I continued to buy records there, until the 1980's when he switched over excluvively to CDs, then I bought CDs there. In the late 1980's he closed up shop and moved his store to Lake Havasu.In January 1990 my wife and I went to Las Vegas, and had to make a detour on the way home to Lake Havasu. Stopping at Gillettes I bought CDs and recently ran across this receipt, which I was using as a bookmark.
I spent money and I took pictures of his shop. I've looked for the pictures, which at this point I cannot find, but when do I find them I will post them. Health Castle was the name of the buiding, probably because it looked like a castle. 
11 comments:
In the late 1960's I often went to Gillette's to buy albums. White Front in San Bernardino usually had the best prices (when they were on sale) so I got quite a few from there. Closer to home I also went to Sage's in Rialto for their record department but prices there were usually higher.
John from Fontana (back then)
Sage's, Two Guys, Lear's, White Front, Alvin's, F.O.R.E. Store, W.F. Woolworth's, Kress, and, of course, Lyle's Record City...
all the good olde retailers who sold recorded music back when it was ALL VINYL and just plain fun to just hang out and DIG, DIG, DIG for that one special fab disk!
OH YES, FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIANS,
there was the greatest music retailer of all time, TOWER RECORDS, which, quite sadly,
has now been consigned to history's dust bin...
for those of us who grew up in the pre-computerised era of recorded mechanical tunes, it will never quite be same. c'est la vie, that's all folks!
Who would remember ALVIN"S RECORD
store? I see you did. I used to go there on the way home from Sturges JH.
Spent a whole $1.50 for an oldie called
YOU WERE MINE by the Fireflies.
Still have it. They had to order it for me.
ALVIN'S RECORD SHOP used to specialise in Rhythm 'N' Blues recordings along with Jazz, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Soul and all other variations thereof.
one disk long remembered from Alvin's inventory was by Z.Z. Hill, a song called "You Were Wrong" on the M.H. Records label... still a great listening classic tune from a forgotten era!
I bought my first 45rpm at Gillete's in the late 1960's. What a great place!
I remember when I was in high school in Riverside in the late 60's, Gillette's records was the first place we would go after school. Also, we spent alot of time there on the weekends. I was surprised on a Saturday afternnon, while looking at new albums when Three Dog Night came in the store to say "hi" to Doug. Fond memories. I still have all the albums that I purchased from Doug.
Yeah, John, you couldn't beat those wonderful days just hanging out at a record shop, especially at entrepreneurs who had a large stock of inventory -- both old and new.
That would be one place i'd like to go check out first if me Way Back Machine was working!
Amazing. I grew up 1/4 mile from Gillette's and just on a whim did a web search, found your page. So cool...I too still have every record I bought from Doug, including the singles which had his sticker on them. I recently visited Riverside with wife and kids and drove down Brockton just to SHOW them where the coolest place to hang in the 60s and beyond used to be!
I lived in Corona and used to drive often to Gillette's in Riverside in the 1970s.
When Doug Gillette wasn't at the record store, you could always see him zipping around Riverside on that 10 Speed Bike of his. I used to be amazed at how much energy he had. Please share those pictures, when you find them. Good Times!
I remember Gillette's so well. It was a big part of my life from the early 60s on. I lived just a few blocks from there on Sunnyside Dr. and I would ride my bike there all the time just to hang out. I remember ordering albums through the years. He would drive into LA certain week days in the AM to pick up the albums and arrive at the store before 10:00 AM to open the store. I remember seeing him unload his station wagon with boxes full of albums and bringing them into the store. I still have a lot of those old albums in my collection. It's amazing how one person can touch so many lives and have such a positive impact.
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