78 Records first opened it's doors to an unassuming record buying public on 19 June 1971 in a move that would change the face of Perth's music retail landscape, despite the small scale of the initial operation.
In its infancy, 78 Records boasted about 300 titles, all on vinyl and mainly imports, with a strong leaning towards blues but also encompassing an extensive range of other genres as two small rooms could physically accommodate. It was the three owners' love of blues and the desire to create an image that would prove to stand the test of time that inspired the store's logo, which is the only photographic representation of Blind Lemon Jefferson in existence, and then the name 78 Records - the format on which his original recordings were released.
In the early days 78's was something of a cottage industry with the paper bags being silk screened by hand then pegged up to dry on the premises and all profits being channeled straight back into the store. Before the days of RTR FM and other community radio stations, local press and fanzines, the only means of advertising was to post handbills up all over the city and word of mouth. Both proved to be effective and before long they expanded to another room across the corridor and began to establish a regular and loyal customer base.
The level of stock began to outgrow its premises at about the same time as rumours started to circulate regarding the proposed demolition of the Padbury Buildings, so without waiting to be evicted they decided to look for a new location, preferably somewhere much larger and on street level. What was essentially a tin shed next door to His Majesty's Theatre at 843 Hay Street, the new shop, which has become affectionately known as "the old building" opened in May 1974 and remained there for the next 13 years. Back in the mid-70s that end of the city was pretty much devoid of any retail outlets, but that didn't deter them, in fact it just meant another challenge and an opportunity to pioneer change, something to which 78's has always aspired.
During the 843 era 78's also earned a reputation which traveled much further afield than the metro area, and visiting international performers often frequented the shop whenever they were in town - in search of that elusive record they just couldn't find anywhere else. Of course, some of them just wanted to check out how many of their own albums were in stock, and it was usually more than other places. Joe Cocker, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Lou Reed and Elton John were just some of the artists who either heard about the shop or stumbled across it, and for the most part they came back on their next visit.
Once again the threat of demolition loomed in 1987, prompting yet another move. Wanting to stay in the end of town they had become associated with 78's crossed Hay Street and went up a bit to number 884, taking with them the spirit of the old building as well as a whole new range of exciting possibilities. The growing demand for CDs meant that the outward appearance of the shop and the nature of the stock had to change and grow. They also knew that to keep up with the size of the store that certain measures had to be taken, principally computerisation and the willingness to cater for all tastes in music, turning the store into a more friendly environment while still maintaining a genuine passion and aiming for that initial ambition of the perfect record store.
In March 1996 78's moved again to 914 Hay Street. The first floor of the larger building comes complete with its own stage which is in constant use by local, national and international artists of all creative persuasions, whether it be music, comedy, visual arts, photography or spoken word. While the move resulted once again in a new look, the commitment to music, spirit and passion of more than 30 years will go unchanged and of course, the vision remains the same - the perfect record store.
