Chicago area record stores past and present (with photos)

Discussion in 'Music, Movie and Hardware Store Guide' started by larry333, Mar 19, 2012.

  1. EddieMann

    EddieMann I used to be a king...

    Location:
    Geneva, IL. USA.
    Then we must make plans for you to visit.
     
    Chris from Chicago likes this.
  2. Tapehoarder

    Tapehoarder New Member

    Location:
    Chicago
    That makes sense. I only started looking for different stores in the mid 2000s.
     
    pickwick33 likes this.
  3. kouzie

    kouzie Forum Resident

    Location:
    Batavia, IL
    Chicago gets La Pas, while us far western suburbanites get Salsa Verde (just opened this week on 31 in Batavia - just down the street from me). Tri-cities represent!
     
    Chris from Chicago and EddieMann like this.
  4. jamesc

    jamesc Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Holy crap, that is awesome!
     
  5. Skoegahom

    Skoegahom Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Ozarks
    I lived in Chicago in '82, but never heard of this place? Looks like my kind of place!
     
  6. Andrew

    Andrew Chairman of the Bored

    That guy is a freakin' GENIUS!
     
  7. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    Nice. I totally want that Rodney lp. :)
     
  8. Hogues

    Hogues Forum Resident

    Love the basement record store museum! On a side note, if anyone is looking to get anything repaired I highly recommend stereo rehab on Devon in Rogers park. They were fantastic. I took it to another place and basically just made a donation because they didn't fix anything. After fighting with them, I gave up and took it to them. I didn't even realize it was there. It's just to the side of audio archeology which is another great place.
     
    EddieMann likes this.
  9. EddieMann

    EddieMann I used to be a king...

    Location:
    Geneva, IL. USA.
    Good to know. I have an Empire TT over at Anthony's on Broadway, and I suspect the same thing is going to happen.
     
  10. Planbee

    Planbee Negative Nellie

    Location:
    Chicago
    I remember an Appletree Records down in Normal from my college days at ISU. Were they a chain, or is it a coincidence?
     
  11. Hogues

    Hogues Forum Resident

    Just know that it may take a while since they are really busy, but they told me that up front and are really easy to get in contact with for updates.
     
    EddieMann likes this.
  12. EddieMann

    EddieMann I used to be a king...

    Location:
    Geneva, IL. USA.
    I think they were a chain.
     
  13. Wingsfan2012

    Wingsfan2012 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Junior's Farm, IL
    Late to the thread but it is a modern miracle that the massive "Rolling Stone Records" in Norridge has survived. I would have thought 10 years ago they would have shut down. Good for them!

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Wingsfan2012

    Wingsfan2012 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Junior's Farm, IL
    I am late to the conversation but how about Rose Records (big store near "6 corners" on the northwest side) that closed early 90's. That was a small chain that I don't think was outside the Chicago area?

    [​IMG]
     
    reverberationmusic likes this.
  15. Wingsfan2012

    Wingsfan2012 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Junior's Farm, IL
    I think it is obvious, these stores are becoming more than rare, lets support them while we can!
     
  16. Wingsfan2012

    Wingsfan2012 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Junior's Farm, IL
    There is also a little record store called Raffi's Record Riot near the corner of Montrose and Central on the NW Side.

    I think he used to set up a table many years ago at Beatlefest Chicago at the Hyatt O'Hare each August. Small store but good stock!
     
    EddieMann likes this.
  17. Wingsfan2012

    Wingsfan2012 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Junior's Farm, IL
    Also across from the Portage Movie theater on the northwest side was Square Dance Records (later Deluxe Music)- they specialized in having old and rare 45's. The owner used to say if the single hit the top 100 singles charts from 1962-80's he would have the 45!
     
    Quad Linda likes this.
  18. Wingsfan2012

    Wingsfan2012 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Junior's Farm, IL
    A few Flip Side music stores were around as well. I used to go to the Lincolnwood location on McCormick just outside Chicago. They always had the $10.99 CD guarantee price!

    [​IMG]
     
    saturdayboy, jamesc and EddieMann like this.
  19. rs_history

    rs_history New Member

    Would it have been at 1656 W Howard maybe? Howard and Paulina? If so, that would've been a place called Robert's Eyes & Ears in 1980 (from the 1980 telephone book).

     
    AZRunner likes this.
  20. AZRunner

    AZRunner Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW FL
    That's the place. I'm surprised it would have still been there in 1980. Thanks.
     
  21. Oldphan

    Oldphan New Member

    Location:
    Chicago
    Wow, this is an amazing thread! Thank you to everyone for these images. I'm actually working on a short film in which Chicago's old forgotten record stores, (And video stores!) play a huge part - and part of that project also includes me building a series of sculptures of some of the old storefronts! If anyone can help, I'm on a desperate search for images of either the old State St. location of Dr. Wax, or the old Clark street location. The State St locations address probably doesn't exist anymore, as the space that it was is now merged into a large CVS on 1201 N State St... (That location also used to be a dinner called Mondays years ago if anyone remembers that!) The old Clark Street location of Dr. Wax is now the Austria Bakery and Deli on 2523 N Clark St.... I used to work at both, but never took pictures sadly! I will say, great images of both stores can be found in the Wesely Willis documentary, The Daddy of Rock n Roll: The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll - Wikipedia
    .... but I need more!

    I am most MOST especially looking for images of the incredible bootleg music video store Video Beat, which was on 2616 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614, and is now a place called Dukes. That place was my favorite ever - imagine a brick and morter Youtube, filled with bootleg contert videos!! I would love to sculpt the store front, (And interior if I can find enough images!) it's the one I most want to recreate!

    There are others I'm looking for, but I'll leave it at that for now - even if you don't have pictures, would love to know if anyone remembers Video Beat!

    Any help would be huge, thank you again everyone!


    All the best,
    Amanda
     
  22. Fortysomething

    Fortysomething Forum Resident

    Location:
    Californ-i-a
    I mentioned Vintage Quest a page or so back....found another similar place.

    There's an art gallery on Damen and Foster, Morpho Gallery, that has a big collection of vinyl.

    He's only open a few days a week (Friday and Saturday?) but it's worth a visit. He had some amazingly quirky things. Like Vintage Quest it's not a complete store. More the place to dive for some gems.

    I need to venture out to some of the farther 'burb stores, or see if there are any in NW IN nearby.
     
    Chris from Chicago likes this.
  23. EddieMann

    EddieMann I used to be a king...

    Location:
    Geneva, IL. USA.
    Also, there's a store at Elston, Belmont, and California (actually ON Elston) that carries vinyl, books, and comics. It stood out to me, as the building was the drug store in our neighborhood when I lived there 50 years ago.
     
    Chris from Chicago likes this.
  24. Fortysomething

    Fortysomething Forum Resident

    Location:
    Californ-i-a
    Eddie, I'm pretty sure you're talking about Bucket O' Blood.
     
    EddieMann likes this.
  25. EddieMann

    EddieMann I used to be a king...

    Location:
    Geneva, IL. USA.
    That's it! I didn't go in as it was closed. Anything there worthwhile?
     

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