Car City Records, Detroit: is it gone now?

Just drove up Harper today where Car City Records should have been, but did not see it. Anyone hear if it's still there or not? I tried calling the number and got no answer around 7pm, but they would probably be closed. You'd think, though, they would have an answering machine to give the store hours if they were still in business.

I know Car City was a shadow of its former self, but I know it was around for at least 25 years, if not more.

 

I was just there last weekend! Everything seemed fine...please god, not Car City. I've been going there since the late '70s...many, many blissful hours wading through the bins (granted, as you said, not like it was back in the glory days...but still nice to have around.)

Are you saying you didn't see the big "CAR CITY RECORDS" letters in the windows that are always there?

 

Funny, I was there last weekend as well. I love that place.

 

I must have missed it, then. I just e-mailed Bob Setlik, the owner, to make sure he's still in the same spot. I used to go there at least once a week during lunch. Heck, I was there when Peter Dale still owned it, and it was called Car City Classics. (Peter owns Encore in Ann Arbor now.)

Thing is, a group of buildings were remodeled. I know Car City was on the corner building, and had the yellow letters up on the brick. Where I think the building should be, may have been the ones that were remodeled. I may head up there in a day or two and seek out the actual address (21918 Harper) and make sure it's still there.

I'm hoping it's not gone either. Sad to see how it's a shadow of its former self. I remember when Bob took it over and expanded it into two buildings--more vinyl than I could shake my stylus at.

 

Yes, Car City Classics! Peter Dale and Rick Collins ran it back in the day (it was originally on Jefferson Ave. in Detroit). A couple really nice guys. I'm off tomorrow, so I'll cruise by and make sure it's still there on Harper in St. Clair Shores.

 

They do close at 7 lately, Rudy. Pretty sure they're still around. Was just there a few weeks ago. It's easy to miss on Harper as they have no front entrance. Going south from 9 Mile, I always look for the hardware store to know where to turn left at.

Last day open for the Ferndale Record Time is Wednesday.

 

Looks like Rudy will be asking for a GPS for Xmas.

 

Hey Rob!

I should know where that place is at: I spent many a paycheck there. Thing is, I haven't been up that way in a long time. Things have changed. That National Coney Island at Old 8 Mile wasn't there when I worked in that area. It used to be a little "char broil" diner of some sort; I think they took their name literally, and the place burned down, IIRC. The brick building at 20940-20946 Harper, a couple of doors down from Custom Van Enterprises (and across from where Gooley Cadillac used to be) is the building we owned.

Saw that on a message board somewhere. At least they are transfering inventory over to the Record Time in Roseville. Haven't visited that one yet. There's another little place just north of 12 Mile on Gratiot, west side of the street. Looks like a small one--is it any good?

 

Hot Hits. They're good for sometimes finding used copies of OOP CDs, or original issues. They don't seem to know or care if something is super rare....shhh.

 

Might plan a trip to hit all four stores I know of--Car City, Record Time, Melodies & Memories, and Hot Hits. Is there anything else around this side of town? I know there are things in Royal Oak and Southfield, but I'm thinking mostly east side.

BTW, I remember seeing a store down on Mack Ave. in the 80s called The Groove Shop, but I never knew what they sold. I have a feeling it might have been a jukebox dealer.

 

They are/were (?) a head shop specializing in selling pipes, papers, black lights, soda cans to hide your stash in, etc.

 

Well if you want to be thorough , there's also Blast In The Past, which is between Martin Rd. and Utica Rd. (s. of 12 mile) on the west side of Gratiot. They have CDs, LPs, old magazines, lunchboxes, posters, 8 x 10s etc....I think they close as early as Car City, if not earlier....6 or 7.

You can also get a Mexican Coke at Stephens & Hoover In & Out. At least as of a couple years ago they were still selling em.

 

Unfortunately, the original owner sold the business a few months back. The new owners have kept the name, but not sure they still carry the same kind of stuff mentioned above. I haven't been there since it was sold, but recall reading about it somewhere (maybe here).

There was a story in today's Free Press (Macomb section) on the remodeling project on Harper Ave. between 8 Mi. and 14 Mi. They interviewed the owner of Gilbert's Hardware (right next door to Car City) but no mention of Car City in the article.

 

I'd suggest a move Down South for Rood
....warmer, and every road, however winding, seems to come back to some big highway or interstate, hard to get lost, and they're still trying to build Knoxville into the next Atlanta. Both places, for the most part, a must to avoid at anytime, IMO...

 

I have two words for all of you "CAR CITY" fans out there...

"SAM JAMS"

No contest, "Sams" was THE place for all things music, back in the day and just how they disappeared so quickly, is anyone's guess?

Chris C

 

Car City was the better of the two stores IMHO based on what I was buying--Sam's was more rock/pop oriented, where Car City had more of the jazz, instrumental and big band stuff I was buying, along with other rarities. Sam's still kicked butt though--I shopped there weekly up until the early 90s. Sam's had more of the dance and 12" singles, rock 12" promos, and a lot of other unusual stuff. When CDs came out, I bought at least two a week there, as they'd have imports of titles released on LP but not yet on CD here in the U.S. Sting's "Bring On The Night" and Wham's "The Final" were two great examples--the former never was even out on CD until more than a dozen years later, IIRC. I knew most of the staffers at Sam's by name; great bunch of folks, and I miss 'em all.

I think I'm saying Car City and Sam's were two essentials, one covering the gaps of the other.

Steve Milgrum (aka "SAM") moved the store from its original location to about a block away into an old drugstore, which was much larger. He then bought the old Burlesque XXX theater on Woodward and turned it into the Magic Bag, which was a performing arts theater. From what I've read, he overextended himself, Sam's Jams went out of business, and he sold off the Magic Bag.

 

Nah, Ed just wants a drinkin' buddy.

How ya been, stranger? Haven't heard from you in awhile!

Actually if things don't improve here, we're about ready to bail out of this state. Can't take much more of this.

 

You're preachin' to the choir, Chris. I used to head up to Sam's a couple times a week! Oh, if only I still had all the vinyl gems I found there over the years...

Sadly, Sam's Jams is just a memory now...but Car City still lives (I hope...wasn't able to get over there to check up on 'em today.)

 

Aaaah, gotcha. I don't know if they're still around. Haven't been down that far on Mack in years. Furthest we've been is either Little Tony's (for a burger) or Champs' Rotisserie (formerly the Bar-B-Q House).

OK, cool--might be worth a quick pit stop there as well.

That is probably what is throwing me. Was Gilbert's remodeled outside? If so, that could be why I did not see Car City. See, I was used to the brick front, large plate glass windows and "Car City Records" in yellow (?) plastic letters on the top portion of the brick. And IIRC, weren't they next to a printing company back in the early 80s? (I'm thinking Wines Printing was on the southern end of their building.)

 

Right, Rudy, Car City was next to Wines Printing for a long time. A few years ago, Wines Printing moved (or went out of business) and Gilbert's Hardware moved into that corner spot.

Re The Groove Shoppe (I think that's how it was originally spelled)...man, does that bring back memories. It was a cool "head shop" in the late '60s. I had a Detroit News paper route and our paper station was right next door (on Mack and Canyon). I bought many a classic album there back in the day with my meager paper route earnings! Not to mention a ton of Marvel comic books across the street at Rand Drugs. Ah, the East Side memories...

(BTW, great burgers at Little Tony's!)

 

I used to have an apartment around the corner from Car City when it was on Jefferson. I must have spent more time there than I did at home.

 

Back in the day Sam's Jams was awesome. I used to head up there from Downriver.

 

The new Hot Hits isn't worth the time anymore -- very dissapointing. They shifted into video and games. Car City was a great place to find rare stuff. I'm a east-sider, most of my life, I've been doing that tour for decades. Got to throw in the Best Buy, for the new stuff mostly. Record Time is a shadow of it's former self -- I liked it best when it was east of 10 mile, in that little strip shop. Reminded me of that old store when I saw High Fidelity the other night. I was thinking, those days are gone, aren't they.

 

Weekly trip for me, from Warren (where I grew up). I used to go every Friday evening, or Saturday afternoon, once CDs came out, since I didn't want to miss any new releases.

I also miss Harmony House, back in its heyday. I used to visit the Hoover Eleven store all the time, even before I could drive, bringing home whatever I'd bought in a bag on my bike. I also liked their yearly sale in June--I'd end up buying anywhere from 6 to 12 LPs during those two weeks.

I wouldn't mind trying Hot Hits--if they're into games, I'm looking for a game for the Nintendo DS that is out of production now.

Car City is a shell of its former self as well--remembering the 80s in the single storefront, and the 90s when they took over the second store front, I've heard the current one is not as well stocked. An hour's visit to that store, over lunch, was never enough.

I'll keep an eye open. I'm trying to picture where Gilbert's used to be--weren't they on the north corner of that block of stores?

Just ate there Saturday!

Here's another memory for eastsiders: remember when Pecar's and Absolute Sound both had stores on Morang?

 

I understand your desire for BOTH SAM'S and "CAR CITY". I shopped CAR CITY a few times, when visiting Michigan and it really does have/had (?) a great selection of artists that I'm more into these days, like Sinatra, Dino and similar. If not for fear of my own life, I'd probably come back up and still shop there today, but without someone to hold my hand, things can get pretty shaky in just a block, in those parts, these days.

Thanks for the info on SAM'S, I always wondered what happened to them. They were always VERY busy when I would shop there, so I couldn't understand why they couldn't survive, especially since this was YEARS before, stocks, CEO's and research, ruined EVERYTHING!

Chris C