Posted on 10/23/2015 10:41:46 PM PDT by Mariner
If you see a pack of senior citizens whooping it up in Sacramento tonight, you best step aside.
They might just be a group of former Tower Records employees in town to party about the past.
Hundreds of former Tower Records employees have descended on the home of the defunct record store chain for an employee reunion timed with the theatrical release of “All Things Must Pass,” the Colin Hanks documentary about the life and death of the chain.
“I think it’s great that we are still a family,” said Theresa Allen, 69. She started at the company at age 33 and stayed with the once global giant until the end in 2006.
Sacramento’s Tower Records grew out of a side business operated by Russ Solomon in his father’s drugstore next to the Tower Theater in Land Park, where the documentary will have its Sacramento premier at 7:30 p.m. The company grew into a dominant force in the record business with 200 stores globally.
Eventually things fell apart with the rise of digital music sharing. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2006.
On Friday, the Dimple Records at 16th and Broadway – formerly a Tower – was transformed with signs carrying the red and yellow Tower logo.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
The definitive record store.
What a cultural impact they made...
Ping
Did you have a Tower Books as well? They were sort of Barnes and Noble before there was a Barnes and Noble. I used to love them.
Some of the freakiest people I ever saw outside of Portland, Oregon were at the Tower Records in Anaheim,CA. But it was a place you could spend hours in and second only to my memories of Wallichs Music City.
When I lived in Fort Lauderdale, we had Peaches Records and Tapes. Had several Peaches crates full of albums.
I spent many hours at the Tower Records @ Columbus Ave and Bay street in SF back in the 70’s. You never knew who might surface.
I had a $50 Tower Records gift car that was not honored just before they closed.
If you still have it I will buy it from you for $100.
Funny that they would choose that title “All things must pass”. Almost anyone 50 years or older knows that as the title to George Harrison’s great album. I just ordered that album online from Amazon. I too, miss the big record emporiums.
The closest thing we have to that now, that is still a viable business would be the AMOEBA stores in Berkeley and San Francisco, where you can walk around and find CDs with your favorite old music, or make a trade. I haven’t gone to the Amoeba in years because of my ankle problems that make long walks difficult.
There is never any good place to park around there. I would not want to park on Telegraph Ave., because of all the homeless people standing around selling incense or newspaper periodicals produced by and about the homeless. Look, if I go near the University to shop around, I want a pleasant leisure activity. I do not want someone begging from me everytime I turn around. Nor do I wish to read all about their predicament. Not at that time, at least.
Somehow they have managed to put that old-time culture into their stores...trades...used albums...the odd-ball stuff...classics and new. Even vinyl.
One could spend 1/2 of their Saturday in their store.
That’s good news. Even though we aren’t the richest and most favored demographic (middle-aged folks) there is still money to be made, giving us a nice well lit place to buy music and book-books.
Nope. Threw it away. Sorry.
I loved the Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. Across the street from the regular store they had another store dedicated to classical recordings.
The one in D.C. had a room (its own door) just for classical music too.
Great place. Also liked Tower Video. Here’s an album cover of that exact location before TV opened there,
http://imageck.com/224800483-the-sweet-desolation-boulevard-booklet.html
Just noticed on that album cover a shot of the place which became “The Central,” then later “The Viper Room” where River Phoenix died.
My wife and I enjoyed the San Francisco store as well as the one on Willow Pass Road in Concord (CA). That one also had an entire room for classical music and there was a Tower Books next door. Now, the closest we come in our area is the Half Price Books stores which also have old CDs and LPs.
Creative destruction. From Blockbuster to buggy whips; From labor unions to consultant groups;From GOPe to GOP2.0 improvement is possible but not guaranteed.
Is the Tower cafe still open? Loved that place as well as the store.
We have moved away from CA. Miss some of the old haunts.
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