Tag Archives: The Record Store Book
Record Store Day 2015!
The book was out just in time for RSD 2015! Woohooo! On April 18, Mike and I had two signings that morning prior to the big party in the evening in downtown LA. We first stopped at Jacknife Records & Tapes and stayed for a couple of hours with Trevor. We sold about 9 books, and one woman bought three. She called the book “tremendous” –WOW!
But our very first customer was Phillip — he was sold right away. He just started collecting vinyl and he said he is loving his new hobby. He was a sweetheart.
This is him:
Phillip — our first customer of the day!
More photos from Jacknife:
After Jacknife we went down to the heart of Hollywood to Record Parlour — that place was happening! WOW! Chad and Chris threw a partay!! There were two bands scheduled to play once we left and there was a constant flow of people. Great store !
Here are some photos of the Record Parlour signing:
Above: This is Michael, from Germany, he was such a gentleman and was super interested in vinyl, and the BOOK! We recommended he go visit Kevin Donan from As the Record Turns, and he went straight there. Next thing we know there’s a photo of Kevin and him on Facebook with our book! Thank you, Michael!!
Filed under Life
Rad ad promoting the Book!
“The Vinyl District launched in 2007 as an homage to the vinyl medium and Washington, DC’s remaining record stores. In its second year, The Vinyl District (or TVD) partnered with Record Store Day (itself in its second year) as the “official blog” of the event, and with this partnership TVD’s audience became both national and international.”
Ad featured on VinylDistrict.com
Check out the Vinyl District’s dope web site, here.
Hyponik, an online music resource based in the UK, featured “The Record Store Book!
Hyponik.com featured “The Records Store Book” on their web site today!
Hyponik is an online music resource based in the UK!
“The Record Store Book looks at some of the city of Angels’ finest digging spots.”
Read it here.
Filed under Journalism, Music
Book featured in Lenscratch blogzine
Female customer digging at Vacation Vinyl in Silver Lake, Calif. Photo by Mike Spitz.
By Aline Smith:
Photographer Mike Spitz takes us back a few decades when listening to music meant visiting a local record store, flipping through the bins, purchasing a record because of an interesting cover photograph or design, bring home a particular sound and letting the needle hit the vinyl. His new book, The Record Store Book, published by Rare Bird Books, takes us on a vinyl journey visiting the places and people that celebrate records. The book is enriched by interviews and text by Rebecca Villaneda and it will be sold at Urban Outfitters (US & Europe), bookstores, and select record stores with worldwide distribution. On April 18th, Mike and Rebecca will be signing books (on Record Store Day!) at Jackknife Records (11-1pm) and Record Parlour (2-4pm) in Los Angeles, ending the day with a big party and book signing at the Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
Read the entire piece by Smith, here: http://lenscratch.com/2015/04/mike-spitz-the-record-store/
Filed under Life
My heart is so HAPPY
I received an email today from the Norwalk Records store manager, Edie Gonzales, and it warmed my heart. I anticipate that this is the first of many emails to get from people featured in the book:
Hello Rebecca,
Just received our book from Amazon and what beautiful work you and Mike did. It certainly is a Beauty and looking forward to meeting you on RSD at Rockaway Records. And also picking up a few more copies. Thank you sooo much for considering us to be in this gem of a book it certainly is an “Honor”. I have been employed here for over 31 yrs and I’ve seen the rise of vinyl and fall and now pretty steady. It made our day today and we can’t stop looking at the book were all taking turns.
Again Thank you for all you did to put together this amazing piece of art.
PS. Is there a special link for our customers to buy the book anyone in particular I am gonna post it up on our IG & FB and would like to provide a link.
Edie Gonzales, Store Manager
This is Richard Sneed, Norwalk store owner:
Photo by Mike Spitz
Filed under Journalism, Life
“The Record Store Book” Salon at the private home of Tami Zweig Macala in Santa Barbara
This past Sunday, March 29. I was invited to a salon at the home of Tami Zweig Macala in Santa Barbara, CA. Also invited was author David Kukoff, who just released his first novel, “Children of the Canyon” — also under Rare Birds Books — my publisher. It was my first introduction to a salon, so naturally I had to get a good definition of the type of event: A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation. (Wikipedia) Awesome, right?! I hope for more of these in the future.
In an intimate setting, David and I both spoke about our respective books and then received questions from our lovely audience. I made it a point to talk about the human-interest aspect of “The Record Store Book,” because the book is not only about vinyl records — each store owner has a story about how they came to be business owners and how they have survived this economy.
David’s book, a fiction novel, is loosely based on his upbringing in Laurel Canyon — “L.A.’s fabled neighborhood as the 1960s counterculture is coming to an end,” according to his web site. I got a copy because I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but mainly because David is amazing!
It was great afternoon, and I am so grateful to my friends who came out to support me and witness me holding my book for the very first time! It was overwhelming and emotional — in good ways!
Afterwards, I followed my publisher, Tyson Cornell, to his car to sign 3 to 4 boxes of book from his trunk! It was so perfect and grassroots! I loved everything about this day!
Here are some photos taken that day:
Photo by Julie Simpson Jennings
Photo by Julie Simpson Jennings
Photo by Lauren Warfield
Photo by Julie Simpson Jennings
Photo by Lauren Warfield
Filed under Journalism, Life, Music
Becky from Gardena 