TIMES SQUARE RECORDS RADIO SHOW


The Times Square Record Shop, located down one flight of steps at the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street in New York City, was instrumental in a revival of the vocal group harmony sound in the early 1960s. This is where many of today's record collectors started and built their collections. Irving "Slim" Rose (see above photo) was the owner and also worked behind the counter. The rarer records, hanging on the famous "wall", would sell for more than the usual $1 (up to $5 or $10). The store was opened in 1960 and closed in 1965, when the collecting craze cooled down. To promote his store, Slim hosted a weekly radio show, where he would play records and quote their price or how much one could receive in credit for bringing them in to the store.

So go back now to 1961, it is 10:30 on a Saturday night. Turn on your small table radio and, through the static of the night, twist the dial to 1380 AM, WBNX in New York City. For here is "Swinging Along With Slim", one and one-half hours of the best from Times Square Record Shop (in streaming RealAudio):

(Table Radio Set To Swinging Along With Slim)

Special thanks to Mike Rosen for providing the raw reel-to-reel tape, Jerry Restelli for transcribing to cassette tape, and Pam Sweeney for her coordination of the project.

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER: HERE
(Click To Play; Right-Click "Save target As..." to download)


Click HERE for Squire's article "Off The Wall -- A Collector’s Memories of Times Square Records."



FROM THE BILLBOARD DATED 12/26/60:


PHOTOS:

To view photos of The Times Square Record Shop,
Click HERE. (Courtesy of Wayne Stierle).


LISTS:

To view a listing of Times Square Records Top 100 - In Sales - For January 1961, Click HERE.

To view a listing of Times Square Records Top 40 - In Sales - For December 1960, Click HERE (Courtesy of Pete Chaston).

To view the bottom of Times Square Records Top 150 - In Sales - For September 1962, Click HERE (Courtesy of Pete Chaston).

To view a listing of Times Square Records Top 150 - In Sales - For December 1962/January 1963 (first 50 only), Click HERE (Courtesy of Pete Chaston).

To view Slim's Ad for Stormy Weather by The Five Sharks, Click HERE (Courtesy of Pete Chaston).






Updated 7/8/22