If you didn’t see my AL.com post of this on Friday, I’m am posting the blog version below.
Summary: Charlemagne Record Exchange a beloved record store in a walk-up at 5-Points South announced it was going out of business after 42 years. I knew Charlemagne a little bit, starting 1982 to 1987. Five Points was a different then. It did not have a Chick-fil-A centerpiece. It was the after-work party and dining destination. There was no Lakeview district; downtown Birmingham turned off the lights about 5 p.m. and Avondale was yet to begin flourishing.
Here’s blog version of my story published on AL.com on Friday:
My Vinyl Countdown: I almost bought a record store.
Oh, did I forget to tell you? I almost bought a record store a few weeks ago. The venerable Charlemagne Record Exchange on BIrmingham’s Southside announced it was shutting down after 42 years of operation.
I probably would have kept the name — lot of history there. Although, I’ve always dreamed of having a record shop called Wax, Shellac and 8-Tracks. In reality, ‘almost’ buying it may be a stretch.
But I was serious when I called Marian, the co-founder and co-owner. I was still serious when I took a tour: Is this my long-time dream, baby? Or is it more of a welcome to my nightmare situation.
Ultimately I had to be restrained from pursuing this by a family intervention. I’m still locked in the basement as I write this.
Seriously, I have spent a lot of my life in record stores and I have a lot of records. I know popular music — classic rock, soul, some country and jazz — pretty well.
But I’m not a business person. I don’t think I’d enjoy keeping up with the bottom line, health insurance, taxes, and such. I have family members to think about and, as some of you may know I have a progressive illness to take care of.
Ultimately, it came down to this: I can’t figure out if Charlamagne’s example is one of strictly local explanations –more competition with Renaissance Records down the street and Seasick in Avondale – or is it tied to a larger trend of vinyl sales leveling off. In other words is it that a canary portending misfortune or another yellow bird about finding joy?Will vinyl stay hot?
Its resurgence took many by surprise. But it is still a smaller slice of the music industry than it once was. While vinyl is set to overtake CD’s in sales, it is still just a niche’ market up against live streaming service — iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, etc.There are those like me who love to buy used, older records for $5 bucks each.
But new vinyl records for $26.99. Eh. Not so much.I told Marian, I don’t think the timing is right.But I’ll likely be selling the 678 (reality: 800) records of My Vinyl Countdown, bricks and mortar store or not.My wife, Catherine, has made me promise I’d take care of the albums before I go to my Graceland.
And my daughter’s getting married. And that costs money. Let’s just say after looking at potential wedding costs, I was heard quoting James Brown: Owww! Good God, Y’all.
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