Big Star

 From 1967 to 1976, Jerry’s Records, was the hippest record store in Philly. It was located at 1107 Market Street. It was the first store I ever saw where hot lookin’ cashiers went braless. It was the first store to sell bootlegs. If you were a musician or a student, you made up your work own schedule to accommodate gigs or mid-terms. Jerry’s carried everything, except country and opera, because nobody ever asked for it. If a customer did want something Jerry’s didn’t carry, it would be special ordered.

I worked at Jerry’s part time when I was a student. My first job was to sweep the floor and get the manager coffee.  A few years later, that manager was hired by Larry Magid to manage Electric Factory Concerts. Consequently, I was promoted to manager. Some of my customers were a young Angelo Amorosi, and a thirteen year old kid, who came in my store at EXACTLY 11AM every Saturday. His name was Mike Hoffman, now the owner of a.k.a. Music.

As I said above, if Jerry's didn’t have it, we’d special order it for ya. One thing we NEVER had, and NOBODY EVER asked us for was anything by “Big Star.” How could the hippest store in town, with the hippest clientele have NEVER heard of … Big Star ???????

Out at Penn, students are constantly reminded of their course requirements. Many times a student must be admitted to a course, even though it is filled, because he is a senior, and he needs the class to graduate. In other words, an academic resume must contain certain sectors of study in order to get a degree. Sometimes I think that knowledge of Big Star is requisite listening for all hipsterati.