Record Stores


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Record Stores
Posted by: Kchi (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 08, 2011 12:05PM

Does anybody remember the name of a record store on Milwaukee Ave across the street and down the block from the Portage Theater? I remember going there as late as the 80's. The store must have been there forever, since although not in use, you could see where they had the old fashioned booths built into the wall where at one time you were able to listen to a record before purchasing.


During the 60's when new groups were appearing daily and we were all listening to WLS,WCFL and WIND, I remember purchasing most of our records at the United Furniture Mart on Milwaukee. I would have to bet that they made more money selling records to teenagers then they ever did selling furniture.

We also purchased records at Sears when they were a full blown department store.

Feel free to identify the long forgotten record stores of your youth.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: WayOutWardell (---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 08, 2011 01:46PM

I absolutely remember that store you're talking about - can't remember the name, but I bought some albums there in the early 90s. They had an old neon sign hanging out front. Did the costume shop expand into that space?

A lot of the record stores by 'my time' were national chains, but I did go to Rose Records a lot (Milwaukee & Golf, Ashland & Belmont and the one on Wabash before it became Tower). You could blow a lot of money at Rose because they sold concert tickets, too.

Here's a scan of a Chet Baker record my old man bought at Seymour's, before it became Jazz Record Mart:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29821940@N00/4705011081/in/set-72157624161475047/]Seymour's[/url]

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: bwalsh (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: January 08, 2011 07:05PM

Ah yes, the old record stores. I did buy an album (the first one I bought by myself, that is) at Sears. It was the Beatles 2nd album and it cost $2.99! Yes, still have it along with all my old records. There was a record store in Ford City Mall where we got to listen to the record before we bought it, but it had to be operated by the sales clerk, it wasn't in a private booth. I bought lots of 45s in there. Another spot where we could buy 45s and they cost less too, was the Singer Sewing Store, also in Ford City. Yes, they did indeed sell records for awhile. Another place there was in Turnstyle. These were all 45s that cost under $1 - usually .39 or .49! Wieboldt's had a record Dept and I remember looking at the Sgt Pepper's Album when it first came out. We had to look because of the infamous rumor that Paul was dead! I bought some records there too.
Now, for nostalgia, and tons of records, I go to Beverly Rare records on Western about 119th st.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: Johnny Sauganash (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: January 08, 2011 09:17PM

There was also a Rose Records around the corner from the mystery store on Milwaukee, in the basement level of the very unique building at 4821 W. Irving Park Road.

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4821+W+Irving+Park+Road&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=4821+W+Irving+Park+Rd,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60641&amp;gl=us&amp;ll=41.953316,-87.74818&amp;spn=0.006734,0.013111&amp;z=14&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.953368,-87.748248&amp;panoid=2FC9uvxjEvNGTUFjigz-sA&amp;cbp=12,168.24,,0,5.15&amp;source=embed&amp;output=svembed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4821+W+Irving+Park+Road&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=4821+W+Irving+Park+Rd,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60641&amp;gl=us&amp;ll=41.953316,-87.74818&amp;spn=0.006734,0.013111&amp;z=14&amp;layer=c&amp;cbll=41.953368,-87.748248&amp;panoid=2FC9uvxjEvNGTUFjigz-sA&amp;cbp=12,168.24,,0,5.15&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: HOLTANEK (---.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: January 09, 2011 08:12PM

The store on Milwaukee was "Deluxe Music". It had to have dated back to the 50s because they had the listening stations to listen to records, mostly 45s. We would go there in the early 70s to find hard to find 45s and albums.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: WayOutWardell (63.226.79.---)
Date: January 13, 2011 04:25PM

Deluxe! That's it, thank you!

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: January 15, 2011 01:57AM

The building with the lower level stores was built in the early 70's, kinda obvious. The upper right was a 'Just Pants' jeans store, used to buy tons of their stuff.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: Chipast (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: January 16, 2011 05:35PM

Wasn't that location an L.Fish Furniture Store, Until about the late 1960's-early 1970's??????.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: January 27, 2011 01:16AM

Probably, the current building was built around 1971-2?

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: Chipast (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: February 07, 2011 07:41PM

Sort of off the topic.

But I wonder when the new building for Northwestern National Bank was built?, Replacing the older classic one?. And when the skeletal gasmeter was taken down, Just south of the bank?.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2011 07:42PM by Chipast.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: FranCarmen (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 09, 2011 01:32AM

Flip Side on Foster just east of Kimball. My first album was $3.27. I saved my lunch money ($5 total) all week to buy an album. 1970. Still have the albums.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 09, 2011 03:37AM

That Northwestern Bank building was there in early 70's. Have to check the Classic Aerials site to see what was there before. The oldest structures at 6 Corners are still there on the SW corner of Irving and Cicero, was an old drug store built before others. I have a recent Portage Park history book and has pictures, but none of the NS bank site, however.

Getting back to Record Stores, there was a popular one on 4000 block of Cicero, by the Newstand store and Klee building. It had large paintings of album covers over the storefront. Would change them every few months. But seems like they had 'Foreigner' debut cover up the longest. I think they closed by late 80's.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: Chipast (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: February 09, 2011 06:19PM

tomcat630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That Northwestern Bank building was there in early
> 70's. Have to check the Classic Aerials site to
> see what was there before. The oldest structures
> at 6 Corners are still there on the SW corner of
> Irving and Cicero, was an old drug store built
> before others. I have a recent Portage Park
> history book and has pictures, but none of the NS
> bank site, however.
>
> Getting back to Record Stores, there was a popular
> one on 4000 block of Cicero, by the Newstand store
> and Klee building. It had large paintings of album
> covers over the storefront. Would change them
> every few months. But seems like they had
> 'Foreigner' debut cover up the longest. I think
> they closed by late 80's.


Wasn't it a Hear Here, Rolling Stone or Sounds Good record store??????????.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: FranCarmen (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 10, 2011 02:06PM

[url=http://bit.ly/hOckNm]Flip Side Record Store[/url] 3314 W. Foster, circa 1971

http://francesarcher.com

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: Chipast (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: February 10, 2011 02:53PM

FranCarmen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Flip Side Record Store 3314 W. Foster, circa 1971


More than likely, 1975. Not 1971.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: FranCarmen (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 10, 2011 04:08PM

Chipast, yes, thanks, you're right about the date.

http://francesarcher.com

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: tseals (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: February 12, 2011 03:33PM

Does anyone remember "Little AL's record store on Lawrence & Kimball. I remember ordering older records (45's) in the late 60's early 70's. They had a large inventory of records back then/

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: FranCarmen (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: February 23, 2011 08:11PM

tseals: I interviewed someone on my [url=http://francesarcher.com/2011/02/hot-dogs-and-baseball-an-albany-park-boyhood/]blog[/url] who remembers Little Al's Radio and Phonograph Store at Lawrence near Spaulding from 1946. Their slogan was "Where the customer is always wrong." The owner was Al Turner, and I can ask Jerry, who I interviewed, whether he knows if it's the same business. I imagine it may have been.

http://francesarcher.com

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: tseals (---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: February 24, 2011 02:43PM

Francarmen

I think you'r right. Probably closer to Kedzie (west) on the north side of the street.

They use to have huge books with the songs & bands(artists) names, along with rows of records (45's) However, I can not remember if they had albums. This was in the mid-to late 60's and very early 70's. WOW.

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Re: Record Stores
Posted by: tomcat630 (---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: March 04, 2011 12:27AM

Rolling Stone records, still there, is 7300 Irving Park in Norridge.

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