It’s 7:20 a.m. The sun is going back and forth behind the clouds leaving you in different states of chill as you stand in line. Forty minutes to go until the store is open and you’re finally warm. Another twenty minutes pass and you’re given a free poppy seed bagel with cream cheese. As you’re eating, you hear a group of guys in front of you telling each other how the first person in line slept there overnight.
Oh, you think to yourself. What am I doing here?
This was my beginning to Record Store Day 2022. On the morning of Saturday, April 23, along with at least fifty other dedicated music lovers, I stood in line outside of Looney Tunes Record Store in Babylon for almost an hour waiting for the store to open. What was in the store that coaxed us, and many others, out of bed at unimaginable hours of the morning?
Exclusive vinyl record pressings and the promise of great sales.
Record Store Day is the day every record collector anxiously awaits. Once a year, Record Store Day releases thousands of exclusive pressings of old and new vinyls released in limited quantities and special pressing. In the months leading up to this special day, the names of participating bands and artists are released as well as what they will be releasing.
While there are many different titles released on Record Store Day, there are only limited amounts of each pressing. Considering the demand at each store across all fifty states, there is no guarantee that anyone will be able to grab everything they want to. Most stores receive only a handful of each pressing and act in a “first come, first served” manner.
The hottest pressing this year was the lakes by Taylor Swift. This 7” single was released for the first time on vinyl for Record Store Day, and was limited to just 10,000 copies in the United States. Looney Tunes set up a free raffle for anyone to join and picked winners the next day. Although I’m not a Taylor Swift fan myself, I entered in the hopes to win one for a friend of mine. I was lucky enough to win and able to give this highly sought after vinyl to a dedicated fan. Taylor Swift also served as Record Store Day’s ambassador for 2022 and free buttons commemorating this honor were given out at the register.
I was only on the hunt for one vinyl in particular which was Wallows Single Collection 2017-2020. This record had only 15,000 pressings and is pressed on a sky blue vinyl. Luckily, I was able to purchase one. I was also able to pick up some non Record Store Day vinyls that were discounted for the day while waiting on the very long check outline.
Waiting on such a long check out line had other benefits as well, as I was able to find a Record Store Day exclusive I was unaware of prior. This one, limited to 7,200 copies, was The Rolling Stones More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) [50th Anniversary]. This album is an anniversary album for the 1972 release of More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies). With a $62.99 price tag, it is well worth the price for Stones fans. It is a double LP pressed on glow in the dark vinyl, and also comes with the original gatefold artwork and lithographs.
Another great find was the Deluxe Hardcover edition of the book Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century by Larry Jaffee. This deluxe edition came with a limited edition vinyl that has different performances by many different artists including Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Billie Eilish, and much more. This was limited to 1,500 copies worldwide, so I was glad to pick up one of the last remaining three when I did.
Record Store Day 2022 was a great experience with a huge selection of different artists’ music all exclusively pressed. While it was overwhelming at times, I was able to get my hands on some great exclusive records, as well as snag some great deals on original pressings of some Beatles and Rolling Stones records, as well as some 45s.
After such a great experience this year, I am already counting down the days until next year, when I will once again rise before the sun to wait in the chilly April air while eating a free bagel on the sidewalk, anxiously awaiting the treasures inside the store.
