Record Shopping

Hoyt Emerick (Age 18) Holding a Boy George CD 

Here's a young 18-year-old Hoyt holding his record store find of the day. It's Boy George's album Tense Nervous Headache. Here in the United States, it's more commonly known as High Hat with some track listing variations. We've adored this album since it came out so finding an alternative import version on CD was a special treat. The disc is loaded with some beautiful tracks. To this day, it still surprises me that Don't Cry wasn't a top-10 hit for the Boy. Fortunately, Don't Take My Mind on a Trip was a minor hit for him on the US R&B Billboard Charts. 

Record shopping was a huge part of our lives back in the 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s. Shopping for rare imports and missing pieces in our already huge record collection was an exciting experience for us. It was better than hunting for Easter Eggs. It's hard to describe the feeling that we would get when finding a rare piece that we didn't even know existed. Those of you who know, know. It was a thrilling time in music. We'd hunt for rare B-sides, 12" mixes, promotional items, and even alternative cover art sleeves from some of our favorite artists. We sought after artists like Culture Club, The Thompson Twins, Dead or Alive, Duran Duran, Bananarama, SAW, Pet Shop Boys, Sam Fox, Stevie Nicks, Crystal Gayle, Kim Wilde, and Sylvia just to name a few. 

It's sometimes strange for me to think of how much time and money we spent doing this activity. We'd even drive to far-away towns, go to record conventions, and use mail-order catalogs to acquire these rare items. In a time before the internet, if you wanted to hear music that wasn't on the radio you had to buy it. Receiving a mix tape from a friend was the best. You got to discover new music that they hand-selected just for you.

The state of the music industry and record business today admittedly puzzles me. Sure, it's amazing to be able to listen to absolutely anything that your heart desires at any given time. You have the world's complete music catalog at your fingertips. Future generations aren't going to believe that we collected music by pressing it to a physical format. Streaming is here to give us the instant gratification that we all crave. 

Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦

Picture it. New York City, 1997. (Midnight In Chelsea)

Carly Emerick Living in Manhattan's Chelsea Region (1997)

Picture it. New York City, 1997. 

Here I am all doe-eyed but street smart trying to make my songwriting dreams a reality. I was 24 years old and living in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. I lived directly across from the notorious Hotel Chelsea. (Remember Sid and Nancy?) I was lucky enough to have a friend who was able to get me into this very small but quaint penthouse studio apartment. I was struggling just to pay the rent so I had no money to furnish it. I slept on the floor in a blue sleeping bag. However, I did have my music-making equipment set up and that was all that I needed. 

Behind me is my trusted CrossWave synthesizer the Ensoniq SQ-80. It's been my main go-to bread-and-butter synth ever since I purchased it. With its easy-to-understand built-in midi sequencer, I still find myself today composing on it. I have to admit, however, that I spend more time these days composing in Pro Tools.  

My look here is influenced by rock bands like The Cranberries and Sixpence None the Richer. Pamela Anderson was big on Baywatch and having tiny eyebrows was the trend. Around my neck is a Swatch watch. I wore it so much that the wristband broke. However, even then that didn't stop me from wearing it. I found a string that fit through the screw holes and wore it like a useful fashion accessory. My watch became my necklace. It was just another testament to how broke I was. 

One night, after fumbling over a few piano chords, I found myself having writer's block. So I decided to go out and grab a bite. I needed to get some fresh air. When I got back in, the doorman at the front desk was all a buzz about Jon Bon Jovi filming right across the street from us. I excitedly got into the elevator with my sandwich in hand and pressed the top floor. I knew that I had the perfect view of the street and the hotel from my window. From there, I could easily see Jon. The film crew had him lit up and bathed in light. He was at the window just strumming away on his guitar. Behind him was the brightly lit Hotel Chelsea neon sign. It reminded me of how close and yet how far away I was from success. The irony wasn't lost on me.

There I was looking out my window at one of the biggest rockstars on the planet. He was making a tremendous living making music yet here I was barely able to make ends meet. Not only were we on opposite sides of the street, we were on opposite sides of success. I sat there watching him play feeling sorry for myself. 

A few months later, while browsing titles at a record store, Jon's new CD single "Midnight At Chelsea" caught my eye. I walked over to the import section and picked it up. I immediately thought, oh so this must be the song for the music video that he was filming that night. I stared at the black and white stark cover art. I couldn't help but notice that Jon looked unhappy. Then I took note that the jacket that he was wearing on the cover was very similar to the one that I wore. I sighed and thought to myself maybe we're not as worlds apart as I initially thought. I turned the CD over to see the track listing and read that it was from his new album called Destination Anywhere. If Jon Bon Jovi seemed as lost as I was then maybe there was still hope for me yet.

Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦

For reference, here's a picture of that
Jon Bon Jovi CD that I mentioned in this post.