Chicago area record stores past and present (with photos)

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

  1. jamesc

    jamesc Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Was that on Northwest Hwy in the 80s? I remember one that opened near the Chicken Unlimited around then...
     
  2. shookie

    shookie New Member

    Location:
    Addison Il.

    Just seen on TV that they were planning on closing, because Val died a couple of years ago, A old employee was running the store about 2019.
     
  3. John5523

    John5523 New Member

    Great thread...brings back lots of memories! I recall buying most of my vinyl at a store on the south side Roosevelt Rd in a strip mall, in Lombard between Meyers Rd and Highland Ave (I think), called Record Barrel. Back in to 70’s. Drove from Darien to get there!
     
    jamesc likes this.
  4. stushea

    stushea Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Chicago
    Growing up in the north part of Evanston in the 70s we had two stores on Central Street: Grant Records and Argosy Entertainment. Both small, both gone by the mid-80s, but both huge places of learning for me. Laury's in downtown Evanston is where I got my first 45s ever, and Wax Stacks on Dempster is where my education really began.
     
    longdist01 likes this.
  5. Champagne Boot

    Champagne Boot Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride

    Location:
    Michigan
    Val died in 2018. The store was poised to close last fall, but was bought at the last second by an investor/customer in order to keep it open. They're still going.
     
    jamesc likes this.
  6. Hogues

    Hogues Forum Resident

    stereo rehab on western.
     
    longdist01 and weaselriot like this.
  7. spaulding

    spaulding Hoi Polloi

    Location:
    The Windy City
    Looks like it’s just across the cemetery from Music Direct - so I’m out there quite often.
    Good to know - thanks.
     
  8. Hogues

    Hogues Forum Resident

    I go to music direct’s warehouse occasionally. In fact, I just bought an open box ELAC Navi’s ARB-51 from them this morning! I think that I’ll start a thread about that. But Casper at stereo rehab is great and his work is top notch.
     
  9. spaulding

    spaulding Hoi Polloi

    Location:
    The Windy City
    If you’re at Music Direct and you see a guy and his English Setter in the listening room drooling over the Vander$teens - that’s me.
     
    kevinsinnott and Hogues like this.
  10. Hogues

    Hogues Forum Resident

    I’ve noticed those!
     
    spaulding likes this.
  11. ghostt

    ghostt Active Member

    Location:
    IL
    So I haven't been here in years but I have a Question to anyone. Is there a mention on this thread for a store In Arlington Heights,IL that was called Uncle Albert's? Off of Campbell St. if I remember correctly near the old Schwinn bike shop. Anyone?
     
  12. ghostt

    ghostt Active Member

    Location:
    IL
    Also, Full Cyrkle Records of Crystal Lake IL.
     
    Quad Linda likes this.
  13. weaselriot

    weaselriot Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL


    I might have been in that place once in the early 1990s, south of the UP Northwest Line commuter tracks near the train station, selling used LPs. I think there was a restaurant one or two doors away to the west.

    Was that the guy who wrote the price of the album on both the jacket AND the LP label in heavy black magic marker? I made a couple of purchases but I did make a comment about using an indelible sharpie on the product, greatly reducing the value. The guy said he would lose too much money with people switching removable price tags. But since most of the items sold for less than $10, he just might have been losing more money for sure in all cases by degrading the value of the product in the first place, as opposed to just maybe in some cases with an occasional dishonest customer. For example, my purchase of the debut Poco album on yellow label Epic with original Unipak gatefold jacket was $3. I told him that had he not used that boldpoint Sharpie on the label and jacket, I would have paid $10-$12 or more for it. So how much money is he losing now, where the max loss for something priced at $3 would be, what $2.50? Didn't make much of an impression though.
     
    saturdayboy likes this.
  14. I mentioned it upthread and posted this pic:

    [​IMG]
     
    Quad Linda and saturdayboy like this.
  15. ghostt

    ghostt Active Member

    Location:
    IL
    Thanks.
     
  16. ghostt

    ghostt Active Member

    Location:
    IL
    I don't recall the magic marker stuff. I had bought Plastic Letters by Blondie there & it was clean.
     
  17. I'm not sure if that was the place, Uncle Albert's closed in '87 I think. But I do vaguely remember the black marker on used LPs so who knows.
     
    Quad Linda likes this.
  18. weaselriot

    weaselriot Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL


    My visit may have been earlier than my memory serves. I think I only went there once anyway, but it would have had to have been no earlier than 1986. But I just remember being a bit frosted by the bold magic marker stuff. I understand the guy not wanting to get cheated, but there just has to be another way. After all, what other used record dealer does (or has ever done) that? And for the two or three titles I bought, I would have paid extra if they didn't have the bold magic marker ruining the value. Sheeeesh. Well, it is (or was) his store, I guess.
     
  19. Front Row

    Front Row Finding pleasure when annoying those with OCD.

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    Is the Elvis shrine at the new location?
     
  20. Front Row

    Front Row Finding pleasure when annoying those with OCD.

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    Yes, drove by it yesterday. It might be closed for the virus.
     
  21. Front Row

    Front Row Finding pleasure when annoying those with OCD.

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    As a southsider, Tempo/Wind records was a favorite with knowledgeable people. If you were a dj then it was Gramophone or IRS.
     
    Jamfan likes this.
  22. Stencil

    Stencil Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lockport, IL
    I bought most of my New Order 45s at Gramophone Records on Clark. I remember seeing tons of white labels and thinking "What can these be?" :biglaugh:
     
    Front Row likes this.
  23. hyde park

    hyde park Forum Resident

    Location:
    IL, USA
    Grew up in the south suburbs ---- my go to record store in the 80's and 90's was Discount Records. Only picture I could find was an old ad:

    [​IMG]

    I moved into the city in the late 90's --- anybody remember which store was under the El at Milwaukee/Damen/North. It was a chain - Coconut's maybe. Anyway I remember buying the Miles Davis Bitches Brew Box Set, there --- right after I got off the train to head home, after seeing Chick Corea play at the Jazz fest.
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2020
  24. SweetSound

    SweetSound Active Member

    Location:
    Santa Fe
    Laury's had an outlet shop around the corner from their Sherman Ave store on Clark St in the 70's where they sold cut-outs and promotional copies really cheap. The one young guy who was always there had excellent taste, and quickly learned my preferences, so that I could always discover great stuff for very few dollars. He inspired me to make dependable movie recommendations whenever I could once my wife and I opened Video Adventure on Central St in 1980.
     
  25. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    The Quaker Goes Deaf was a great record store in the Flat Iron bidg kitty corner from where you describe, I don't recall a chain store under the eL, maybe there was a small Coconuts or Rose records.
    There was a Rose records downtown near the train, maybe that was what you were thinking of, idk.
    The Quaker Goes Deaf was a really excellent shop that was going strong until a flood in the building started a chain of events that shut them down finally.
    [​IMG]
     
    pudgym likes this.

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