About 78 Records
78 Records first opened it's doors to an unassuming record buying public on 19 June 1971 in a move that would change the face of Perth's music retail landscape, despite the small scale of the initial operation.
Tired of reading about a wealth of great music that was inaccessible via the regular outlets, three friends and avid music fans, Geoff "Hud" Hudson, John Hood, and John "Scruff" McGregor decided that the only way to enjoy the benefits of a good record store was to start one themselves. So, with all the youthful enthusiasm that goes with the ambition of creating the perfect record shop they took over two adjoining rooms on the first floor of the Padbury Building, which once occupied the site that is now home to Myer, overlooking Forrest Place and the GPO. The location was not only right in the middle of the city's retail precinct but it also proved to be a prime spot for witnessing Gough Whitlam's post-election speech after Labor put an end to 23 years of Liberal Government.
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 as two small rooms could physically accommodate. It was the three owners' love of blues and the desire to create an image that would prove to stand the test of time that inspired the store's logo, which is the only photographic representation of Blind Lemon Jefferson in existence, and then the name 78 Records - the format on which his original recordings were released.
In the early days 78's was something of a cottage industry with the paper bags being silk screened by hand then pegged up to dry on the premises and all profits being channeled straight back into the store. Before the days of RTR FM and other community radio stations, local press and fanzines, the only means of advertising was to post handbills up all over the city and word of mouth. Both proved to be effective and before long they expanded to another room across the corridor and began to establish a regular and loyal customer base.
78 Records continued in this vein for three years, steadily expanding and providing customers with as much of the music they yearned for, but couldn't find anywhere, as possible. Titles such as Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers, Jethro Tull's Aqualung and Neil Young's Harvest may be readily available in bargain bins all over the city now, but back then they weren't so easy to come by and 78's knew this and did something about it.
The level of stock began to outgrow its premises at about the same time as rumours started to circulate regarding the proposed demolition of the Padbury Buildings, so without waiting to be evicted they decided to look for a new location, preferably somewhere much larger and on street level. What was essentially a tin shed next door to His Majesty's Theatre at 843 Hay Street, the new shop, which has become affectionately known as "the old building" opened in May 1974 and remained there for the next 13 years. Back in the mid-70s that end of the city was pretty much devoid of any retail outlets, but that didn't deter them, in fact it just meant another challenge and an opportunity to pioneer change, something to which 78's has always aspired.
The sheer size of the new location meant that the quantity of stock burgeoned incredibly at a rapid rate, attracting customers with wide and varied tastes, who could lounge in a beanbag and listen to records at the city's first such listening stations inside a store before making their decision. The increased amount of floor space also allowed for the expansion into cassettes as well as increased volumes of vinyl. During the 13 years in "the old building," which was visually distinctive with it's painted front windows and narrow doorway that created an atmosphere of intrigue and uniqueness, the number of staff of 78's naturally also grew to meet customer demand. With the addition of new personalities to the shop came an unprecedented injection of individuality that resulted in such traditions as an in-house band - WACO (West Australian Chainsaw Orchestra), theme days and the selection of a piece of music to close late night trading each week - hang around until 9pm on a Friday and you'll still hear the sounds of the fruity instrumental A Walk in the Black Forest.
During the 843 era 78's also earned a reputation which traveled much further afield than the metro area, and visiting international performers often frequented the shop whenever they were in town - in search of that elusive record they just couldn't find anywhere else. Of course, some of them just wanted to check out how many of their own albums were in stock, and it was usually more than other places. Joe Cocker, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Lou Reed and Elton John were just some of the artists who either heard about the shop or stumbled across it, and for the most part they came back on their next visit.
Once again the threat of demolition loomed in 1987, prompting yet another move. Wanting to stay in the end of town they had become associated with 78's crossed Hay Street and went up a bit to number 884, taking with them the spirit of the old building as well as a whole new range of exciting possibilities. The growing demand for CDs meant that the outward appearance of the shop and the nature of the stock had to change and grow. They also knew that to keep up with the size of the store that certain measures had to be taken, principally computerisation and the willingness to cater for all tastes in music, turning the store into a more friendly environment while still maintaining a genuine passion and aiming for that initial ambition of the perfect record store.
1989 saw the opening of the basement which was to serve as a haven for a range of cultural paraphernalia including videos, books, posters, comics and T-shirts, as well as the place to buy tickets for forthcoming events. Not restricted solely to music related items, the basement developed its own identity as it branched into the world of film, television, interactive media and cult writing, exploring the possibilities of all avenues, a philosophy which continues when 78's moved again in March 1996 to 914 Hay Street. The first floor of the larger building comes complete with its own stage which is in constant use by local, national and international artists of all creative persuasions, whether it be music, comedy, visual arts, photography or spoken word.
While the move will result once again in a new look, the commitment to music, spirit and passion of more than 30 years will go unchanged and of course, the vision remains the same - the perfect record store.