Midnight Records -255 – 263 W. 23rd Street, Chelsea NYC – shop closed
Spent many a happy hour and quite a bit of coin in this store when it was open. Unlike many of my other haunts, I mostly bought new records here (though they did have a few used records).
You didn’t go here for Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Instead, Midnight featured reissues from a host of lesser known 60s bands. Some were hopelessly obscure albums unfairly ignored on their original release and now completely unavailable. Think the British psychedelic pop of Skip Bifferty (1968). Or Canada’s Passing Fancy – A Passing Fancy (1968), also psychedelic pop, with some garage mixed in. Others were various artist compilations of singles by bands that only put out one or two 45s. They also had band comps that contained a single band’s few singles, fleshed out with previously unreleased material, often covers of 60s songs like the Them’s Gloria or Jimi Hendrix’ Hey Joe or Wilson Pickett’s Midnight Hour. Midnight Records also had underground 80s records, if memory serves, and some early 50s/60s blues as well.
The store spanned two store fronts. As you walked in, there were two elevated counters for employees which backed 23rd street. The latest 60s reissues, comps etc. were in bins in the middle of that space, with books and magazines and the odd cd on the wall. I’m not sure, but believe used records were in the second ‘store’ with more valuable ones (which I then couldn’t afford and thus didn’t look at) under lock and key.
It also had its own label (Midnight Records) which issued a number of 80s garage rock revival records that were quite good. One of my personal favorites was the Cheepskates – Run Better Run from 1984.
The shop was owned by J. D. Martignon, a chain smoking Frenchman who regularly wore a paisley shirt, and was open from 1984 until March 2004. They always had something good playing on the stereo, which is how I first learned of the English mod-revival band the Jam. From the late 70s early 80s, they were superstars in their native England, but never made the same impact in the States.
The Printed Page
Midnight also sold a number of books about music. That’s where I found the great Fuzz Acid & Flowers by Vernon Joynson. It contains detailed information about 5400 (relatively) obscure US acts playing 60s psych and garage music from 1964-1972, as well as of various artists compilations. In addition to identifying the band’s personnel and its discography, Fuzz Acid and Flower also contains reviews of the music they played, as well as pictures of the groups, and of some of the albums reviewed. Joynson also provided a rough guide of the value of some of the more expensive vinyl discussed as of the date of publication. He has since published updated editions of this book, as well as similar helpful guides to other music of this era. The Tapestry of Delights is a Comprehensive Guide to British Music of the Beat, R&B, Psychedelic and Progressive Eras 1963-1976, while After the Acid Trip The Flashback bills itself as the Ultimate Psychedelic Music Guide.
Midnight published the Midnight Thymes, a mail-order catalog filled with its latest offerings, as well as articles about the 80s garage rock revival scene. Before eBay and the Internet, you collected records by scouring various mail-order catalogs like this one, or listings in Goldmine, to find your obscure treasures. Or you perused Fanzines to see what others had found and loved.
Midnight also published a guide to 60s punk and psych various artist compilations. More on that below.
Here’s a picture of J. D. Martignon, who passed away in 2016.
Midnight Records – The Label
For your listening pleasure, here are the Cheepskates performing Run Better Run live in 1984. They were one of my favorite acts to appear on Midnight Records.
Midnight Records also put out the first Fuzztones’ record Leave Your Mind At Home (1984). One of the ’80s leading garage rock revival bands, this set was culled from a 1984 tour of the Midwest. Performed live and raw, it featured covers of some great 60s garage rock and punk songs. Think farfisa organ, fuzzed out guitar, snarling screaming vocals. And songs about girls – I lost my girl, I’m gonna get that girl, I’m gonna dump that girl, my best friend stole my girl, she’s the best girl. All the hallmarks of 60s garage. They covered the Chob’s We’re Pretty Quick, the Gonn’s Blackout at Gretely and the Sparkle’s No Friend of Mine (I’m gonna dump that girl because she aint ….), and exhortated the patrons to drink more and get f***d up. It will help the set. We promise.
I still remember when I bought this record at NYC’s Generation Records. The store clerk was pissed because he wouldn’t get to play it in the store anymore. Ah, but it went to a good home, where it was played regularly.
And Midnight also put out records by a number of other 80s garage revival bands, including the Outta Place and Plan 9. And yes, they were named after Plan 9 from Outer Space, one of the worst 50s Sci-fi movies ever to grace the screen.
What the Press is Saying
The blog It’s All The Streets You Crossed Not So Long Ago provided an in-depth look at the store and the label in its October 10, 2005 piece Midnight Records. It also detailed its unfortunate court battle over bootleg records (I’m shocked. There’s gambling in Rick’s Cafe). Alas, no pictures of the store are featured in the article.
Hillary Chute in the Village Voice on March 9 2004 published Music reporting on the closing of the store, and interviewing J.D. about the store and its history. Again, sans pictures.
An article titled Record Stores: Out of Site, Not Obsolete appeared in the NY Times on September 29, 2009 and described what Midnight (and Vinyl Mania’s) owners were then doing since the store closed to continue selling records.
A Picture
Long scoured the Internet looking for pictures of the store without success. Finally, an anonymous contributor located one, which is presented to you here.
The Midnight Records Book of 60’s Punk and Psychedelic Compilations
Here too is the cover to The Midnight Records Book of 60’s Punk and Psychedelic Compilations. In the 60s, numerous obscure bands put out 45s of garage, psych, mod, punk and beat songs. Many were released in lots of 500 on smaller labels, that had only regional (not national) distribution chains. Often, they were only played locally, where the band was known, and nowhere else. Many were quite good, but simply did not get the exposure to reach a larger audience. In the 70s, collectors gathered these singles, which due to their scarcity and great sound, cost quite a pretty penny. Before the Internet, the only way for most mere mortals to access these sounds was via comps (short for compilations), on which they were collected and reissued. (Or by reading fanzines, but that is a story for another day). Many of these comps themselves were issued in small pressings with a handwritten number denoting the copy you had purchased (1 of 400 etc.) or with mimeorgraphed covers. Lenny Kaye famously shined a light on these records in 1972 in his compilation Nuggets. Nuggets gave birth to a host of other compilations, such as the great Pebbles’ series, or Chocolate Soup for Diabetics, or Eva’s regional comps. I have many of these comps myself, from which I learned a great deal about 60s garage. Midnight’s book (pictured below) was a guide to those comps, many of which it sold in the store.
Like 60s Garage?
Wanna learn or hear more of ’60s garage? Check out our piece 60s Garage crate digging for 10 garage tunes I’ve found in my travels. Complete with You Tube videos. Or you could look at 60s garage section of our Song of the Day for some of my personal favorites. Spoiler – The Chob’s We’re Pretty Quick is included. Found it on an Eva comp of New Mexico garage.
