Colony Music In NYC to Shutter Its Doors ! !

[milven]

It's the end of an era. Colony Music in NYC has announced that it is closing its doors, mainly because the rent was raised from one million to five million A MONTH !!

I was in Colony about two months ago and it was like entering a museum. There was a lot of stuff behind glass, mostly collectible. People walking around. Some taking pictures. But I did not see anyone at the counter buying. I can not imagine how they paid a million a month for rent. Back in the day, it was the place to go to find hard to get records.

I guess that they could move to another location that charges less rent, but the record retail industry is dead and it would be senseless to try to continue if there is no chance of increasing or, at least, maintaining the business that they already have.

One more nail in the coffin of our industry




http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...tent=Manhattan

Famed Colony Music store in Times Square to close after 64 years
By CANDACE AMOS and DON KAPLAN

Share on emailShare on facebook More Sharing ServicesMore Print The song is over.

Times Square record Mecca, Colony Music, a favorite attraction for performing icons such as Elvis, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, will close after 64 years next month because of rapidly rising rents.

Founded in 1948, the store has a stockpile of more than 1 million vinyl records and also sells sheet music from virtually every Broadway show and film ever made.

“I’m devastated,” said co-owner Michael Grossbardt, whose father, Harold S. “Nappy” Grossbardt, started the store with partner Sidney Turk back when big-band impresario Benny Goodman was a customer.


Kristy Leibowitz
THE ‘VINYL’ DAYS: Colony Music, a destination for 64 years, will close its doors within weeks, in large part because its landlord plans to quintuple the rent to as much as $5 million a month.

Kristy Leibowitz
THE ‘VINYL’ DAYS: Colony Music, a destination for 64 years, will close its doors within weeks, in large part because its landlord plans to quintuple the rent to as much as $5 million a month.
“My dad would be crying in his grave. He would be extremely upset,” he said. “It’s been in my family forever.”

Michael Jackson was an especially big fan, dropping by the store regularly from the time he was a kid singer in the Jackson 5. When he got older, he had a secret entrance and would knock when he wanted to visit.

“Michael Jackson would be sitting here humming a song to me.

“I always wanted to recommend things, but I didn’t want to offend him. One time, we were in the store, and word got out that he was in here. I had to take him downstairs and sneak him out the back exit.”

Grossbardt said the music at Colony is about to be silenced because his landlord plans to jack up the monthly rent from around $1 million to as much as $5 million.

“The landlord raised the rent, and it will be impossible to survive, especially with people now downloading music on the Internet,” Grossbardt said.

“When landlords want this type of rent, it is impossible for anyone to survive unless you’re backed by a big corporation.”

“It is a tough environment for the music business. All the mom-and-pop stores in this area are going away — this is the end of an era,” Grossbardt said, on the verge of tears.

He said his partner, Mark Turk, the son of the store’s other founder, wants to close. Turk declined to comment.

“I feel horrible; I’m depressed. This feels like a death in the family. This store has always been in my life.”

Grossbardt said he plans to house the store’s vast record collection in his garage and eventually liquidate it on the Internet.

The store was first located at Broadway and West 52nd Street, but in 1970, it moved to its current location in the Brill Building at the corner of West 49th Street and Broadway, where its neon signs and windows full of sheet music have been a beacon for music lovers.

“I have the entire Beatles catalog, psychedelic records, Blue Note [label] jazz and so much more,” said Grossbardt.

“These are all one of a kind. We have every genre of music that you could think of. Our motto is, ‘I found it at the colony.’ ”

don.kaplan@nypost.com

[marv2]

Now this is news.......sh#*t! Colony Records is an institution. I first bought records there in the early 80's. It was great because they stayed open very late at night. You could go in there at like 2:00 in the morning and buy records. I didn't care for their practice of only placing the record covers out so that you could see them and have to ask for the actual record when you were ready to make a purchase.....hehehehehe. Still, they were a landmark near Times Square. I bought the VHS of the movie Sparkle there way back in 1986!

This business of raising the rents around New York City is becoming ridiculous. I just heard last weekend that HuMan Books in Harlem, as well as the Lennox Lounge [[both landmarks) are closing because the landlords are significantly raising the rents!

I am going to miss Colony Records. The city is losing it's flavor everyday.

[timmyfunk]

Yeah, but it also turned into a tourist trap, trying to sell albums that you couldn't get $10 for and they were trying to charge upwards to $50. I bought my first copy of Osmium by Parliament at Colony for...you guessed it...$50. Also found four prime back issues of "Rock & Soul Songs" magazine there for $15.00 a piece.

One embarassing moment: meeting Luther Vandross at Colony, but not believing that it was him because he had lost a lot of wait. I thought it was someone tyring to impersonate him.

Anyway, I guess in someways I'll miss Colony. But in the last days, they brought that crap on themselves.

[luke]

Very very sad. It would seem they had to raise their prices to pay a million a month. Ridiculous 5 million a month.

[marv2]

Very very sad. It would seem they had to raise their prices to pay a million a month. Ridiculous 5 million a month.

$ 5 million a month for that space? I don't know who is going to pay that amount.

[stephanie]

I have never been to Colony but a friend of mine who lives in NY went there and told me about it. Sorry to see this happening.

[Kamasu_Jr]

I went there once with my dad and uncle. We had money to buy music , but only bought one thing. I will admit it, I have not been inside a brick and cement music store in ages.

[jsmith]

When my son worked in New York [[& lived in Hoboken), I used to buy old sheet music [[soul songs) in Colony. Always managed to find a few good items [[& at decent prices too).

[daddyacey]

A sign of the times. They were one of the last old school sources of not only records but sheet music. This is the end of an era and a start of ???????

[Amithesameboy]

A sign of the times. They were one of the last old school sources of not only records but sheet music. This is the end of an era and a start of ???????

While it is sad, as I have some happy memories of the shop, the truth is that is has been a shadow of its former self for maybe twenty years now. I havent bought anything there for years.

[luke]

But itwas so nice to know there was still a fun record store to go to in midtown-that had history and fascinating stuff. I dont know daddy but I fear we will be totally computerized.

[marv2]

Nothing good is going to come out of this. The days of going to the record store are over unfortunately. One more of life's simple pleasures taken away in the name of greed!

[milven]

I was just in Colony a little while ago. Went to a Broadway show and then walked down the block to go into Colony for probably the last time. It was very crowded compared to a couple of weeks ago when I was in there. I guess there were a lot of people going in once more as I was doing. People were buying too. I noticed they had a lot of Cd's re-priced at $ 5.99. But they still have their traditional high rip off prices. They had the Original Cast CD of MAME for thirty dollars , when you could buy it anywhere for about thirteen.

It is unbelievable that they were paying a million dollars a month for rent. All the big chain stores like TOWER are gone and now COLONY is leaving. It is the end of an era. Downloading music will never replace going into your local record shop .

[timmyfunk]

Nothing good is going to come out of this. The days of going to the record store are over unfortunately. One more of life's simple pleasures taken away in the name of greed!

Which is why I am grateful for the record stores in NJ that have survived: Princeton Record Exchange, Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ, and Jack's Music Shop in Red Bank, NJ. Makes you wonder what will happen to the record stores in the village. I predict that Carmine's House Of Oldies will be the next to fall. Not to try and sound the death knell, but I have a strong feeling about this.

[timmyfunk]

And there is always the flea markets and the [[shrinking) monthly record conventions.

[milven]

Which is why I am grateful for the record stores in NJ that have survived: Princeton Record Exchange, Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ, and Jack's Music Shop in Red Bank, NJ. Makes you wonder what will happen to the record stores in the village. I predict that Carmine's House Of Oldies will be the next to fall. Not to try and sound the death knell, but I have a strong feeling about this.

Is Bleeker Bob's still around? I was there about two years ago. I am glad to see that Jack's in Red Bank is still around. I stopped in about two years ago before a concert at Count Basie Theatre. We talked about twenty minutes about the state of the local record shop. The surviving ones had to make lots of changes to survive. But that is all they do, is survive, not thrive. Before downloading, the local record shop owner made a very nice living and supplied a wonderful meeting place for the music lover. Today, they are glorified flea markets selling used records and Cd's. Within a five mile radius of my home, there used to be about eighty places to buy music. Now, I can't name more than four or five. And there is a chance that my favorite shop will shutter this year. Very sad, but that's progress.

[reese]

Which is why I am grateful for the record stores in NJ that have survived: Princeton Record Exchange, Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ, and Jack's Music Shop in Red Bank, NJ. Makes you wonder what will happen to the record stores in the village. I predict that Carmine's House Of Oldies will be the next to fall. Not to try and sound the death knell, but I have a strong feeling about this.

Gosh, I hope not. I've bought quite a few albums at the House of Oldies during various trips to NYC.

It is a sad time. When I used to visit NYC, I would spend at least a couple of days hitting all of the record stores, as well as the bookstores. Now almost none of them are still open. A damn shame.

[marv2]

Which is why I am grateful for the record stores in NJ that have survived: Princeton Record Exchange, Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ, and Jack's Music Shop in Red Bank, NJ. Makes you wonder what will happen to the record stores in the village. I predict that Carmine's House Of Oldies will be the next to fall. Not to try and sound the death knell, but I have a strong feeling about this.

Timmy, I use to shop at Princeton Record Exchange when I lived in Philly. Great store. Another one was Plastic Fantastic on the Mainline in Philly.

[timmyfunk]

Gosh, I hope not. I've bought quite a few albums at the House of Oldies during various trips to NYC.

It is a sad time. When I used to visit NYC, I would spend at least a couple of days hitting all of the record stores, as well as the bookstores. Now almost none of them are still open. A damn shame.

One source of major income for HOO was their contracts with most of the major cable channels. When any of them did a segment on a particular year in history, the piece would usually include a picture of an album released during that year.

[marv2]

This story caused me to research some of the records stores I use to shop over the years. These stores were very popular. I just learned that "Plastic Fantastic" in Ardmore [[Philly) closed in 2003 and the legendary "Sam the Record Man" on Yonge Street in Toronto closed in 2007:

http://torontoist.com/2007/06/sam_the_record_1/

[daddyacey]

In NYC there are still quite a few stores in lower Manhattan. Academy on 18th street and on 12th. They have a warehouse in Brooklyn also. Prices are reasonable. There is Big City Records also on 12th and Gimme Gimme Records @ 325 E 5th Street only open fri-sunday and A-1 Records on 439 East 6th Street. Bleeker BOB is kind of high end pricey.
J&R has a lot of Vinyl in lately both reissue and used.

[timmyfunk]

In NYC there are still quite a few stores in lower Manhattan. Academy on 18th street and on 12th. They have a warehouse in Brooklyn also. Prices are reasonable. There is Big City Records also on 12th and Gimme Gimme Records @ 325 E 5th Street only open fri-sunday and A-1 Records on 439 East 6th Street. Bleeker BOB is kind of high end pricey.
J&R has a lot of Vinyl in lately both reissue and used.

Used vinyl? Now I know it's a new day. J&R never carried used vinyl before.

[timmyfunk]

This story caused me to research some of the records stores I use to shop over the years. These stores were very popular. I just learned that "Plastic Fantastic" in Ardmore [[Philly) closed in 2003 and the legendary "Sam the Record Man" on Yonge Street in Toronto closed in 2007:

http://torontoist.com/2007/06/sam_the_record_1/

But we still have Philadelphia Record Exchange, Sounds Of Market, and another store right around the corner from PRE whose name escapes me now.

[juicefree20]

I have to be honest, the only reason why this story bothers me is because it represents yet another loss of a very important part of about 30 years of my life...

the vanishing record store.

Fort me, Colony jumped the shark years ago with their always ridiculous, over-inflated prices. Whenever I did happen to stop through there, even the most common of LPs were priced $2 - $3 more than even a neighborhood store, much less Bondy's or The Wiz. Although reading about the rent, I now understand why that was the case.

What I don't understand is how they could raise his rent 5x that of his previous lease agreement. It would seem as though the rental laws would prevent such a ridiculous hike, though I may need to do some reading up on the rental retail laws.

Either way, is the ability for landlords to pull this kind of crap which has proven to hurt the small businessman in N.Y.C. & while something really needs to be done about that, I doubt that anything will be done about it.

So for me, it's a sad situation only for what it represents, not so much the loss of Colony. But I guess that we should've seen this coming when they got rid of the Virgin superstore near Times Square 3 years ago.

I know that today's generation whom have & are growing up with digital downloads & ipods won't be able to relate, but damn, didn't it feel good to walk into Discomat, Rock N Soul, Vinylmania, The Wiz or in my neighborhoods Greenline Records, Soul Shack, or even the local mom & pop on the corner & to touch all of those records & have them preview the records for you?

Thank God that Bleeker Bob is still around. I passed there Thursday & got a flashback to my college days & my fledgling years as a DJ, passing through there & picking up LPs like Grey & Hanks, THP Orchestra "Two Hot For Love" & other LPs from that 1978 era.

I never thought those days would end.

[timmyfunk]

I have to be honest, the only reason why this story bothers me is because it represents yet another loss of a very important part of about 30 years of my life...

the vanishing record store.

Fort me, Colony jumped the shark years ago with their always ridiculous, over-inflated prices. Whenever I did happen to stop through there, even the most common of LPs were priced $2 - $3 more than even a neighborhood store, much less Bondy's or The Wiz. Although reading about the rent, I now understand why that was the case.

What I don't understand is how they could raise his rent 5x that of his previous lease agreement. It would seem as though the rental laws would prevent such a ridiculous hike, though I may need to do some reading up on the rental retail laws.

Either way, is the ability for landlords to pull this kind of crap which has proven to hurt the small businessman in N.Y.C. & while something really needs to be done about that, I doubt that anything will be done about it.

So for me, it's a sad situation only for what it represents, not so much the loss of Colony. But I guess that we should've seen this coming when they got rid of the Virgin superstore near Times Square 3 years ago.

I know that today's generation whom have & are growing up with digital downloads & ipods won't be able to relate, but damn, didn't it feel good to walk into Discomat, Rock N Soul, Vinylmania, The Wiz or in my neighborhoods Greenline Records, Soul Shack, or even the local mom & pop on the corner & to touch all of those records & have them preview the records for you?

Thank God that Bleeker Bob is still around. I passed there Thursday & got a flashback to my college days & my fledgling years as a DJ, passing through there & picking up LPs like Grey & Hanks, THP Orchestra "Two Hot For Love" & other LPs from that 1978 era.

I never thought those days would end.

Ahhh....Greenline Records. That store, Tri-Boro records, the Wiz and Record Explosion cut my travel time in half. Only a bus ride away. Copped my Malcolm X recordings from Greenline, as well as some obscure 12" singles. I also remember Tri-Boro records having a copy of "[[not just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic damn near a month before any had heard of it.

If we all think that this is bad, what's going to happen when they stop making CD's?

[westgrandboulevard]

I agree with all the comments above.

I'm in the UK, and very large record stores were never as plentiful, except in large cities. Some still survive, but almost all the small local, independently run ones have gone.

The commercial considerations in operating a business will always prevail, but, dropping into a buzzing record store is a valuable social experience. You can go with friends, or alone. There's always the sense that the other customers share the same interests, if not exactly the same tastes.

There's the opportunity of maybe meeting a friendly face, or talking to complete strangers, even if nothing is bought on that visit.

And, if you're lucky, knowledgeable people working there greatly enhance the experience.

In contrast, listening to the music later at home or in the car is often a solitary experience for many.

The demise of record stores greatly reduces the sharing of our musical enjoyment. We all need to feel, at least sometimes, that someone, somewhere agrees with us, and feels the way we do.

Thank goodness for forums such as this - even if we do still sit on our own, enjoying it LOL

[timmyfunk]

I agree with all the comments above.

I'm in the UK, and very large record stores were never as plentiful, except in large cities. Some still survive, but almost all the small local, independently run ones have gone.

The commercial considerations in operating a business will always prevail, but, dropping into a buzzing record store is a valuable social experience. You can go with friends, or alone. There's always the sense that the other customers share the same interests, if not exactly the same tastes.

There's the opportunity of maybe meeting a friendly face, or talking to complete strangers, even if nothing is bought on that visit.

And, if you're lucky, knowledgeable people working there greatly enhance the experience.

In contrast, listening to the music later at home or in the car is often a solitary experience for many.

The demise of record stores greatly reduces the sharing of our musical enjoyment. We all need to feel, at least sometimes, that someone, somewhere agrees with us, and feels the way we do.

Thank goodness for forums such as this - even if we do still sit on our own, enjoying it LOL

I've never been to a record store in the UK. I have been to some glorious record stores in France and Holland, but not the UK.

And in terms of the shared experience, you could go to concerts to get that experience The problem is most of the time you have to pay to have that experience. And while I am grateful to have record stores that are 20-30 minutes away from me [[as well as Papa Jazz Record Store in Columbia, SC where my mother lives) , it still doesn't compare to what I find on a weekly basis.