78 Records
Encyclopedia
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. The store also sells DVDs, clothing and tickets to music and comedy events. Due to the history of the business, the large variety of music sold, and promotion of local acts, the store has had a significant influence upon local culture and the music scene within Perth.
History
78 Records first opened on 19 June 1971 on the first floor of the Padbury Building in Forrest PlaceForrest Place
Forrest Place is a pedestrianised square located within the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was created in 1923, and has a history of being a focal point for significant political meetings and demonstrations.-History:...
. Geoff "Hud" Hudson, John Hood, and John "Scruff" McGregor started the store to provide music that was unavailable from other outlets.
In its infancy, 78 Records boasted about 300 titles, all on vinyl and mainly imports, with a strong leaning towards blues but also encompassing an extensive range of other genres, though space was constrained as the store was housed in two small rooms. It was the three owners' love of the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
that inspired the store's logo, with its photographic representation of Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Blind" Lemon Jefferson was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been titled "Father of the Texas Blues"....
. The name 78 Records derives from the format on which his original recordings were released.
78 Records steadily expanded by providing customers with music that was hard to come by in the early 1970s, such as Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "Dead Flowers", electric guitar on "Sway", percussion*Keith Richards – electric guitar, six & twelve string acoustic guitar, backing vocals...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
's Aqualung and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's Harvest. In 1973, rumours started regarding the proposed demolition of the Padbury Buildings, which eventuated with the construction of Forrest Chase in the re-designed Forrest Place during the late 1980s.
In May 1974, 78 Records moved into what was essentially a tin shed next door to His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia
His Majesty's Theatre, Western Australia
His Majesty's Theatre is an Edwardian Baroque theatre in Perth, Western Australia. Constructed from 1902 to 1904 during a period of great growth for the town, the theatre is located on the corner of Hay Street and King Street in Perth's central business district. At the time the theatre was opened,...
at 843 Hay Street
Hay Street, Perth
Hay Street is a major road through the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was named after Robert William Hay, the Permanent Under Secretary for Colonies. Sections of the road were called Howick Street and Twiss Street until 1897...
, which has become affectionately known as "the old building". The increase in floor size enabled 78 Records to add a lounge area where customers could lounge in beanbags and listen to the music prior to making their purchases, the first such facility in Perth. 78 Records expanded its available music and started its tradition of an in-house band, the West Australian Chainsaw Orchestra, theme days and the selection of the instrumental "A Walk in the Black Forest" by Horst Jankowski
Horst Jankowski
Horst Jankowski was a classically trained German pianist, most famous for his internationally successful easy listening music.-Biography:...
at closing time.
During the 843 era, 78 Records also earned a reputation which travelled much further afield than the metropolitan area, and visiting international performers frequented the shop in search of that elusive record they couldn't find anywhere else. Of course, some of them just wanted to check out how many of their own albums were in stock. Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
were just some of the artists that came back on their next visit.
843 Hay Street was proposed for demolition in 1987. Wanting to stay in the same area they had become associated with, 78 Records crossed Hay Street to number 884. In 1989, the Basement opened with videos, books, posters, comics T-shirts, and tickets for forthcoming events. 78 Records expanded from solely music-related items with the Basement developing a unique identity of its own with the inclusion of film, interactive media and cult writing.
78 Records moved again in March 1996 to 914 Hay Street, its current location. The first floor of this larger building has its own stage which is frequently used by local, national and international artists.