Old School Record Store Going New School Business Route In Vernon

VERNON, CT — A vintage music store in Vernon is shutting down its physical location, but the extensive inventory will live on under a more modern business model.

"Paul's Boutique is shutting its doors and going virtual," the owner said earlier this month.

To commemorate the move, there's a 50-percent off sale going on at the 630 Talcottville Road location until the move is made. There was no definitive word Wednesday on when.

Paul's Boutique Record Store, named for the 1989 Beastie Boys album, buys and sells used records, stereo equipment and music memorabilia.

And the collection is extensive. A trip down a flight of stairs as steep as the old upper deck at Shea Stadium immediately points to the Jethro Tull album "Thick as a Brick," a 1972 progressive rock ground-breaker that featured one song — 43 minutes and 46 seconds of continuous music spread over two sides of a 33 1/3 record.

Then, there are classics like Bruce Springsteen's "The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle," and "Frampton Comes Alive." Sinatra and the Isley Brothers are also in the house.

There are also strange items, like an album called the "Singing Nun," and a mini 33 record called "Man in Orbit," a narration on John Glenn's first space flight by Lt. Col John Powers of Mercury Control.

Herb Alpert and the Tujiana Brass sits next to Peter, Paul and Mary, and, out front in a "free pile," is "The Very Best Of Lawrence Welk."

Want to hear the song "Sloop John B?" Not only are the Beach Boys there, but also the Kingston Trio, which recorded it in 1958, eight years earlier.

Of course, the Beastie Boys have a spot in the racks.

One of the store's mottos is, "Inventory has never been a problem.

Of course, what's a record store in Vernon without Gene Pitney? There is an extensive offering of works by the "Rockville Rocket."

The store also features cassettes and compact discs and a variety of equipment. It once had a record composed by, in all seriousness, Marcel Marceau (yes a quiet album of mime followed by applause). An eccentric collector made a trade with Paul to acquire it.

To keep up with the Paul's plans, customers can visit the website here and the Facebook page here.