I wanted to live there so badly. I'd spend hours just looking at CDs and walking around. Shoot, I made friends w/ the sale associates. They used to give me promo CDs, cutouts, key chains, stickers, etcetera. On my birthday, they'd give me a cassette single of my choice. Ah, the good ol' days.
For the best part of 25 years I created and produced most of Tower’s TV advertising campaigns, which were the jumping off point for most of their general marketing and advertising efforts around the world. I had not heard of Tower before moving to Sacramento in the early 1980’s from NYC, and so it was an interesting story to learn about. As I came to discover, there were kids in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco who dreamed of going to work for Tower when they grew up. I always felt that Tower’s ultimate collapse was due to the same thing that helped them become so great: Russ Solomon’s reliance on long-time employees. Some of these employees rose to high corporate positions but were largely inept at anything other than stocking shelves. I very much believe in loyalty to employees, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to become corporate executives. Tower could have beaten Napster, Music Boulevard and any other new entity in the new marketplace created by the Internet and digital devices. But Russ and his staff made the conscious decision to not engage in this area because they believed they were just fads. In a corporate video I produced for Tower in the early 1990’s to help attract banking support for their growth, Russ acknowledged this on camera, as if it was a positive decision. I shook my head in disbelief, and then shook it again when the decision was made to keep the comment in the final edit. It was like the story of movie executives refusing to believe that the public would want to hear actors speak. At the time, I was building my own online media company that was a very early adopter of streaming audio and the pioneer in the use of streaming video on the Internet. We gave them every opportunity to make use of our technology and capabilities but Russ and his people kept refusing. By the time they woke up to the fact that this wasn’t a fad, and they finally launched their online efforts it was too late. Moreover they relied on the wrong people to build their online portals, pissed away tremendous amounts of money, and still never adopted any of the Internet’s best technologies to help sales effort (outside of very cursory attempts to use streaming audio). Russ’ abdication as chief executive to his son was another mistake. While Russ’ experience as a kid growing up to invent his brand of the music business was clearly significant in the success of Tower, that experience isn’t the kind of thing that gets passed down through DNA. Michael Solomon was not the retailer his father was, and the people brought in to replace some aging marketing personnel were just hack “K-Mart” employees who had no feel for music, entertainment, or entrepreneurial marketing - all of which was sorely needed. However, it’s still a great “folksy” story and the stores were great places to hang out in and shop in. New York had some great music and record shops when I was growing up, but none were as good as Tower Records.
I was 22 when Tower closed. I loved the one in Campbell on Bascom Avenue in the South Bay. I also grew up in the Sacramento area in the 90s, so needless to say I have lots of fond memories of them as a kid (just like Blockbuster and VHS rental stores). At least there's still Rasputin, and secondhand indie stores left.
It was a privilege not only being a customer of Tower, but also an employee. my haunts were Blossom Hill Road & Santa Teresa Boulevard and South Bascom Avenue & McBain Avenue.
It was a privilege not only being a customer of Tower, but also an employee. my haunts were Blossom Hill Road & Santa Teresa Boulevard and South Bascom Avenue & McBain Avenue.
Wow, and he just died 4 days ago. From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Solomon Even after losing his business, 81-year-old Russell Solomon continued working. He went back to his first store location in Sacramento and planned a new store opening under the name R5 Records. The new operation opened just six months after Tower Records shut down.[citation needed] Although he no longer had the rights to the Tower name, Solomon used the same color scheme and the new logo was created by Mick Michelson, the same designer who had done the original Tower Records logo in the sixties. Solomon was joined in the effort by several long time employees. This time Solomon provided his own financing. The new store was patterned after the Tower format because Solomon still believed that "All we need to do is the things that made Tower successful."[9] The new store never really got off the ground and after less than three years Solomon sold it to Dimple Records, a local Sacramento chain. Dimple's co-owner John Radakovits turned his grand opening into a retirement party for Russell Solomon.[10][11] Radakovits included a large oil painting of the Tower Records founder in his rock 'n' roll memorabilia display and dedicated the store to his long-time competitor and friend. Many of Tower Records former employees attended the retirement party to reminisce and celebrate with Solomon.[citation needed] Solomon died on March 4, 2018, according to the Sacramento Bee while drinking whiskey and watching the Academy Awards, after having just commented negatively on someone at the ceremonies' fashion choice.[12]
I used to go shopping at Tower Records in Sunset Bolulevard in Hollywood,CA in the 90,s and Imost say it was big thing back in the days ,you can find a hard to find Albums that only Tower records will have..in October 05 2019 I revisited the Store location and I was so sad that they still have the Building with the Tower Record logo and the building inside is empty and now they used the the Store building parking lot as a Valet Parking..I manage to see through one of the building window and all I saw was this huge empty Space..it was really sad to see how the era of online music had make all this records store dessapear, were even Target stores have slowly stop selling music Cds at their Store.
Was the LP at the sunset location as well as Burbank and Marina Del Rey. A lot of good memories from in store concerts, free concerts on the strip at the whiskey or Fonda. Hooking up with the female clerks was always a plus. Music and movies galore. Every few minutes someone famous would be in there shopping. Great memories. Now in my 40’s I look back with fondness and really wish I would’ve appreciated it more at the time.
I had so many fond memories of Tower Records! I love shopping I would spend my paycheck and income tax money on DVDs CDs Japan Anime and that was my store and I loved it so much! I tunes put them out of business! I hope there is a tower Records in heaven! I loved going to the one which was 1 hour away and it was great! I have lots of fond memories of Tower Records and music! I still have my collection of soundtracks! GOD I Miss this store SO MUCH! I couldn't believe it that's its gone!
would you help me with these questions please 1- what band did she use to listen to ? 2- what singer did Joan use to listen? 3- where did they use to play their CD's? 4- where did they use to buy tickets for concerts?
Went to the Manhattan one often by Lincoln center. Then to J & R downtown by city hall until they closed. Miss those days. 😔😔 You can spend hours in there and just ask questions and or look around for new or old records or tapes.
Loved going there and making a day going through the bins and talking to the staff on when something was coming out or how good a record was. That was way before you could sample the record and buy blindly. Oh and don’t forget to buy your blank tape placed near the cash register that dame with the free carrying case.
I've been to the one in San Francisco in 2006. That was my only visit to one and I bought a couple of Def Leppard albums. I'm grateful for that at least that I got to visit one even though it wasn't during the height of heavy metal and glam metal. But Man...did I miss out, especially being such a rock and metal music geek.
I do remember tower records, the warehouse, and like Frank Somerville said leapold. I remember tower records being in Berkeley too. But since I lived in Alameda at the time, we always shopped at warehouse music. I actually miss shopping at tower records on their website. Unfortunately, that website is gone as well. This makes me very sad.
Tower Records in Carl PLace long island was great our friends that worked their gave us many many many free records they did not steal them they just borrowed them, lol forever !!!
I used to always go to the one in Mountain View. And to the people who says technology killed tower records, how does rasputin still manage to stay open?
Sam the Record Man started in 1959, so Tower Records wasn't the first major record store "the world had ever seen". I think we had the same feeling about Sam the Record man in Canada as Americans did about Tower... similar feel, it sounds like.
Physical audio (CD) didn't become relevant enough for the US market, so it was bought by Japan and opening more stores here. CDs are still a thing now in Japan
Thank you for the memories Towers Records. You will never be forgotten.
I wanted to live there so badly. I'd spend hours just looking at CDs and walking around. Shoot, I made friends w/ the sale associates. They used to give me promo CDs, cutouts, key chains, stickers, etcetera. On my birthday, they'd give me a cassette single of my choice. Ah, the good ol' days.
Nice fairy tale story but no offence kid but you missed out on the magic of tower records in it's prime.
For the best part of 25 years I created and produced most of Tower’s TV advertising campaigns, which were the jumping off point for most of their general marketing and advertising efforts around the world. I had not heard of Tower before moving to Sacramento in the early 1980’s from NYC, and so it was an interesting story to learn about. As I came to discover, there were kids in Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Francisco who dreamed of going to work for Tower when they grew up.
I always felt that Tower’s ultimate collapse was due to the same thing that helped them become so great: Russ Solomon’s reliance on long-time employees. Some of these employees rose to high corporate positions but were largely inept at anything other than stocking shelves. I very much believe in loyalty to employees, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to become corporate executives.
Tower could have beaten Napster, Music Boulevard and any other new entity in the new marketplace created by the Internet and digital devices. But Russ and his staff made the conscious decision to not engage in this area because they believed they were just fads. In a corporate video I produced for Tower in the early 1990’s to help attract banking support for their growth, Russ acknowledged this on camera, as if it was a positive decision. I shook my head in disbelief, and then shook it again when the decision was made to keep the comment in the final edit. It was like the story of movie executives refusing to believe that the public would want to hear actors speak.
At the time, I was building my own online media company that was a very early adopter of streaming audio and the pioneer in the use of streaming video on the Internet. We gave them every opportunity to make use of our technology and capabilities but Russ and his people kept refusing. By the time they woke up to the fact that this wasn’t a fad, and they finally launched their online efforts it was too late. Moreover they relied on the wrong people to build their online portals, pissed away tremendous amounts of money, and still never adopted any of the Internet’s best technologies to help sales effort (outside of very cursory attempts to use streaming audio).
Russ’ abdication as chief executive to his son was another mistake. While Russ’ experience as a kid growing up to invent his brand of the music business was clearly significant in the success of Tower, that experience isn’t the kind of thing that gets passed down through DNA. Michael Solomon was not the retailer his father was, and the people brought in to replace some aging marketing personnel were just hack “K-Mart” employees who had no feel for music, entertainment, or entrepreneurial marketing - all of which was sorely needed.
However, it’s still a great “folksy” story and the stores were great places to hang out in and shop in. New York had some great music and record shops when I was growing up, but none were as good as Tower Records.
I miss Tower Records. They had such a Great Selection of 12 inch Freestyle Dance Mix Records.
I was 22 when Tower closed. I loved the one in Campbell on Bascom Avenue in the South Bay. I also grew up in the Sacramento area in the 90s, so needless to say I have lots of fond memories of them as a kid (just like Blockbuster and VHS rental stores). At least there's still Rasputin, and secondhand indie stores left.
It was a privilege not only being a customer of Tower, but also an employee. my haunts were Blossom Hill Road & Santa Teresa Boulevard and South Bascom Avenue & McBain Avenue.
It was a privilege not only being a customer of Tower, but also an employee. my haunts were Blossom Hill Road & Santa Teresa Boulevard and South Bascom Avenue & McBain Avenue.
I worked at the Sports Arena store here in San Diego from 92-95...one of the best jobs that anyone could have.
Wow, and he just died 4 days ago.
From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Solomon
Even after losing his business, 81-year-old Russell Solomon continued working. He went back to his first store location in Sacramento and planned a new store opening under the name R5 Records. The new operation opened just six months after Tower Records shut down.[citation needed] Although he no longer had the rights to the Tower name, Solomon used the same color scheme and the new logo was created by Mick Michelson, the same designer who had done the original Tower Records logo in the sixties. Solomon was joined in the effort by several long time employees. This time Solomon provided his own financing. The new store was patterned after the Tower format because Solomon still believed that "All we need to do is the things that made Tower successful."[9] The new store never really got off the ground and after less than three years Solomon sold it to Dimple Records, a local Sacramento chain. Dimple's co-owner John Radakovits turned his grand opening into a retirement party for Russell Solomon.[10][11] Radakovits included a large oil painting of the Tower Records founder in his rock 'n' roll memorabilia display and dedicated the store to his long-time competitor and friend. Many of Tower Records former employees attended the retirement party to reminisce and celebrate with Solomon.[citation needed]
Solomon died on March 4, 2018, according to the Sacramento Bee while drinking whiskey and watching the Academy Awards, after having just commented negatively on someone at the ceremonies' fashion choice.[12]
I used to go shopping at Tower Records in Sunset Bolulevard in Hollywood,CA in the 90,s and Imost say it was big thing back in the days ,you can find a hard to find Albums that only Tower records will have..in October 05 2019 I revisited the Store location and I was so sad that they still have the Building with the Tower Record logo and the building inside is empty and now they used the the Store building parking lot as a Valet Parking..I manage to see through one of the building window and all I saw was this huge empty Space..it was really sad to see how the era of online music had make all this records store dessapear, were even Target stores have slowly stop selling music Cds at their Store.
Was the LP at the sunset location as well as Burbank and Marina Del Rey. A lot of good memories from in store concerts, free concerts on the strip at the whiskey or Fonda. Hooking up with the female clerks was always a plus. Music and movies galore. Every few minutes someone famous would be in there shopping. Great memories. Now in my 40’s I look back with fondness and really wish I would’ve appreciated it more at the time.
I had so many fond memories of Tower Records! I love shopping I would spend my paycheck and income tax money on DVDs CDs Japan Anime and that was my store and I loved it so much! I tunes put them out of business! I hope there is a tower Records in heaven! I loved going to the one which was 1 hour away and it was great! I have lots of fond memories of Tower Records and music! I still have my collection of soundtracks! GOD I Miss this store SO MUCH! I couldn't believe it that's its gone!
A true place to buy the best 8track tapes
would you help me with these questions please
1- what band did she use to listen to ?
2- what singer did Joan use to listen?
3- where did they use to play their CD's?
4- where did they use to buy tickets for concerts?
Same hahahaha
@@seriousluisae9890 hahaha what moderfocker
Yeees HAHAHAHA
Help HAHAHHAA
Went to the Manhattan one often by Lincoln center. Then to J & R downtown by city hall until they closed. Miss those days. 😔😔 You can spend hours in there and just ask questions and or look around for new or old records or tapes.
Loved going there and making a day going through the bins and talking to the staff on when something was coming out or how good a record was. That was way before you could sample the record and buy blindly. Oh and don’t forget to buy your blank tape placed near the cash register that dame with the free carrying case.
Always refreshing, energetic, and domineering records store. What's in store? Plentious.
Sad to lose it.
I've been to the one in San Francisco in 2006. That was my only visit to one and I bought a couple of Def Leppard albums. I'm grateful for that at least that I got to visit one even though it wasn't during the height of heavy metal and glam metal. But Man...did I miss out, especially being such a rock and metal music geek.
Tower Records is now in Japan. I bought a few CD’s from there a couple of months ago. So it’s not completely gone.
I do remember tower records, the warehouse, and like Frank Somerville said leapold. I remember tower records being in Berkeley too. But since I lived in Alameda at the time, we always shopped at warehouse music. I actually miss shopping at tower records on their website. Unfortunately, that website is gone as well. This makes me very sad.
I would have loved Tower Records!
Alguien esrta aqui x tarea?
Yo xd
Yo también jajaja
Yo ayuda JAJAJAJA
Tower Records in Carl PLace long island was great our friends that worked their gave us many many many free records they did not steal them they just borrowed them, lol forever !!!
Technology killed another icon. Was one of my favorite places to go shop at and hang out.
Ah Memories
Lots of fond memories on that SF branch......(sigh).
Jerry Jazzbo did you work while they used part of their sales for blow? Lmao!
I used to always go to the one in Mountain View. And to the people who says technology killed tower records, how does rasputin still manage to stay open?
Tower Records is back as online only.
Did Elton John live in San Francisco?
Anyone know who the blonde anchorwoman is?
Dallas Brubaker that is Julie heaner.
Great, she is a hottie
¡Qué no va a reír el sr. Solomon! amplia y ferviente distensión facial y social.
Cool
What a disgrace …. A Walgreens?!?!
1:16 looks like Ted Bundy working there at the store
😂
Leopold Records!
Sam the Record Man started in 1959, so Tower Records wasn't the first major record store "the world had ever seen". I think we had the same feeling about Sam the Record man in Canada as Americans did about Tower... similar feel, it sounds like.
I'm still confused, what happened ? Like, really, WTF ?
Physical audio (CD) didn't become relevant enough for the US market, so it was bought by Japan and opening more stores here. CDs are still a thing now in Japan
#bringbacktowerecords