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Hairball

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timbernardis

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jbwelda
>The original Tower Records was on 16th and Broadway in Sacramento. Next to the Tower Theater which is still in existence I think

No, that is incorrect. The "original" tower "records" at that site was in the Tower Drugs store which Russ Solomon's father owned at the corner of 16th and Broadway. He started a little record sales thing there before expanding to Watt Avenue, the first real Tower Records store. Then the second opened across the street from Tower Drugs at 16th and B'way. That's why there is often confusion about where the real "original" Tower Records was, the closeness of the second store to the real origination of the brand, even though their first true store was ten or so miles northeast at Watt and El Camino.

I know. I was there. Or somewhere close by. Have known more former employees of the place than I can shake a stick at. The Tower Theatre is still there but a shadow of its former self with the space sectioned off into 3 or more theatres and no real spacious theatre space anymore, and always on the block for new owners it seems.

There is a Rasputin's currently in Stockton now.

That "all things must pass" bit of post mortem BS was a real laugh. Saw a number of people I knew or know in it. Most of what was presented was either whitewashed or made up from whole cloth, though if you listen carefully they will verify what I say above about what was "original".

Last I was in Amoeba in SF I was terribly disappointed. The long time reggae buyer for there and the Berk store has long since departed and in their place they have nothing really, so that whole genre of music is underrepresented as never before. Don't know about the berk store but I don't think i will be back to the SF store anytime soon, not worth the trip, for me at least. I might be surprised if I took a good hard look in the rock section, but I don't really have the patience for that so much anymore. More better down in the Rasputin's bargain basement. Still a thrill for the tourist trade though.

jb

well jb, you're mincing words here. It depends on what you consider to be a "record shop." It had its origins in the drug store which was Tower Drugs at or near 16th and Broadway, so generically speaking, it was the first location of Tower Records, from which all the other locations derived and followed.


plexi

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sdstonesguy
Well everyone knows the first Amoeba is in Berkeley, but who knows it used to be a Mexican restaurant? It was dark, there was a fountain in the middle and the bathrooms were scary for a child.

Grew up right down the street...Berkeley sure has changed...but my memories have not. At least People's Park is still there...for now.

It is funny, while I love Amoeba, I still see this first one as some Johnny Come Lately running out the Mexican Restaurant that is supposed to be there. Don't get me started on S.F., I am not sure anything is the same there...other than City Lights.

Leopold's and Rasputin's were the Telegraph (avenue) music stores before Amoeba...Tower too.

A Saturday at the arcade (Silver Ball), pizza joint (La Valle's or Blondie's) and music store (Rasputin's/Leopold's) was a full day. I ran a nice scam to get cheap tapes back then...great times for a kid. Met James Hetfield once playing pinball on the Cal Campus a block away (down in the pool hall/bowling alley on campus).

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jbwelda
I was first in berzerkley around 1969, went to UCB for a couple years before flunking out of law school (lack of attendance and motivation will do that for you). Remember that Mex restaurant but had totally forgotten that was where Amoeba moved into. During the seventies a full day was record shopping on Telegraph and also over at Rather Ripped, followed by a show at the Keystone Berkeley on University avenue or this other joint over on Shattuck whose name is eluding me right now. Perhaps that was more early 80s. The Ashkenez was happening too and the original REI was right across the street from it. The NorthFace outlet store was right across the street from the mechanic who worked on my couple of Porsche 356s, and the B-Square was happening a little lateron University nearby. There was a great record store on San Pablo toward El Cerrito that sold Arhoolee and various folk/blues labels, might have even been a factory outlet for some as I think I recall a record company connection. There was another fantastic store nearby that carried a lot of bootlegs and imports. It was a great time and a great place. Tower had only a small outlet there with Leopolds next to it and an even better store down it the basement area. I could be getting my eras mixed up a little here but I think I have it basically correct, but things changed around a little year to year. Today its nothing like its heyday around there.

Got busted smoking weed in People's Park, I thought that was hugely ironic. F the pigs! But the guy let me go after taking my bag of grass, and probably enjoyed it himself, it was fresh from Vietnam.

jb

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jbwelda
I was first in berzerkley around 1969, went to UCB for a couple years before flunking out of law school (lack of attendance and motivation will do that for you). Remember that Mex restaurant but had totally forgotten that was where Amoeba moved into. During the seventies a full day was record shopping on Telegraph and also over at Rather Ripped, followed by a show at the Keystone Berkeley on University avenue or this other joint over on Shattuck whose name is eluding me right now. Perhaps that was more early 80s. The Ashkenez was happening too and the original REI was right across the street from it. The NorthFace outlet store was right across the street from the mechanic who worked on my couple of Porsche 356s, and the B-Square was happening a little lateron University nearby. There was a great record store on San Pablo toward El Cerrito that sold Arhoolee and various folk/blues labels, might have even been a factory outlet for some as I think I recall a record company connection. There was another fantastic store nearby that carried a lot of bootlegs and imports. It was a great time and a great place. Tower had only a small outlet there with Leopolds next to it and an even better store down it the basement area. I could be getting my eras mixed up a little here but I think I have it basically correct, but things changed around a little year to year. Today its nothing like its heyday around there.

Got busted smoking weed in People's Park, I thought that was hugely ironic. F the pigs! But the guy let me go after taking my bag of grass, and probably enjoyed it himself, it was fresh from Vietnam.

jb