THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407070205
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOHN HARPER
CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
THIS STORY is called Searching for America.
That's America as in the music group, America. Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley scored a dozen hits in the '70s. They recorded some pretty decent tracks: A Horse With No Name, Ventura Highway (this one sounds especially good while cruising the beach road), Tin Man, I Need You.
I met Dewey and Gerry about 10 years ago at a Busch Gardens show. They are nice guys. I even received a Christmas card from them one year.
So I was excited to hear that America had recorded a batch of new songs on an album called ``Hour Glass'' on the American Gramaphone label. So this is my quest, no matter how hard, no matter how far. Find America.
The Radio Shack in the Outer Banks Mall is my first stop. I've known Harold Gessford, the owner-manager, for about 10 years. Harold has operated Radio Shack stores since 1978. His first store was in Surfside Plaza in Nags Head.
``I decided to sell records because the Radio Shack supervisor didn't think there was enough business for just electronics,'' Gessford recalls. He says there were two other record stores on The Outer Banks at that time, but both stores went out of business shortly after the Radio Shack opened. Harold moved his Radio Shack/Surfside Records to the Outer Banks Mall in l983 and opened a second store in Kitty Hawk in l989.
I ask about ``America.'' Steve Gurkin, the record buyer, says it's not in stock, but he'd be glad to order it. We move to ``The MUSE.'' The MUSE is an all-telling, all-seeing computer program. The program allows one to search for tapes and CD's by title, artist, key-word or category. In about 15 seconds, I review the entire America catalog. On screen is a list of all their releases. Some of the album covers appear on the screen. Gurkin and Gessford order my CD.
My next stop is the Outer Banks' newest record store, ``Waves Music.'' The store in the north wing of the Outer Banks Mall opened May 28. Waves is part of the 130-store National Record Mart chain based in Pittsburgh.
The store has the look of a chain record store: Best sellers in the front rack, a couple of tables filled with budget CDs and a top-20 display.
I ask Jenny Shane, the manager, about America. She's heard of them, but all that's in stock is America's Greatest Hits. I spend a little time looking through the budget CD's. What a collection. For $7.99 I can have ``The Archies' Greatest Hits'' (I don't think so; I'm trying to cut Sugar, Sugar out of my diet); The Marshall Tucker Band; and the one-hit wonder, Dexy's Midnight Runners. Nothing for me today; thanks.
My search for America continues at ``Rock 'N' Roll Rarities'' in Kill Devil Hills. Bryan Conners greets me at the door. I ask him about America.
``I don't have it,'' says Conners, ``but I do have an autographed poster of the cover.'' Sure enough, there it is. Conners deals mostly in imports and tour merchandise. His big sellers these days are Pink Floyd imports and Rolling Stones posters.
My final stop in my search for America is at ``Puffy's CDS And Tapes'' in Kill Devil Hills. The store, above Vitamin Sea Surf Shop, is managed by Eric Wolfgang and three partners. As I walk in the store, my feeling is that the latest America CD is not in the top 10 best sellers here. The music playing on the sound system is decidedly alternative. It's good, but I know America, and The Beastie Boys are no America.
``We lean to the alternative,'' says Eric. ``That's really our niche.''
Puffy's has a good selection of used CDs. Wolfgang says the store has a good local clientele that looks for the hard-to-find stuff.
``We also sell tons of Grateful Dead stuff,'' says Wolfgang.
Puffy's also stocks T-shirts, posters and music magazines. Eric stresses that Puffy's is happy to special order anything.
The Radio Shack in Kitty Hawk also stocks tapes and CD's. But, since their sister store has already ordered my America CD, I pass on the trip. I have been in the store many times and Jim Wilhelm and Scott Lawrence are always helpful.
A couple of days after ``My Search For America,'' the CD arrived at Radio Shack.
The guys sound better than ever. Lyrics are good, music is hummable and the singing is classic America. On this album, Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys harmonizes with Dewey and Gerry (Dan dropped out of the group about 10 years ago). I'd give it a 93, I couldn't dance to it. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Charles Cushman, 14, of Kingsport, Tenn., left, and Hunter
Weyerhauser of New Bern, browse through the offerings at Waves
Records and Tapes at the Outer Banks Mall.
THE UNOFFICIAL LIST
Beach Best Sellers
Pantera
Jimmy Buffett
The Crow Soundtrack
Stone Temple Pilots
Counting Crows
Record Stores
Radio Shack in Nags Head and Kitty Hawk
Puffy's in Kill Devil Hills
Rock 'N' Roll Rarities in Kill Devil Hills.
by CNB