Another Record Shop, Per Dave M.

"One of the local record shops that advertised on KAAY, KLAZ, and other stations in the market, was “Discount Records”. “Discount Jack” Garner would ad-lib the opening of his spots with a very cordial and laid-back “Hi folks, Discount Jack here, from Discount Records, across from the University in Little Rock. Today we’ve got the new release from _______________ . . . “ and then he would have a few short cuts from the album as ear-teasers. He’d also mention anything else that might be of interest to the counter-cultured listener. And then close with something like, “be sure to come in Saturday when the new __________ album arrives.”

Jack (Discount Jack) Garner was a bit of a thorn in the local establishment society’s side. Aside from selling lots of bleeding edge rock and roll records, he also sold “paraphernalia”, black lights, incense, posters, and, well, you get the picture. Jack was also involved in some legal activity related to the definition of paraphernalia and what it might be used for. Quite a character he was, and certainly up for a good conversation or debate when you could catch him in the store."

Thank you, Dave!  We also had one of those places, but it wasn't a record shop- at least, I don't remember any records being in there- but they carried leather goods, wierd clothing, black lights & posters and, yes, "paraphernalia".  I didn't go there much, due to the fact they didn't have records and the times I did go there, I got the "hairy eyeball", probably because I wasn't part of their "regular crowd"...even though I had shoulder-length hair & a beard.  Maybe I was too "clean" for them, in more ways than one?
 
By the way, you may or may not believe this...the name was, "The Head Shop" and it was in a little out-of-the way place not normally travelled in one of our local malls.  I stumbled upon it one day by mistake.  Moms & kids wouldn't be normally headed out this particular exit to the parking lot- there wasn't much of one, basically being a very small employee lot, opening into the larger area quite some ways away.  It was actually in an alcove behind another shop...you wouldn't know it was there unless one heard of it by word of mouth or if you happened to go down an unlit hallway, which wrapped around the little shop "out front".....
 
Bud S. (staceys4@hotmail.com)