Press photo: August 24, 1979
Peaches was the biggest national music chain from the mid-’70s until they went bankrupt in ’81 or ’82. I remember the logo and the distinctive crates, but by the time I became obsessed with music, the place to go in my neighborhood was Tower Records. I also made frequent stops at Music Plus and The Wherehouse.
The poster on the left wall is from a 1979 Dolly Parton album, Great Balls of Fire. And check out that gorgeous diagonal wood paneling.
Just for the hell of it, here are some shots of ’70s rockers doing signings in Peaches.
KISS, 1976
The Runaways, Circa 1977
Van Halen, 1978
(Photos via Lexibell/eBay, KISS Online, The Runaways Message Board, and The Gear Page)
2 Warps to Neptune 
Holy shit, a Runaways signing at Peaches?! #$(*#$
I actually don’t remember Peaches at all. Were they even on the Westside? The earliest memories I have of record stores are Music Plus and Licorice Pizza. But The Wherehouse was by far my most frequented in the early ’80s (since it was right by my house). I credit them for selling me my first LP (Journey’s Escape album) and my first CD (Tito Puente 1950-52).
If my memory serves me correctly, I remember the Wherehouse having a full Top 40 section that literally had every LP/tape arranged within numbered dividers (#1, #2, etc.), so every pop song was totally easy to find and purchase.
Sigh.
Love the Runaways. I think the very first Peaches store was in Hollywood, but I probably remember the store from visiting relatives in the South. My Wherehouse had a pretty good import section, and that’s what I was into.
What a feeling thumbing through records and finding something you’d heard about and really wanted. Or finding something awesome you didn’t even know existed.