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1
00:00:30,822 --> 00:00:35,441
[crickets chirping]
2
00:00:40,207 --> 00:00:45,042
[slowly building
orchestral music playing]
3
00:01:02,980 --> 00:01:04,971
[russ solomon] way back when,
4
00:01:05,274 --> 00:01:09,768
when young teenagers had
a collection of 45 rpm records,
5
00:01:11,989 --> 00:01:14,025
to me that was
kind of exciting.
6
00:01:14,324 --> 00:01:15,564
that was almost better
than having
7
00:01:15,867 --> 00:01:16,856
a big collection of cds,
8
00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,276
albums, and everything else.
9
00:01:19,580 --> 00:01:23,448
but imagine, 45 records,
45 rpm records
10
00:01:25,002 --> 00:01:29,666
a better quality
and less breakable than the 78
11
00:01:29,965 --> 00:01:31,876
of ten years before,
12
00:01:32,175 --> 00:01:35,463
but with all the music
you ever wanted.
13
00:01:35,762 --> 00:01:38,378
and you could carry it around
in a little box.
14
00:01:41,727 --> 00:01:43,342
that's what tower was about.
15
00:01:43,645 --> 00:01:45,010
believe me.
16
00:01:49,568 --> 00:01:51,729
it was the music
that was meaningful
17
00:01:52,029 --> 00:01:53,519
to young people's lives.
18
00:02:01,413 --> 00:02:02,903
and we were how they got it.
19
00:02:03,206 --> 00:02:05,993
[dramatic string music playing]
20
00:02:18,305 --> 00:02:20,045
the first record
i ever bought was
21
00:02:20,349 --> 00:02:23,762
bob wills,
new san antone rose.
22
00:02:24,061 --> 00:02:25,267
it was like 35 cents.
23
00:02:25,562 --> 00:02:29,350
[big band music playing]
24
00:02:38,825 --> 00:02:42,864
the year was 1941,
and my dad had a drug store
25
00:02:43,163 --> 00:02:44,403
called tower drugs.
26
00:02:44,706 --> 00:02:45,991
it was in
the tower theater building.
27
00:02:46,291 --> 00:02:47,497
the drugstore was tiny,
28
00:02:47,793 --> 00:02:49,658
and yet they had
everything in there.
29
00:02:49,961 --> 00:02:52,543
he had toys, he had liquor,
he had magazines,
30
00:02:52,839 --> 00:02:56,206
cigarettes, perfume,
cosmetics, candy,
31
00:02:56,510 --> 00:02:57,841
heh, you name it.
32
00:03:02,182 --> 00:03:04,798
so we had a soda fountain
in that store as well,
33
00:03:05,102 --> 00:03:07,514
and on the soda fountain
we had the jukebox.
34
00:03:07,813 --> 00:03:11,226
one day, my dad said,
"why don't we sell
used records?"
35
00:03:11,525 --> 00:03:12,765
he asked the jukebox
operator bring in
36
00:03:13,068 --> 00:03:14,899
his used records,
which he brought in
37
00:03:15,195 --> 00:03:17,402
and sold us the records
for three cents
38
00:03:17,698 --> 00:03:19,780
and we turned round
and sold them for a dime.
39
00:03:20,075 --> 00:03:22,316
we sold 'em out right away,
so my dad said,
40
00:03:22,619 --> 00:03:23,950
"if we can sell used records,
41
00:03:24,246 --> 00:03:25,782
we ought to be able
to sell new records."
42
00:03:26,081 --> 00:03:27,867
went in to san francisco
where you could buy
43
00:03:28,166 --> 00:03:29,201
all the records wholesale.
44
00:03:29,501 --> 00:03:31,457
200 records cost about
45
00:03:31,753 --> 00:03:33,539
less than a couple
a hundred bucks. [chuckles]
46
00:03:33,839 --> 00:03:35,795
so we said, "fine,
we'll spend the 200 dollars,
47
00:03:36,091 --> 00:03:37,376
give us a franchise,"
48
00:03:37,676 --> 00:03:39,291
and bang,
we're in the record business.
49
00:03:39,594 --> 00:03:44,338
[big band music playing]
50
00:03:48,937 --> 00:03:51,895
during that period,
my dad actually broke th rough
51
00:03:52,190 --> 00:03:55,523
the wall of the drugstore
into the empty space next door,
52
00:03:55,819 --> 00:03:57,559
a little empty storefront,
and he said,
53
00:03:57,863 --> 00:03:59,478
"we'll put the record
department back th ere."
54
00:03:59,781 --> 00:04:02,193
so we decided to call it
tower record mart.
55
00:04:02,492 --> 00:04:05,780
he couldn't complain too much
because he was getting
some free labor,
56
00:04:06,079 --> 00:04:07,944
but at the same time,
he didn't like the idea
57
00:04:08,248 --> 00:04:09,283
that i should've been in school.
58
00:04:12,002 --> 00:04:15,961
and we realized
right off the bat
that this was a big deal.
59
00:04:16,256 --> 00:04:18,417
i went to my dad, i said,
"well, i want to expand.
60
00:04:18,717 --> 00:04:20,548
i want to go in to this
rack-jobbing business,
61
00:04:20,844 --> 00:04:23,005
expand our jukebox,
and get this and that. "
62
00:04:23,305 --> 00:04:25,261
all kinds of wonderful things
i wanted to do.
63
00:04:25,557 --> 00:04:28,890
he says:
"no way, absolutely, no way.
64
00:04:29,186 --> 00:04:30,392
" don't bother me.
65
00:04:30,687 --> 00:04:32,143
"you want this thing,
66
00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:34,179
"you buy
the record store from me,
67
00:04:34,483 --> 00:04:36,849
and then you do what you want,
but i'm not financing it."
68
00:04:37,152 --> 00:04:38,517
i said, "all right."
69
00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:40,526
he says: "fine,
it's yours tomorrow,
70
00:04:40,822 --> 00:04:42,028
"and here's the deal:
71
00:04:42,324 --> 00:04:43,939
"you have the inventory
72
00:04:44,242 --> 00:04:46,153
and you have the bills that
the company owes, goodbye."
73
00:04:46,453 --> 00:04:47,659
[chuckles]
74
00:04:47,954 --> 00:04:51,037
and overnight,
i was the owner of this thing.
75
00:04:55,879 --> 00:04:57,915
everything he did
influenced me.
76
00:04:58,215 --> 00:05:02,254
it's, how do you say,
that one imparts
77
00:05:02,552 --> 00:05:05,635
a whole style of life
78
00:05:05,931 --> 00:05:08,718
just by being close to you
79
00:05:09,017 --> 00:05:10,132
and you pick it up
80
00:05:10,435 --> 00:05:11,971
[mike solomon]
he was a skinny guy
81
00:05:12,270 --> 00:05:13,430
who liked to have
a lot of fun,
82
00:05:13,730 --> 00:05:15,140
loved music, loved dancing.
83
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,101
there was always music on
in our house.
84
00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:18,731
it seems like every evening
85
00:05:19,027 --> 00:05:22,440
my parents were dancing
and partying.
86
00:05:22,739 --> 00:05:24,195
i'm sure there was
some drinking.
87
00:05:24,491 --> 00:05:27,324
i probably started
when i was five years old.
88
00:05:27,619 --> 00:05:28,984
i would go in to work with him
89
00:05:29,287 --> 00:05:31,118
and sort singles.
90
00:05:31,414 --> 00:05:34,781
it was quite a family affair,
so my mother would be there.
91
00:05:35,085 --> 00:05:37,747
i think she was doing
the bookkeeping at that time.
92
00:05:38,046 --> 00:05:41,004
my father had a fantasy
and a dream
93
00:05:41,299 --> 00:05:45,884
and a desire to open up
a supermarket of records.
94
00:05:46,179 --> 00:05:49,717
he then opened a record store
at watt and el camino,
95
00:05:50,016 --> 00:05:51,256
it was a tiny little store,
96
00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,096
about a thousand
square feet, maybe.
97
00:05:53,395 --> 00:05:55,807
[russ]my wonderful friend
who had been doing advertising
98
00:05:56,106 --> 00:05:57,767
for the drugstore,
mick mickelson,
99
00:05:58,066 --> 00:05:59,647
he said, "well,
we're changing your name.
100
00:05:59,943 --> 00:06:01,524
"tower record mart,
that's too...
101
00:06:01,820 --> 00:06:03,481
"we're going to call it
tower records
102
00:06:03,780 --> 00:06:06,863
"and we're going to use
shell oil company colors.
103
00:06:07,158 --> 00:06:09,945
"and i'm going to design
a letter that'll stand out,
104
00:06:10,245 --> 00:06:11,781
that nobody's
ever seen before."
105
00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,446
and he literally,
drew that letter.
106
00:06:14,749 --> 00:06:17,661
you know, in sacramento
there weren't very many places
for kids to hang out.
107
00:06:17,961 --> 00:06:19,747
there was, like downtown,
there was places,
108
00:06:22,215 --> 00:06:23,546
so it was, you know,
109
00:06:23,842 --> 00:06:25,298
tower books and records
were in like this parking lot
110
00:06:25,594 --> 00:06:27,004
surrounded by nothing.
111
00:06:27,304 --> 00:06:29,590
and for kids in high school,
that's what you did.
112
00:06:29,890 --> 00:06:31,255
you know,
you went to tower records.
113
00:06:34,519 --> 00:06:36,180
[heidi cotler]it was
the beginning of the folk era,
114
00:06:36,479 --> 00:06:38,015
and so we would sit
in the parking lot at tower
115
00:06:38,315 --> 00:06:40,021
on our little sports cars
and play music.
116
00:06:40,317 --> 00:06:42,273
so the guitar guys would come,
and the banjo guys would come,
117
00:06:42,569 --> 00:06:44,810
and we'd play music
in front of the record store
118
00:06:45,113 --> 00:06:47,104
and then you'd go
into the record store
and into the listening booths
119
00:06:47,407 --> 00:06:48,772
and listen
to as much as you could
120
00:06:49,075 --> 00:06:51,316
because you couldn't
afford to buy any records.
121
00:06:51,620 --> 00:06:52,951
.p walk right in .p
122
00:06:53,246 --> 00:06:54,827
.p sit right down .p
123
00:06:55,123 --> 00:06:58,536
i daddy let your mind
go long... .p
124
00:06:58,835 --> 00:07:01,793
there were make out sessions
in the listening booths,
125
00:07:02,088 --> 00:07:03,578
people had sex
in listening booths.
126
00:07:03,882 --> 00:07:05,463
we put really big lights
in there
127
00:07:05,759 --> 00:07:07,545
so they'd be
as hot as possible
128
00:07:07,844 --> 00:07:09,584
so that you couldn't stay
in there too long.
129
00:07:09,888 --> 00:07:13,722
j� do you want
to lose your mind... i
130
00:07:14,017 --> 00:07:16,633
this store opened in 1961,
i was eleven years old,
131
00:07:16,937 --> 00:07:18,393
it was the only place i knew.
132
00:07:18,688 --> 00:07:20,269
you'd walk down the aisle
and you could just see
133
00:07:20,565 --> 00:07:22,476
from the front of the store
to the back of that aisle,
134
00:07:22,776 --> 00:07:24,482
just these stacks of lps.
135
00:07:24,778 --> 00:07:26,564
you know, somebody came up
with that terminology,
136
00:07:26,863 --> 00:07:28,478
stack 'em high and sell 'em low.
137
00:07:28,782 --> 00:07:31,740
yeah, the managers
and the employees were young,
138
00:07:32,035 --> 00:07:34,868
they loved music,
they were enjoying themselves.
139
00:07:35,163 --> 00:07:38,405
they were having a lot of fun,
which was a good thing,
140
00:07:38,708 --> 00:07:40,414
because they weren't
getting paid very much.
141
00:07:40,710 --> 00:07:42,666
and that was the beginning
of tower records.
142
00:07:42,963 --> 00:07:45,454
j� daddy let
your mind go long. .p
143
00:07:46,633 --> 00:07:48,749
i worked for tower for 37 years.
144
00:07:49,052 --> 00:07:51,919
i started
when i was 19 years old,
145
00:07:52,222 --> 00:07:54,759
and it started out
at the watt avenue store.
146
00:07:55,058 --> 00:07:57,014
[russ]stan was this kid
that was the son
147
00:07:57,310 --> 00:08:00,097
of one of the pharmacists
that worked for my father.
148
00:08:00,397 --> 00:08:03,355
he came to work and he said,
"you gotta give the kid a job."
149
00:08:03,650 --> 00:08:04,639
i said, "okay, put him to work."
150
00:08:04,943 --> 00:08:06,524
i walked out
in to the watts store,
151
00:08:06,820 --> 00:08:10,688
and this guy george horton
came running up to the counter
152
00:08:10,991 --> 00:08:13,448
and looked at me and goes,
"who are you?ii and i go,
153
00:08:13,743 --> 00:08:16,610
"oh, uh, i'm the new guy.
my name's stan, how are ya?"
154
00:08:16,913 --> 00:08:20,531
and he says,
"oh, great, you're here.
155
00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:21,698
charlie and i
are going to lunch."
156
00:08:22,002 --> 00:08:23,492
and i went, "okay."
157
00:08:23,795 --> 00:08:26,081
he says,
"good, everything's $3.88
158
00:08:26,381 --> 00:08:29,248
" except for frank sinatra,
phase four, and command.
159
00:08:29,551 --> 00:08:31,382
"that's $4.88, see ya later.
160
00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:34,010
we'll be back in an hour."
[chuckles]
161
00:08:34,305 --> 00:08:36,387
and there i was,
that was my training.
162
00:08:36,683 --> 00:08:39,015
[stan]tower was like
the place to work at
163
00:08:39,310 --> 00:08:40,846
because it was so open.
164
00:08:41,146 --> 00:08:43,558
plus, you could play whatever
you want on the record player,
165
00:08:43,857 --> 00:08:45,688
so you could be
an amateur dj, too,
166
00:08:45,984 --> 00:08:49,317
and it was definitely
the place to work.
167
00:08:49,612 --> 00:08:51,477
what happened
in the very early '603,
168
00:08:51,781 --> 00:08:54,614
'63, '64,
was a couple of artists
169
00:08:54,909 --> 00:08:58,197
happened on the scene
that just changed
the world around.
170
00:08:58,496 --> 00:08:59,531
.p let's go surfin' now .p
171
00:08:59,831 --> 00:09:01,071
.p everybody's learning how .p
172
00:09:01,374 --> 00:09:04,036
i come on and safari with me i
173
00:09:04,335 --> 00:09:06,075
i come on and safari
with me....p
174
00:09:06,379 --> 00:09:07,869
[russ] when the beach boys'
early album
175
00:09:08,173 --> 00:09:09,583
surfin' safaricame out,
176
00:09:09,883 --> 00:09:11,339
all of a sudden,
the business kind of shifted
177
00:09:11,634 --> 00:09:14,467
from a singles business
to a lp business.
178
00:09:14,763 --> 00:09:15,923
then, of course,
throughout the '6os
179
00:09:16,222 --> 00:09:18,213
as the baby boomers
kind of came of age
180
00:09:18,516 --> 00:09:21,178
and there started being more
and more potential buyers
of these records.
181
00:09:21,478 --> 00:09:24,345
the great thing
for the record industry
was that they cost a lot more.
182
00:09:24,647 --> 00:09:26,433
so instead of spending 49 cents
183
00:09:26,733 --> 00:09:28,473
or whatever it was
on a single back then,
184
00:09:28,777 --> 00:09:31,063
people were spending
$3.99 or $4.99
185
00:09:31,362 --> 00:09:32,898
or $5.99 on an album.
186
00:09:33,198 --> 00:09:35,439
[russ]we could literally sell
a thousand copies of a record
187
00:09:35,742 --> 00:09:37,778
over a weekend,
or something like that,
188
00:09:38,078 --> 00:09:39,614
which was incredible.
189
00:09:39,913 --> 00:09:41,494
the hits began to sell
in quantity,
190
00:09:41,790 --> 00:09:43,906
the kids came in more and more,
191
00:09:44,209 --> 00:09:45,415
they grew up with it,
192
00:09:45,710 --> 00:09:47,666
they widened their taste
in music.
193
00:09:47,962 --> 00:09:50,499
by the late '6os,
radio began to explore
194
00:09:50,799 --> 00:09:52,209
something besides top 40.
195
00:09:52,509 --> 00:09:56,252
you had these really
free form radio stations.
196
00:09:56,554 --> 00:09:59,887
they were changing the way
that everybody looked at music,
197
00:10:00,183 --> 00:10:01,468
and we just rode that wave.
198
00:10:01,768 --> 00:10:03,008
.p let's go surfin' now .p
199
00:10:03,311 --> 00:10:04,596
.p everybody's learnin' how i
200
00:10:04,896 --> 00:10:07,729
i come on and safari with me i
201
00:10:08,024 --> 00:10:09,514
i come on and safari
with me...i
202
00:10:09,818 --> 00:10:11,228
[steve knopper]
but as the '603 went on,
203
00:10:11,528 --> 00:10:12,768
you had one lp after another
204
00:10:13,071 --> 00:10:14,982
that was a huge
artistic statement.
205
00:10:15,281 --> 00:10:17,863
sergeant pepper and pet sounds
and on and on and on.
206
00:10:18,159 --> 00:10:19,524
then suddenly,
you started to have
207
00:10:19,828 --> 00:10:21,739
more and more cash coming
in to the record industry.
208
00:10:22,038 --> 00:10:23,949
and that was exactly the time
209
00:10:24,249 --> 00:10:25,864
that tower records
really started to peak
210
00:10:26,167 --> 00:10:28,909
in that first wave
where russ had opened his store.
211
00:10:29,212 --> 00:10:30,668
[mike]well, he would
talk about it all the time,
212
00:10:30,964 --> 00:10:33,125
how important it was
to have a big inventory,
213
00:10:33,424 --> 00:10:37,918
and how he wanted to open up
a very big store.
214
00:10:38,220 --> 00:10:42,139
the largest store
in the world in a big city.
215
00:10:45,067 --> 00:10:47,429
she was pretty. i wish
i could remember her name.
216
00:10:47,735 --> 00:10:51,435
she was a manicurist
at a barbershop that
i used to go to,
217
00:10:51,731 --> 00:10:56,725
and i just
accidentally ran into her
in a bar in sacramento,
218
00:10:57,038 --> 00:10:59,865
sitting there and saying,
"why don't we take a trip?
219
00:11:00,161 --> 00:11:01,748
why don't we go to san
francisco?" and she says, "yes."
220
00:11:02,031 --> 00:11:03,577
so off to san francisco
we went.
221
00:11:03,874 --> 00:11:06,363
i mean, this was early,
like five o'clock or so
222
00:11:06,666 --> 00:11:08,156
in the afternoon.
223
00:11:08,459 --> 00:11:10,074
an hour and a half later,
we're in san francisco
224
00:11:10,378 --> 00:11:12,744
having dinner and drinks,
and dinner and drinks,
225
00:11:13,047 --> 00:11:15,789
and dinner and drinks,
and a little jazz.
226
00:11:16,092 --> 00:11:18,504
getting pretty drunk,
as a matter of fact.
227
00:11:18,803 --> 00:11:20,759
later on ending up at a hotel.
228
00:11:21,055 --> 00:11:22,591
and the next morning,
229
00:11:22,891 --> 00:11:24,722
i was hung over, badly,
230
00:11:25,018 --> 00:11:26,303
and had to do something
231
00:11:26,603 --> 00:11:30,095
about trying to get well
to drive back to sacramento.
232
00:11:30,398 --> 00:11:34,391
so we went down to a drive-in
at columbus and bay.
233
00:11:34,694 --> 00:11:37,652
i could get a nice greasy
breakfast and a lot of coffee,
234
00:11:37,947 --> 00:11:39,312
so went in there
235
00:11:39,616 --> 00:11:42,699
and i'm sitting in there
with this awful hangover
236
00:11:42,994 --> 00:11:44,950
and i looked across the street,
237
00:11:45,246 --> 00:11:48,488
and there was this
empty building.
238
00:11:48,791 --> 00:11:51,624
and a big sign on it
that said, " for lease."
239
00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,411
the only thing that looked
alive on that property
240
00:11:54,714 --> 00:11:55,999
was a telephone booth.
241
00:11:56,299 --> 00:11:57,584
i went over to that
telephone booth
242
00:11:57,884 --> 00:11:59,590
and i called the number
on the sign,
243
00:11:59,886 --> 00:12:01,922
and i said,
"you want to rent this place?"
244
00:12:02,222 --> 00:12:03,678
the guy said, "love to."
245
00:12:03,973 --> 00:12:05,713
and i made a deal,
just like that.
246
00:12:06,017 --> 00:12:09,180
['6os music playing]
247
00:12:12,357 --> 00:12:14,518
it actually was
this huge building,
248
00:12:14,817 --> 00:12:16,899
and the record company
people said,
249
00:12:17,195 --> 00:12:19,777
"where are you going
to put the refrigerators and the
washing machines and stoves?"
250
00:12:20,073 --> 00:12:21,859
and he said,
"it's all going to be records."
251
00:12:22,158 --> 00:12:24,820
and they said,
"okay, you know what?
this is such an insane idea,
252
00:12:25,119 --> 00:12:27,701
that you'll be
gone in three months.
we're going to back you."
253
00:12:27,997 --> 00:12:29,737
so he basically opened
that whole san francisco store
254
00:12:30,041 --> 00:12:32,578
on nothing more
than the record company's money.
255
00:12:32,877 --> 00:12:34,037
[russ]luckily, my cousin ross
256
00:12:34,337 --> 00:12:36,874
was a builder,
electrical, carpentry,
257
00:12:37,173 --> 00:12:39,459
and so he volunteered,
"oh, i'll go down
and fix it up.
258
00:12:39,759 --> 00:12:40,919
put some lighting in there.
259
00:12:41,219 --> 00:12:42,629
put a new floor in,
and paint it. "
260
00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:43,839
and that was it.
261
00:12:44,138 --> 00:12:45,469
he went and did it.
262
00:12:45,765 --> 00:12:47,847
there was no way we could,
you know, heh,
263
00:12:48,142 --> 00:12:50,975
afford a neon sign
or anything like that.
264
00:12:51,271 --> 00:12:53,432
so we opened a store,
265
00:12:53,731 --> 00:12:57,098
and it just takes off like,
like a rocket.
266
00:13:00,947 --> 00:13:02,733
i mean, the day the place
opened up,
267
00:13:03,032 --> 00:13:05,944
people are swarming
in there, literally.
268
00:13:06,244 --> 00:13:08,280
there's a picture around
of me standing there
269
00:13:08,579 --> 00:13:10,240
with these people
all over the place.
270
00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:11,825
it was unbelievable.
271
00:13:12,125 --> 00:13:13,706
[david geffen]if you go
to san francisco,
272
00:13:14,002 --> 00:13:15,663
be sure to where
flowers in your hair.
273
00:13:15,962 --> 00:13:17,827
i mean, you know
you walked through
the streets of san francisco
274
00:13:18,131 --> 00:13:19,871
and there were
people smoking pot
275
00:13:20,174 --> 00:13:21,755
and having little
daisies in their hair
276
00:13:22,051 --> 00:13:24,133
and hanging out,
and the fillmore was packed,
277
00:13:24,429 --> 00:13:25,965
and, you know, it was a change.
278
00:13:26,264 --> 00:13:29,301
people were against the war,
and against segregation,
279
00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,966
and there was a lot of
political feeling in the world,
280
00:13:32,270 --> 00:13:34,135
and a lot of it was
centered in the change
281
00:13:34,439 --> 00:13:36,350
that was happening
in san francisco
282
00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:40,312
and that's the cauldron
in which tower records was born.
283
00:13:40,611 --> 00:13:43,398
[russ] so consequently,
there were people pouring
into san francisco
284
00:13:43,698 --> 00:13:45,905
from all over
northern california,
285
00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:47,531
and for that matter,
all over the world,
286
00:13:47,827 --> 00:13:49,909
to experience
what could be called
287
00:13:50,204 --> 00:13:51,910
the hippie kind of movement,
if you will,
288
00:13:52,206 --> 00:13:54,743
but mostly the music movement
that was happening down there.
289
00:13:55,043 --> 00:13:56,579
all the san francisco bands
290
00:13:56,878 --> 00:13:58,584
and the new music,
and so many of the people
291
00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,872
who went in to be entertained
by the music in san francisco,
292
00:14:02,175 --> 00:14:03,836
wanted to know
where that music came from.
293
00:14:04,135 --> 00:14:06,342
they want to know
the roots of that music.
294
00:14:06,637 --> 00:14:08,878
i like a sound you hear
that lingers in your ear i
295
00:14:09,182 --> 00:14:13,596
i but you can't forget
from sundown to sunset i
296
00:14:13,895 --> 00:14:16,352
i now now i
297
00:14:16,647 --> 00:14:18,888
i it's all in the air
you hear it everywhere i
298
00:14:19,192 --> 00:14:24,778
i and no matter what you do
it's going to grab
a hold on you i
299
00:14:25,073 --> 00:14:27,689
i california soul i
300
00:14:27,992 --> 00:14:30,779
[mike]what was particularly
unique about that store
301
00:14:31,079 --> 00:14:32,785
was how much music it had.
302
00:14:33,081 --> 00:14:34,366
customers were so excited,
303
00:14:34,665 --> 00:14:36,246
you could almost see
their eyes light up
304
00:14:36,542 --> 00:14:38,828
well, i think the inventory
made a big difference,
305
00:14:39,128 --> 00:14:42,120
because they wanted
everything to begin with.
306
00:14:42,423 --> 00:14:45,881
i whistles a mellow beat i
307
00:14:46,177 --> 00:14:50,841
i so the people
started to sing i
308
00:14:51,140 --> 00:14:52,926
the thing that was amazing to me
309
00:14:53,226 --> 00:14:55,057
was just the sheer...
310
00:14:55,353 --> 00:14:59,016
like, almost seemed like
an unlimited types of music.
311
00:14:59,315 --> 00:15:02,432
things like spoken word
and comedy and sound effects
312
00:15:02,735 --> 00:15:05,943
and international and jazz,
trend jazz, big band,
313
00:15:06,239 --> 00:15:07,524
i mean, it was unbelievable.
314
00:15:07,824 --> 00:15:09,280
tower wasn't just a group
of departments,
315
00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:12,157
it was a group of little stores
within one roof,
316
00:15:12,453 --> 00:15:14,910
i mean, there was a jazz store,
there was a classical store,
317
00:15:15,206 --> 00:15:16,912
and you got to know
those people,
318
00:15:17,208 --> 00:15:19,164
they got to know your tastes,
you got to know theirs,
319
00:15:19,460 --> 00:15:21,075
that's how you learned
about music,
320
00:15:21,379 --> 00:15:24,212
and that's also what
brought you back into the store.
321
00:15:24,507 --> 00:15:26,623
[russ]all of a sudden,
it would become fashionable
322
00:15:26,926 --> 00:15:28,882
for those young people
to find something
323
00:15:29,178 --> 00:15:30,918
that they want
to hold in their hand,
324
00:15:31,222 --> 00:15:34,714
that they want to collect,
that it's hip to collect,
325
00:15:35,017 --> 00:15:36,177
that has music on it.
326
00:15:36,477 --> 00:15:38,763
well, first,
there was the thrill
327
00:15:39,063 --> 00:15:42,271
of being surrounded by music.
328
00:15:42,567 --> 00:15:45,400
80 percent of it
is a complete mystery to you.
329
00:15:45,695 --> 00:15:48,232
so when we came west,
we were shocked
330
00:15:48,531 --> 00:15:51,648
at the size of tower records,
and simply,
331
00:15:51,951 --> 00:15:55,535
how many records there were.
[chuckles]
332
00:15:55,830 --> 00:15:59,573
everybody in a record store
is a little bit of your friend
333
00:15:59,876 --> 00:16:02,913
for twenty minutes or so,
you know? [chuckles]
334
00:16:03,212 --> 00:16:07,376
so there was that family aspect
of a real record store.
335
00:16:07,675 --> 00:16:09,540
it started out as a small family
336
00:16:09,844 --> 00:16:11,835
here in sacramento
with just a few of us
337
00:16:12,138 --> 00:16:14,925
and as time went on,
the company got bigger
and bigger and bigger,
338
00:16:15,224 --> 00:16:17,215
it just became a bigger
and bigger family.
339
00:16:17,518 --> 00:16:19,258
[heidi]it was
my second year in college
340
00:16:19,562 --> 00:16:21,473
and i didn't like college.
i was moving out of the house
341
00:16:21,772 --> 00:16:23,182
and i decided
i needed to get a job.
342
00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:25,098
i wanted to go some place
and make some money.
343
00:16:25,401 --> 00:16:27,437
i applied for the record store
on watt avenue.
344
00:16:27,737 --> 00:16:29,273
they weren't hiring girls
that year,
345
00:16:29,572 --> 00:16:31,437
they'd already had one
and she hadn't worked out.
346
00:16:31,741 --> 00:16:33,652
so th ese two gentlemen that
were running the bookstore,
347
00:16:33,951 --> 00:16:35,566
and the bookstore opened
in '62,
348
00:16:35,870 --> 00:16:37,701
so it had only
been open for three years.
349
00:16:37,997 --> 00:16:40,830
they wouldn't let us
wear pants, either.
we had to wear skirts.
350
00:16:41,125 --> 00:16:42,740
so they could, of course,
look up our skirts.
351
00:16:43,044 --> 00:16:44,500
[russ]heidi was a girl
that worked for me
352
00:16:44,795 --> 00:16:46,831
in the book division,
in the bookstore,
353
00:16:47,131 --> 00:16:49,372
the very first bookstore
in sacramento.
354
00:16:49,675 --> 00:16:52,087
[heidi]he walks into the store
and the first thing he sees
in this bookstore
355
00:16:52,386 --> 00:16:54,126
is this woman
in leopard skin underwear
356
00:16:54,430 --> 00:16:56,716
and a mini skirt
hanging desiderata posters,
357
00:16:57,016 --> 00:16:58,506
and that was me.
358
00:16:58,809 --> 00:17:02,267
i showed up, and i wasn't
a weenie, and i worked hard,
359
00:17:02,563 --> 00:17:04,895
and i wasn't going
to be put down.
360
00:17:05,191 --> 00:17:08,024
and learned how to swear,
and learned how to drink,
361
00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:10,184
i learned how to do drugs.
[laughs]
362
00:17:10,488 --> 00:17:12,854
[mark viducich]
i think we were with
some friends one afternoon,
363
00:17:13,157 --> 00:17:14,738
it was late evening,
364
00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:17,195
i honest to god think we stole
a couple of records from tower,
365
00:17:17,495 --> 00:17:18,951
and it wasn't the
last one i ever took
366
00:17:19,247 --> 00:17:20,987
after i started working there,
of course,
367
00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:22,405
but it was fun.
368
00:17:22,708 --> 00:17:24,289
first day,
i think i went to el chico,
369
00:17:24,585 --> 00:17:26,291
which was the local bar
down the street,
370
00:17:26,587 --> 00:17:29,078
probably spent three hours
at lunch having a few cocktails
371
00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:30,747
and came back to work.
372
00:17:31,050 --> 00:17:33,086
that's pretty much how
it went for a long time.
373
00:17:33,386 --> 00:17:36,719
mark is crazy,
he's totally nuts.
374
00:17:37,014 --> 00:17:38,345
but he could do anything.
375
00:17:38,641 --> 00:17:40,177
viducich, sid vicious,
we called him sid vicious
376
00:17:40,476 --> 00:17:42,432
because he was the nastiest
mother on the planet.
377
00:17:42,728 --> 00:17:45,435
you know he could ream your ass
like nobody's business.
378
00:17:45,731 --> 00:17:47,221
i'll go drink
whenever the hell i want,
379
00:17:47,525 --> 00:17:49,015
and please don't ever
talk to me that way again.
380
00:17:49,318 --> 00:17:51,104
no, there was nothing like that.
381
00:17:51,404 --> 00:17:52,610
course it helped
that your best friend
382
00:17:52,905 --> 00:17:54,190
was the manager
of the store, too.
383
00:17:54,490 --> 00:17:56,947
my dad and russ
are first cousins.
384
00:17:57,243 --> 00:18:01,327
my father actually ran the cafe
at the tower drugstore.
385
00:18:01,622 --> 00:18:03,954
and so that's where the
connection is with tower drugs.
386
00:18:04,250 --> 00:18:07,868
so my father actually ended up
working at tower records too.
387
00:18:08,170 --> 00:18:11,037
he did store development
for russ for many years,
388
00:18:11,340 --> 00:18:14,457
so when we built new stores,
my father, ross,
389
00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:16,296
was the person who built
those stores,
390
00:18:16,596 --> 00:18:18,587
so obviously,
it was easy for me to get a job
391
00:18:18,889 --> 00:18:21,050
working at tower
when i got out of high school.
392
00:18:21,350 --> 00:18:22,339
i went to work
for the book division
393
00:18:22,643 --> 00:18:25,726
as a clerk and then advertising.
394
00:18:26,022 --> 00:18:28,138
so i ran the advertising
for the book division.
395
00:18:28,441 --> 00:18:29,977
then i went into
community relations,
396
00:18:30,276 --> 00:18:32,437
and bringing in authors
for book signings.
397
00:18:32,737 --> 00:18:35,900
virtually everyone in the
company started off as a clerk.
398
00:18:36,198 --> 00:18:38,154
they'd become buyers,
they'd become
399
00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:40,988
supervisor types
in the store.
400
00:18:41,287 --> 00:18:43,994
th ey'd become assistant managers
and then they'd become managers,
401
00:18:44,290 --> 00:18:45,996
so they learn everything
they need to learn.
402
00:18:46,292 --> 00:18:49,625
and the entire development
of tower records
403
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,208
through the entire period
of time it existed
404
00:18:53,507 --> 00:18:55,247
was just that kind of a thing.
405
00:18:55,551 --> 00:18:57,166
[heidi]as a woman,
i just said,
406
00:18:57,470 --> 00:18:58,755
"i'm not even going to think
about being a woman."
407
00:18:59,055 --> 00:19:00,795
there're no excuses,
no period stuff.
408
00:19:01,098 --> 00:19:03,680
i mean, i went in to labor
twice behind the counter.
409
00:19:03,976 --> 00:19:07,184
because i was determined
to be treated as an equal,
410
00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:09,220
because i was
the first female hired,
411
00:19:09,523 --> 00:19:11,184
i was the first
female vice president,
412
00:19:11,484 --> 00:19:12,564
i was the first female
general manager,
413
00:19:12,860 --> 00:19:14,066
i was the first manager,
414
00:19:14,362 --> 00:19:17,320
so i unknowingly
had this responsibility
415
00:19:17,615 --> 00:19:19,025
to be kind of the mentor
416
00:19:19,325 --> 00:19:21,316
for these women
coming up behind me.
417
00:19:21,619 --> 00:19:24,326
[russ]
it isn't what we as a company
could teach our employees,
418
00:19:24,622 --> 00:19:27,489
but what other employees
could teach each other.
419
00:19:27,792 --> 00:19:31,501
that family kind of thing
is what made the company grow,
420
00:19:31,796 --> 00:19:33,411
and what made
the company successful.
421
00:19:33,714 --> 00:19:35,250
i'm convinced of that.
422
00:19:35,549 --> 00:19:37,460
that's my old tom sawyer
theory of management.
423
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,341
let somebody else
paint the fence.
424
00:19:39,637 --> 00:19:41,719
but we had the freedom to do
whatever we wanted,
425
00:19:42,014 --> 00:19:44,801
i mean he literally
gave us these stores
with all this product in it,
426
00:19:45,101 --> 00:19:49,435
and said, "okay, show up,
do the job right,
427
00:19:49,730 --> 00:19:52,221
don't screw me over."
and then left us alone.
428
00:19:52,525 --> 00:19:54,982
one key to the success
of tower records,
429
00:19:55,277 --> 00:19:56,892
particularly in that period,
430
00:19:57,196 --> 00:19:58,356
is we had no dress code.
431
00:19:58,656 --> 00:20:00,612
i really believe
that a lot of people
432
00:20:00,908 --> 00:20:03,900
wanted to come to work for us,
young people especially,
433
00:20:04,203 --> 00:20:06,865
so they wouldn't have
to be told how to dress.
434
00:20:07,164 --> 00:20:08,995
[ken sockolov]the people
who worked at tower
435
00:20:09,291 --> 00:20:10,997
were musicians
in many cases.
436
00:20:11,293 --> 00:20:12,829
[dave grohl]
i got a job at tower records
437
00:20:13,129 --> 00:20:15,836
because that's the only place
i could get a job
438
00:20:16,132 --> 00:20:18,168
with my fucking haircut.
439
00:20:18,467 --> 00:20:20,583
that is the truth.
[chuckles]
440
00:20:20,886 --> 00:20:23,093
i love tower records,
and i love music,
441
00:20:23,389 --> 00:20:26,631
and i only wanted
to work at tower records
442
00:20:26,934 --> 00:20:30,597
and be surrounded
by these cool people
and all this cool music.
443
00:20:30,896 --> 00:20:32,636
i just imagined
that everybody that worked
444
00:20:32,940 --> 00:20:34,430
at tower
was like an aficionado.
445
00:20:34,734 --> 00:20:36,941
they didn't necessarily have
any other kind of skills,
446
00:20:37,236 --> 00:20:41,730
sometimes even people skills,
but they had musical knowledge.
447
00:20:42,032 --> 00:20:44,569
every music store,
whether it was a place
to go buy drumsticks,
448
00:20:44,869 --> 00:20:46,279
or a place to go buy records,
449
00:20:46,579 --> 00:20:49,286
were total snobs, total snobs.
450
00:20:49,582 --> 00:20:50,788
the record store
especially was,
451
00:20:51,083 --> 00:20:53,244
had a reputation of
being incredibly rude.
452
00:20:53,544 --> 00:20:55,080
and fuck you if you
can't take a joke.
453
00:20:55,379 --> 00:20:58,621
so, heh, it was more of
a battlefield to get music,
454
00:20:58,924 --> 00:21:01,631
to get records out of
the store in the earlier days.
455
00:21:01,927 --> 00:21:03,713
[stan]
when we opened up at sunset,
456
00:21:04,013 --> 00:21:07,050
that, i feel,
really put us on the mar
457
00:21:09,935 --> 00:21:13,678
larry carp called russ,
"you gotta see this location.
the best thing in the world."
458
00:21:13,981 --> 00:21:15,642
and he goes down there,
459
00:21:15,941 --> 00:21:17,932
and it was
a mad man muntz location,
460
00:21:18,235 --> 00:21:21,693
where you could get
a four track player
installed in your car
461
00:21:21,989 --> 00:21:23,729
right at the corner
of sunset and horn.
462
00:21:24,033 --> 00:21:26,240
[russ]it was 4,000 bucks
a month for a land lease.
463
00:21:26,535 --> 00:21:28,150
that meant i had
to build a building.
464
00:21:28,454 --> 00:21:31,161
so my cousin ross
comes to the rescue again,
465
00:21:31,457 --> 00:21:34,415
and he says,
"all right, we'll just build
a building on there."
466
00:21:34,710 --> 00:21:36,041
i said, "okay, do it."
467
00:21:36,337 --> 00:21:38,703
[stan]it was
the first building we built.
468
00:21:39,006 --> 00:21:41,292
[russ]it was
a pre-fab building
that's still standing
469
00:21:41,592 --> 00:21:42,923
forty years later,
fifty years later,
470
00:21:43,219 --> 00:21:44,299
whatever it is.
471
00:21:44,595 --> 00:21:46,176
[stan]it was a concrete slab,
472
00:21:46,472 --> 00:21:49,555
and then these metal girders
that went up and over
473
00:21:49,850 --> 00:21:53,058
filled in with concrete
block and glass,
474
00:21:53,354 --> 00:21:55,936
and an orange tile floor.
475
00:21:56,232 --> 00:21:58,314
and some counters, that was it.
i laid the floor
476
00:21:58,609 --> 00:22:00,691
at tower sunset,
with these two hands.
477
00:22:00,986 --> 00:22:05,650
ross built that building,
the entire project for $75,000.
478
00:22:05,950 --> 00:22:07,440
nobody else would do that.
479
00:22:07,743 --> 00:22:09,324
you know, they have
the whole process
480
00:22:09,620 --> 00:22:10,735
of getting the store ready,
481
00:22:11,038 --> 00:22:12,494
then getting the racks
put together,
482
00:22:12,790 --> 00:22:15,372
and getting the merchandise
put in and so on.
483
00:22:15,668 --> 00:22:17,454
stan was there
from the beginning.
484
00:22:17,753 --> 00:22:20,369
i would come home
from working all day,
485
00:22:20,673 --> 00:22:22,664
which really was
digging ditches
486
00:22:22,967 --> 00:22:25,549
and laying floors,
and getting all sweaty,
487
00:22:25,845 --> 00:22:27,506
but the nice thing was,
record companies would come by
488
00:22:27,805 --> 00:22:29,511
and drop off promos
every once in a while,
489
00:22:29,807 --> 00:22:31,718
and when i'd get home,
i'd have some new records.
490
00:22:32,017 --> 00:22:35,680
well, i just saw
this guy schlepping albums up,
491
00:22:35,980 --> 00:22:37,470
a good twelve steps
to his level,
492
00:22:37,773 --> 00:22:40,014
and then it was
even farther to mine,
493
00:22:40,317 --> 00:22:43,275
but i just saw him,
and i'm a very friendly guy,
494
00:22:43,571 --> 00:22:45,732
and just went down and said,
"hi, i'm your neighbor."
495
00:22:46,031 --> 00:22:49,649
and bob would come down
from his apartment
496
00:22:49,952 --> 00:22:52,068
to check out, see if i had
any new promos.
497
00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:54,737
he was really nice,
he was very open to me,
498
00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,283
i didn't know him,
but we became very good friends.
499
00:22:59,587 --> 00:23:01,669
[stan]i'll never forget,
one day i came home
500
00:23:01,964 --> 00:23:03,750
and my front door was open,
501
00:23:04,049 --> 00:23:05,505
and i thought,
"well, that's odd."
502
00:23:05,801 --> 00:23:07,337
i walk in,
and i hear splashing.
503
00:23:07,636 --> 00:23:09,501
well yeah,
i mean it got hot in la.
504
00:23:09,805 --> 00:23:11,420
when stan went to work,
505
00:23:11,724 --> 00:23:13,339
bob'd go in to his apartment
and smoke dope
506
00:23:13,642 --> 00:23:15,428
and listen to stan's records.
507
00:23:15,728 --> 00:23:17,468
but yeah, he came home
and i was soaking
508
00:23:17,771 --> 00:23:20,353
in his tub,
listening to records.
509
00:23:20,649 --> 00:23:22,890
that did it,
i was really pissed.
510
00:23:23,193 --> 00:23:27,277
so i said, "well bob, no,
but it's time for you
to get a job.
511
00:23:27,573 --> 00:23:30,280
"we need a receiving clerk.
why don't you be a
receiving clerk. "
512
00:23:30,576 --> 00:23:32,612
in november, actually,
they opened the store.
513
00:23:32,912 --> 00:23:34,277
so i had hung around
for quite a bit,
514
00:23:34,580 --> 00:23:35,990
he said,
"come in the store and apply,"
515
00:23:36,290 --> 00:23:38,622
and i did, and charlie shaw,
the manager at the time,
516
00:23:38,918 --> 00:23:40,829
hired me, immediately.
517
00:23:41,128 --> 00:23:42,584
and then once i got
in the door,
518
00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:44,836
i just fell in love
with being in the building.
519
00:23:45,132 --> 00:23:47,464
i had no clue
about the record industry,
520
00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,876
but it was, to me,
right up my alley.
521
00:23:50,179 --> 00:23:52,420
this is like being home
with a bunch of friends,
522
00:23:52,723 --> 00:23:54,759
and much more fun
than i'd ever had
523
00:23:55,059 --> 00:23:56,765
in any of my previous jobs.
524
00:23:57,061 --> 00:23:58,517
[russ]again, now here,
525
00:23:58,812 --> 00:24:00,222
we hadn't opened a store
since san francisco,
526
00:24:00,522 --> 00:24:02,638
and the same thing happened
in los angeles.
527
00:24:02,942 --> 00:24:06,480
we were in the midst
of a marvelous audience,
528
00:24:06,779 --> 00:24:08,735
i mean you had
this variety of people
529
00:24:09,031 --> 00:24:12,489
with all kinds of musical
tastes and money. [chuckles]
530
00:24:12,785 --> 00:24:15,527
[bob delanoy] i mean,
i knew sunset was like the focus
531
00:24:15,829 --> 00:24:17,535
of the whole
record industry, there.
532
00:24:17,831 --> 00:24:19,412
if you didn't get it
in that store,
533
00:24:19,708 --> 00:24:21,573
their whole rest
of their marketing crew
534
00:24:21,877 --> 00:24:23,833
thought you were doing
a shit job.
535
00:24:24,129 --> 00:24:25,494
[russ]
but imagine where we were.
536
00:24:25,798 --> 00:24:27,834
we were within
walking distance, virtually,
537
00:24:28,133 --> 00:24:31,091
of the entire record industry,
in the l.a. area.
538
00:24:31,387 --> 00:24:33,218
[steve nikkel]i think that was
a good strategy, i mean,
539
00:24:33,514 --> 00:24:35,926
if you're about music, you go
to where the music's being made.
540
00:24:36,225 --> 00:24:38,386
in los angeles,
especially in san francisco,
541
00:24:38,686 --> 00:24:41,644
so many of the artists
lived in our neighborhood.
542
00:24:41,939 --> 00:24:45,056
i mean, we were the local record
store for them, so it was great.
543
00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,066
[stan]i remember david geffen
coming in to the store
one saturday,
544
00:24:48,362 --> 00:24:50,398
and i was chatting with him,
and he says,
545
00:24:50,698 --> 00:24:52,529
"hey, you gotta come listen
to this record.ii
546
00:24:52,825 --> 00:24:54,941
i go, "okay."
so i hop into his car
547
00:24:55,244 --> 00:24:57,155
and we drive up into
the hollywood hills somewhere
548
00:24:57,454 --> 00:24:58,534
to where he was living,
549
00:24:58,831 --> 00:25:01,368
and he took out
an acetate test pressing,
550
00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:03,157
he put it on, and he played it,
551
00:25:03,460 --> 00:25:04,996
and it was the eagles'
first record.
552
00:25:05,295 --> 00:25:06,626
[david]you had the troubadour,
and you had the roxy,
553
00:25:06,922 --> 00:25:08,162
and you had the whiskey,
554
00:25:08,465 --> 00:25:10,922
and lots of clubs
that they played coming up,
555
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:12,754
so those artists
would look through tower
556
00:25:13,053 --> 00:25:14,589
wonder when their records
were going to be there,
557
00:25:14,888 --> 00:25:16,628
and would they have piles,
that kind of thing.
558
00:25:16,932 --> 00:25:19,298
if you loved music,
and having a record collection,
559
00:25:19,601 --> 00:25:22,092
which, i did,
it was exciting
to walk through the store.
560
00:25:22,396 --> 00:25:24,853
i went there
three or four times a week.
561
00:25:25,149 --> 00:25:27,515
we just drove down
sunset boulevard...
562
00:25:27,818 --> 00:25:31,561
[chuckles]
and we were just eyeballing
everything we could see,
563
00:25:31,864 --> 00:25:34,606
and there was
a huge record store.
564
00:25:34,908 --> 00:25:38,446
it was that place
where your dreams
565
00:25:38,746 --> 00:25:40,737
meet the listener.
566
00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,328
that's where
the final connection was made.
567
00:25:44,626 --> 00:25:46,082
that audience you dreamt of
568
00:25:46,378 --> 00:25:49,336
is walking
through the door right now.
569
00:25:49,631 --> 00:25:52,623
and you can stand there
and watch that happen.
570
00:25:52,926 --> 00:25:54,541
they are your listeners.
571
00:25:54,845 --> 00:25:56,631
and the place also served
572
00:25:56,930 --> 00:25:59,046
as kind of a lost boys club,
573
00:25:59,349 --> 00:26:02,056
so if you were
a young musician,
574
00:26:02,352 --> 00:26:05,640
you came into town
and you didn't know what to do,
575
00:26:05,939 --> 00:26:08,601
the first thing you did
is you went to tower records.
576
00:26:08,901 --> 00:26:11,017
artists who were in california
and in los angeles
577
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,857
would go into
tower records to find out
where their records were.
578
00:26:14,156 --> 00:26:15,441
and if there was
a pile of elton john
579
00:26:15,741 --> 00:26:17,572
and there wasn't
a pile of the eagles,
580
00:26:17,868 --> 00:26:19,574
the eagles weren't happy,
or vice versa.
581
00:26:19,870 --> 00:26:21,826
i mean there were
a couple people that came in
582
00:26:22,122 --> 00:26:23,828
to the store
that i was so in awe of,
583
00:26:24,124 --> 00:26:27,082
i couldn't even, you know,
i couldn't even approach them.
584
00:26:27,377 --> 00:26:29,208
eric clapton, when he came in,
585
00:26:29,505 --> 00:26:32,872
jimmy page, pete townshend,
it was a constant flow.
586
00:26:33,175 --> 00:26:34,756
and nobody ever bothered them.
587
00:26:35,052 --> 00:26:37,509
i mean, they had a place there
where they could go
588
00:26:37,805 --> 00:26:39,545
and maybe a few people,
"oh, look over there.
589
00:26:39,848 --> 00:26:41,384
there's elton john,"
or whatever,
590
00:26:41,683 --> 00:26:42,889
but they kind of knew,
591
00:26:43,185 --> 00:26:44,675
that was a place
where you could hang
592
00:26:44,978 --> 00:26:46,809
and not really worry
about anybody hassling you.
593
00:26:47,106 --> 00:26:48,971
tuesday mornings
i would be at tower records
594
00:26:49,274 --> 00:26:52,016
at 10:00, 9:00 in la.
595
00:26:52,319 --> 00:26:53,934
the store'd open at nine
and they'd let me in.
596
00:26:54,238 --> 00:26:56,604
and it was a ritual,
and it was a ritual i loved.
597
00:26:56,907 --> 00:26:58,192
it was, you know,
my music center.
598
00:26:58,492 --> 00:27:00,733
yeah, i knew
where everything was.
599
00:27:01,036 --> 00:27:02,867
and if they didn't have
something in one week,
600
00:27:03,163 --> 00:27:04,403
or the next week,
601
00:27:04,706 --> 00:27:07,038
i told them, i said,
"you need to get this in."
602
00:27:07,334 --> 00:27:10,076
well elton was one
that used to come
even during business hours.
603
00:27:10,379 --> 00:27:11,869
he'd come in
with his limo driver.
604
00:27:12,172 --> 00:27:13,708
his limo driver would
just stand there with bags
605
00:27:14,007 --> 00:27:16,043
and he would come through
with a long, long list,
606
00:27:16,343 --> 00:27:18,254
and go through
the record bins, picking out
607
00:27:18,554 --> 00:27:20,260
all the new releases
that he had seen.
608
00:27:20,556 --> 00:27:22,171
[elton john]i mean,
tower just had everything.
609
00:27:22,474 --> 00:27:25,181
those people knew their stuff.
they were really on the ball.
610
00:27:25,477 --> 00:27:27,968
they weren't just employees
that happened to work
in a music store,
611
00:27:28,272 --> 00:27:29,478
they were devotees of music.
612
00:27:29,773 --> 00:27:31,388
that's what i loved
about the tower.
613
00:27:31,692 --> 00:27:32,807
i could talk about music
to them, and they'd say,
614
00:27:33,110 --> 00:27:34,600
" have you heard this?"
615
00:27:34,903 --> 00:27:37,360
it was just...
they were like friends.
616
00:27:37,656 --> 00:27:39,442
i knew the guys
in the store pretty well
617
00:27:39,741 --> 00:27:41,356
because i was so,
you know, regular.
618
00:27:44,163 --> 00:27:45,949
- [interviewer] no, that's stan.
- that's stan.
619
00:27:46,248 --> 00:27:49,365
he was my main man.
yeah, he was great.
620
00:27:49,668 --> 00:27:52,580
and he would go through
every single aisle,
621
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,464
every single bin,
and he had an incredible memory
622
00:27:56,758 --> 00:27:58,168
from what records he had,
623
00:27:58,468 --> 00:28:00,424
and he'd get like
two to three each.
624
00:28:00,721 --> 00:28:02,552
one for each one of his houses.
625
00:28:02,848 --> 00:28:05,009
[elton john]
it was comfortable
and not intimidating at all.
626
00:28:05,309 --> 00:28:08,722
it was inviting, it was like
going to your favorite cafe.
627
00:28:09,021 --> 00:28:11,433
[stan]
and eventually we said,
"elton, we'll open early
628
00:28:11,732 --> 00:28:13,063
for you if you want
to come in."
629
00:28:13,358 --> 00:28:15,644
so, we started opening
like at 8:00 am.
630
00:28:15,944 --> 00:28:18,060
i can honestly say this
without any exaggeration,
631
00:28:18,363 --> 00:28:19,694
i spent more money
in tower records
632
00:28:19,990 --> 00:28:21,400
than any other human being.
633
00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:25,739
[upbeat '603 music playing]
634
00:28:26,038 --> 00:28:27,653
[stan]
once the word's out
635
00:28:27,956 --> 00:28:30,197
that's where the stars are,
it really clicked.
636
00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:33,663
and then it became
the place to go in la.
637
00:28:33,962 --> 00:28:38,422
[engine roaring]
638
00:28:38,717 --> 00:28:39,957
[recording of john lennon]
did you know
639
00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:41,625
the world's
largest record store
640
00:28:41,929 --> 00:28:44,011
in the known world,
and universe, et cetera,
641
00:28:44,306 --> 00:28:45,512
is here in los angeles?
642
00:28:45,807 --> 00:28:47,638
it is and it's called
tower records.
643
00:28:47,935 --> 00:28:50,768
and tower records is located
in the heart of sunset strip.
644
00:28:51,063 --> 00:28:52,428
at tower you'll find
tens of thousands
645
00:28:52,731 --> 00:28:54,471
of your favorite lps and tapes,
646
00:28:54,775 --> 00:28:56,640
and you'll find that they're
all super discount priced.
647
00:28:56,944 --> 00:28:59,026
tower'll always save you money
on the lps and tapes you buy.
648
00:28:59,321 --> 00:29:01,607
you'll find more rock lps
than you ever thought existed
649
00:29:01,907 --> 00:29:04,740
and that includes
more imported rock lps
if you need that stuff.
650
00:29:05,035 --> 00:29:06,525
you'll find more jazz,
more classics,
651
00:29:06,828 --> 00:29:08,739
easy listening, more country,
more international,
652
00:29:09,039 --> 00:29:10,449
more spoken words,
and more words.
653
00:29:10,749 --> 00:29:11,864
more of everything
than you've ever seen
654
00:29:12,167 --> 00:29:13,703
in your whole life
in one store,
655
00:29:14,002 --> 00:29:15,458
at one time.
656
00:29:15,754 --> 00:29:17,710
and you'll find thousands
of 45 rpm singles.
657
00:29:18,006 --> 00:29:21,169
in short,
the largest record store
in the known world, hmm,
658
00:29:21,468 --> 00:29:23,004
lives up to its name.
659
00:29:23,303 --> 00:29:24,793
shop tower records in the heart
of sunset strip tonight,
660
00:29:25,097 --> 00:29:26,837
and every night of the year,
until midnight.
661
00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:28,630
and tower will have
my latest album
662
00:29:28,934 --> 00:29:31,516
walls and bridges,
this afternoon, so go get it!
663
00:29:31,812 --> 00:29:34,474
[steve miller band's
"living in the u.s.a." playing]
664
00:29:34,773 --> 00:29:37,185
i d00, d00, d00,
d00, d00, d00 i
665
00:29:37,484 --> 00:29:40,191
i living in the u.s.a. i
666
00:29:40,487 --> 00:29:43,024
i d00, d00, d00
d00, d00, d00 i
667
00:29:43,323 --> 00:29:46,486
i living in the u.s.a. i
668
00:29:46,785 --> 00:29:48,195
[steve nikkel]
part of the concept with tower
669
00:29:48,495 --> 00:29:50,736
was as much social
as it was retail,
670
00:29:51,039 --> 00:29:52,870
you know,
before social networking
671
00:29:53,166 --> 00:29:56,408
and social media,
people went outside.
672
00:29:56,712 --> 00:29:59,920
people would spend
hours together just
digging through the bins.
673
00:30:00,215 --> 00:30:02,126
you know, and people would meet
at tower records.
674
00:30:02,426 --> 00:30:05,759
i mean, we were a destination.
people would hook up at tower.
675
00:30:06,054 --> 00:30:08,090
[bob delanoy]
and that kind of oaptured my,
676
00:30:08,390 --> 00:30:10,506
wow, this is
a really cool place to work.
677
00:30:10,809 --> 00:30:12,470
and then of course,
once i got in the back room,
678
00:30:12,769 --> 00:30:15,351
i really started to see
what went on in that store.
679
00:30:15,647 --> 00:30:19,231
[electric guitar riff]
680
00:30:20,819 --> 00:30:22,150
there was drinking going on.
681
00:30:22,446 --> 00:30:25,438
abso�fucking�lutely,
just hammered. [chuckles]
682
00:30:25,741 --> 00:30:28,608
there was a culture
that you could drink
as much as you want,
683
00:30:28,910 --> 00:30:32,152
you can do whatever the hell
you wanted, but you know,
you had to come to work.
684
00:30:32,456 --> 00:30:33,992
there was a guy
who slept in the office
685
00:30:34,291 --> 00:30:37,033
[chuckles] and washed his pits
with comet cleanser
686
00:30:37,336 --> 00:30:38,792
he'd slept in the office
all night,
687
00:30:39,087 --> 00:30:40,793
and had to get up for work
the next day to open ur
688
00:30:41,089 --> 00:30:42,454
sometimes you could
even come to work
689
00:30:42,758 --> 00:30:45,795
say for an hour
and go home with cocktail flu.
690
00:30:46,094 --> 00:30:47,880
but there was thing
about showing up,
691
00:30:48,180 --> 00:30:49,545
manning up, coming to work,
692
00:30:49,848 --> 00:30:52,134
and even if you threw up,
you had to show ur
693
00:30:52,434 --> 00:30:55,676
the rules were don't smoke dope
on the premises.
694
00:30:55,979 --> 00:30:57,890
and certainly don't drink
on the premises.
695
00:30:58,190 --> 00:31:00,476
that didn't mean
that once in a while
there wasn't a party back there,
696
00:31:00,776 --> 00:31:03,893
but you know,
you do your job during the day,
697
00:31:04,196 --> 00:31:05,811
had a good time doing it,
698
00:31:06,114 --> 00:31:09,277
and you'd go out and play
the way you wanted to at night.
699
00:31:09,576 --> 00:31:11,191
hell, there were many nights
we just came to work
700
00:31:11,495 --> 00:31:14,202
and never went to bed
for christ's sakes. [laughs]
701
00:31:14,498 --> 00:31:17,331
that's not cocktail flu,
that's a lifestyle.
702
00:31:17,626 --> 00:31:19,617
when you hit
the late '6os, early '7os
703
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,502
you start to get to kind of
the hookers and blow era
704
00:31:22,798 --> 00:31:24,663
of the record industry
and this continued
705
00:31:24,966 --> 00:31:27,002
all the way through
the end of the disco era.
706
00:31:27,302 --> 00:31:29,759
yeah, '708 is when
we started doing...
707
00:31:30,055 --> 00:31:32,137
hand truck fuel, yes.
[chuckles]
708
00:31:32,432 --> 00:31:34,423
[heidi]hand truck fuel
is a controlled substance
709
00:31:34,726 --> 00:31:36,808
that you ingest
th rough a small straw
710
00:31:37,104 --> 00:31:39,766
in your nose [chuckles].
711
00:31:40,065 --> 00:31:42,852
seems like tower records people
always ended up in a bathroom.
712
00:31:43,151 --> 00:31:46,564
either in a hot tub,
you know, probably drinking,
713
00:31:46,863 --> 00:31:48,819
maybe smoking
a little pot or whatever.
714
00:31:49,116 --> 00:31:52,859
we used to do
inventories overnight
or we would work late,
715
00:31:53,161 --> 00:31:55,948
doing whatever
project we were doing,
and we needed hand truck fuel,
716
00:31:56,248 --> 00:31:57,738
which, by the way,
we took paid-outs for.
717
00:31:58,041 --> 00:31:59,247
no one even caught it.
[laughs]
718
00:31:59,543 --> 00:32:01,158
there was
hand truck fuel, yeah.
719
00:32:01,461 --> 00:32:03,452
[mark]you understood
you had a lot of latitude
720
00:32:03,755 --> 00:32:05,996
to do what you wanted,
to manage the way you wanted,
721
00:32:06,299 --> 00:32:08,039
and there wasn't going
to be any real repercussions
722
00:32:08,343 --> 00:32:09,958
if things went terribly wrong,
723
00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:11,923
because the whole thing
was an experiment
724
00:32:12,222 --> 00:32:13,302
from day one until the end.
725
00:32:13,598 --> 00:32:15,930
but... the store
always got opened.
726
00:32:16,226 --> 00:32:18,933
we always covered the shifts.
no matter what.
727
00:32:19,229 --> 00:32:21,686
[mark[it was always
a party atmosphere,
it was never work.
728
00:32:25,402 --> 00:32:29,941
[rudy danzinger] russ was
the free-swinging guy, man.
he enjoyed life.
729
00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,858
[man]he liked to buy
drinks for people after work,
especially the girls.
730
00:32:34,161 --> 00:32:37,949
there was nothing more common
than russ rounding up
all the babes
731
00:32:38,248 --> 00:32:40,455
and taking them to the bar,
and you're stuck
behind the counter,
732
00:32:40,750 --> 00:32:42,456
the only guy in the store,
you know.
733
00:32:42,752 --> 00:32:45,243
[mike]my father
was always a ladies' man.
734
00:32:45,547 --> 00:32:49,039
he was attracted
to many a beautiful woman,
735
00:32:49,342 --> 00:32:50,957
and they were to him.
736
00:32:51,261 --> 00:32:52,592
but he always
respected the women,
737
00:32:52,888 --> 00:32:55,049
i mean, when they were working,
it was one thing,
738
00:32:55,348 --> 00:32:57,760
when it was partying,
it was altogether different.
739
00:32:58,059 --> 00:32:59,469
i can remember one night,
740
00:32:59,769 --> 00:33:01,885
it was about five in the morning
and we had been partying,
741
00:33:02,189 --> 00:33:05,556
and for some reason the alarm
went off at tower broadway,
742
00:33:05,859 --> 00:33:09,192
and bud martin at the time,
he was the vice president
of the company.
743
00:33:09,488 --> 00:33:10,944
he shows up,
and we were actually
744
00:33:11,239 --> 00:33:12,729
in the back room
still drinking.
745
00:33:13,033 --> 00:33:14,739
well, he got a little
pissed off that night.
746
00:33:15,035 --> 00:33:17,902
bud martin didn't have
the same loose feel
747
00:33:18,205 --> 00:33:19,536
for management that russ did.
748
00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:21,947
bud was the one that
was that glue, so to speak,
749
00:33:22,250 --> 00:33:25,242
that was able to hold
this thing called tower,
750
00:33:25,545 --> 00:33:27,251
and this culture
that started rolling,
751
00:33:27,547 --> 00:33:29,663
and russ would have
never ever been able
752
00:33:29,966 --> 00:33:33,129
to keep it together
without bud, no question.
753
00:33:33,428 --> 00:33:35,885
[russ]bud martin,
he was my dad's accountant,
754
00:33:36,181 --> 00:33:39,765
and when tower opened,
he had a little private office,
755
00:33:40,060 --> 00:33:41,391
so that became our office.
756
00:33:41,686 --> 00:33:43,927
bud controlled most
of all the divisions--
757
00:33:44,231 --> 00:33:45,937
the accounts payable,
sales audit,
758
00:33:46,233 --> 00:33:48,019
all those areas.
i mean, he was--
759
00:33:48,318 --> 00:33:49,728
when they had a problem,
they'd go to bud.
760
00:33:50,028 --> 00:33:51,313
i was not a financial manager,
761
00:33:51,613 --> 00:33:53,353
i certainly wasn't a cpa.
762
00:33:53,657 --> 00:33:56,023
i had no business
school training,
763
00:33:56,326 --> 00:33:58,191
so i had to trust him,
and i did.
764
00:33:58,495 --> 00:34:00,110
bud was at one end
of the hall, mr. no,
765
00:34:00,413 --> 00:34:02,404
and russ was at the other
end of the hall, mr. yes,
766
00:34:02,707 --> 00:34:03,992
and so you could go
to russ and get a yes,
767
00:34:04,292 --> 00:34:06,578
then you had to go
down the hall to mr. no,
768
00:34:06,878 --> 00:34:08,118
and tell him,
mr. yes had said yes,
769
00:34:08,421 --> 00:34:09,911
and then you had
to justify to bud
770
00:34:10,215 --> 00:34:12,331
why russ had said yes.
[laughs]
771
00:34:12,634 --> 00:34:13,999
yeah, it was a constant battle.
772
00:34:14,302 --> 00:34:16,964
[mike]bud became
almost like partner with russ.
773
00:34:17,264 --> 00:34:18,344
they were yin and yang.
774
00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:20,301
he was the antith esis
of russ solomon.
775
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,433
russ was like a very carefree,
if you will,
776
00:34:23,728 --> 00:34:26,060
entrepreneur who loved music
777
00:34:26,356 --> 00:34:28,221
and bud was actually
a businessman.
778
00:34:28,525 --> 00:34:30,106
i would make it work
779
00:34:30,402 --> 00:34:32,063
by hiring my people
to go out and do it.
780
00:34:32,362 --> 00:34:34,523
he would make it work
because he had to pay for it.
781
00:34:34,823 --> 00:34:37,360
i suppose there was
a rather serious
782
00:34:37,659 --> 00:34:40,901
love�hate relationship
going on between russ and bud,
783
00:34:41,204 --> 00:34:43,911
because again, russ would say,
"spend the money, get it done,"
784
00:34:44,207 --> 00:34:46,072
and then bud would say,
"no, you can't spend the money."
785
00:34:46,376 --> 00:34:49,038
we would go to lunch every day
786
00:34:49,337 --> 00:34:52,124
and i would get...
at lunch, we would argue.
787
00:34:52,424 --> 00:34:53,254
he was the keeper
of the money,
788
00:34:53,550 --> 00:34:54,790
and he didn't let anything go.
789
00:34:55,093 --> 00:34:56,128
and he and russ
would have battles
790
00:34:56,428 --> 00:34:58,009
about russ wanting
to open up a store
791
00:34:58,305 --> 00:34:59,545
and bud said,
"i don't have any money,
792
00:34:59,848 --> 00:35:01,384
and we're going to go
to the poor house."
793
00:35:01,683 --> 00:35:02,968
russ'd say,
"bud, i'm doing it.
794
00:35:03,268 --> 00:35:04,303
figure out how to get it done."
795
00:35:04,603 --> 00:35:06,059
but if you get
two drinks in him,
796
00:35:06,354 --> 00:35:08,595
he would be literally hanging
from the lampshades.
797
00:35:08,898 --> 00:35:11,480
you know whati mean?
or swinging on the chandelier.
798
00:35:11,776 --> 00:35:16,065
he had a conservative
monetary policy
799
00:35:16,364 --> 00:35:18,650
but a liberal social policy.
800
00:35:18,950 --> 00:35:21,657
[upbeat trumpet music playing]
801
00:35:24,205 --> 00:35:27,163
[russ]it was dangerous
to go out with him
and get him drunk.
802
00:35:27,459 --> 00:35:30,121
we've been thrown out
of a few restaurants, you know.
803
00:35:30,420 --> 00:35:33,457
it was just that
he was living another life,
804
00:35:33,757 --> 00:35:36,214
dating and things like that,
buying splurges.
805
00:35:36,509 --> 00:35:39,672
just do, probably just do
normal things you do with money.
806
00:35:39,971 --> 00:35:41,086
you spend it.
807
00:35:41,389 --> 00:35:43,721
bud loved cars.
808
00:35:44,017 --> 00:35:47,009
he would buy at least
one new car every year.
809
00:35:47,312 --> 00:35:49,018
sometimes more than one car,
810
00:35:49,314 --> 00:35:50,770
continuously trading them in.
811
00:35:51,066 --> 00:35:53,899
he was also the most random
woman chaser on the planet.
812
00:35:54,194 --> 00:35:56,059
he literally had an extra office
out of his office
813
00:35:56,363 --> 00:35:58,228
where he took women
to wink them.
814
00:35:58,531 --> 00:36:00,146
he'd hire them as secretaries.
815
00:36:00,450 --> 00:36:03,192
and i mean,
it was so flamboyantly bad
816
00:36:03,495 --> 00:36:05,031
that it had to be a joke.
817
00:36:05,330 --> 00:36:06,490
i having a fling again i
818
00:36:06,790 --> 00:36:08,155
i younger than spring again i
819
00:36:08,458 --> 00:36:10,790
i feeling that zing again wow i
820
00:36:11,086 --> 00:36:14,920
he was straight laced
with a secret life.
821
00:36:15,215 --> 00:36:16,295
i think he was intrigued
by the idea
822
00:36:16,591 --> 00:36:17,876
that we could
race along too,
823
00:36:18,176 --> 00:36:20,292
because he'd never
have done it himself.
824
00:36:20,595 --> 00:36:22,301
so i had to kind
of lead the charge.
825
00:36:22,597 --> 00:36:24,007
we use to call it
the russ bus, yeah.
826
00:36:24,307 --> 00:36:25,217
you know he was so fearless
827
00:36:25,517 --> 00:36:27,257
and he was so enthusiastic
828
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,016
about what he--
i don't think he had a clue
829
00:36:29,312 --> 00:36:30,893
what he was doing, seriously.
830
00:36:31,189 --> 00:36:33,020
[rudy danzinger]russ just had
a special way of living.
831
00:36:33,316 --> 00:36:35,477
[mark]he didn't play golf,
he didn't go hunting,
832
00:36:35,777 --> 00:36:37,984
tower records was what he did.
that's what he...
833
00:36:38,279 --> 00:36:39,439
he breathed that.
834
00:36:39,739 --> 00:36:41,400
you were part of his family.
you were part of
835
00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:44,191
the tower experience,
as it were.
836
00:36:45,829 --> 00:36:47,410
[russ]
the record companies and narm
837
00:36:47,706 --> 00:36:50,322
would have conventions
in los angeles, mainly.
838
00:36:50,625 --> 00:36:53,708
so, for fun,
i would start stealing ties.
839
00:36:54,003 --> 00:36:56,289
i said you're going to feel
much better without this.
840
00:36:56,589 --> 00:36:58,830
you'll be much more comfortable.
what are you doing?
841
00:36:59,134 --> 00:37:01,716
coming to california,
big shots from new york
842
00:37:02,011 --> 00:37:03,126
for crying out loud.
843
00:37:03,430 --> 00:37:04,886
you come out here,
you put on your suit,
844
00:37:05,181 --> 00:37:06,261
you put on your tie,
845
00:37:06,558 --> 00:37:07,764
you know,
and you act like big shots.
846
00:37:08,059 --> 00:37:09,299
i said,
"we're here in california.
847
00:37:09,602 --> 00:37:10,808
"we have a lot--
everything's loose.
848
00:37:11,104 --> 00:37:12,844
take your tie off."
849
00:37:13,148 --> 00:37:15,013
[steve]
so they walk in and frannie,
who was his secretary,
850
00:37:15,316 --> 00:37:17,648
would grab the scissors
and chop a tie.
851
00:37:17,944 --> 00:37:20,230
and after a while,
it became the stuff of legends.
852
00:37:20,530 --> 00:37:21,895
so it was like,
people would walk in
853
00:37:22,198 --> 00:37:23,654
and just give him the tie.
854
00:37:23,950 --> 00:37:27,738
the tie thing just got part
of his reputation, you know.
855
00:37:28,037 --> 00:37:31,746
don't wear a good tie in there,
or leave it in the car.
856
00:37:32,041 --> 00:37:33,406
[jim urie]he never collected
any of my ties,
857
00:37:33,710 --> 00:37:35,416
because i had heard
those stories
858
00:37:35,712 --> 00:37:37,248
and of course,
when i became a national guy,
859
00:37:37,547 --> 00:37:39,162
i was going out there.
860
00:37:39,466 --> 00:37:40,376
they had a big plaque
on the wall,
861
00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:42,165
must have been this big,
862
00:37:42,469 --> 00:37:44,926
and it was an array of neckties
863
00:37:45,221 --> 00:37:47,257
that had been cut off,
right about here.
864
00:37:47,557 --> 00:37:50,299
i would steal the whole tie.
i got a bad rap, you know,
865
00:37:50,602 --> 00:37:52,593
for cutting the ties off.
never cut a tie.
866
00:37:52,896 --> 00:37:54,978
always stole the whole tie.
867
00:37:55,273 --> 00:37:57,229
made the guy
give me a card, usually,
868
00:37:57,525 --> 00:37:58,731
if they were friendly.
869
00:37:59,027 --> 00:38:00,142
sometimes they weren't
very friendly
870
00:38:00,445 --> 00:38:01,605
when you steal
their tie, really.
871
00:38:01,905 --> 00:38:03,315
but they all felt
872
00:38:03,615 --> 00:38:05,355
a lot more comfortable
not wearing 'em.
873
00:38:07,202 --> 00:38:09,409
[man]i think his
leadership and his vision
874
00:38:09,704 --> 00:38:11,114
and the way he dealt
with his people
875
00:38:11,414 --> 00:38:12,950
really was significant.
876
00:38:13,249 --> 00:38:14,489
[russ]if it hadn't been
for these people
877
00:38:14,793 --> 00:38:15,953
being able
to do these things for me,
878
00:38:16,252 --> 00:38:17,833
we could never
have done anything.
879
00:38:18,129 --> 00:38:20,211
we didn't do anything
in a formal way.
880
00:38:20,507 --> 00:38:22,168
we did it on the fly.
881
00:38:22,467 --> 00:38:23,377
it was the russ bus.
882
00:38:23,676 --> 00:38:24,540
with tower records,
883
00:38:24,844 --> 00:38:26,380
you had an idea, a thought,
884
00:38:26,679 --> 00:38:28,260
you either went
to russ or bud with it,
885
00:38:28,556 --> 00:38:30,171
and flew with it,
it was that simple.
886
00:38:30,475 --> 00:38:31,715
that was the fun part.
887
00:38:32,018 --> 00:38:33,178
you never fucking knew
888
00:38:33,478 --> 00:38:34,718
where it was going to take you.
889
00:38:36,523 --> 00:38:39,265
russ solomon,
because he was tower records,
890
00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:42,024
there wasn't all these layers
of management.
891
00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,312
you sat down with russ
and that's how the company ran.
892
00:38:45,615 --> 00:38:46,946
it ran that way for a long time.
893
00:38:47,242 --> 00:38:49,608
you'd grow your people
out of the stores,
894
00:38:49,911 --> 00:38:51,367
send them to a new store,
895
00:38:51,663 --> 00:38:53,745
they'd grow a whole crop
of new people
896
00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:57,373
that would go to the next store,
and so on.
897
00:38:57,669 --> 00:38:59,330
[ken] back then there
were few enough people
898
00:38:59,629 --> 00:39:02,086
that we all even went
to all the store openings.
899
00:39:02,382 --> 00:39:04,839
so we'd go to a town
for two or three weeks
900
00:39:05,134 --> 00:39:08,046
and literally a team of us
put the stores together.
901
00:39:08,346 --> 00:39:10,428
obviously, as tower got
very big, we had a team
902
00:39:10,723 --> 00:39:13,214
whose job that was to do it
separate from the retail,
903
00:39:13,518 --> 00:39:15,179
but this was the retail team,
you know,
904
00:39:15,478 --> 00:39:17,844
we'd take our classical buyer,
and our assistant manager,
905
00:39:18,147 --> 00:39:20,763
and our favorite rock buyer,
and a couple managers,
906
00:39:21,067 --> 00:39:23,809
and go camp out for
a couple of weeks in a store.
907
00:39:24,112 --> 00:39:25,648
bringing the racks in,
marking the records,
908
00:39:25,947 --> 00:39:27,278
putting the records
in the shelves,
909
00:39:27,574 --> 00:39:29,235
setting everything up
so it really helped
910
00:39:29,534 --> 00:39:31,240
make you feel like
you were part of a team,
911
00:39:31,536 --> 00:39:34,027
but it also made you feel like
you were personally successful
912
00:39:34,330 --> 00:39:36,992
because you were able
to be part of this.
913
00:39:37,292 --> 00:39:38,372
[russ]so by 1979,
914
00:39:38,668 --> 00:39:41,159
we were really
a west coast operation.
915
00:39:41,462 --> 00:39:43,373
we'd opened stores
all the way from seattle
916
00:39:43,673 --> 00:39:45,038
to san diego,
917
00:39:45,341 --> 00:39:47,457
and then we went over
to phoenix and tempe.
918
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:50,342
so a couple of guys came over
and visited me,
919
00:39:50,638 --> 00:39:52,970
hugh sazaki and akehana zowa.
920
00:39:53,266 --> 00:39:56,758
they said they wanted to start
up tower records in japan.
921
00:39:57,061 --> 00:39:58,847
these two gentlemen,
aki and hugh,
922
00:39:59,147 --> 00:40:00,762
had come to sacramento,
met with russ,
923
00:40:01,065 --> 00:40:02,771
and russ would fall
for any idea,
924
00:40:03,067 --> 00:40:04,648
and then they went back
to japan,
925
00:40:04,944 --> 00:40:07,651
and then a few weeks later
called up and said,
926
00:40:07,947 --> 00:40:09,483
"come on over.
we want to show you around."
927
00:40:09,782 --> 00:40:11,272
so they sent us
a couple of tickets.
928
00:40:11,576 --> 00:40:14,409
we traveled all over japan,
saw the sights,
929
00:40:14,704 --> 00:40:17,161
saw the existing
record retailers over there.
930
00:40:17,457 --> 00:40:19,118
[mark]
but one guy up in sapporo,
931
00:40:19,417 --> 00:40:21,874
which was a little island on
the northern border of japan,
932
00:40:22,170 --> 00:40:24,035
i think had stolen the name
tower records,
933
00:40:24,339 --> 00:40:26,330
and literally
had a tower record store.
934
00:40:26,633 --> 00:40:28,123
we said, "oh, no."
935
00:40:28,426 --> 00:40:30,417
so we went up
and we saw this, and said,
936
00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:32,085
"that's not very nice,
you've stolen our name.
937
00:40:32,388 --> 00:40:33,969
you shouldn't have done that. "
938
00:40:34,265 --> 00:40:36,597
but at least, if we open
our wholesale operation here,
939
00:40:36,893 --> 00:40:39,680
will you let us sell you
the imported records,
940
00:40:39,979 --> 00:40:41,435
and you guys run it?
941
00:40:41,731 --> 00:40:43,016
so that's how it started.
942
00:40:45,318 --> 00:40:48,401
russ was always enthusiastic
about something new.
943
00:40:48,696 --> 00:40:50,732
everybody else
on the record side hated it.
944
00:40:51,032 --> 00:40:52,613
they said, "we're an american
record company,
945
00:40:52,909 --> 00:40:54,399
we sell retail in america."
946
00:40:54,702 --> 00:40:56,192
they didn't know anything
about japan.
947
00:40:56,496 --> 00:40:58,578
russ didn't have any kind
of attitude like that.
948
00:40:58,873 --> 00:41:00,989
and they had no desire
to do it.
949
00:41:01,292 --> 00:41:03,374
they didn't care, it was just
one of russ' little projects.
950
00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:05,410
i was just a nobody receiving
clerk, and i said,
951
00:41:05,713 --> 00:41:07,544
"hell, i'll help you out.
whatever you want to do."
952
00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,580
our job at tower broadway
953
00:41:09,884 --> 00:41:12,170
was we would pull the records
out of stock from broadway,
954
00:41:12,470 --> 00:41:14,210
and ship them to japan,
955
00:41:14,514 --> 00:41:15,924
and that's when
i first got involved with russ,
956
00:41:16,224 --> 00:41:17,509
as i was the shipping
and receiving clerk
957
00:41:17,809 --> 00:41:19,925
making probably
five bucks an hour.
958
00:41:20,228 --> 00:41:21,843
that's how russ
and i became friends.
959
00:41:22,146 --> 00:41:24,603
nobody else would help him.
960
00:41:24,899 --> 00:41:26,480
[russ]
this goes on for a few months,
961
00:41:26,776 --> 00:41:29,358
and things are not really
looking all that good.
962
00:41:29,654 --> 00:41:31,269
we don't know
what is going wrong,
963
00:41:31,572 --> 00:41:34,279
but sad but true, they didn't
know what they were doing,
964
00:41:34,575 --> 00:41:35,860
and they weren't
very good at it.
965
00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:37,821
[mark]i think it was
a friday evening,
966
00:41:38,121 --> 00:41:39,736
and probably russ and i,
i know i was in russ' office,
967
00:41:40,039 --> 00:41:41,324
and we had been drinking,
968
00:41:41,624 --> 00:41:42,830
had a few cocktails,
you know, as you would
969
00:41:43,126 --> 00:41:44,582
wind down after a tough day.
970
00:41:44,877 --> 00:41:46,367
somehow the subject came up,
971
00:41:46,671 --> 00:41:48,536
"who am i going to send
to japan?"
972
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,047
and he asked me that question,
"who am i going
to send to japan?"
973
00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:53,128
and i said,
"the only guy to send is me."
974
00:41:53,428 --> 00:41:55,669
and he goes,
"what do you mean, you?
you're not a store manager,
975
00:41:55,972 --> 00:41:57,303
you don't know
anything about it. "
976
00:41:57,598 --> 00:41:59,008
and i said,
"well, i'm the one
977
00:41:59,308 --> 00:42:00,468
who's been doing
all this work for japan."
978
00:42:00,768 --> 00:42:02,099
he goes, "do you think
you can do it?"
979
00:42:02,395 --> 00:42:04,511
i said, "sure."
he goes, "then go."
980
00:42:04,814 --> 00:42:05,929
you didn't have to go through
a bunch of people
981
00:42:06,232 --> 00:42:07,517
to make a decision
at tower records.
982
00:42:07,817 --> 00:42:08,772
he was the worst person to send
983
00:42:09,068 --> 00:42:10,228
i would ever think
in my life.
984
00:42:10,528 --> 00:42:11,608
i mean he had
the social skills
985
00:42:11,904 --> 00:42:12,939
of a warthog in heat,
you kidding me?
986
00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:14,854
but i think the reason
that they did,
987
00:42:15,158 --> 00:42:16,944
is he knew a lot
about shipping and receiving,
988
00:42:17,243 --> 00:42:19,529
he'd learned about
international shipping.
989
00:42:19,829 --> 00:42:21,740
they needed somebody to know
about how to get the product
in and out of there.
990
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:23,780
i'd only been there
two and a half years.
991
00:42:24,083 --> 00:42:26,449
i saw it as an opportunity
to do something.
992
00:42:28,296 --> 00:42:30,082
[russ]we had no idea
what we're doing.
993
00:42:30,381 --> 00:42:33,373
i'll be honest with you,
we had not a clue.
994
00:42:33,676 --> 00:42:34,882
but we did it anyhow.
995
00:42:35,178 --> 00:42:36,668
i had literally
no idea what to expect.
996
00:42:36,971 --> 00:42:38,962
i'd never been to japan,
i had to go get a passport.
997
00:42:39,265 --> 00:42:41,472
we had a warehouse in akasaka,
998
00:42:41,768 --> 00:42:44,350
which is like the beverly hills
of tokyo, for god's sakes.
999
00:42:44,645 --> 00:42:45,976
we had this little warehouse,
1000
00:42:46,272 --> 00:42:47,557
and i was supposed
to be there for six months.
1001
00:42:47,857 --> 00:42:48,972
that was my deal,
you got six months
1002
00:42:49,275 --> 00:42:51,482
to go either fix it or close it.
1003
00:42:53,738 --> 00:42:55,478
[mark]shibuya was a little
like times square,
1004
00:42:55,782 --> 00:42:57,522
laginsu was a little
like times square.
1005
00:42:57,825 --> 00:42:59,565
tokyo was like times square.
1006
00:42:59,869 --> 00:43:00,984
i mean the place
was always lit ur
1007
00:43:01,287 --> 00:43:03,619
at nighttime, tokyo came alive.
1008
00:43:05,708 --> 00:43:08,916
shibuya was a very hip,
more of a younger area
1009
00:43:09,212 --> 00:43:11,294
for stores and kids
and people to hang out.
1010
00:43:11,589 --> 00:43:13,671
the japan ese at that time
were very much
1011
00:43:13,966 --> 00:43:15,752
into the culture
of american music.
1012
00:43:16,052 --> 00:43:17,838
so i called russ, and said,
"russ, we're not closing
1013
00:43:18,137 --> 00:43:19,673
the wholesale operation,
1014
00:43:19,972 --> 00:43:21,087
we're going to
open up a retail store."
1015
00:43:21,390 --> 00:43:23,381
and that set off
quite a firestorm
1016
00:43:23,684 --> 00:43:26,141
of controversy to say the least.
1017
00:43:26,437 --> 00:43:28,894
[mark]the push back
from stateside was,
1018
00:43:29,190 --> 00:43:30,646
"you guys are crazy,
you're not going to do it."
1019
00:43:30,942 --> 00:43:32,807
that was probably
bud's first impression.
1020
00:43:33,111 --> 00:43:34,476
[mike]
bud wanted to be profitable.
1021
00:43:34,779 --> 00:43:37,361
he didn't care so much
about being big.
1022
00:43:37,657 --> 00:43:41,866
if you don't take advantage
of a new idea,
1023
00:43:42,161 --> 00:43:44,994
if it makes any sense at all,
1024
00:43:45,289 --> 00:43:46,699
then you've lost something.
1025
00:43:48,626 --> 00:43:50,412
[mark]
russ wasn't omnipotent
1026
00:43:50,711 --> 00:43:52,576
and he couldn't tell you,
"here, you go play with this,
1027
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,292
it's going to work,
go play with this, it isn't."
1028
00:43:55,591 --> 00:43:56,922
this was russ' company.
1029
00:43:57,218 --> 00:43:58,833
russ loved japan,
he loved the culture.
1030
00:43:59,137 --> 00:44:01,219
and he said, "you know mark,
i think that's a great idea. "
1031
00:44:01,514 --> 00:44:04,722
because he was so cutting edge.
you know, he was so hip.
1032
00:44:05,017 --> 00:44:06,507
he was always taking
that next step forward
1033
00:44:06,811 --> 00:44:08,096
before the forward was there.
1034
00:44:08,396 --> 00:44:10,227
[mark]i saw this location
and loved it.
1035
00:44:10,523 --> 00:44:12,605
called russ,
and i think he was in japan
1036
00:44:12,900 --> 00:44:14,356
within two weeks
to look at the location.
1037
00:44:17,071 --> 00:44:20,108
it took six to eight months
of legal wrangling to do this,
1038
00:44:20,408 --> 00:44:22,444
because it hadn't
been done before.
1039
00:44:22,743 --> 00:44:25,860
in japan, in order
to open up a business
you had to have a partner.
1040
00:44:26,164 --> 00:44:29,281
there was restaurants,
shakey's pizza parlors
1041
00:44:29,584 --> 00:44:32,542
and mcdonald's,
but those were all franchises.
1042
00:44:32,837 --> 00:44:35,624
there was no retail
establishment in japan
1043
00:44:35,923 --> 00:44:37,663
wholly owned
by an american company.
1044
00:44:37,967 --> 00:44:40,208
it was something nobody else
had ever done, for christ sake.
1045
00:44:40,511 --> 00:44:44,174
this was a 3,000 year old
country and nobody
could ever think
1046
00:44:44,473 --> 00:44:45,804
of another american company
1047
00:44:46,100 --> 00:44:48,762
opening a retail store
without a japanese partner.
1048
00:44:49,061 --> 00:44:53,646
[rock music playing]
1049
00:44:59,572 --> 00:45:01,779
[mark]getting all of
the racking, the records,
1050
00:45:02,074 --> 00:45:03,780
the employees,
everything in place,
1051
00:45:04,076 --> 00:45:06,567
that went without a hitch.
that was no problem.
1052
00:45:06,871 --> 00:45:08,031
the hardest part, once again,
1053
00:45:08,331 --> 00:45:10,367
was all of
the legal maneuvering
1054
00:45:10,666 --> 00:45:12,702
that had to go on
just to open the store.
1055
00:45:13,002 --> 00:45:16,335
but he did open up
the shibuya store.
1056
00:45:16,631 --> 00:45:18,371
[mark]literally,
the morning we opened,
1057
00:45:18,674 --> 00:45:20,255
we had over 300 or 400 people
1058
00:45:20,551 --> 00:45:21,882
standing in line
to get in to the store.
1059
00:45:23,930 --> 00:45:26,888
[russ]people were literally
squash ed against the door,
1060
00:45:27,183 --> 00:45:29,640
waiting to get in,
and they poured in.
1061
00:45:29,936 --> 00:45:30,766
you never saw anything like it.
1062
00:45:31,062 --> 00:45:33,269
i mean, it was amazing.
1063
00:45:33,564 --> 00:45:34,974
[mark]i remember,
the store was packed
1064
00:45:35,274 --> 00:45:36,810
from the moment
we opened till we closed,
1065
00:45:37,109 --> 00:45:39,976
we did like 65,
70 grand that day.
1066
00:45:40,279 --> 00:45:42,235
it was like that
for the first month
1067
00:45:42,531 --> 00:45:44,647
the store was open.
that store was just
1068
00:45:44,951 --> 00:45:47,112
a huge success from day one.
1069
00:45:47,411 --> 00:45:51,154
the japanese culture was
really into american music,
1070
00:45:51,453 --> 00:45:53,743
and the fact that it was
an american import
1071
00:45:54,043 --> 00:45:56,326
and not a japanese pressed...
1072
00:45:56,624 --> 00:45:57,995
it wasn't the eagles
pressed in japan,
1073
00:45:58,292 --> 00:45:59,833
it was the eagles
made in the united states
1074
00:46:00,131 --> 00:46:01,378
brought to japan and sold,
1075
00:46:01,674 --> 00:46:05,844
and that whole vibe
really sold well.
1076
00:46:06,139 --> 00:46:07,372
we just happened
to literally be
1077
00:46:07,683 --> 00:46:08,924
at the right place,
at the right time.
1078
00:46:09,225 --> 00:46:11,637
you want to call that luck?
then call it luck.
1079
00:46:11,936 --> 00:46:13,221
[interviewer]
what would you call it?
1080
00:46:13,521 --> 00:46:14,601
luck. ha!
1081
00:46:14,897 --> 00:46:16,512
[rock music playing]
1082
00:46:19,193 --> 00:46:22,902
we weren't shoving americana
down japanese th roats,
for god's sakes,
1083
00:46:23,197 --> 00:46:25,654
it was a culture,
it was a music culture.
1084
00:46:25,950 --> 00:46:29,693
[russ]so he went and found
a second location in yokohama.
1085
00:46:29,996 --> 00:46:31,782
he got it, we put it together,
1086
00:46:32,081 --> 00:46:34,743
opened that damn thing,
and it was a success, heh.
1087
00:46:35,042 --> 00:46:36,748
all we had to do
was open the doors.
1088
00:46:37,044 --> 00:46:39,330
people flocked in the joint.
1089
00:46:39,630 --> 00:46:41,916
expansion was obviously,
once ya do it,
1090
00:46:42,216 --> 00:46:44,753
russ can't wait to do it again.
1091
00:46:45,052 --> 00:46:46,588
[russ]
so then we started finding
1092
00:46:46,887 --> 00:46:48,718
these kind of stores
all over the country,
1093
00:46:49,015 --> 00:46:51,472
one right after another.
1094
00:46:51,767 --> 00:46:53,928
[mark]and i think russ,
seeing the success it was
1095
00:46:54,228 --> 00:46:56,514
globally, or nationally,
or internationally,
1096
00:46:56,814 --> 00:46:58,896
i actually think
that gave him the impetus
1097
00:46:59,191 --> 00:47:00,852
to move to new york.
1098
00:47:01,152 --> 00:47:03,518
[jim urie]
first met russ solomon
in the early '803.
1099
00:47:03,821 --> 00:47:05,982
at that point, i was
the new york branch manager
1100
00:47:06,282 --> 00:47:08,068
for what is now sony music,
1101
00:47:08,367 --> 00:47:10,403
it was called cbs records
at the time, and of course,
1102
00:47:10,703 --> 00:47:12,944
everyone knew
about tower records,
1103
00:47:13,247 --> 00:47:17,206
but it was not an east coast
phenomenon, at that point.
1104
00:47:17,501 --> 00:47:19,958
[russ]we started with
a conversation i was having
1105
00:47:20,254 --> 00:47:22,461
at the narm convention
in florida.
1106
00:47:22,757 --> 00:47:24,918
we were talking about,
"gosh, you know,
1107
00:47:25,217 --> 00:47:27,173
"i'd love to open
a classical store in new york
1108
00:47:27,470 --> 00:47:30,803
because that's the place where
people like classical music."
1109
00:47:31,098 --> 00:47:32,713
russ called up and said,
1110
00:47:33,017 --> 00:47:34,928
"hey guys, i want you
to come to my office."
1111
00:47:35,227 --> 00:47:36,933
we go in there, and russ says,
1112
00:47:37,229 --> 00:47:39,094
"how would you like
to open the store
1113
00:47:39,398 --> 00:47:43,186
"in the middle of the hippest
city in the united states
1114
00:47:43,486 --> 00:47:44,817
by a college?"
1115
00:47:45,112 --> 00:47:46,693
we had no idea
what he was talking about.
1116
00:47:46,989 --> 00:47:50,277
and we go down into the bowels
of lower manhattan
1117
00:47:50,576 --> 00:47:52,237
to the village,
4th and broadway.
1118
00:47:52,536 --> 00:47:54,652
[steve nikkel]there wasn't even
a particular neighborhood.
1119
00:47:54,955 --> 00:47:57,196
we started calling it
the village, and it became
part of the village.
1120
00:47:57,500 --> 00:47:59,866
but it really wasn't part
of the village. [chuckles]
1121
00:48:00,169 --> 00:48:03,206
but you spend enough money
in marketing and things happen.
1122
00:48:03,506 --> 00:48:04,962
it was terrible,
it was like i kind of thought,
1123
00:48:05,257 --> 00:48:07,794
"what the fuck is he thinking?"
1124
00:48:08,094 --> 00:48:09,959
there was a dead dog
in the gutter.
1125
00:48:10,262 --> 00:48:13,846
i'm in shock,
i thought we were...
1126
00:48:14,141 --> 00:48:15,347
in the bowels of hell.
1127
00:48:15,643 --> 00:48:17,304
[russ]
and it was really cheap rent.
1128
00:48:17,603 --> 00:48:19,514
i mean the whole deal
was like 10 bucks a foot.
1129
00:48:19,814 --> 00:48:21,270
[jim]literally, there was
nothing else there.
1130
00:48:21,565 --> 00:48:24,102
empty office buildings,
empty storefronts,
1131
00:48:24,402 --> 00:48:27,144
there was nothing around it.
i can't emphasize that enough.
1132
00:48:27,446 --> 00:48:29,482
there was nothing
around it at all.
1133
00:48:29,782 --> 00:48:32,774
you know, it was like
a massive four stories,
1134
00:48:33,077 --> 00:48:34,362
m ezzanines,
escalators, you know,
1135
00:48:34,662 --> 00:48:37,950
very, very expensive
store to build. very risky.
1136
00:48:38,249 --> 00:48:40,160
[russ]we took it,
and then we fixed it up
1137
00:48:40,459 --> 00:48:42,245
everybody thought
we were totally crazy.
1138
00:48:42,545 --> 00:48:45,753
that nobody would ever go
to broadway and buy records,
1139
00:48:46,048 --> 00:48:49,256
and we open up, and the people
are lined up to get in.
1140
00:48:49,552 --> 00:48:51,793
[jim]and here is this
cavernous store,
1141
00:48:52,096 --> 00:48:54,758
half a block footprint,
four stories,
1142
00:48:55,057 --> 00:48:56,672
had an elevator it was so tall.
1143
00:48:56,976 --> 00:48:59,217
god knows how much inventory
was in there.
1144
00:48:59,520 --> 00:49:01,010
it looked fantastic,
of course,
1145
00:49:01,313 --> 00:49:02,769
the vinyl with
the 12-inch artwork.
1146
00:49:03,065 --> 00:49:04,805
i mean, it looked great,
and it was everywhere.
1147
00:49:05,109 --> 00:49:06,974
their singles department alone
1148
00:49:07,278 --> 00:49:09,269
was probably bigger
than any other store
1149
00:49:09,572 --> 00:49:11,813
in my whole new york
tri-state area.
1150
00:49:12,116 --> 00:49:14,198
and it wasn't three years later
1151
00:49:14,493 --> 00:49:18,361
when that whole part of town
became vibrant again.
1152
00:49:18,664 --> 00:49:21,872
tower records opening there
literally revived
1153
00:49:22,168 --> 00:49:27,208
those eight or ten
square blocks of manhattan.
1154
00:49:27,506 --> 00:49:29,747
everybody that worked there
was a character,
1155
00:49:30,050 --> 00:49:30,880
but russ was the face
1156
00:49:31,177 --> 00:49:33,213
of the company in every way.
1157
00:49:33,512 --> 00:49:35,503
i worked at polygram records
in new york.
1158
00:49:35,806 --> 00:49:38,013
as happens in any
entertainment company
1159
00:49:38,309 --> 00:49:40,925
there was a change at the top
and so a whole bunch of us
got blown out as a result.
1160
00:49:41,228 --> 00:49:44,140
new management coming in.
i was senior vice president
of marketing.
1161
00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:47,307
and it feels pretty bad
to get fired.
1162
00:49:47,610 --> 00:49:49,100
and you're on the outside
of this business
1163
00:49:49,403 --> 00:49:50,984
you've been in your whole life,
1164
00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:53,612
and your phone's not ringing,
1165
00:49:53,908 --> 00:49:56,194
you worry about your family,
and all these things.
1166
00:49:56,494 --> 00:49:58,359
russ used to have
this big christmas party
1167
00:49:58,662 --> 00:50:00,027
in his major markets,
1168
00:50:00,331 --> 00:50:02,071
and the one in new york
was really big.
1169
00:50:02,374 --> 00:50:03,739
probably 500 people.
1170
00:50:04,043 --> 00:50:05,533
and out of the blue
i get an invitation
1171
00:50:05,836 --> 00:50:07,417
to go to the christmas party
at my home,
1172
00:50:07,713 --> 00:50:09,203
and i was, of course
happy about that,
1173
00:50:09,507 --> 00:50:10,792
i thought,
" do i really want to go
1174
00:50:11,091 --> 00:50:12,001
have people looking at me,
feeling sorry?"
1175
00:50:12,301 --> 00:50:13,040
but i finally decided to go.
1176
00:50:13,344 --> 00:50:15,005
and i go in that night,
1177
00:50:15,304 --> 00:50:18,216
and you sort of walked in
and walked down some stai rs.
1178
00:50:18,516 --> 00:50:20,006
when you first walk in
you could see the whole place,
1179
00:50:20,309 --> 00:50:22,595
and it was huge,
and shoulder to shoulder.
1180
00:50:22,895 --> 00:50:25,181
and russ was like
the pied piper in the middle.
1181
00:50:25,481 --> 00:50:28,063
where russ went,
there were throngs of people.
1182
00:50:28,359 --> 00:50:29,815
as russ made his way
around the room,
1183
00:50:30,110 --> 00:50:31,350
there was always
a throng of people.
1184
00:50:31,654 --> 00:50:33,736
everybody wanted to shake
his hand, touch him.
1185
00:50:34,031 --> 00:50:34,986
so, umm...
1186
00:50:37,993 --> 00:50:38,823
i, uh...
1187
00:50:40,204 --> 00:50:41,660
i finally shook his hand,
1188
00:50:41,956 --> 00:50:44,242
said, "hi, thanks for
inviting me", whatever.
1189
00:50:44,542 --> 00:50:47,158
he leaned over to me
and he said,
1190
00:50:47,461 --> 00:50:50,749
"a couple of us are going out
for dinner afterward.
do you wanna go?"
1191
00:50:52,174 --> 00:50:53,880
[choked up]
and, uh...
1192
00:50:54,176 --> 00:50:55,837
let me start that again.
1193
00:50:58,055 --> 00:51:00,046
"a couple of us are going out
to dinner. do you wanna go?"
1194
00:51:00,349 --> 00:51:03,466
and i said,
"well, golly yeah, russ,
if you really want to have me."
1195
00:51:03,769 --> 00:51:05,600
so he told me where and i went.
1196
00:51:05,896 --> 00:51:07,887
and it was russ,
and four other people, and me.
1197
00:51:13,153 --> 00:51:14,233
and, uh...
1198
00:51:16,031 --> 00:51:17,111
and at that moment in my life,
1199
00:51:17,408 --> 00:51:20,445
that meant... a lot.
1200
00:51:22,246 --> 00:51:24,077
because i was down.
1201
00:51:24,373 --> 00:51:26,455
and that russ solomon
would care enough,
1202
00:51:26,750 --> 00:51:28,832
and do that
personal little touch...
1203
00:51:31,755 --> 00:51:33,996
means something to me now,
20 some years later.
1204
00:51:38,053 --> 00:51:40,760
he could have used it, i mean,
most guys would have used it
1205
00:51:41,056 --> 00:51:42,637
as a business opportunity
and grabbed
1206
00:51:42,933 --> 00:51:44,719
a couple record company
presidents and whatever,
1207
00:51:45,019 --> 00:51:47,180
instead of
some out of work guy.
1208
00:51:47,479 --> 00:51:50,016
but that's not the way
russ sees life.
1209
00:51:58,032 --> 00:52:00,193
[heidi]the whole magic
of tower as a chain
1210
00:52:00,492 --> 00:52:02,153
was that it was a chain
of independent stores.
1211
00:52:02,453 --> 00:52:04,068
book stores as well
as the record stores.
1212
00:52:04,371 --> 00:52:06,111
so when you walked
into a tower record store,
1213
00:52:06,415 --> 00:52:08,326
you thought it was
the only one on the planet.
1214
00:52:08,626 --> 00:52:11,242
the l.a. people always
thought the l.a. store
was the first store.
1215
00:52:11,545 --> 00:52:13,786
the new yorkers always thought
the new york store was.
1216
00:52:14,089 --> 00:52:16,626
the san francisco people thought
that their store was.
1217
00:52:16,925 --> 00:52:18,540
because they all had
the individual flavor
1218
00:52:18,844 --> 00:52:21,005
of the people who ran it
and who worked there.
1219
00:52:21,305 --> 00:52:22,590
which made them very unique.
1220
00:52:22,890 --> 00:52:26,007
there was no cookie cutter
going on at all.
1221
00:52:26,310 --> 00:52:28,301
[steve nikkel]until we got
into some of the larger markets
1222
00:52:28,604 --> 00:52:30,265
on the east coast,
then we started buying
1223
00:52:30,564 --> 00:52:33,601
national tv for ads,
so we became a national brand.
1224
00:52:33,901 --> 00:52:34,890
but you had to have
1225
00:52:35,194 --> 00:52:36,684
the credibility
in the larger markets
1226
00:52:36,987 --> 00:52:39,103
before you could go
into the suburbs.
1227
00:52:39,406 --> 00:52:41,522
probably in about late '703,
1228
00:52:41,825 --> 00:52:44,612
we established our own
advertising department.
1229
00:52:44,912 --> 00:52:47,153
that was chris hopson
who ran it.
1230
00:52:47,456 --> 00:52:49,242
farrace was just
working in there
1231
00:52:49,541 --> 00:52:51,623
as one of the advertising
people, the assistants.
1232
00:52:51,919 --> 00:52:54,285
farrace also was
one of these thinkers.
1233
00:52:54,588 --> 00:52:56,078
and he came to me
one day and says,
1234
00:52:56,382 --> 00:52:57,872
"we ought to have
a magazine for tower,
1235
00:52:58,175 --> 00:53:00,086
i've got an idea
what to call it: pulse."
1236
00:53:00,386 --> 00:53:01,717
i said, "great, let's do it."
1237
00:53:03,263 --> 00:53:04,924
[mike farrace]
working with chris,
1238
00:53:05,224 --> 00:53:07,556
we hammered out this way
that the magazine would exist
1239
00:53:07,851 --> 00:53:09,387
and when people
advertised in it,
1240
00:53:09,687 --> 00:53:11,177
they would get a sale price
in the store,
1241
00:53:11,480 --> 00:53:12,720
positioning in a rack,
1242
00:53:13,023 --> 00:53:15,184
just the things
that really gave it the teeth.
1243
00:53:15,484 --> 00:53:17,520
[steve]pulse was another
credibility thing for us.
1244
00:53:17,820 --> 00:53:19,526
we could not only sell music,
1245
00:53:19,822 --> 00:53:21,813
but we could write about it,
we could communicate about it.
1246
00:53:22,116 --> 00:53:24,653
[springsteen]i mean,
there was nothing and no one
1247
00:53:24,952 --> 00:53:27,910
with the exception
of your rock fanzines
1248
00:53:28,205 --> 00:53:32,118
and small columns in maybe
a few of the major newspapers
1249
00:53:32,418 --> 00:53:34,704
that were interested
in what you were doing.
1250
00:53:35,003 --> 00:53:36,539
there weren't that
many people interested
1251
00:53:36,839 --> 00:53:38,830
in what 25�year�old kids
were doing with music.
1252
00:53:39,133 --> 00:53:42,421
so you made your record,
you gave a few interviews
1253
00:53:42,720 --> 00:53:46,008
to music publications,
and some daily newspapers,
1254
00:53:46,306 --> 00:53:47,967
that was all there was to do.
1255
00:53:48,267 --> 00:53:50,428
[steve]it was a very credible
music magazine,
1256
00:53:50,728 --> 00:53:52,514
and it was a national
music magazine
1257
00:53:52,813 --> 00:53:54,553
because of all
the markets we were in.
1258
00:53:54,857 --> 00:53:58,145
and the magazine grew and
it was a really good magazine.
1259
00:53:58,444 --> 00:53:59,729
but it was a great idea.
1260
00:54:00,028 --> 00:54:01,643
i remember him
saying more than once,
1261
00:54:01,947 --> 00:54:03,687
"just don't lose
too much money on it."
1262
00:54:03,991 --> 00:54:05,572
and try to make something.
1263
00:54:05,868 --> 00:54:09,031
it was the first time he really
focused on an idea i had.
1264
00:54:09,329 --> 00:54:12,071
[russ]you'd listen
to the people who had ideas.
1265
00:54:12,374 --> 00:54:13,614
the kids in the store,
1266
00:54:13,917 --> 00:54:16,374
who i say invented
all kinds of ideas.
1267
00:54:16,670 --> 00:54:18,206
everything we ever did
was invented
1268
00:54:18,505 --> 00:54:20,086
by the kids in the store.
1269
00:54:20,382 --> 00:54:23,465
the art on the walls,
the way they displayed things.
1270
00:54:23,761 --> 00:54:26,924
their attitude about what to buy
and what not to buy.
1271
00:54:27,222 --> 00:54:29,884
was all things happening
at the store level.
1272
00:54:30,184 --> 00:54:32,516
the whole "no music, no life",
came out of japan.
1273
00:54:32,811 --> 00:54:34,722
we adopted it,
brought it in, and used it.
1274
00:54:35,022 --> 00:54:36,637
so we're using
their creativity.
1275
00:54:36,940 --> 00:54:38,100
going,
"wow, this is interesting."
1276
00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:39,856
or, "ah, that's too dark."
1277
00:54:40,152 --> 00:54:41,517
and i'm going,
"no it's not, it's fun."
1278
00:54:41,820 --> 00:54:43,230
no music, no life,
in this sort of
1279
00:54:43,530 --> 00:54:45,236
snoopy, peanuts kind of script,
1280
00:54:45,532 --> 00:54:46,942
i'm going,
"this is very cool."
1281
00:54:47,242 --> 00:54:50,655
it was famous for
the record cover paintings
1282
00:54:50,954 --> 00:54:53,696
that was jammed
on its walls outside.
1283
00:54:53,999 --> 00:54:55,739
[bob delanoy]but that became
prominent.
1284
00:54:56,043 --> 00:54:57,408
all of a sudden,
that became the norm
1285
00:54:57,711 --> 00:54:59,247
for anywhere we had windows.
1286
00:54:59,546 --> 00:55:01,787
they'd expect us
to put some displays.
1287
00:55:02,090 --> 00:55:05,503
[springsteen]you aspired
to have your album
1288
00:55:05,803 --> 00:55:08,010
part of that big mural
out there, you know.
1289
00:55:08,305 --> 00:55:10,296
i mean, the board thing
was really cool,
1290
00:55:10,599 --> 00:55:12,681
and then we took it inside
where we had an art dept.
1291
00:55:12,976 --> 00:55:15,433
that was all foam core,
it wasn't just people
stapling albums up.
1292
00:55:15,729 --> 00:55:17,185
people went to great lengths,
1293
00:55:17,481 --> 00:55:20,314
like they'd get that
weird foam cardboard stuff
1294
00:55:20,609 --> 00:55:22,565
and make a baby,
and then there's
1295
00:55:22,861 --> 00:55:24,567
an actual dollar bill
dangling in front of it,
1296
00:55:24,863 --> 00:55:26,728
and it looks like water
behind it, you know,
1297
00:55:27,032 --> 00:55:29,569
and when you'd see people go
to that much trouble for you,
1298
00:55:29,868 --> 00:55:30,857
for your band,
1299
00:55:31,161 --> 00:55:33,948
we were just...
we were just shocked.
1300
00:55:34,248 --> 00:55:36,705
i think that really
influenced and enhanced
1301
00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,207
the experience people had
when they came in the store.
1302
00:55:39,503 --> 00:55:41,539
the presentation of music...
1303
00:55:43,590 --> 00:55:46,297
was physically exciting.
1304
00:55:46,593 --> 00:55:47,924
[steve knopper]
they branded it, they made
1305
00:55:48,220 --> 00:55:50,131
those red and yellow
logos and signs.
1306
00:55:50,430 --> 00:55:52,796
and turned the idea that this
was your local record store
1307
00:55:53,100 --> 00:55:54,965
into a national thing.
1308
00:55:55,269 --> 00:55:57,635
[mike solomon]tower was growing
at a faster and faster rate,
1309
00:55:57,938 --> 00:55:59,428
was becoming more successful,
1310
00:55:59,731 --> 00:56:02,894
and was becoming
more known or renowned.
1311
00:56:03,193 --> 00:56:06,276
the employees at tower
felt proud about that.
1312
00:56:06,572 --> 00:56:08,062
we helped each other
make it work.
1313
00:56:08,365 --> 00:56:11,323
we tried to get
the person below us promoted
1314
00:56:11,618 --> 00:56:12,573
so that they could move on.
1315
00:56:12,870 --> 00:56:14,280
i became a store manager.
1316
00:56:14,580 --> 00:56:16,320
i became the regional director,
1317
00:56:16,623 --> 00:56:18,659
i became vice president
of operations for the usa,
1318
00:56:18,959 --> 00:56:20,324
i became vice president
and director
1319
00:56:20,627 --> 00:56:22,208
of in�store design
and development.
1320
00:56:22,504 --> 00:56:24,745
[stan]we were really getting
into an expansion mode.
1321
00:56:25,048 --> 00:56:28,381
it was quite a transition
from being store-centric
1322
00:56:28,677 --> 00:56:31,259
to having to look
at the whole picture.
1323
00:56:31,555 --> 00:56:34,547
but all those years
weren't wonderful years.
1324
00:56:34,850 --> 00:56:36,465
i only remember this
because i was a young guy,
1325
00:56:36,768 --> 00:56:38,349
and had to lay some people off
for the first time.
1326
00:56:38,645 --> 00:56:41,057
'79, '81, and like '83
were years
1327
00:56:41,356 --> 00:56:43,517
where the record companies were
actually laying people off.
1328
00:56:43,817 --> 00:56:45,523
rock and roll,
which had been so exciting
1329
00:56:45,819 --> 00:56:48,185
just 10 or 15
or 20 years earlier,
1330
00:56:48,488 --> 00:56:51,321
kind of got to the point where
it was a little bit stagnant.
1331
00:56:51,617 --> 00:56:53,073
the record labels, many of them,
1332
00:56:53,368 --> 00:56:55,825
had put all their eggs
into the disco basket.
1333
00:56:56,121 --> 00:56:58,407
a lot of radio stations
immediately changed formats
1334
00:56:58,707 --> 00:57:00,868
in every big city there were
two or three disco stations
1335
00:57:01,168 --> 00:57:02,908
that replaced
other formats of radio,
1336
00:57:03,211 --> 00:57:05,293
and i think hurt
as disco didn't sell that well.
1337
00:57:05,589 --> 00:57:07,875
there were a lot of layoffs,
record sales went way, way down,
1338
00:57:08,175 --> 00:57:10,131
and some in the industry
that were really worried.
1339
00:57:10,427 --> 00:57:14,261
it was all disco, and then
disco just one day crashed.
1340
00:57:14,556 --> 00:57:17,093
you would up having these
djs to get attention,
1341
00:57:17,392 --> 00:57:18,177
take advantage of it.
1342
00:57:18,477 --> 00:57:19,512
"disco sucks, man."
1343
00:57:19,811 --> 00:57:21,676
and so there was a recession.
1344
00:57:21,980 --> 00:57:25,188
three things happened
that pulled the music industry
1345
00:57:25,484 --> 00:57:27,520
out of its recession,
out of its doldrums.
1346
00:57:27,819 --> 00:57:29,605
[engine roars]
1347
00:57:29,905 --> 00:57:33,318
[electric guitar playing rock]
1348
00:57:33,617 --> 00:57:34,902
one thing was mtv.
1349
00:57:35,202 --> 00:57:36,817
turn it on,
leave it on.
1350
00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:39,953
america, see the music
you want to see.
1351
00:57:40,248 --> 00:57:41,784
i want my mtv.
1352
00:57:42,084 --> 00:57:43,665
[steve]artists who'd been
somewhat successful
1353
00:57:43,961 --> 00:57:46,543
could add a whole new visual
part of their careers.
1354
00:57:46,838 --> 00:57:48,328
if you got your video on mtv,
1355
00:57:48,632 --> 00:57:51,499
that directly had
a huge impact on sales.
1356
00:57:51,802 --> 00:57:53,087
hi, mtv.
1357
00:57:53,387 --> 00:57:54,797
[jim] i can remember clearly
signing off on
1358
00:57:55,097 --> 00:57:58,385
video budgets
that were $700, $800,000.
1359
00:57:58,684 --> 00:58:01,096
it was all important
that we get that thing on mtv
1360
00:58:01,395 --> 00:58:02,805
and if we did,
boy we were off to the races.
1361
00:58:03,105 --> 00:58:05,938
call your cable company and say,
1362
00:58:06,233 --> 00:58:07,723
"i want my mtv!"
1363
00:58:08,026 --> 00:58:10,893
the second thing was michael
jackson's thriller album.
1364
00:58:11,196 --> 00:58:13,528
in the record industry,
there's a saying,
"hits save everything."
1365
00:58:13,824 --> 00:58:16,065
and so thriller was
the proverbial rising tide
1366
00:58:16,368 --> 00:58:17,653
that lifted all the boats.
1367
00:58:17,953 --> 00:58:19,989
so many people went
into record stores,
1368
00:58:20,288 --> 00:58:22,745
including tower, tens of
millions of them at a time.
1369
00:58:23,041 --> 00:58:24,656
and when they were in there,
they'd say,
1370
00:58:24,960 --> 00:58:26,496
"oh, how about also
this lionel richie album,
1371
00:58:26,795 --> 00:58:28,205
"and how about
this madonna album,
1372
00:58:28,505 --> 00:58:30,541
and how about this springsteen,
and prince album?ii
1373
00:58:30,841 --> 00:58:32,126
then the whole thing
started to lift.
1374
00:58:32,426 --> 00:58:33,711
and then the third
and final thing,
1375
00:58:34,011 --> 00:58:35,592
which was much more
of a prolonged thing
1376
00:58:35,887 --> 00:58:37,843
was the adoption of the cd.
1377
00:58:40,559 --> 00:58:42,845
it's hard to remember now,
because they seem
so antiquated,
1378
00:58:43,145 --> 00:58:45,010
but cds for a while were cool.
1379
00:58:45,313 --> 00:58:47,474
they were shiny and silver,
and state of the art,
1380
00:58:47,774 --> 00:58:49,014
and they sounded perfect.
1381
00:58:49,317 --> 00:58:50,773
they sounded pristine,
and that was something
1382
00:58:51,069 --> 00:58:53,151
that we couldn't get
from our big, cumbersome lps.
1383
00:58:53,447 --> 00:58:55,403
that was exciting
because it was digital
1384
00:58:55,699 --> 00:58:58,441
and as much as i like
the sound of lps,
1385
00:58:58,744 --> 00:59:00,780
the ticks and pops when
you were listening to classical
1386
00:59:01,079 --> 00:59:02,910
used to just drive me
up the wall.
1387
00:59:03,206 --> 00:59:05,197
so this thing was coming out,
and you'd go,
1388
00:59:05,500 --> 00:59:08,287
"okay, well how do
we explain this to people?"
1389
00:59:08,587 --> 00:59:10,123
how do we tell them
there's a whole,
1390
00:59:10,422 --> 00:59:12,037
not only that there's a whole
new technology out there,
1391
00:59:12,340 --> 00:59:14,171
but there's also
a reason to buy it,
1392
00:59:14,468 --> 00:59:18,507
because there are enough cds
out there for you to buy.
1393
00:59:18,805 --> 00:59:19,840
but you didn't know
1394
00:59:20,140 --> 00:59:21,550
if the people
would adopt it or not.
1395
00:59:21,850 --> 00:59:24,307
the executives at labels
resisted the cd,
1396
00:59:24,603 --> 00:59:25,809
they wanted
no part of it at all.
1397
00:59:26,104 --> 00:59:28,891
they were worried
that it'd create piracy.
1398
00:59:29,191 --> 00:59:30,772
but russ persevered
th rough that,
1399
00:59:31,068 --> 00:59:35,653
and he was the first, biggest,
best champion of the cd.
1400
00:59:35,947 --> 00:59:37,437
[russ]it is so clean.
1401
00:59:37,741 --> 00:59:40,232
i'm very conscious
of high quality sound.
1402
00:59:40,535 --> 00:59:42,400
he always said that
that was going to be
1403
00:59:42,704 --> 00:59:44,069
the savior of the retail store.
1404
00:59:44,372 --> 00:59:46,454
these new, innovative,
high end,
1405
00:59:46,750 --> 00:59:48,536
super great sounding discs.
1406
00:59:48,835 --> 00:59:49,915
[steve knopper]
everybody, it turns out,
1407
00:59:50,212 --> 00:59:51,702
was getting tired of the lp,
1408
00:59:52,005 --> 00:59:53,996
and they were ready to replace
their record collections
1409
00:59:54,299 --> 00:59:56,415
on this more expensive product
called the cd.
1410
00:59:56,718 --> 00:59:58,379
i mean that was a huge piece
of the record business
1411
00:59:58,678 --> 01:00:01,169
was people replacing
their catalogs with cds.
1412
01:00:01,473 --> 01:00:03,509
look at this cool new thing.
1413
01:00:03,809 --> 01:00:05,345
where can i buy it?
tower records.
1414
01:00:08,605 --> 01:00:09,765
as an experiment,
the tower store
1415
01:00:10,065 --> 01:00:11,350
on sunset boulevard
in los angeles
1416
01:00:11,650 --> 01:00:13,311
has installed
a bin full of cds.
1417
01:00:13,610 --> 01:00:15,146
[steve knopper]they realized
the cd was much more expensive.
1418
01:00:15,445 --> 01:00:17,356
and it would push up
that price point
1419
01:00:17,656 --> 01:00:19,647
up to maybe $15.99 or $16.99,
1420
01:00:19,950 --> 01:00:21,861
which was a god send
for the record industry
1421
01:00:22,160 --> 01:00:24,526
at that time,
and tower took advantage of it.
1422
01:00:24,830 --> 01:00:27,116
[electronic
hip hop music playing]
1423
01:00:29,709 --> 01:00:31,574
i pump up the volume,
pump up the volume i
1424
01:00:31,878 --> 01:00:33,664
i pump up the volume,
check it out... i
1425
01:00:33,964 --> 01:00:36,671
[male reporter]by 1988 though,
cassette sales nearly doubled,
1426
01:00:36,967 --> 01:00:39,504
cds had exploded,
and the market for vinyl lps
1427
01:00:39,803 --> 01:00:42,294
had shrunk
by nearly two thirds.
1428
01:00:42,597 --> 01:00:44,508
so it was exciting
for the record company,
1429
01:00:44,808 --> 01:00:45,672
it was exciting
for the consumer,
1430
01:00:45,976 --> 01:00:48,012
and for the artist.
1431
01:00:48,311 --> 01:00:51,018
all of a sudden, you sold
you were rich.
1432
01:00:51,314 --> 01:00:53,521
[steve knopper]all of this
flowed from the fact that
1433
01:00:53,817 --> 01:00:56,559
the cd was selling so well.
1434
01:00:56,862 --> 01:00:58,568
and tower, of course
benefited from that,
1435
01:00:58,864 --> 01:01:00,479
they were part
of that culture too.
1436
01:01:00,782 --> 01:01:02,488
[male reporter]in response
to this consumer defection,
1437
01:01:02,784 --> 01:01:04,820
a number of major record stores
have removed vinyl albums
1438
01:01:05,120 --> 01:01:06,826
from their shelves altogether.
1439
01:01:07,122 --> 01:01:09,238
so, is vinyl dead?
1440
01:01:09,541 --> 01:01:10,906
[female reporter]
today's popular music
1441
01:01:11,209 --> 01:01:12,665
is more diverse
than ever before,
1442
01:01:12,961 --> 01:01:15,293
and selection is
at an all-time high.
1443
01:01:15,589 --> 01:01:16,874
but the cost
of pre-recorded music
1444
01:01:17,174 --> 01:01:18,459
has also reached new levels,
1445
01:01:18,758 --> 01:01:20,248
causing customers to be wary
1446
01:01:20,552 --> 01:01:22,793
of purchasing unknown artists
and musical styles.
1447
01:01:23,096 --> 01:01:26,008
tower and the record labels
were doing this dance on price
1448
01:01:26,308 --> 01:01:29,550
that suppliers
and wholesalers often do
1449
01:01:29,853 --> 01:01:32,811
which is sort of:
"where will the consumer break?"
1450
01:01:33,106 --> 01:01:34,562
to combat this problem,
1451
01:01:34,858 --> 01:01:37,065
tower has introduced
their new cd listening stations
1452
01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:39,271
in its retail
locations worldwide,
1453
01:01:39,571 --> 01:01:42,358
and the public's reaction
has been tremendous.
1454
01:01:42,657 --> 01:01:45,399
but i think where russ said
and where tower records said,
they were just like,
1455
01:01:45,702 --> 01:01:48,489
" every christmas
the records cost more,
and they're selling more."
1456
01:01:48,788 --> 01:01:50,528
what's not to like?
1457
01:01:50,832 --> 01:01:52,788
[russ on tv]
our stores are bigger,
they're better stocked,
1458
01:01:53,084 --> 01:01:54,290
they have
more knowledgeable people.
1459
01:01:54,586 --> 01:01:56,247
competition will
take care of itself.
1460
01:01:56,546 --> 01:01:58,912
[interviewer] that's it, russ,
you can open more stores now.
1461
01:01:59,216 --> 01:02:00,922
i pump up the volume,
pump up the volume i
1462
01:02:01,218 --> 01:02:04,585
i pump up the volume,
dance dance... i
1463
01:02:04,888 --> 01:02:07,300
[steve]
russ had a serious amount
of power, for a long time.
1464
01:02:07,599 --> 01:02:09,180
there were always
a lot of record chains,
1465
01:02:09,476 --> 01:02:10,841
but tower was, i think
the most powerful one
1466
01:02:11,144 --> 01:02:12,850
for a long period of time.
1467
01:02:13,146 --> 01:02:14,761
[male reporter]
recently, tower records
was again recognized
1468
01:02:15,065 --> 01:02:17,397
as u.s. music retailer
of the year by narm,
1469
01:02:17,692 --> 01:02:20,024
the national association
of recording merchandisers.
1470
01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:21,856
this makes the fourth
time that tower's received
1471
01:02:22,155 --> 01:02:23,645
this prestigious award.
1472
01:02:23,949 --> 01:02:25,655
the honor was bestowed
in recognition of tower's
1473
01:02:25,951 --> 01:02:28,613
high profile image, marketing
and merchandising strength,
1474
01:02:28,912 --> 01:02:30,823
and fiscal responsibility.
1475
01:02:33,041 --> 01:02:35,123
so starting in 1984,
you had michael jackson,
1476
01:02:35,418 --> 01:02:37,079
and madonna, and bruce
springsteen, and prince,
1477
01:02:37,379 --> 01:02:38,835
and then you had
the hair metal bands
1478
01:02:39,130 --> 01:02:40,791
and then you had
the grunge era,
1479
01:02:41,091 --> 01:02:42,797
and then you had
hootie and the blowfish,
1480
01:02:43,093 --> 01:02:44,708
and then you had
this entire period
1481
01:02:45,011 --> 01:02:46,876
'84 to 2000,
it's no coincidence
1482
01:02:47,180 --> 01:02:49,091
that hip hop had
its booming growth
1483
01:02:49,391 --> 01:02:50,631
during this period.
1484
01:02:50,934 --> 01:02:52,640
then you had boy bands
and britney spears
1485
01:02:52,936 --> 01:02:55,143
and christina aguilera,
and all th ese acts
1486
01:02:55,438 --> 01:02:57,804
that took advantage of teen
pop stuff that was big.
1487
01:02:58,108 --> 01:02:59,848
so it was just
one bomb exploding
1488
01:03:00,151 --> 01:03:02,107
after another in music.
1489
01:03:02,404 --> 01:03:03,564
tower was the center of it all.
1490
01:03:03,863 --> 01:03:05,319
if they're paying
by credit card,
1491
01:03:05,615 --> 01:03:09,574
the register sets the charge
in a matter of seconds.
1492
01:03:09,869 --> 01:03:10,733
you make that kind of money,
1493
01:03:11,037 --> 01:03:12,117
you want to hang on to it.
1494
01:03:12,414 --> 01:03:16,657
tower, tower again, and again.
1495
01:03:16,960 --> 01:03:18,245
[male tv announcer]
all the music is stuck
1496
01:03:18,545 --> 01:03:20,285
in this completely
warped galaxy,
1497
01:03:20,588 --> 01:03:22,169
but then tower goes
and gets it back,
1498
01:03:22,465 --> 01:03:24,751
and opens stores
all over your planet.
1499
01:03:25,051 --> 01:03:28,509
tower records, more
music for less money.
1500
01:03:28,805 --> 01:03:30,887
[steve knopper]and it was
just overwhelmingly big.
everybody knew the logo.
1501
01:03:31,182 --> 01:03:32,592
everybody knew the
red and yellow bag.
1502
01:03:32,892 --> 01:03:34,223
[man]when the digital
revolution came,
1503
01:03:34,519 --> 01:03:35,850
you know the record
business jumped on it
1504
01:03:36,146 --> 01:03:40,185
with the cd,
not realizing that they were
1505
01:03:40,483 --> 01:03:42,098
really causing their own demise.
1506
01:03:42,402 --> 01:03:44,609
[knopper]but i definitely think
that tower was optimistic,
1507
01:03:44,904 --> 01:03:45,859
and they felt like
the good times would last
1508
01:03:46,156 --> 01:03:47,271
for a good long time.
1509
01:03:47,574 --> 01:03:49,064
i mean they expanded
during this period.
1510
01:03:49,367 --> 01:03:51,323
[mike]well, by the early '9os,
we were having
1511
01:03:51,619 --> 01:03:53,610
pretty good success
in our foreign operations.
1512
01:03:53,913 --> 01:03:55,244
again, it was driven by japan,
1513
01:03:55,540 --> 01:03:57,701
which was extremely profitable.
1514
01:03:58,001 --> 01:04:01,619
maybe more so than the
domestic company in america.
1515
01:04:01,921 --> 01:04:03,536
[russ]we moved
the old shibuya store
1516
01:04:03,840 --> 01:04:05,876
to this new shibuya store,
it was an eight story building.
1517
01:04:06,176 --> 01:04:07,882
84,000 feet.
1518
01:04:08,178 --> 01:04:10,260
each floor was
a segmented store.
1519
01:04:10,555 --> 01:04:13,262
and the place was doing
hundreds of hundreds
1520
01:04:13,558 --> 01:04:14,889
of thousands
of dollars a month.
1521
01:04:15,185 --> 01:04:18,097
i mean, it was a huge
success. [chuckles]
1522
01:04:18,396 --> 01:04:19,476
you couldn't stop 'em.
1523
01:04:19,773 --> 01:04:22,640
it gave us a lot of confidence.
1524
01:04:22,942 --> 01:04:24,227
somebody came
from england and said,
1525
01:04:24,527 --> 01:04:25,812
"why don't you
have a store in england?"
1526
01:04:26,112 --> 01:04:27,602
howdy, i'm russ solomon.
1527
01:04:27,906 --> 01:04:30,022
i want to take this opportunity
to welcome all of you
1528
01:04:30,325 --> 01:04:31,861
to our little
spot in central london,
1529
01:04:32,160 --> 01:04:33,900
and i hope you're going
to have a great time tonight
1530
01:04:34,204 --> 01:04:37,822
seeing what is tonight,
the marriage of wembley
and tower.
1531
01:04:38,124 --> 01:04:39,409
two great names
in entertainment.
1532
01:04:39,709 --> 01:04:41,199
so drink up
and have a great time.
1533
01:04:41,503 --> 01:04:43,118
i'm doin' it.
1534
01:04:43,421 --> 01:04:45,503
[russ] and then in japan,
the guy that we sent to japan
1535
01:04:45,799 --> 01:04:49,087
a few years later, makes a
contact with somebody in taiwan
1536
01:04:49,386 --> 01:04:50,592
to make a partnership
1537
01:04:50,887 --> 01:04:53,003
for hong kong and taiwan
and singapore.
1538
01:04:53,306 --> 01:04:55,672
the company was
really getting big.
1539
01:04:58,520 --> 01:05:00,977
[steve nikkel]we were doing
business on a very high level.
1540
01:05:01,272 --> 01:05:02,808
but you never escaped
this thing that
1541
01:05:03,108 --> 01:05:04,939
wow, it's like,
i'm sitting in an ex-pat bar
1542
01:05:05,235 --> 01:05:07,066
at 2:00 in the morning
in taipei,
1543
01:05:07,362 --> 01:05:09,774
you know,
and i'm from sacramento.
1544
01:05:10,073 --> 01:05:11,108
how cool is this?
1545
01:05:11,408 --> 01:05:14,696
moving to countries
outside of japan
1546
01:05:14,994 --> 01:05:15,983
was a risk.
1547
01:05:16,287 --> 01:05:17,117
they expanded
in latin america,
1548
01:05:17,414 --> 01:05:19,746
in asia, and all over the place.
1549
01:05:20,041 --> 01:05:22,248
[woman] can you give
the fans message tonight?
1550
01:05:22,544 --> 01:05:24,375
no music, no life.
1551
01:05:24,671 --> 01:05:26,957
[mike]we were becoming
famous worldwide,
1552
01:05:27,257 --> 01:05:28,747
and we enjoyed that.
1553
01:05:29,050 --> 01:05:30,039
why, i suppose
it stroked our egos
1554
01:05:30,343 --> 01:05:31,128
to a certain point.
1555
01:05:31,428 --> 01:05:32,634
it was fucking awesome.
1556
01:05:32,929 --> 01:05:35,261
i mean, come on. [laughs]
1557
01:05:35,557 --> 01:05:39,015
i mean, my gosh,
it was a mind blower.
1558
01:05:39,310 --> 01:05:40,265
it was really fun.
1559
01:05:40,562 --> 01:05:42,473
we got to know
more about music
1560
01:05:42,772 --> 01:05:44,854
going in to mexico city,
going in to colombia,
1561
01:05:45,150 --> 01:05:47,186
and buenos aires,
it allowed us to know
1562
01:05:47,485 --> 01:05:49,191
a lot more about latin music.
1563
01:05:49,487 --> 01:05:51,648
but we weren't really successful
1564
01:05:51,948 --> 01:05:54,439
in any of the other countries
we went into.
1565
01:05:54,742 --> 01:05:55,902
therein lies the tale.
1566
01:05:56,202 --> 01:05:57,988
you know sometimes,
i guess, one can get
1567
01:05:58,288 --> 01:05:59,949
a little too big
for their britches.
1568
01:06:00,248 --> 01:06:02,079
like i said,
there was this culture
1569
01:06:02,375 --> 01:06:04,411
that was growing
that wherever we wanted
1570
01:06:04,711 --> 01:06:06,622
to put a store,
build it and they will come,
1571
01:06:06,921 --> 01:06:08,286
field of dreams bullshit.
1572
01:06:08,590 --> 01:06:10,581
there was no due diligence,
for christ sakes,
1573
01:06:10,884 --> 01:06:13,876
done on buenos aires
or mexico city.
1574
01:06:14,179 --> 01:06:16,841
i said borrow
all that damn money.
1575
01:06:17,140 --> 01:06:19,927
i'm as guilty about
that as anybody else.
1576
01:06:20,226 --> 01:06:22,717
i'm stupid for saying yes
1577
01:06:23,021 --> 01:06:24,761
to partnerships in argentina
1578
01:06:25,064 --> 01:06:27,020
even though i didn't
totally believe in 'em.
1579
01:06:27,317 --> 01:06:30,400
[mike solomon]bud did not want
the company to go in to
so much debt.
1580
01:06:30,695 --> 01:06:32,481
he would succumb
to the pressure that russ
1581
01:06:32,780 --> 01:06:35,738
put on him,
although he was happy enough,
1582
01:06:36,034 --> 01:06:37,149
especially because he was making
1583
01:06:37,452 --> 01:06:38,532
a lot of money, personally.
1584
01:06:38,828 --> 01:06:40,034
if you look
at the music industry
1585
01:06:40,330 --> 01:06:42,491
at any given point
during that period
1586
01:06:42,790 --> 01:06:45,657
from '84 to 2000,
you wouldn't really go,
1587
01:06:45,960 --> 01:06:48,372
"oh no, there's choppy
waters on the horizon."
1588
01:06:48,671 --> 01:06:49,956
russ, what about
these new technologies
1589
01:06:50,256 --> 01:06:53,589
like the mini disc, dcc,
or beaming music and video
1590
01:06:53,885 --> 01:06:55,045
right in to my house?
1591
01:06:55,345 --> 01:06:56,960
are my cds history,
and will your inventory
1592
01:06:57,263 --> 01:06:58,719
at tower become obsolete?
1593
01:06:59,015 --> 01:07:00,221
there's so many new technologies
1594
01:07:00,517 --> 01:07:02,007
we simply get
involved with them.
1595
01:07:02,310 --> 01:07:03,390
we get involved with them
1596
01:07:03,686 --> 01:07:05,222
at the early part
of their development
1597
01:07:05,522 --> 01:07:07,854
and we grow with 'em,
or when they die,
1598
01:07:08,149 --> 01:07:10,481
we throw them out like d.a.t.
1599
01:07:10,777 --> 01:07:12,358
as for the whole concept
of beaming something
1600
01:07:12,654 --> 01:07:16,112
in to one's home,
that may come along someday,
1601
01:07:16,407 --> 01:07:18,238
that's for sure,
but it will come along
1602
01:07:18,535 --> 01:07:20,275
over a long period of time,
and we'll be able
1603
01:07:20,578 --> 01:07:22,193
to deal with it
and change our focus
1604
01:07:22,497 --> 01:07:24,112
and change the way
we do business
1605
01:07:24,415 --> 01:07:26,827
to deal with the
situation as it really is.
1606
01:07:27,126 --> 01:07:28,332
as far as your cd collection,
1607
01:07:28,628 --> 01:07:30,914
and our cd inventory
for that matter,
1608
01:07:31,214 --> 01:07:33,876
it's going to be around
for a long, long time,
believe me.
1609
01:07:34,175 --> 01:07:35,665
[russ]when you look back
on all your mistakes,
1610
01:07:35,969 --> 01:07:37,425
and you make 'em,
that's for sure,
1611
01:07:37,720 --> 01:07:39,961
it just, it catches up with ya,
1612
01:07:40,265 --> 01:07:41,801
is what the truth of it is.
1613
01:07:42,100 --> 01:07:44,967
you think you're
going to be all right,
1614
01:07:45,270 --> 01:07:46,430
and when it catches up with ya,
1615
01:07:46,729 --> 01:07:49,095
then it's too late
to do anything about it.
1616
01:07:49,399 --> 01:07:51,105
[mike solomon]the business had
grown significantly.
1617
01:07:51,401 --> 01:07:53,062
it was an
international business.
1618
01:07:53,361 --> 01:07:56,478
sales were running close
to a billion dollars
by that time,
1619
01:07:56,781 --> 01:07:59,443
and bud the accountant
was possibly
1620
01:07:59,742 --> 01:08:00,948
a little bit over his head.
1621
01:08:01,244 --> 01:08:03,610
we had to hire a guy
from the outside.
1622
01:08:03,913 --> 01:08:05,153
fellow by the name
of dee searson.
1623
01:08:05,456 --> 01:08:08,118
[russ]because i had
complete trust in bud,
1624
01:08:08,418 --> 01:08:10,283
i had also complete
trust with dee.
1625
01:08:10,587 --> 01:08:12,953
[mike solomon]by the early
19903, the relationship
1626
01:08:13,256 --> 01:08:16,293
between bud and russ had
become a little bit strained.
1627
01:08:16,593 --> 01:08:19,630
bud stopped going
to the daily lunches,
1628
01:08:19,929 --> 01:08:21,214
they were giving him ulcers.
1629
01:08:21,514 --> 01:08:25,848
bud's job became less
and less important.
1630
01:08:26,144 --> 01:08:27,475
he finally had to leave.
1631
01:08:27,770 --> 01:08:32,104
so it was around 1995
that bud decided to retire.
1632
01:08:32,400 --> 01:08:35,233
russ will,
even to this day, will say
1633
01:08:35,528 --> 01:08:37,314
that that's one of the things
that went wrong
1634
01:08:37,614 --> 01:08:41,232
when bud was kind of eased out.
1635
01:08:41,534 --> 01:08:43,490
[rudy danzinger]! think bud
was that kind of person
1636
01:08:43,786 --> 01:08:45,322
they felt as though
something's going to happen.
1637
01:08:45,622 --> 01:08:47,362
the company won't,
will not be the same.
1638
01:08:47,665 --> 01:08:50,782
when bud left,
dee took over as the cfo.
1639
01:08:51,085 --> 01:08:53,371
[russ]i'm developing a company
and expanding a company,
1640
01:08:53,671 --> 01:08:56,959
he's managing the money,
and it was a surprise to me
1641
01:08:57,258 --> 01:08:58,748
that i couldn't
use all that money
1642
01:08:59,052 --> 01:09:00,417
to open new stores.
1643
01:09:00,720 --> 01:09:02,585
[mike solomon]dee was put
on a mission to go out
1644
01:09:02,889 --> 01:09:06,598
and get money
by tower selling bonds.
1645
01:09:06,893 --> 01:09:10,101
well, it made it
easier for tower
1646
01:09:10,396 --> 01:09:12,478
to borrow more money.
1647
01:09:12,774 --> 01:09:14,389
things became much more tense.
1648
01:09:14,692 --> 01:09:16,228
we had pressure from creditors,
1649
01:09:16,527 --> 01:09:18,734
from bond holders, from banks,
1650
01:09:19,030 --> 01:09:21,567
and there was pressure
in the business in general.
1651
01:09:21,866 --> 01:09:24,198
a perfect storm
of events was developing
1652
01:09:24,494 --> 01:09:27,076
in the music
industry as a whole.
1653
01:09:27,372 --> 01:09:30,034
[jim urie]we'd gone from vinyl
singles, to cassette singles,
1654
01:09:30,333 --> 01:09:32,745
to cd singles,
but we cut that out
1655
01:09:33,044 --> 01:09:35,126
because we felt
like, rightfully so,
1656
01:09:35,421 --> 01:09:36,456
why were we letting people buy
1657
01:09:36,756 --> 01:09:38,041
the best song off an album,
1658
01:09:38,341 --> 01:09:40,582
let's just not make
that available,
1659
01:09:40,885 --> 01:09:42,091
and they'll have
to buy the album.
1660
01:09:42,387 --> 01:09:43,752
and at that day and time,
it was true.
1661
01:09:44,055 --> 01:09:46,046
an eventually,
i think people were kind of
1662
01:09:46,349 --> 01:09:47,589
crying foul about that,
1663
01:09:47,892 --> 01:09:50,508
like okay, i like a couple
of britney spears songs,
1664
01:09:50,812 --> 01:09:53,394
but do i really want to buy
her whole record for $18?
1665
01:09:53,690 --> 01:09:55,055
you know,
it was the peak of that.
1666
01:09:55,358 --> 01:09:57,269
[russ]there was no need
for a whole generation
1667
01:09:57,568 --> 01:09:58,808
of kids to even go
in a record store
1668
01:09:59,112 --> 01:10:00,602
to get their music.
1669
01:10:00,905 --> 01:10:02,486
if you haven't got kids
coming into record stores
1670
01:10:02,782 --> 01:10:05,148
to buy records, heh,
you've lost a lot.
1671
01:10:05,451 --> 01:10:08,158
[jim urie]but then a whole
bunch of other things
started to happen.
1672
01:10:08,454 --> 01:10:10,740
you had
all these mass merchants
1673
01:10:11,040 --> 01:10:12,325
getting
into the music business.
1674
01:10:12,625 --> 01:10:15,207
and there were horrible,
horrible price wars.
1675
01:10:15,503 --> 01:10:17,835
everybody and their brother
started selling cds.
1676
01:10:18,131 --> 01:10:20,463
you know target, wal-mart,
all these companies.
1677
01:10:20,758 --> 01:10:22,339
and they would sell 'em at cost.
1678
01:10:22,635 --> 01:10:26,219
what that took away from us was
the traffic created by the hits.
1679
01:10:26,514 --> 01:10:28,470
if you had a tower records
in some market,
1680
01:10:28,766 --> 01:10:30,506
and a best buy moved
across the street,
1681
01:10:30,810 --> 01:10:32,471
the music consumer would go,
"hey, here's the tower
1682
01:10:32,770 --> 01:10:34,556
on my right where i can
buy the cd for 20 bucks,
1683
01:10:34,856 --> 01:10:36,312
and here's
the best buy on the left
1684
01:10:36,607 --> 01:10:37,892
where i could buy
the cd for 10 bucks."
1685
01:10:38,192 --> 01:10:40,353
even before napster,
that was a big problem.
1686
01:10:40,653 --> 01:10:44,817
the industry as a whole
didn't respond appropriately
1687
01:10:45,116 --> 01:10:46,572
to what was happening.
1688
01:10:46,868 --> 01:10:49,325
what they should have done was
make the records cheaper.
1689
01:10:49,620 --> 01:10:51,702
they could have,
but they didn't.
1690
01:10:51,998 --> 01:10:54,284
and i remember vividly the very
first story on,
1691
01:10:54,584 --> 01:10:57,075
"what is an mp3?",
you know, that we ever did.
1692
01:10:57,378 --> 01:10:58,959
i wasn't depressed
the first time i saw napster.
1693
01:10:59,255 --> 01:11:00,916
actually, i remember it
very clearly,
1694
01:11:01,215 --> 01:11:04,423
and i went on and there were
800,000 people on it.
1695
01:11:04,719 --> 01:11:05,959
and i thought, "wow,
1696
01:11:06,262 --> 01:11:08,002
this is unbelievable.
this is fantastic."
1697
01:11:08,306 --> 01:11:11,173
i wasn't thinking
that those 800,000 people
1698
01:11:11,476 --> 01:11:12,340
were stealing from me, heh.
1699
01:11:12,643 --> 01:11:14,224
it was the most amazing
1700
01:11:14,520 --> 01:11:16,476
piece of software in history.
1701
01:11:16,773 --> 01:11:18,434
there was community in it.
1702
01:11:18,733 --> 01:11:21,065
you could look at each
others lists, playlists.
1703
01:11:21,360 --> 01:11:22,600
it was just a natural.
1704
01:11:22,904 --> 01:11:24,986
[steve nikkel]
mike farrace literally had
1705
01:11:25,281 --> 01:11:27,567
the first record store online.
1706
01:11:27,867 --> 01:11:29,653
but we didn't know
what to do with it.
1707
01:11:29,952 --> 01:11:32,113
in fact, our store was on aol.
1708
01:11:33,581 --> 01:11:34,946
talk about lame.
1709
01:11:35,249 --> 01:11:36,910
developing that into retail
1710
01:11:37,210 --> 01:11:39,826
wasn't really something
that was on my radar.
1711
01:11:40,129 --> 01:11:41,915
but when you realized
how easy it was
1712
01:11:42,215 --> 01:11:45,173
for people to share files
and just literally
1713
01:11:45,468 --> 01:11:48,210
take music for free,
that's a problem.
1714
01:11:48,513 --> 01:11:50,094
how do you compete with that?
1715
01:11:50,389 --> 01:11:53,847
if you could get coca-cola
for free from your faucet,
1716
01:11:54,143 --> 01:11:55,679
you wouldn't buy
a bottle of coca-cola.
1717
01:11:55,978 --> 01:11:57,969
on one hand, you go, okay,
well what's the big deal?
1718
01:11:58,272 --> 01:11:59,557
singles are cheap,
1719
01:11:59,857 --> 01:12:01,017
we don't really need that
much money anyway.
1720
01:12:01,317 --> 01:12:03,057
on the other hand,
when napster came out
1721
01:12:03,361 --> 01:12:06,524
the big issue was,
"how do you compete with free?"
1722
01:12:06,823 --> 01:12:08,188
on one hand,
you have all these people
1723
01:12:08,491 --> 01:12:09,571
who are stealing music
for free,
1724
01:12:09,867 --> 01:12:12,950
on the other hand,
we have this $18 cd,
1725
01:12:13,246 --> 01:12:16,738
which is our main product.
not really a balance.
1726
01:12:17,041 --> 01:12:19,748
but if you have a single,
if you have a 99-cent single,
1727
01:12:20,044 --> 01:12:21,284
or a cheap way of,
an alternative way
1728
01:12:21,587 --> 01:12:23,418
of selling music,
that's a little easier
1729
01:12:23,714 --> 01:12:25,170
to compete with free.
1730
01:12:25,466 --> 01:12:27,502
and we of course saw that later
because itunes kicked in,
1731
01:12:27,802 --> 01:12:29,588
and songs cost 99 cents
and it did very well.
1732
01:12:29,887 --> 01:12:32,344
they think music is available
on the computer,
1733
01:12:32,640 --> 01:12:33,846
go google it,
1734
01:12:34,141 --> 01:12:35,677
and they think they can
just get it for free.
1735
01:12:35,977 --> 01:12:38,059
and that was something
that was discussed
1736
01:12:38,354 --> 01:12:40,140
at nauseam with russ and tower.
1737
01:12:40,439 --> 01:12:42,225
he believed that there would
always be people
1738
01:12:42,525 --> 01:12:44,561
wanting to buy records
to have a collection,
1739
01:12:44,861 --> 01:12:46,897
a library,
if you will, of product.
1740
01:12:47,196 --> 01:12:49,312
those people died
off and went away,
1741
01:12:49,615 --> 01:12:51,276
and the generation that followed
1742
01:12:51,576 --> 01:12:55,910
believes that having an ipad,
that's your music collection.
1743
01:12:56,205 --> 01:12:58,366
that's what it is today,
and that's the truth.
1744
01:12:58,666 --> 01:13:01,578
there's no records.
go buy a record, are you nuts?
1745
01:13:01,878 --> 01:13:04,290
and so that kind
of started leaving
1746
01:13:04,589 --> 01:13:06,250
the terrestrial retailers behind
1747
01:13:06,549 --> 01:13:07,584
because that kind of stuff,
1748
01:13:07,884 --> 01:13:10,000
it's just too easy,
too convenient.
1749
01:13:10,303 --> 01:13:12,009
i mean i still enjoy
going in to a record store,
1750
01:13:12,305 --> 01:13:13,920
but i can't tell you
the last time i did.
1751
01:13:14,223 --> 01:13:17,306
did the industry push people
a little bit
1752
01:13:17,602 --> 01:13:21,140
to piracy by forcing them
to buy albums
1753
01:13:21,439 --> 01:13:22,724
when they only wanted a song?
1754
01:13:23,024 --> 01:13:24,639
i can't say that that
is true or not true
1755
01:13:24,942 --> 01:13:26,978
but you could certainly
make that argument.
1756
01:13:27,278 --> 01:13:30,111
and so what became apparent
was the music industry
is changing
1757
01:13:30,406 --> 01:13:33,398
and we are not able
to adjust to that change.
1758
01:13:33,701 --> 01:13:36,568
you could couch that as we're
not adjusting to that change,
1759
01:13:36,871 --> 01:13:39,362
or we don't know how
to adjust to that change,
1760
01:13:39,665 --> 01:13:42,156
but i think you're doing
all of those things at once.
1761
01:13:42,460 --> 01:13:44,826
right when...
1762
01:13:45,129 --> 01:13:46,369
we probably could have changed,
1763
01:13:46,672 --> 01:13:48,708
in my mind,
it was out of my control.
1764
01:13:50,426 --> 01:13:53,509
but my getting sick
didn't help matters any.
1765
01:13:53,804 --> 01:13:55,465
in 1998,
a couple of things happened.
1766
01:13:55,765 --> 01:13:58,882
one, my father had
1767
01:13:59,185 --> 01:14:02,222
an eight�way
bypass heart operation,
1768
01:14:02,521 --> 01:14:05,684
and he was out of the picture
most of that year.
1769
01:14:05,983 --> 01:14:08,190
i was appointed ceo.
1770
01:14:08,486 --> 01:14:09,942
russ was kicked up to chairman.
1771
01:14:10,237 --> 01:14:12,819
stanley, chris hopson,
dee searson and i
1772
01:14:13,115 --> 01:14:14,696
were equals,
then all of a sudden,
1773
01:14:14,992 --> 01:14:16,323
i'm kicked up to ceo.
1774
01:14:16,619 --> 01:14:19,702
that created some
strain and difficulty.
1775
01:14:19,997 --> 01:14:22,830
i knew michael somewhat.
i didn't like it.
1776
01:14:23,125 --> 01:14:25,457
he didn't come up from--
you know, the one thing
1777
01:14:25,753 --> 01:14:27,584
that historically that was
about tower records,
1778
01:14:27,880 --> 01:14:31,247
is we all started
and came up, and learned it
1779
01:14:31,550 --> 01:14:32,790
by living it, and doing it.
1780
01:14:33,094 --> 01:14:34,459
and that was pretty much
the case
1781
01:14:34,762 --> 01:14:38,596
working for tower before
i went to law school.
1782
01:14:38,891 --> 01:14:41,473
when i came back to tower
in 1988,
1783
01:14:41,769 --> 01:14:46,229
i came in as a senior vice
president and legal counsel,
1784
01:14:46,524 --> 01:14:48,936
and i was immediately tagged
1785
01:14:49,235 --> 01:14:51,066
as the boss' son.
1786
01:14:51,362 --> 01:14:54,399
there were people
who wanted to sabotage me.
1787
01:14:54,699 --> 01:14:57,441
[russ] and mike was good,
but the truth of it is,
1788
01:14:57,743 --> 01:14:59,654
he wasn't me,
in the same sense of
1789
01:14:59,954 --> 01:15:03,287
being able to run
what we wanted to run.
1790
01:15:03,582 --> 01:15:05,118
russell had a persona about him
1791
01:15:05,418 --> 01:15:08,205
that people embrace,
michael didn't.
1792
01:15:08,504 --> 01:15:10,210
it was a challenge to...
1793
01:15:11,757 --> 01:15:14,499
...get the trust and cooperation
1794
01:15:14,802 --> 01:15:17,088
of my executive colleagues.
1795
01:15:17,388 --> 01:15:20,380
another thing started
happening around 2000.
1796
01:15:20,683 --> 01:15:22,594
sales were flattening.
1797
01:15:22,893 --> 01:15:26,226
we had had growth
from 1960 to 2000.
1798
01:15:26,522 --> 01:15:28,604
there was never
a year that there was
1799
01:15:28,899 --> 01:15:30,480
no steady growth in sales.
1800
01:15:30,776 --> 01:15:32,482
this became problematic,
1801
01:15:32,778 --> 01:15:36,566
having a large debt
and a large interest payment,
1802
01:15:36,866 --> 01:15:40,484
and that's sort of where
tower started going down.
1803
01:15:40,786 --> 01:15:43,619
[stan]everything
you've touched worked,
1804
01:15:43,914 --> 01:15:45,575
and then it stops.
1805
01:15:45,875 --> 01:15:47,456
it was just dumb.
1806
01:15:47,752 --> 01:15:49,538
the business plan didn't work.
1807
01:15:49,837 --> 01:15:51,418
there was no population
to support it.
1808
01:15:51,714 --> 01:15:52,874
it's that simple.
1809
01:15:53,174 --> 01:15:55,130
you've borrowed
all this damn money,
1810
01:15:55,426 --> 01:15:57,337
and all of a sudden,
you become aware
1811
01:15:57,636 --> 01:15:58,876
that you've gone too far.
1812
01:15:59,180 --> 01:16:00,886
everything's working
well in japan,
1813
01:16:01,182 --> 01:16:02,422
but because you've lost money
1814
01:16:02,725 --> 01:16:04,135
in all these other places,
1815
01:16:04,435 --> 01:16:06,517
and the bank is forcing
you to do something,
1816
01:16:06,812 --> 01:16:08,598
the bank is forcing
you to sell japan.
1817
01:16:08,898 --> 01:16:11,105
japan was making
all kinds of money.
1818
01:16:11,400 --> 01:16:13,436
i mean, selling japan
was a terrible loss.
1819
01:16:18,574 --> 01:16:20,064
[steve]
they expanded too much.
1820
01:16:20,367 --> 01:16:23,530
that hurt them whether there
had been a napster or not.
1821
01:16:23,829 --> 01:16:25,319
the fact that there was
a napster later
1822
01:16:25,623 --> 01:16:26,578
sort of was the death blow.
1823
01:16:26,874 --> 01:16:28,580
[phone ringing]
1824
01:16:28,876 --> 01:16:30,662
well, here's russ now.
1825
01:16:30,961 --> 01:16:31,871
i'm being interviewed.
1826
01:16:33,714 --> 01:16:35,124
[russ]bud martin.
1827
01:16:35,424 --> 01:16:38,040
if bud had not gotten sick
and died on me,
1828
01:16:38,344 --> 01:16:40,460
for crying out loud,
and i'd have listened to him,
1829
01:16:40,763 --> 01:16:42,003
i wouldn't have been
in the problems
1830
01:16:42,306 --> 01:16:44,171
that i had later on,
i'll tell ya.
1831
01:16:46,227 --> 01:16:48,934
[rudy]people appreciated
what bud did eventually.
1832
01:16:49,230 --> 01:16:52,017
bud was a cool guy,
and i know when a few drinks,
1833
01:16:52,316 --> 01:16:54,932
the old story about him
swinging on chandeliers
1834
01:16:55,236 --> 01:16:58,194
at the red lion, putting
lampshades on his head
1835
01:16:58,489 --> 01:17:01,276
running around, but they felt
like he was the rock
1836
01:17:01,575 --> 01:17:02,860
of the company also.
1837
01:17:03,160 --> 01:17:05,526
he was the guy
that took care of business.
1838
01:17:05,830 --> 01:17:07,411
[russ]he got older
and sicker is all.
1839
01:17:07,706 --> 01:17:10,539
he had an illness,
which he had for a long time.
1840
01:17:14,505 --> 01:17:17,963
[mike]he had not really told
anybody by the early '9os,
1841
01:17:18,259 --> 01:17:22,002
but he was suffering from
a debilitating illness,
1842
01:17:22,304 --> 01:17:25,671
leukemia, which,
unbeknownst to most of us,
1843
01:17:25,975 --> 01:17:29,467
he had had for...
maybe 15 years.
1844
01:17:29,770 --> 01:17:30,976
he had a good life.
1845
01:17:31,272 --> 01:17:33,308
it was sad at the end
when it ended.
1846
01:17:33,607 --> 01:17:35,848
he didn't have much
at all to speak of.
1847
01:17:38,279 --> 01:17:40,565
[mike]it was only
a couple of years later
1848
01:17:40,865 --> 01:17:42,480
that he passed away.
1849
01:17:47,496 --> 01:17:49,532
[heidi]
anyway, i have a couple things
i want to say about bud.
1850
01:17:49,832 --> 01:17:52,198
i may not get this
out right, excuse me.
1851
01:17:54,962 --> 01:17:56,827
i wasn't going to do this.
1852
01:17:57,131 --> 01:17:59,747
he really taught all of us,
us young kids
1853
01:18:00,050 --> 01:18:01,256
who are now vice presidents
1854
01:18:01,552 --> 01:18:02,962
to take a look
1855
01:18:03,262 --> 01:18:05,674
at what we were
doing with our lives
1856
01:18:05,973 --> 01:18:08,715
as far as
our morality was concerned.
1857
01:18:09,018 --> 01:18:11,384
he was a wonderful
teacher to us.
1858
01:18:11,687 --> 01:18:13,018
he was an incredible sexist pig,
1859
01:18:13,314 --> 01:18:15,396
but at the same time
he was entirely fair.
1860
01:18:15,691 --> 01:18:17,898
so after that, i only have one
thing more to say.
1861
01:18:18,194 --> 01:18:19,730
if i can get this out.
1862
01:18:20,029 --> 01:18:21,690
[sniffles] sorry.
1863
01:18:21,989 --> 01:18:24,571
okay. bud, baby,
1864
01:18:24,867 --> 01:18:26,698
this one's for you.
1865
01:18:26,994 --> 01:18:28,359
[russ]bud martin.
1866
01:18:28,662 --> 01:18:31,870
bud, of all people, was making
things possible to do.
1867
01:18:33,751 --> 01:18:36,117
you know, after all
of those 26 years,
1868
01:18:36,420 --> 01:18:39,082
probably the last
three years were spent
1869
01:18:39,381 --> 01:18:42,498
feeling that the whole idea
of tower records
1870
01:18:42,801 --> 01:18:44,666
was not going to be
around much longer.
1871
01:18:44,970 --> 01:18:47,928
at the end, for me,
it was just a matter of when.
1872
01:18:48,224 --> 01:18:49,430
when the banks came in,
1873
01:18:49,725 --> 01:18:50,714
we knew that things
were going to change.
1874
01:18:51,018 --> 01:18:53,054
it was, it was...
1875
01:18:55,022 --> 01:18:56,307
my father...
1876
01:18:59,109 --> 01:19:01,270
when the banks started
putting pressure
1877
01:19:01,570 --> 01:19:04,186
on the company
and insisting that we hire
1878
01:19:04,490 --> 01:19:07,653
a restructuring officer
to run the company,
1879
01:19:07,952 --> 01:19:09,283
my father
1880
01:19:09,578 --> 01:19:11,068
became very upset.
1881
01:19:12,831 --> 01:19:15,538
[russ]
the bank broke me that news.
1882
01:19:15,834 --> 01:19:17,825
and i said, "i don't think
it's a good idea. "
1883
01:19:18,128 --> 01:19:19,789
they said,
"well this is your choice,
1884
01:19:20,089 --> 01:19:21,124
"you either bring
in new management
1885
01:19:21,423 --> 01:19:23,254
or we don't loan you the money."
1886
01:19:23,550 --> 01:19:25,211
so i say, "okay,
we need the money.
1887
01:19:25,511 --> 01:19:28,173
we have to have the money,
or we can't operate at all,
1888
01:19:28,472 --> 01:19:32,056
so okay, we'll try to bring
in new management."
1889
01:19:32,351 --> 01:19:34,808
mike goes down
to hire this woman,
1890
01:19:35,104 --> 01:19:37,095
betsy burton,
he wants to hire her.
1891
01:19:37,398 --> 01:19:39,764
[bob delanoy]these new bodies
were in. i think it was betsy,
1892
01:19:40,067 --> 01:19:41,307
i didn't even know
1893
01:19:41,610 --> 01:19:42,816
what was going on
in the company at the time.
1894
01:19:43,112 --> 01:19:45,103
her idea was to spend all this
1895
01:19:45,406 --> 01:19:48,864
marketing money on branding,
and you're just going,
1896
01:19:49,159 --> 01:19:51,115
"why are you going to spend
this money on branding?
1897
01:19:51,412 --> 01:19:52,777
we're already
established as a brand.
1898
01:19:53,080 --> 01:19:55,036
what you need is retail ads.
1899
01:19:55,332 --> 01:19:57,664
you need ads that
are going to move product.
1900
01:19:57,960 --> 01:19:59,916
you need to move product.
that's the bottom line."
1901
01:20:00,212 --> 01:20:03,124
and then she closed
down pulse magazine.
1902
01:20:03,424 --> 01:20:07,212
[mike]losing pulse, firing
30 or 40 employees,
1903
01:20:07,511 --> 01:20:08,876
was heartbreaking.
1904
01:20:09,179 --> 01:20:12,888
if i ever came close
to wanting to kill somebody,
1905
01:20:13,183 --> 01:20:15,595
with my hands, it was her.
1906
01:20:15,894 --> 01:20:17,930
[mike]we closed
our print shop, i believe,
1907
01:20:18,230 --> 01:20:20,892
and to lose 30 employees.
1908
01:20:21,191 --> 01:20:24,228
we closed our sign shop
and lost 30 employees.
1909
01:20:24,528 --> 01:20:27,315
we had to make cuts every place.
we had to fire people.
1910
01:20:27,614 --> 01:20:30,321
and that is where you just
had the two feelings of,
1911
01:20:30,617 --> 01:20:32,983
"i'm so good, i'm not going
to be gone, i hope."
1912
01:20:33,287 --> 01:20:35,323
the restructuring officers
were coming in and saying,
1913
01:20:35,622 --> 01:20:36,907
" look, you gotta cut
your expenses
1914
01:20:37,207 --> 01:20:38,572
because you don't have
any money."
1915
01:20:38,876 --> 01:20:40,286
in a way, they were
saying the same thing
1916
01:20:40,586 --> 01:20:43,328
that bud was saying
for the last four decades.
1917
01:20:43,630 --> 01:20:46,417
you know, i had
the one side of my mouth
1918
01:20:46,717 --> 01:20:48,753
sit with him
and try to figure out
1919
01:20:49,053 --> 01:20:51,009
growing the company and how
to get out of this mess,
1920
01:20:51,305 --> 01:20:53,045
and the other side of my mouth,
1921
01:20:53,349 --> 01:20:56,933
deal with th ese guys that want
to just tear everything down.
1922
01:20:57,227 --> 01:20:58,842
for me, i was conflicted.
1923
01:20:59,146 --> 01:21:01,512
they don't understand
the product,
1924
01:21:01,815 --> 01:21:04,898
they don't understand the people
that worked for the company,
1925
01:21:05,194 --> 01:21:06,684
they don't understand
the systems,
1926
01:21:06,987 --> 01:21:08,102
they don't understand anything.
1927
01:21:08,405 --> 01:21:11,522
the seeds of failure
are built in to it.
1928
01:21:11,825 --> 01:21:13,110
and it can't last.
1929
01:21:13,410 --> 01:21:16,902
he basically fought
the restructuring officers--
1930
01:21:17,206 --> 01:21:18,696
there were numerous
of them that came in.
1931
01:21:18,999 --> 01:21:22,787
and i remember so vividly
going to the first meeting.
1932
01:21:23,087 --> 01:21:25,954
i talked to them, and i say,
"well now, i'm on the board,
1933
01:21:26,256 --> 01:21:28,087
"and i've still got
the officially
1934
01:21:28,384 --> 01:21:29,965
"the chairman of the company.
1935
01:21:30,260 --> 01:21:33,002
i mean, that's a chairman
without portfolio,"
1936
01:21:33,305 --> 01:21:34,795
i said,
"what do you want me to do?
1937
01:21:35,099 --> 01:21:36,555
"who's going to be
the visionary?
1938
01:21:36,850 --> 01:21:39,091
"who's going to think about
what we should be doing
1939
01:21:39,395 --> 01:21:40,805
in this industry
in the future?"
1940
01:21:41,105 --> 01:21:43,847
and this idiot woman
says to me,
1941
01:21:44,149 --> 01:21:45,389
"we don't need a visionary."
1942
01:21:46,985 --> 01:21:48,976
i can't control
anything anymore.
1943
01:21:49,279 --> 01:21:51,691
so what was i to do?
just shake my head and walk off.
1944
01:21:51,990 --> 01:21:53,150
betsy had interviewed the group,
1945
01:21:53,450 --> 01:21:56,738
and if i remember,
most of us individually
1946
01:21:57,037 --> 01:22:00,120
who were in senior management,
so we knew what was going on.
1947
01:22:00,416 --> 01:22:05,581
and mike solomon was
promoted to president,
1948
01:22:05,879 --> 01:22:09,997
and he had to do what
th ese bank guys wanted to do,
1949
01:22:10,300 --> 01:22:12,131
and so everything just
kind of had stopped.
1950
01:22:12,428 --> 01:22:13,964
somebody who was an outsider
1951
01:22:14,263 --> 01:22:16,345
was taking it away from us.
1952
01:22:16,640 --> 01:22:19,097
i was caught
in the middle, really.
1953
01:22:19,393 --> 01:22:20,883
we needed to be
profitable, basically,
1954
01:22:21,186 --> 01:22:24,053
and we needed to pay our debt.
but to do that,
1955
01:22:24,356 --> 01:22:27,519
we basically had to cut
the heart out of the company.
1956
01:22:27,818 --> 01:22:32,437
[stan]in 2004, they got rid
of me and dee
1957
01:22:32,739 --> 01:22:33,979
and mark viducich,
1958
01:22:34,283 --> 01:22:36,023
i guess they decided,
i think then,
1959
01:22:36,326 --> 01:22:37,065
to liquidate the company.
1960
01:22:37,369 --> 01:22:38,484
they didn't say it,
1961
01:22:38,787 --> 01:22:41,654
and it took 'em
a few years to do it,
1962
01:22:41,957 --> 01:22:43,413
but they were no longer
1963
01:22:43,709 --> 01:22:45,324
interested in trying
to either grow the company
1964
01:22:45,627 --> 01:22:47,834
or save the company,
in my opinion.
1965
01:22:48,130 --> 01:22:51,213
they told us,
and instructed us
1966
01:22:51,508 --> 01:22:55,296
what we had to do
to cut costs, save money,
1967
01:22:55,596 --> 01:22:59,054
increase profits if we could,
or at least decrease losses,
1968
01:22:59,349 --> 01:23:00,680
so if we can fire someone making
1969
01:23:00,976 --> 01:23:03,934
200,000, we can hire
someone making 100,000.
1970
01:23:04,229 --> 01:23:05,344
i was in mike solomon's office
1971
01:23:05,647 --> 01:23:09,890
with he and a lady
we call betty boop,
1972
01:23:10,194 --> 01:23:11,525
and you know why you're there.
1973
01:23:11,820 --> 01:23:13,651
it's not a secret,
i told him and betty,
1974
01:23:13,947 --> 01:23:16,029
"you guys are the ones
that shouldn't be here.
1975
01:23:16,325 --> 01:23:18,407
you guys are the people
that should be fired, not me."
1976
01:23:18,702 --> 01:23:21,318
firing people that you
had hired 30 years ago.
1977
01:23:21,622 --> 01:23:24,739
people that you know,
were started as clerks
1978
01:23:25,042 --> 01:23:28,830
that were now regional managers
or vps or whatever.
1979
01:23:29,129 --> 01:23:31,916
it's just, you know, awful.
1980
01:23:32,216 --> 01:23:33,956
stanley and i were
up at lake tahoe.
1981
01:23:34,259 --> 01:23:38,093
we're having a drink after
doing some gambling at the bar,
1982
01:23:38,388 --> 01:23:42,506
and out of the blue,
he says, "oh bob, by the way,
1983
01:23:42,809 --> 01:23:44,219
we're restructuring
the company."
1984
01:23:44,520 --> 01:23:45,851
"we need to structure
the company
1985
01:23:46,146 --> 01:23:48,057
because of growth or whatever,"
1986
01:23:48,357 --> 01:23:50,939
and i was just like, stunned.
1987
01:23:51,235 --> 01:23:54,693
because, i mean,
this little private setting.
1988
01:23:54,988 --> 01:23:58,105
so, i mean,
i was hammering down
some scotches at that point.
1989
01:23:58,408 --> 01:24:00,023
the day heidi fired me,
you know,
1990
01:24:00,327 --> 01:24:02,033
she called me in one day
and she says,
1991
01:24:02,329 --> 01:24:03,944
"rudy, this is hard
for me to say,
1992
01:24:04,248 --> 01:24:07,536
but i want a divorce."
1993
01:24:07,834 --> 01:24:10,450
it was really hard,
and i knew it was hard for her
1994
01:24:10,754 --> 01:24:13,962
as it was for me,
you know, and so,
1995
01:24:14,258 --> 01:24:16,089
i went to russ, he said,
"now what the fuck
1996
01:24:16,385 --> 01:24:18,046
are we going to do with you?"
like that.
1997
01:24:18,345 --> 01:24:20,427
he never fired anybody
in his life.
1998
01:24:20,722 --> 01:24:23,054
let alone his whole executive
committee for christ sakes.
1999
01:24:23,350 --> 01:24:25,966
� it's not who he was.
- he took me out for lunch.
2000
01:24:26,270 --> 01:24:27,510
actually called me and he said,
"want to go to lunch?"
2001
01:24:27,813 --> 01:24:30,646
and i thought,
"this is not boding well.
2002
01:24:30,941 --> 01:24:32,351
"russ doesn't call you
and ask you to lunch.
2003
01:24:32,651 --> 01:24:34,437
this is not..." you know.
and he was in tears.
2004
01:24:34,736 --> 01:24:37,648
i mean, it was as hard
for him as it was for me.
2005
01:24:37,948 --> 01:24:39,563
it was probably harder,
i felt worse for him.
2006
01:24:39,866 --> 01:24:42,983
russ and i are cousins,
and mike solomon,
2007
01:24:43,287 --> 01:24:47,200
who was also the ceo
at one time, and i are cousins,
2008
01:24:47,499 --> 01:24:50,832
and to see family members
just thrown aside too
2009
01:24:51,128 --> 01:24:55,792
was harder than just
losing a 30-year career.
2010
01:24:56,091 --> 01:24:59,504
and at the end of 30 years,
i got a watch.
2011
01:24:59,803 --> 01:25:02,715
just shortly after
i left the company.
2012
01:25:03,015 --> 01:25:05,006
in fact, i'm wearing it
right now, today.
2013
01:25:06,935 --> 01:25:08,220
and it says,
2014
01:25:08,520 --> 01:25:11,353
" bob, thank you, we love
you, tower records."
2015
01:25:16,445 --> 01:25:18,276
and uh, it was mutual.
2016
01:25:24,369 --> 01:25:26,985
[ken]! wish probably
that i could say there was more
2017
01:25:27,289 --> 01:25:29,826
survivor's guilt, but, um,
2018
01:25:31,335 --> 01:25:33,951
there was a lot of relief too.
2019
01:25:34,254 --> 01:25:37,963
[interviewer]and then
as more layoffs happened...?
2020
01:25:39,176 --> 01:25:40,507
no?
2021
01:25:48,185 --> 01:25:50,801
[mike solomon]cutting
the essential parts of tower
2022
01:25:51,104 --> 01:25:54,267
that made it so successful
was heart wrenching.
2023
01:25:54,566 --> 01:25:55,772
that was the heart
of the company.
2024
01:25:56,068 --> 01:25:57,604
i mean, the company
wasn't going to run
2025
01:25:57,903 --> 01:26:00,394
without this team.
2026
01:26:00,697 --> 01:26:02,688
and sure enough it didn't.
2027
01:26:02,991 --> 01:26:05,073
[male reporter 1]tonight,
the founder of tower records
2028
01:26:05,369 --> 01:26:07,530
is closing his last
retail record store.
2029
01:26:07,829 --> 01:26:09,740
[female reporter]it's the end
of the line for an icon
2030
01:26:10,040 --> 01:26:11,246
that put sacramento on the map.
2031
01:26:11,541 --> 01:26:12,906
[male reporter 2]
one of several chains
2032
01:26:13,210 --> 01:26:14,996
closing its doors nationwide.
2033
01:26:15,295 --> 01:26:17,251
[melancholy piano music playing]
2034
01:26:22,302 --> 01:26:24,588
[russ]! was in new york
at fourth and broadway,
2035
01:26:24,888 --> 01:26:27,174
and we had an apartment
in the same building
2036
01:26:27,474 --> 01:26:31,012
and i was staying there,
looking at the store
2037
01:26:31,311 --> 01:26:32,847
when it closed that night.
2038
01:26:33,146 --> 01:26:35,262
stood across the street
and watched, yeah.
2039
01:26:37,025 --> 01:26:39,482
what are you going to do?
it's over.
2040
01:26:39,778 --> 01:26:41,314
they all shut down at once,
and a bunch of people
2041
01:26:41,613 --> 01:26:44,025
lost their job at the end.
2042
01:26:44,324 --> 01:26:46,485
it was one of the greatest
tragedies of my life,
2043
01:26:46,785 --> 01:26:48,150
to be honest with you,
when it closed down.
2044
01:26:48,453 --> 01:26:50,660
it really, really upset me.
2045
01:26:50,956 --> 01:26:53,447
and i missed it,
i missed that routine of going
2046
01:26:53,750 --> 01:26:56,662
to buy my records
or my cds or whatever.
2047
01:26:56,962 --> 01:26:59,123
[ken]it really was
this organization,
2048
01:26:59,423 --> 01:27:03,257
this camaraderie, this group
that coalesced around russ
2049
01:27:03,552 --> 01:27:05,508
and was able to feed off
2050
01:27:05,804 --> 01:27:08,511
and build on russ' vision.
2051
01:27:13,729 --> 01:27:17,392
in the early '708,
i took a job at tower broadway
2052
01:27:17,691 --> 01:27:19,602
here in sacramento,
at 16th and broadway,
2053
01:27:19,901 --> 01:27:21,391
and in 1992,
2054
01:27:21,695 --> 01:27:25,483
i actually ended up here
at watt avenue as the manager.
2055
01:27:25,782 --> 01:27:27,272
we have a marquee out
on the front of our store
2056
01:27:27,576 --> 01:27:29,737
that we just advertise
what's going on
2057
01:27:30,036 --> 01:27:31,572
in the store
and what's happening.
2058
01:27:31,872 --> 01:27:33,282
when we got the word
2059
01:27:33,582 --> 01:27:35,664
that the liquidators
had won the auction
2060
01:27:35,959 --> 01:27:38,245
and it was imminent that
it was going to be the end,
2061
01:27:38,545 --> 01:27:40,501
we wanted to put something
up on the marquee.
2062
01:27:40,797 --> 01:27:43,379
one of my employees,
dale, came up with:
2063
01:27:43,675 --> 01:27:47,463
all things must pass.
thanks, sacramento.
2064
01:27:47,763 --> 01:27:50,971
i went home, and the next
day i came in to work,
2065
01:27:51,266 --> 01:27:52,551
they had taken a huge banner
2066
01:27:52,851 --> 01:27:54,967
that was like 100-feet
long it seemed like,
2067
01:27:55,270 --> 01:27:56,885
that said basically going
out of business.
2068
01:27:57,189 --> 01:27:58,895
and they put
that banner up across
2069
01:27:59,191 --> 01:28:01,102
the whole top of the exterior
of the building,
2070
01:28:01,401 --> 01:28:03,733
covered up our sign that said
"all things must pass",
2071
01:28:04,029 --> 01:28:05,565
and you know,
it was pretty deflating.
2072
01:28:05,864 --> 01:28:08,196
it was like, you know reality
slaps you right in the face.
2073
01:28:08,492 --> 01:28:10,153
when they were finally gone,
they took down the sign,
2074
01:28:10,452 --> 01:28:13,034
and exposed our message
one more time.
2075
01:28:18,668 --> 01:28:19,874
it's really sad.
2076
01:28:21,421 --> 01:28:23,377
the skeleton is still here.
2077
01:28:23,673 --> 01:28:27,882
and the parts are still here,
even though they're not working.
2078
01:28:32,057 --> 01:28:34,389
and it was filled with records.
2079
01:28:34,684 --> 01:28:36,174
and the music was playing.
2080
01:28:36,478 --> 01:28:39,390
and the people were running
around and shopping.
2081
01:28:39,689 --> 01:28:42,522
but then again,
that's the past.
2082
01:28:44,486 --> 01:28:47,023
there's no way
you can change that.
2083
01:28:47,322 --> 01:28:49,438
let's think about what
to do in the future.
2084
01:28:51,535 --> 01:28:55,244
[upbeat orchestral
music playing]
2085
01:29:06,591 --> 01:29:09,333
i sunrise doesn't last i
2086
01:29:09,636 --> 01:29:12,127
i all morning... i
2087
01:29:12,430 --> 01:29:16,093
[dave grohl]driving though
shibuya or shinjuku or herajuku
2088
01:29:16,393 --> 01:29:19,430
or wherever it was,
and i see the tower records
2089
01:29:19,729 --> 01:29:22,015
fucking logo on a building.
2090
01:29:22,315 --> 01:29:23,555
i was like... [gasps]
2091
01:29:23,859 --> 01:29:26,601
you guys have tower records?
hell, yeah.
2092
01:29:31,116 --> 01:29:35,450
i it's not always
going to be... i
2093
01:29:35,745 --> 01:29:37,701
[dave grohl]so we went in.
2094
01:29:37,998 --> 01:29:39,829
it was fucking
tower records, man.
2095
01:29:40,125 --> 01:29:43,242
every floor i went to,
there was another different cd,
2096
01:29:43,545 --> 01:29:45,160
and there's displays everywhere,
2097
01:29:45,463 --> 01:29:46,623
and there's people shopping
and buying music.
2098
01:29:46,923 --> 01:29:48,163
listening on listening stations,
2099
01:29:48,466 --> 01:29:50,582
and you know, it was amazing.
2100
01:29:58,184 --> 01:30:00,049
[russ]to see japan flourish
like it does,
2101
01:30:00,353 --> 01:30:03,015
i'm really proud of them.
i really am.
2102
01:30:03,315 --> 01:30:04,930
i'm as happy as can be.
2103
01:30:05,233 --> 01:30:07,224
because it just proves
that it can be done.
2104
01:30:07,527 --> 01:30:10,860
'cause they're doing the same
thing we did all along.
2105
01:30:17,537 --> 01:30:19,528
[woman]
tower was russ' baby.
2106
01:30:19,831 --> 01:30:24,450
he built it, he nurtured it,
he expanded it.
2107
01:30:24,753 --> 01:30:26,539
it's very special,
it's very unique.
2108
01:30:28,423 --> 01:30:31,210
the feeling that
they all have for russ,
2109
01:30:31,509 --> 01:30:33,170
for tower, for each other.
2110
01:30:33,470 --> 01:30:34,585
people went to music stores,
2111
01:30:34,888 --> 01:30:36,799
they listened to music,
it was an experience
2112
01:30:37,098 --> 01:30:38,679
going in to a store
and browsing
2113
01:30:38,975 --> 01:30:41,307
through tens of thousands
of records.
2114
01:30:41,603 --> 01:30:43,889
it was here,
we were part of it,
2115
01:30:44,189 --> 01:30:46,521
we all fell in love,
and then it went away.
2116
01:30:46,816 --> 01:30:48,807
having a job doesn't
have to be tedious,
2117
01:30:49,110 --> 01:30:51,271
it doesn't have to be boring,
it doesn't have to be a place
2118
01:30:51,571 --> 01:30:53,732
that you hate to go every day.
2119
01:30:54,032 --> 01:30:57,741
it certainly wasn't for me,
and probably everybody
who worked at tower.
2120
01:30:58,036 --> 01:30:59,367
it was a family.
2121
01:30:59,663 --> 01:31:02,450
and that family ideal stuck
with everybody
2122
01:31:02,749 --> 01:31:03,955
up till the end.
2123
01:31:04,250 --> 01:31:07,367
wasn't a job,
it was just a way of life.
2124
01:31:16,304 --> 01:31:19,467
[ken]
i think tower to me was
2125
01:31:19,766 --> 01:31:22,098
a vision of one person
2126
01:31:22,394 --> 01:31:24,806
who knew what they wanted
to give to the world,
2127
01:31:25,105 --> 01:31:27,892
or offer to the world,
and us spending
2128
01:31:28,191 --> 01:31:29,556
30 years both following
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01:31:29,859 --> 01:31:32,020
and trying to refine
that vision.
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01:31:33,822 --> 01:31:36,359
[russ]
we were part of people's lives
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01:31:36,658 --> 01:31:39,365
because music was part
of people's lives.
2132
01:31:40,954 --> 01:31:44,538
i all things must pass i
2133
01:31:48,128 --> 01:31:52,792
i all things
must pass away... i
2134
01:32:05,311 --> 01:32:07,518
[russ]it was the music
that was meaningful
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01:32:13,611 --> 01:32:14,817
and we were how they got it.
2136
01:32:19,159 --> 01:32:20,740
what's the matter?
did you run out of questions?
2137
01:32:21,036 --> 01:32:22,742
- [interviewer] no.
- [laughter]
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01:32:23,038 --> 01:32:26,906
[rock music playing]
172583
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