Obsession Records – 2213 E Tudor Rd. Ste 53. Anchorage, Alaska 99507 – Open
Alaska’s finest and only dedicated indie record store, Obsession Records is tucked away in a small strip mall on the outskirts of Anchorage. On a recent trip to Alaska, in the hopes of seeing bears, moose and whales, I paid a visit and found a store offering new and used vinyl in various genres, cds, cassettes and stereo equipment with a friendly owner, pictured below. The records were quite reasonably priced, and picked up some nice 45s, including the incomparable Them, featuring Van Morrison, doing Gloria.
The walls of the store are lined with great rock n’ roll art of the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison by a local artist. The store also displays a number of 60’s era posters. The product of a guy who clearly had a vision of what an old school record store is supposed to look like.
Wanna go? You can find Obsession Records on our Record Stores Map.
What the Press is Saying
Here’s a December 23, 2019 piece from the Anchorage Press Obsession Records: The Tables Are Turning … interviewing Steve and his wife Verna about the store and its history.
And here’s a short video on Vimeo, interviewing Verna and Steve the day after they opened the store.
In this 2023 video, store co-owner Verna Haynes talks about her store, and gives you a vido tour that gives a better idea of its offerings.
Cool Vinyl Bought There
My 45 find on Parrott of Them doing Gloria back in 1964. One of my personal favorites. This is Them and Van Morrison performing the song live in France. And I don’t think they’re lip syncing, as Van Morrison adds the A when he spells out G L O R I A in the chorus, which isn’t on the recorded version.
And while I didn’t see a bear (no the zoo doesn’t count) I did see a moose, whales, sea lions, caribou, glaciers and great mountains, all dressed in fall colors.
You don’t see this too often on the streets of New York. Glad she had already eaten.
