Detroit Record Stores of the Past

**MickeyMac** · May-14-10, 02:53 PM

Where did you buy your records when you were growing up??

What were the best record stores in Detroit in the 60', 70's and 80's???

**Bobl** · May-14-10, 03:04 PM

Bought my first LP at Ross Music Shop, at Eastland. Shopped at Hudson's there, too, but that was because I liked a girl who worked there. Ross had more of the English Invasion groups that I liked, and the proprietor, Bob[[?) was hip and full of stories about rock n roll.
Later, I liked Dearborn Music, then Mixed Media...

**Pam** · May-14-10, 05:17 PM

70's and 80's???

Sam's Jams in Ferndale.

**gazhekwe** · May-14-10, 07:24 PM

Miracle Mart and Korvette's.

**Gannon** · May-14-10, 09:04 PM

For the longest time on the westside, the coolest shop to drop into and hang out for a while was Peaches Records and Tapes...a chain based out of Georgia, hence the name. Schaefer Highway just north of Michigan Avenue.

They kept late hours on Friday and Saturday, and had a decidedly hip atmosphere...informed employees...and highlighted albums would have their covers reproduced in six-feet square renderings high up on the wall.

The local Tech Hifi took care of the audio system...and the old manager's name was Jim Taylor...before the album covers they did silk-screened banners, and ol' Jim left behind the James Taylor purple-on-yellow promotional banner...that I've kept since 1981.

Tough to imagine that is has been around longer than some of my city friends...

Cheers, if anyone still has any of those crates from Peaches...I'd be interested in buying at least three or four of them...for ol' times' sake, now that I'm back into vinyl with a vengeance.

Analog is simply better than digital...at conveying the spirit of a recording and carrying the listener into the performance.

Stosh · May-14-10, 09:10 PM

I'm n ot so sure that analog is so superior to digital.
What I feel is really superior is a good tube stereo amp. Fisher preferably.

**jcole** · May-15-10, 12:05 AM

Ward's at 7 and Gratiot, Harmony House and Kresge at Eastland

**oldredfordette** · May-15-10, 08:00 AM

Bell Records in Old Redford. The very best.

**Corn.Bot** · May-15-10, 06:52 PM

Harmony House, Peaches, and Record Stop/Record Time <-- this store was at Frazho & Gratiot; it had a unique round front window. One of my brothers worked at that store [[it operated under both those names, I think I have them right) for a long time.

We have 4 or 5 crates of vinyl that represent merging my LP collection w/my husband's back in the late 70s when we moved in together. He's begun the tedious process of digitalizing with a converter turntable. I really don't understand when someone talks about the "warmth" of vinyl. I'm not impressed with pops and clicks, personally.

**East Detroit** · May-15-10, 07:27 PM

Peaches at Groesbeck and Masonic
Music Stop in the Eastgate Mall
Record Time on 10 Mile in East Detroit, then Hewitts Bldg in Roseville, then next to London Calling in Roseville
Sam's Jams on 9 Mile in Ferndale
Harmony House in East Detroit at 9 & Gratiot
Car City Records on Harper in St Clair Shores

Corn.Bot, there was a guy who worked at both Music Stop and then Record Time in the Hewitts Music Bldg on Gratiot. Perhaps that was your brother? Kinda short, blond hair... looked like one of the guys from Styx or something.

**EMG** · May-15-10, 07:43 PM

Started out at Musicland and later discovered Harmony House - usually went to the Harmony House on Mack & Allard in Grosse Pointe Woods but later got to particularly like the classical store in the GP Village. Harmony House always had the best selections.

I did also go to Korvette's a couple of times - not as much of a selection but they had some good prices!! I still have a few Nat King Cole vinyls purchased from Korvette's that I've since converted to CD.

**Downriviera** · May-15-10, 08:22 PM

Shay's in downtown Allen Park, then Arlan's behind Sears in Lincoln Park, Korvettes, Peaches, Dearborn Music, then got in the radio biz and got everything for free, then sold a bunch at Car City when they were on Jefferson.

**gibran** · May-15-10, 08:26 PM

Civic Music..Peaches afterwards///civic though was classic

**Bobl** · May-15-10, 10:53 PM

"...Analog is simply better than digital...at conveying the spirit of a recording and carrying the listener into the performance..."
I agree with this, and the post about tube amps. Compression is not a good thing!

**Detroitej72** · May-15-10, 11:25 PM

First records were bought by my parents,[[and given to me by "Santa", much to the bane of atheists!) from Montgomery Wards, @ 7 Mile and Gratiot.

I still have my very first album, by John Cougar, American Fool, on vinal...

**Philbo** · May-15-10, 11:38 PM

Harper Music Store which was located at Harper and Field streets. They had metal racks for the newest 45s and the most popular hits. They also repaired record players,but you had to be carefull or they would rip you off.

**Detroit_uke** · May-16-10, 08:26 AM

EJ Korvettes - Telegraph near Joy

**jcole** · May-16-10, 08:41 AM

Oh, yeah, I forgot: many of my records came from the Colombia Record Club. My parents bought me a membership for a couple birthdays in my teens, so I got like 12 records for $.99 and then bought one every two months for a year. It was like heaven the day the initial package arrived.

**Bobl** · May-16-10, 09:44 AM

Ah, Colombia Record Club! I used it one year, and got a mailing advertising "pen pals" from England. Ended up corresponding with a girl from Manchester for a couple years. Found out years later that she became a tenured English professor at Cambridge.
The record club was good, but did not offer new albums until about six months after their release.

**jcole** · May-16-10, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Ah, Colombia Record Club! I used it one year, and got a mailing advertising "pen pals" from England. Ended up corresponding with a girl from Manchester for a couple years. Found out years later that she became a tenured English professor at Cambridge.
The record club was good, but did not offer new albums until about six months after their release.

Yeah, but that didn't matter at the time. It was still music. And I wanted it.

**Corn.Bot** · May-16-10, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

Corn.Bot, there was a guy who worked at both Music Stop and then Record Time in the Hewitts Music Bldg on Gratiot. Perhaps that was your brother? Kinda short, blond hair... looked like one of the guys from Styx or something.

Not entirely sure... bro was/is about 5'8", but he's got brown hair which he wore shoulder-length for awhile. His name is Kenny [[or Ken, since I'm talking like his older sister

). He started as a part-time high-school grunt in the late 70s and was store manager by the early 90s when he finally moved on.

**reddog289** · May-17-10, 01:24 AM

Never did get into buying records cause they were on their way out when I got to my preteen years. When I did buy them it was a Harmony House usually at Wonderland. Got most of my CD'S by mowing the lawn at the old MusicMusic in Garden City.
At one time back in the 90's there were 3 record stores on Ford Rd in Garden City, with plenty more around the area. Sams Jams in Livonia was a neat place to go, never made it to the Ferndale store.

**SMRJim** · May-17-10, 05:14 PM

Initially bought all my 45s and albums at the Grand River/Greenfield Wards [[late 60s to mid 70s). I remember going to the Dearborn Peaches some in the late 70s. Discovered Sams Jams in the early 80s. By then there were a lot of albums that were out of circulation and you could find them used at Sams. Made some great 'discoveries' there of some old stuff you couldn't find anywhere else at the time. Now you can find just about anything on CD through the net.

**mikefmich** · May-17-10, 05:55 PM

Wow...lemme think. Ross Music Eastland, Kresge's at 7 & Mack, and the Groove Shop on Mack.
I bought more Fat Freddy Comics at the Groove Shoppe than records.....and also was going in for the chick that worked there sometimes.

Same guy ran that place forever....guess Im getting old, his name escapes me now.

**East Detroit** · May-17-10, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by Corn.Bot

Not entirely sure... bro was/is about 5'8", but he's got brown hair which he wore shoulder-length for awhile. His name is Kenny [[or Ken, since I'm talking like his older sister

). He started as a part-time high-school grunt in the late 70s and was store manager by the early 90s when he finally moved on.

Yeah, that was him. I think the "blond" I got from the Styx guy, not him.