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Fabled Boston record store has reached the end of a very long play
By adamg on Thu, 12/12/2019 - 1:26pm
Skippy White has announced he'll be shutting his eponymous Egleston Square record store after the New Year:
With sales dwindling over the last several years on CD'S and even with some added LP vinyl sales, it looks like the end is in sight. We will down price everything in the store. Come in and take advantage of our going out of business sale. We've been in business since 1961, that's almost 59 years so come on in the store . Remember, everything is on sale. If it isn't nailed down, it's got to go. And thank you for your support all these years.
He adds:
It's been a long rough and rocky road. It's great to know that you are remembered and appreciated. I've been asked how long the store will remain open. At least through the end of the year and until most or all of the inventory is sold off. In the meantime this does not effect the radio shows I do. The "Time Tunnel " is still on Saturday morning from 8 to 11 and the "Gospel Train " can be heard Sunday morning from 7 to 10. If you download the app, "98.1FM The Urban Heat ", you can listen on your smartphone. Because the Urban Heat is currently not on the radio (don't give up hope), I am starting another edition of the "Gospel Train " on WBCA-FM 102.9 this Sunday at 6 p.m.
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Comments
record stores
i would say i will miss record stores but some asshole will tell me it isnt 1978 anymore.
i know what year it is. ill miss record stores.
i met Springsteen at Strawberries in cambridge when he was on the river tour (80). i was just a little guy but my dad knew who he was and told me years later that he was buying roy orbison albums. your not going to get that on itunes.
does anyone remember the strawberries on memorial drive? you would drop your cassette onto the conveyor belt that went to the front desk/cashier.
Egleston Square is also home to ...
What could be Boston's last video store - Video Underground (which now also has regular movie nights).
I was
afraid this was the subject of the headline, and was really sad for a second. VU is amazing, and has the best coffee in JP.
If they actually have the best coffee
then they're probably going to be just fine
New England Music City
New England Music City on Boylston across from the Pru was my go to record store in the early 70s. It was THE hip place to go for records. In the late 70s it became Zoundz (or something like that) used record store which was OK, but just not the same. I think it's a Supercuts now. Even Jordan Marsh had a massive record department in the old annex building (now demolished) on Washington Street in Downtown Crossing. And across from there was Discount Records. Slightly pricier than N.E. Music City but almost as good. In the late 70s that Discount Records had a fantastic selection of releases (generally self-released 45s) from local bands during the golden era of local Boston music from 1976-1982.
Yes!! I'm on your team!
Yes!! I'm on your team!
that's why you should support
that's why you should support Pat magrath at Looney tunes records in allston.
I never met anyone famous.
But I was always running into friends at the Coop or Strawberries or Tower Records or any number of individually owned record stores.
That, I miss a lot.
Wait, Strawberries isn’t
Wait, Strawberries isn’t there anymore?
But everyone can still go to
But everyone can still go to Deep Thoughts over by forest hills station !
I'll stop by looking for some
I'll stop by looking for some early 70s bootleg Parliament Funkadelic. Ya betta havvit!
Noooo
I was just saying how I am so proud of them for sticking around for so long. I remember going there to get CDs in the 90s/00s and even my mom told me she used get records there when she was a kid in the 70s. End of an era for sure
Yea. There's other, more
Yea. There's other, more obvious locations where a record shop can survive easier. It was cool that he lasted so long in this location.
Hate to hear of yet another
Hate to hear of yet another of the few remaining record stores go under.
Below are the ones I regularly frequent in the city. Would be interested in others' suggestions for used vinyl shops.
Nuggets in Kenmore Sq.
Orpheus on Comm. Ave. in Back Bay
In Your Ear near The Paradise
mr music
right around the time i met springsteen(1980) i also purchased my first guitar. i bought it at mr music on harvard ave.in allston. they are still there. in fact, the guy who sold me that guitar? still there.
(also, they sell records, CDs etc..)
Records?
Since when? I have never known Mr. Music to sell records, tapes, CDs, or any other music for consumption. Granted I haven't needed any guitar strings for over a year so haven't been there in a while but sounds like you're makin' up stories.
On a side note I went to Skippy's last night and the store was pretty sad. 50-60% of what he had out was bad, moldy, water damaged stock, all of it unorganized and just tossed about. There was an active ceiling leak dripping on one of his main, priced out record bins and I pointed it out to him like "guy this entire stack here is ruined" and he kind of just shrugged it off. Another ceiling tile had fallen to the floor and broken in a dozen pieces from water damage and it was just sitting there in a mess. You could barely move around in there yet there was plenty of space in the racks to put things and mostly bare walls where you could hang or display things. I gathered a stack of what I would consider thrift-store quality records he hadn't priced thinking it was going to be closeout prices and he started rattling off numbers like $8-15 each for them and I just took 2 I really wanted and left. I overheard him saying to one other guy how he couldn't understand why people wouldn't come in the store to spend money on the spot, everyone wants to shop online these days (shakes fist). Well, that experience certainly gave me some ideas as to why!
Its clearly time to pack it in for him, tho I look forward to listening to his radio shows and he mentioned working on a book. There's still a lot of good stuff in the store if you don't mind getting screwed on the price but get in there before the roof collapses on the place.
Just sad....
Really?
Where did you move here from? Mr. Music most assuredly did sell records, in facts that's how they kinda started. Though granted they haven't sold them in many years now. I bought albums there all the time in the early 70s. I bought David Crosby's classic first solo album there, among others.
There’s also Planet Records
There’s also Planet Records in Cambridge.
Village Vinyl in Coolidge Corner
307 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446
https://www.facebook.com/devinylhifi/
The owner is a nice guy.
Thanks for the suggestions!!
Thanks for the suggestions!!
Somerville Grooves in Union
Somerville Grooves in Union Sq.
Bought my first iPod there!
Bought my first iPod there!
Irony...
That's it...
Just Hum It!
Can’t do that on Spotify.
Nice headline, Gaffin
Nice.
Age?
Although he didn't say it, I'm guessing age may be a factor in Skippy's decision to shut the store. He's been in business for 59 years? Do the math. I looked up his real name on the online White Pages and it says 80+. I knew him casually about 50 years ago and that sounds about right.
An amazing man, nonetheless.