The old Titus Oaks Record Exchange on Old Country Road in Hicksville, NY, is the very first independent record shop I set foot in over 25 years ago, sending me on my way for a quarter century of crate digging to which I still cite as my primary leisure of choice. And it is with a heavy heart that I bring the news of the passing of Alan Meltzer, the man who opened up the first Titus Oaks in Brooklyn back in the late 60s before launching CD One Stop, one of the largest wholesale distributors of CDs back in the 80s and 90s before starting Wind-Up Records, a label responsible for both one of the best groups of the last 20 years in The Wrens and the absolute worst band quite possibly in American rock history in Creed. Nevertheless, the man was a pioneer of the independent record store template that is slowly growing extinct as the digital format continues to eat through the viability of tangible music goods like CDs and vinyl like MRSA. It was recently announced, however, that American Idol Season 10 finalist James Durbin, the kid responsible for introducing Judas Priest and Zakk Wylde to the Tweeting tweens the world over, signed with Wind-Up for a multi-album deal.
I had the opportunity to speak with Alan about 10 years ago when I was writing a story for SHOUT Magazine about the endangerment of indie record shops and he was as gracious as he was cantankerous and I am very sorry to hear of his passing.
For more information on the death of Alan Meltzer, please check out Matthew Perpetua's piece in Rolling Stone. -Ed.
6 comments:
RIP Alan Meltzer. I grew on Ave U and remember well his stores first on Church and Flatbush then Ave U and Ocean Ave. He wasn't the first record shop in Brooklyn, but believe he was first selling used vinyl.
My name is Monty better known as DJ Monty B I use to dig at the Flatbush store I remember I could not afford any of the records I wanted but he never chased me out of the store I was 16 the worst thing to happen was the blckout of 1977 I was completely lost when his store was looted all I remeber is if you could not find a recoed there you couldn't it anywhere I miss that store and Al will be missed.
For give my type-o's
A trip to this store on Church and Flatbush every Saturday for several years was something I looked forward to for years when I was a teen. I built the bulk of my record collection from Titus Oaks and spent hours hoping to find a "gem" in the used album section. I have very fond memories of this place and Alan. I know he will be missed. R.I.P Alan.
If memory serves,they used to have a deal where you brought in three used albums and 99 cents and you could a new record. (The Church and Flatbush store in the mid-70s) I remember seeing the original cover version of Yesterday and Today and the inflatable utter from Pink Floyd's AHM there. I would also browse for what seemed like hours on a Saturday afternoon. What brought me to this today was a picture I saw of the original Brickfords restaurant facade recently being uncovered and I was looking into if this was the site of the record store.
Yes...grew up on Albemarle Rd. Learned all about the music at the Flatbush & Church store with that deal. What a waste that looting was... remember the sound and smoke. RIP Titus
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