KING BRITT REMEMBERS: Tower Records totally changed my whole life. I worked there in ’88, for four years. In high school I was a music nerd, so naturally I desperately wanted to work at Tower. I started as bag check dude, but moved up to 12″ singles buyer and New Age buyer in a matter of six months. Everyone who worked there were masters at their craft, and their passion for music was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the “team work” vibe. We all went on to do great things. Renny Harris, a major choreographer and dancer; James Bond, who owns Undefeated in Los Angeles; Dawn Bradley, who coordinates for Steve Berkowitz; Rich Kaufman, amazing artist and dad, the list continues . . .
Our boss, Ted Putman, was the best man. He understood that our time at Tower was a platform for something
greater. We made our Rolodexes there, and he definitely helped us coordinate our schedules so we could travel and have off when needed, provided we did our job well. At that time, it was exciting to work at Tower. There was passion. But as technology came in, the passion for “shopping” started to falter. Simultaneously, the new regime of workers seemed to not have the same knowledge and drive we had, thus there was a decline in sales and morale. I continued to shop at Tower through the years. An amazing lady, Sara Sherr, whose knowledge led her to writing and DJing, seemed to keep that passion. I enjoyed going in and seeing her because it reminded me of when I worked with her. But it takes more than one. Internationally, each store dwindled. I was so hurt when London closed, years ago. I tried to transfer to that store (almost made it . . . hahaha!). Then the Tokyo store started to fizzle out. (I made the cover of their magazine a few months ago.) Tower wasn’t just a name or store, it was a legacy. But all legacies have their time. I’m just glad I was a part of it!
Previously: How TOWER Got It’s Lean On