Rockaway Records is a US independent music and memorabilia store located in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The store's specialties are rare vinyl records, autographs, posters, memorabilia, and other music collectibles. [1] It was founded in 1979 in Los Angeles by brothers Gary and Wayne Johnson.
In 1979, after attending a record swap meet in the Capitol Records parking lot in Hollywood, avid music lovers Gary and Wayne Johnson began buying and reselling vinyl albums. The pair started frequenting yard sales and swap meets looking for old records. [2] Within a couple months of discovering the Capitol swap meet, they started selling there as well as buying more rarities. [3] What started as a hobby soon became an international mail order business run out of the basement of the house they shared in Brea, California. [4] The choice of business name was an homage to the Ramones song "Rockaway Beach".[ citation needed ]
Within a couple of years, the brothers quit their jobs to focus on Rockaway's full-time mail order business. In 1982 the Johnsons purchased Rainbow Records, a small record store on Glendale Boulevard in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The brick-and-mortar Rockaway Records moved twice along the same street before moving into its current location in 1992. Upon purchasing the 9,000 square-foot property (previously home to a nightclub called Caché), Rockaway became the largest record store in Los Angeles. [5]
After several years working alongside his brothers, Alan Johnson opened a second Rockaway Records location in Mesa, Arizona, which closed in 2007. In 1992, a sister store opened in Brisbane, Australia. [6]
Lucinda Williams [7] and Tommy Dunbar [ citation needed ] are among the former employees of Rockaway.
Rockaway has a history of buying and selling large collections, as well as newsworthy and unique items.
John Charles Julian Lennon is an English singer, songwriter, photographer and philanthropist. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia, and he is named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian inspired three Beatles' songs: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1967), "Hey Jude" (1968) and "Good Night" (1968). His parents divorced in 1968 after his father had an affair with Yoko Ono.
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and were often publicised as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.
Brian Samuel Epstein was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death.
Malcolm Frederick Evans was an English road manager and personal assistant employed by the Beatles from 1963 until their break-up in 1970.
David Lawrence Geffen is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. Geffen co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 1994.
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969 by Apple Records. Named after Abbey Road, London, the location of EMI Studios, the cover features the group walking across the street's zebra crossing, an image that became one of the most famous and imitated in popular music. The album's initially mixed reviews were contrasted by its immediate commercial success, topping record charts in the UK and US. The single "Something" / "Come Together" was released in October and topped the US charts.
Ram is the only album credited to the husband-and-wife music duo Paul and Linda McCartney, released in May 1971 by Apple Records. It was recorded in New York with guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken, and future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell. Three singles were issued from the album: "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", "The Back Seat of My Car" and "Eat at Home". The recording sessions also yielded the non-album single "Another Day".
Amoeba Music is an American independent music store chain with locations in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1990 in Berkeley, California and remains in operation, having survived the decline of CD sales in the 2000s.
Sony Music Publishing is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned by Sony Entertainment. The company was formed as Sony/ATV in 1995 by the merger of the original incarnation of Sony Music Publishing and ATV Music, which was owned by entertainer Michael Jackson. Jackson had purchased ATV Music, which included the Lennon–McCartney song catalog, in 1985.
Northern Songs Ltd was a limited company founded in 1963, by music publisher Dick James, artist manager Brian Epstein, and songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles, to publish songs written by Lennon and McCartney. In 1965, it was decided to make Northern Songs a public company, to reduce their income tax burden.
Kaspien Holdings, Inc. is an American company that provides software and services for ecommerce. Kaspien Holdings operates on Amazon in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and India, as well as Walmart Marketplace, eBay, Google Shopping, and Target. Its interim CEO is Goldman Sachs veteran Brock Kowalchuk, who took over March 11, 2022.
"Coming Up" is a song written and performed by English musician Paul McCartney, released as the opening track on his 1980 solo album McCartney II. Like other songs on the album, the song has a synthesised sound, featuring sped-up vocals created by using a vari-speed tape machine. McCartney played all instruments and shared vocal harmonies with wife Linda McCartney.
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1896 by English-born Arthur Letts, Sr., and named after what was once the city's main shopping street, the Broadway became a dominant retailer in Southern California and the Southwest. Its fortunes eventually declined, and Federated Department Stores bought the chain in 1995. In 1996, Broadway stores were either closed or converted into Macy's and Bloomingdales.
A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records, but over the 20th century, record shops sold the new formats that were developed, such as eight track tapes, compact cassettes and compact discs (CDs). Today in the 21st century, record stores sell CDs, vinyl records and in some cases, DVDs of movies, TV shows, cartoons and concerts. Some record stores also sell music-related items such as posters of bands or singers, -related clothing items and even merchandise such as bags and coffee mugs.
Wolfgang's is a private music-focused company established in 2002 dedicated to the restoration and archiving of audio and video concert recordings and the sale of music memorabilia. It began with the collection of the promoter Bill Graham, and added multiple other music and memorabilia archives.
Julien's Auctions was founded in 2003 by Darren Julien and co-owned with Martin Nolan, is a privately held auction house based in Culver City, California. Julien's Auctions produces auctions in the categories of Film Memorabilia, Music [Rock & Roll] Memorabilia, Sports Memorabilia, and Street and Contemporary Art. The company has a global presence bringing their auctions and preview exhibitions to cities such as Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, New York City, Las Vegas, London, Tokyo, and Macau, and their auctions accommodate bidders both live as well as online via live streaming video and mobile technology. Julien's Auctions has received press and recognition for their auctions which attract museums, collectors, investors, fans, and enthusiasts from around the globe. Specializing in the sale of 'pop culture' artifacts, Julien's Auctions has handled collections and estates from entertainers including Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Banksy, Cher, Michael Jackson, Sharon Tate and Burt Reynolds. In 2016, Julien's Auctions received its second placement in the Guinness Book of World Records for the sale of the world's most expensive dress ever offered at auction, Marilyn Monroe's “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” gown which sold for $4.8 million. The auction house's first placement was in 2009 for the sale of Michael Jackson's bejeweled, white glove which sold for $480,000, making it the most expensive glove ever sold at auction.
2428392, Inc. is an American chain of entertainment retail stores headquartered in Albany. Formerly owned by Trans World Entertainment, it began in 1993 and was expanded in 2001 after buying out and rebranding mall-based Camelot, Strawberries, Record Town, Coconuts and DiscJockey stores. There are 206 locations as of May 2019. As of 2020, FYE is a unit of 2428392, Inc. and retained its headquarters.
Wallichs Music City was a record store in Hollywood, California, USA, founded by Glenn E. Wallichs, that also had stores in West Covina, Lakewood, Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, Torrance, Buena Park, and Hawthorne from 1940–1978 and was one of the first to display cellophane sealed albums in racks. Wallichs stayed open until 2 a.m.
An indoor swap meet in the United States, especially Southern California and Nevada, is a type of bazaar, a permanent, indoor shopping center open during normal retail hours, with fixed booths or storefronts for the vendors.