Ojai Sam
Staff member
It's a record store!
It's a record label!
Actually, it's both. The store opened in 1973 on Westwood Boulevard, a few blocks from where I grew up. Three years later, under the guidance of Richard Foos and Harold Bronson, they started putting out their own product, with this self-referential title their maiden release. Over the years, they expanded their catalog to include some new releases but leaning heavily toward reissues. Rhino became legendary for both intelligent compilation and superbly mastered vinyl. Mail order sales increased to drive the major part of the business. The label developed a hip marketing image featuring Rocky Rhino that appealed to consumers of all ages.
The digital era brought with it a revival of interest in back catalog, as boomers began buying digital reissues of the music they grooved to in the 50's and 60's. Rhino came along for the ride, expanding to buy up defunct but historically significant labels like White Whale and, their big coup, Roulette. The flood of fine product continued but as Rhino grew, they entered into partnerships with EMI and then Time Warner to gain access to the vaults of Capitol, Atlantic and the like. Predictably, the giant gobbled up the feisty independent and Rhino withered away as a component of Warner Music Group.
I used to haunt the store regularly until it closed in 2006 to became a Persian restaurant. Rhino Records releases also form a big part of my collection. Both Sides Now Publications has favored us with an exhaustive discography running to 14 parts which you can find here:
Even I wouldn't try to accumulate them all, but I will post some interesting titles to illustrate the label's many strengths.
It's a record label!
Actually, it's both. The store opened in 1973 on Westwood Boulevard, a few blocks from where I grew up. Three years later, under the guidance of Richard Foos and Harold Bronson, they started putting out their own product, with this self-referential title their maiden release. Over the years, they expanded their catalog to include some new releases but leaning heavily toward reissues. Rhino became legendary for both intelligent compilation and superbly mastered vinyl. Mail order sales increased to drive the major part of the business. The label developed a hip marketing image featuring Rocky Rhino that appealed to consumers of all ages.
The digital era brought with it a revival of interest in back catalog, as boomers began buying digital reissues of the music they grooved to in the 50's and 60's. Rhino came along for the ride, expanding to buy up defunct but historically significant labels like White Whale and, their big coup, Roulette. The flood of fine product continued but as Rhino grew, they entered into partnerships with EMI and then Time Warner to gain access to the vaults of Capitol, Atlantic and the like. Predictably, the giant gobbled up the feisty independent and Rhino withered away as a component of Warner Music Group.
I used to haunt the store regularly until it closed in 2006 to became a Persian restaurant. Rhino Records releases also form a big part of my collection. Both Sides Now Publications has favored us with an exhaustive discography running to 14 parts which you can find here:
Even I wouldn't try to accumulate them all, but I will post some interesting titles to illustrate the label's many strengths.
on the Sam-O-Meter.
