All Shore record shops, all fans want to buy is Bruce Springsteen (1986)

This story originally appeared in the Asbury Park Press on Nov. 11, 1986. 

Just another Monday at Jack’s Music Shop in Red Bank. In front of the classical music section, owner Jack Anderson was answering a slew of questions posed by a crew from the NBC Nightly News. None of the queries had a thing to do with Pachelbel’s Canon.

Behind the counter, Susan Pignataro and Amy Westerman tried to simultaneously wait on customers and answer the constantly ringing phone while a camera from the New Jersey Network News recorded their every move.

By noon, the line leading up to the cash register stretched into the showtunes and female-vocalist sections. But nobody seemed to be paying Rosemary Clooney much mind.

Yesterday Bruce Springsteen was to the Shore what the Mets were to New York a couple of weeks ago. “Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live/1975-85” hit the streets about 8 a.m. yesterday and was snapped up by Boss junkies who didn’t even flinch when they plopped down an average of $25 per album ($39 for compact disc) for the privilege of hearing Springsteen live in their living rooms.

Record dealers paid about $18 for each album and cassette set, said Neil ShoenHolz, owner of Galaxy Records in Belmar.

On Broad Street in downtown Red Bank, the orange and white Jack’s Music Shop bags were everywhere. At the Ocean County Mall, those lucky enough to purchase the albums before they sold out proudly displayed their prize possessions to those who were too late.

Employees of the Listening Booth in Ocean County Mall were greeted this morning by 50 Springteen fans hoping to snap up many of the shop’s 460 allotted copies. Within an hour, half the releases had been sold.

“I have never seen a record do this well without a personal appearance by the artists, said manager Michael Salvadore, ” ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ didn’t even come close.”

At most locations, the records sold out in a matter of hours.

“We just sold them right out of the box,” ShoenHolz said, the owner of Galaxy Records in Belmar. “We sold 175 of them in two hours. What we did today is what we would normally do in a weekend, and we did it in two hours.”

“This overshadows the demand for any other record we’ve carried here in 17 years,” said Anderson. “We’ve had demand for albums before, but nothing like this.”

Jack’s Music had ordered 1,400 cassettes, albums and compact discs, half of which were already spoken for through pre-orders. By noon, as the lunchtime crowd descended on the shop, Jack’s supply began to dwindle, and Anderson hoped aloud that another shipment would arrive today.

Across the street, where contractors Norm and Tom Tepper, Middletown Township, are renovating a clothing store, the sounds of Springsteen emanated onto the street. The Teppers were third in line when the crates arrived at Jack’s Music Shop yesterday morning, and they immediately slapped the cassettes into the machine and started listening.

Norm Tepper, with a red bandanna around his head that heightened his striking resemblance to Springsteen, was joined by his brother during lunch for the inevitable “Bruce-watch.”

“We’re waiting for Bruce to show up,” said Tom Tepper, who sported a Boston Red Sox baseball cap (“This ‘B’ doesn’t stand for Boston, it stands for Bruce”). “We’re looking for that ’69 Chevelle (Springsteen’s car) to drive down the street.”

The Chevelle never showed up. But wherever there is a Springsteen event of any kind there are the inevitable rumors that the Boss himself will make an appearance. Despite the hordes who were frustrated in their quest to buy the new live set, no problems were reported by music stores.

At Camelot Music in the Ocean County Mall, manager Barry Nash had to turn “some pretty hot people” away after they arrived at the store to find out most of the albums had already been reserved in advance.

Those who did turn up to purchase the albums and cassettes ranged from the hard-core Springsteen fans to casual listeners.

Former Middletown Township residents Robert and Joan Schreck made a special trip to the Ocean County Mall to purchase the album for themselves and their children — ages 25 and 35.

“Springsteen hits quite a culture span, huh?” Mrs. Schreck said.

At Jack’s Music, Elaine Burns of Eatontown, an infant in her arms, arrived before noon to buy the album. It was, she said, only the third Springsteen album she owns, but Burns saw the first-day sale as an event she wanted to be a part of.

“We went to see his concert last year,” Burns said, “and I had the best time of my life. I usually don’t like live concerts because the songs don’t sound anything like they do on the radio, but Bruce was such a good performer. You could tell he really enjoys himself out there, and now I’m hooked.”

So, apparently, are a lot of other people. But if they didn’t buy the album yesterday, they might have to wait a couple more days to get their fix.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen fans buy Live box set, 1986