamous around SoCal. There was an article in a record industry magazine about him, and that store. I still have it, but would need to find it.
The other guy, the assist manger, sold me cases of Maxell MX90 and MX100 cassettes, for a great price, as they were my mastering tapes when cassette tape decks roamed the land.
 
Half my original collection came from Tower Records, they were my main source for Japanese pressed lps
 
I watched it last week. It is called "All Things Must Pass" Great show.

Back in the 70's and 80's I went to Tower Records & Wherehouse Records (both in San Diego) just about every weekend.
Still have over 1,000 records I bought there. (and just as many CDs)
 
When I moved to San Francisco, used to frequent the one on Columbus at Bay, then when I moved across the bay, the one on Durant in Berkeley. Huge selection and easily outdid the Wherehouse competition. When I go to visit my mom in Sacramento, always pass by the Tower Theater that gave the store its name.
 
Never liked Tower. The Record Factory and Rasputin's Records is where I used to go.
Rasputin's is still around.

Rob
 
I bet half the CD's I have were bought at Tower records on Broadway. They seemed to always be open and were just a few blocks from the 6 train.
 
I have been meaning to check this out. I remember going into Tower every chance I got. The one here in Nashville actually didnt close until 2010. It was a mainstay on West End forever.
 
I remember my extreme shock and disappointment when, on returning from an overseas tour, I went to Tower Records Hollywood and the albums had been replaced by cds. There was just a small section of albums all crammed together. I couldn't believe it.
 
I miss Tower's store in Austin, and it's essentially impossible not to think about it when I walk by the building. At least Waterloo and Antone's still exist here.
 
I moved around allot and I loved going to Tower Records, they had the best quadraphonic 8-track tapes. I had a 64 Caddy ragtop painted in corvette lacquer as GM used the same color on so many cars, but the corvette colors were lacquer. Had a Craig Quad tunnel mount with Craig three-ways, sounded great while I was ripping up and down California freeways back in the seventies. That documentary brought back allot of memories and now my LP's come in the mail. The experience is not the same its just easier for those making money. I guess that's what it has come to...a service by a service orientated economy. Sorry thing is, there's room for change.....
 
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Almost forgot about Record Factory, they had better amounts of hard to find and kept the more popular titles longer. They had the best Christmas sales like two for ten dollars in San Jose.
 
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