Aussie Record Stores (Past and Present - photos and memories)

I found this Unofficial History episode (posted September 2020) about Gaslight Music. It's only 4 minutes long and worth a quick listen for those that remember the store.

The unofficial history of Gaslight Music record store in Melbourne - Drive - ABC Radio



My memories are only between 2000 and 2005, so I missed the hey-day era of the store in the 1980's and 1990's. Since then, we have lost more record stores in Melbourne like Missing Link, Au Go-Go and Collectors Corner. A few are still with us like Heartland Records and Greville Records that survived the 2000's purge and gained some new ones from the 2010's vinyl revival.

So rather than me waffling on about Melbourne, let's have a thread dedicated to Aussie record stores past and presents. Would love to see some photos posted too.

 

Here's a TV commercial for Gaslight Music (then Gaslight Records) from 1988.

 

Fond memories of Gaslight Records and their seemingly endless rows of import CDs. It was one of the a mandatory pitstops whenever I made the hour-plus journey from my hometown into the city as a teen. Caught one of their infamous "nude days" one year... that was quite an experience.

 

Atlas Records in Morley, Western Australia, next to the old Boans building before it burned down.

I don't have any photos, but I sure have a lot of memories.
In the early eighties, and in my early teens, I probably spent more time there than anywhere but the (Aussie Rules) football field.
After Boans burned down they ended up closing down, and I spent their last day hanging out with them

 

Playback Records 800 Hay Street Perth. Sorry I don't have any photos but I did spend 5 years of my life there.

 

In Perth I always seemed to end up at 78 Records and Dada's.

 

Utopia Records when it was still in Clarence Street Sydney in the early 90's. Nondescript shop front in the CBD well away from the typical retail areas... walk down the stairs to the basement, music becoming louder with each step as you'd take in all the signatures on the wall. Then you'd get to the bottom and it was the most important room in the city as far as I was concerned. So many imports and a fantastic range for its time (most of which I couldn't afford but still liked to look at). It's moved around multiple times since but has never come close to feeling as it did then.

 

78's no longer with us but Dada's is still going.

 

Off The Hip Records in Melbourne.
Not pretty from the outside but plenty of goodies inside.
They are also a leading independent labels with a great catalogue of power pop/garage etc

 

Music Without Frontiers - A brilliant little shop full of goodies in Hobart, Tasmania

 

Sydney, early 90's used to order my CD imports from Red Eye Records when it was in Pitt St, down the hill towards the Haymarket side of town.
In the decades prior to this Edels used to be on the eastern side of Pitt St (or was it Castlereagh ?), towards the city centre. Many a time I would catch the 394 bus into town, head to Edels, go up the stairs to check out the sheet music section to learn chords to various songs.

 

I was really sad to hear about 78's.
I remember when it was next to the theatre.
I actually ordered a Hoodoo Gurus cd from Dada's about a month ago

 

Yeah it was a sad thing. 78 Records started back in the early 70's which coincided with my interest in records. Dada's started shortly afterwards.

 

I just bought a handful of CD's online from Red Eye. Picked up some things that are hard to find in stores.

 

There are more independent record stores in Melbourne today than when I was a teenager and we're especially well-catered for secondhand vinyl. Dutch Vinyl in Richmond is my favourite, although there are lots of great stores in the inner north, too.

Back in the 80s, if you wanted a wide range of secondhand records, the best store was Dixon's Recycled in Blackburn, which opened in 1976 (other stores opened in Camberwell and Fitzroy in the early 90s — Camberwell closed in 2013). I think Dixons is the only secondhand record store in Melbourne that still sells CDs.

Whenever I was in the city, I'd always visit Batman Records at 215 Swanston Street. It was a bit shabby but I always found some great secondhand records there. I just read that it first opened in 1947 and closed in 2003. This photo is from 1985, when I would've browsed its racks. I can't believe they used to hire records!

 

i remember visiting Sydney, from here in Boston in 1988, and hitting stores like Red Eye, Phantom and Waterfront, all excellent stores!!!!

 

I've been there. Great place to find rare 1990's and 2000's pressings.

 

When I first visited Melbourne as a teenager in the 90's I went to Batman Records and was blown away by their selection. I bought a NM copy of McCartney for $5, an album I'd never find in the wild.

I remember being told that in 2019 there were 13 new record stores in Melbourne alone. That's amazing when you consider that in the 2000's record collectors were watching our favourite stores being massacred by illegal downloading. So it's a good time to be a record collector in Melbourne right now (well, prior to COVID anyway).

Dixons Recycled in Blackburn and Fitzroy is great for second hand CD's and I've gotten some great deals on some really rare first pressing CD's.

 

In Sydney - Lawson's on Pitt St was always a must as was Ashwoods which started in Pitt Street then ended up behind the QVB in York Street.
Because I did a musical favour for someone - I was able to gain access to Red Eye record's 'back room' where all the good stuff was.
In Canberra - Impact Records was THE place.
In Brisbane - I have found nowadays that prices (even in Vinnie's and Salvo's) for second hand vinyl is verging on ridiculous !!! Aint NO one gonna pay $15 for Acker Bilk's Christmas Album from 1973....NOBODY.

 

Adelaide - Big Star Records

I've been going there regularly since the 80's.

A good chunk of my record collection comes from this fantastic shop.

Still going strong on Magill Road.

 

That's an Australia wide problem with Opp Shops. Somewhere in the 2010's, one of the old ladies must of listened to a hipster and thought all vinyl was worth money. I have no problems with charities making money if the prices are market, but let's just say the old ladies haven't discovered Discogs yet. I've given up with Op Shops because I work full time and by the Saturday anything good is gone to the retired hobbyists (just go to any Facebook page about Australian record collecting and you'll see "look at the copy of Lobby Loyde plays with George Guitar that I found this Wednesday at 10.30am!" ). So I'm over wasting my weekend going through mountains of Liberace, Kamahl and marching band compilations . At least in the 2000's you'd almost be guaranteed the odd copy of Venus and Mars, Tug of War or ABBA's Arrival.

BTW - I heard Dutch Vinyl opened a store in Brisbane, have you been?

 

Sad to say, I think OTH has bit the dust. I loved going down there to have a yak with Mick and picking up some great albums off his label.
I went past there after the major lockdown, and it looked permanently shut. FB page has been inactive for a year.

 

As a young lad, in the 70’s and 80’s, my go to record shops, (within bicycle riding distance) were Inner Ear Records in Clayton and Monash Records located in the student union building on the Monash University campus.
A train ride to the city resulted in a day’s hunting at Gaslight, Batman, Missing Link Brashes, Allen’s, etc etc.

 

I went their in the 90's along with Gaslight records got some rare cds from them very expensive but both stores had some great people working at them. on a side not I used to go to MINTATOUR for my comics before they shifted. there were 2 cd box sets i always looked out for just in case there was a price reduction one at the Batman records was looney toons music set and at Gaslight Records was Johnny o keefe box set and when they were just about to close down i had a chance to buy it but instead that time got i got Badfinger Straight up DCC Less than 2 weeks later it was announced they were having a clearance sale so i missed out on getting the box.

 

Impact Records was the only place to go for imports, alternative and independent music in the 70s and 80s. My first record from there was, I think, Ramones Leave Home (the first US version, with Carbona Not Glue). I bought far too many independent and Australian singles and albums there over the years. It was finally bought out and closed this century by the JBHiFi chain, when they made an offer that couldn't be refused.