In '77 with New Superstores
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New Faces To The Year In Review: Retail Watch Large Retail Chains Expand In '77 With New Superstores by Mark Mehler our company, and opened up great pro- NEW YORK - 1977 was the year of the motional avenues to us." (Cash Box, June "super -retailer" in the record industry. 4). Numerous major catalog chains, including The superstore concept has even grab- Odyssey, Record Bar, Peaches, Tower, Na- bed the attention of such longtime retailers tional Record Mart, Sam Goody, Camelot, as the Shapiro brothers, who have 110 and Sound Warehouse, mapped plans for operated the now 55 -store National Record extensive growth in the "superstore" mold. Mart chain for 40 years. "Record Oasis," t . > .it For a few large chains, however, 1977 the first of the Shapiros' series of free- was the year the bubble burst. Jimmy's standing outlets in the 14,000 to 17,000 Jerry Doucette Detective Music World in New York and Wallich's square foot range, will open in suburban Rock 'n' rollers have always loved to boot Michael Des Barres, lead vocalist of Music City in California, for example, went Pittsburgh in mid -February. Warehouse, the ball and crack the bat but sometimes Detective, recently found himself in a spot bankrupt, due in part to management Sound the Oklahoma - based there comes a moment for decision - when the waiters at Roy's Chinese failures and in part to the severe competi- southwest retail chain, opened four maki ng. At a young age, Jerry Doucette had Restaurant in Los Angeles insisted that he tion on both coasts. stores in November, including three out- to choose between playing baseball and was ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. The past year also saw other major lets of 10,000 square feet or more. Sam playing the guitar. "I was good with a mitt "They went bananas asking me to do developments in the retail sphere: the Goody, the New York -based, 28 -store and bat," Jerry remembers, thinking of his pirouettes!" he laughs. overall growth of mass merchandised chain, plans to open its first giant "Super childhood in Canada. "My father and my Even in their mistake, the waiters weren't records, despite the de -emphasis on LPs Sam" outlet outside the city shortly. Odyssey Records, 26 west coach had it out. My father said "The boy entirely off base. Des Barres, a student of by some chains the onset of the $7.98 list the -store wants to play the guitar,' my coach said, 'We theater, mime, dance, and jeet kune do (an price; and the realization by major record coast chain, plans to open two 15,000 -plus need him out there in the field.'" Jerry Oriental art of combat), could probably companies of the importance of providing square foot stores in 1978. Only two years made the decision himself and the coach manage an infinitely more professional special incentives to retailers to help break ago, the chain consisted of seven units. In lost a good ballplayer. And we gained a pirouette than your average rock and roller. new artists. the case of Odyssey, the rapid expansion of swinging rock 'n' roller. On stage, his training frees him to move The rise of the large catalog record both units and size relates to the chain's Jerry actually picked up his first guitar at outside the limits of cliched rock retailer is a relatively recent phenomenon. emphasis on classical music merchandis- ing (Cash Box, the age of six. By 11, he was a member of a histrionics. By way of example, he contorts Among the pioneers of the superstore con- December 3). Tower, Oz, band innocently named Reefers. "That is his arm at an impossible angle. "Here's a cept were and Peaches (the tat- Stark/Camelot, as part of a major 20 - ter's president, Tom Heiman, was NARM's store expansion over the next two years, the group where I got my roots from and a position," he leers. lot of my learning experiences." Doucette In spite of Des Barres' unusual qualifica- 1977 Retailer -of -the -Year). Many other opened its first "Grapevine" superstore in stayed for four years and learned a lot of tions, Detective is not dealing in esoterica. specialty record chains, impressed by the Flint, Michigan last fall. licks. He moved from Hamilton, Ontario to As he and keyboardist Tony Kay put it, they performance of these established outlets, Many of today's superstores are planned Toronto and played with a variety of local are an "Anglo-American boogie band." The have joined the superstore sweepstakes. on a thematic format. Record Bar's Tracks bands, building the chops. When offered a three Americans all have been involved "From the outside, we were excited and stores, for example, are modelled on atrain gig working in Vancouver on an album, with recording rock groups. Michael interested in what we'd seen of com- motif while Disc Records' new series of Doucette packed his bags and headed Monarch, the guitarist, was with the original petitors' large freestanding stores," said larger "Zebra" outlets revolve around an west. Although the project did not work out Steppenwoif. Bobby Pickett has played Barrie Bergman, president of the Record animal decor. Stores like The Grapevine, as planned Jerry did not regret the move bass with Gregg Allman, and drummer Bar chain, explaining why Record Bar however, have foregone themes; instead because he discovered Vancouver, a city John Hyde was a member of Badger. Ex- elected to open a 9,000 -square -foot they have simply adopted catchy names which he calls one of the most beautiful in patriate Englishman Des Barres sang with "Tracks" superstore in Norfolk, Virginia last and logos that set the superstores apart the world. Silverhead, while Kaye, in addition to being October. "It looked like a fun concept for from the regular units. Again, Jerry got involved with local with the first Yes lineup, was featured with bands. He was a member of a popular band David Bowie on his last American tour. Jon Peters Pacts Looking Back called The Seeds Of Time in 1973. Later he Kaye joined the group after they recor- 1 Year Ago Today (1/1/77): joined the Rocket Norton Band. But ded first their album for the Atlantic - To Bring Talent Funk & Wagnalls began selling clas- Doucette was getting restless. distributed Swan Song label, and his sical records in supermarkets "I had a with myself. I I wanted talk knew reasons say something about the spirit of To CBS Records Varner Paulsen was named vp of to do something new. I was doing the same the entire band. "I've got to have the NEW YORK - CBS Records and the Jon Metromedia Radio things I had done before - playing in bars emotional involvement of a band," he ex- Peters Organization have signed an ex- Merle Haggard signed with MCA and occasionally writing a song. I decided plains. "With David, I knew that at the end of clusive production and talent acquisition 5 Years Ago Today (12/30/72): to stop everything. I built a little studio in my six months, it would all be over. I would be arrangement. Under terms of the agree- Pickwick sought to acquire Keel Man- basement and I closed the door on the drained, and there would be nothing to look ment, Peters will bring new talent to the ufacturing world and did not come out for three forward to." Kaye turned down an offer to Columbia label, thereby building his own R&B records dominated the CB pop months. I needed that time to Bowie's concentrate join upcoming tour. roster of artists. charts, a year end analysis showed on where I I should be going. programmed Detective's second album came just Actively involved in the business London Records received 14 gold myself not to stop until my work was done. eight months after the first and, in a way, management of Barbra Streisand's career records during 1972 So with a tape of three demos, I walked into signalled a new beginning. Des Barres for several years, Peters made his initial Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" was Mushroom and they were excited by what compared the first to the second. mark in the record industry as producer of certified gold they heard. That demo led me here." "Recording the first LP, we were in a very Streisand's album, "Butterfly." He played Ron Farber was named A&M regional The debut album by Doucette for Mush- tense situation. We didn't know each other, an integral part in the success of her recent promo director in New York room Records, "Mama Let Him Play," con- we had a lot of production problems, and album, "Superman," which has sold ap- 10 Years Ago Today (12/30/67): tains 10 original songs written by Doucette. we had to do it over several times. It has an proximately three million copies to date. 60% of CB's pop station reporters by Lewis Rolf Produced Marty and Hen- amazing sound, but it's very dark, cold and In his capacity as producer of last year's added the Rolling Stones' "She's A nemann, the album is a solid rock 'n' roll sinister. This time we wanted to do a very film, "A Star Is Born." Peters also oversaw Rainbow" in one week; 50% added the kicker with the title track particularly ap- up -tempo, spontaneous thing. We wrote the conception and execution of the global Beach Boys' "Darlin" pealing because of the humorous and play- and recorded the entire album in six marketing of the soundtrack album on Mark Meyerson joined ASCAP as a ful lyric which reveals Doucette past and weeks." Columbia Records.