The music of Circa.
One of the best things about having your own shop is that you get to control the environment - perhaps it's my theatre training coming out, but I love every aspect of choosing and changing the interior, the lighting and the music. Entering Circa should be like entering another world, a world of glamour, nostalgia and sophistication. I seek to create an escape from the sometime seediness of Gertrude street and South Fitzroy.
Music is a major contributor to this ambiance - despite the fees paid to groups like APRA and PPCA, it's an invaluable addition and one I would never do without. I dislike walking into any establishment (be it shop, cafe, bar or restaurant) and hearing silence - or worse - the radio. As it is, establishments that play the radio are still subject to fees, so there is really no excuse: it's just laziness. Of course, some stations are better than others, but any that play advertisements or the news will disrupt your pleasurable experience.
Because Circa is a vintage clothing shop, I get to ransack many decades of music: I try to stick to the eras relating to the clothes that I sell, so play mostly music from the 1920s to the late 1960s. Generally, I go for music that is upbeat and sophisticated, that may have been played in WW2 ballrooms or 1950s cocktail lounges.
Usually the CD of the day will be played for the entire seven hour day, so it has to be something that my staff and I can cope with many spins of. I find it's a good test of the music, and sometimes it's surprising what gets rejected - also, an album needs a certain consistency so that the mood will remain the same.
Some of my favoured records;
- Big Band 1940s (style) swing: Benny Goodman, Royal Crown Revue, Lee Press-on and the Nails,
- Sophisticated 50s sounds: Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Eartha Kitt, Julie London, Peggy Lee,
- 1930s-1960s popular: Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Cab Calloway, Dusty Springfield, Noel Coward
- 1920s-1960s blues: Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin
- French pop: Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier,
- Bosa Nova - Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto
- Classic tunes: Cole Porter, George Gershwin,
- 50s pop: Roy Orbison, early rock 'n' roll, Jerry Lee Lewis,
- Soundtracks: Amelie, Cirque de Soleil, Betty Blue
- Jazz: Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Hot Club Swing (local Gypsy Jazz band)
Please don't criticise my choice of categories above! Many fall into more than one, and these are just an indication of what I play as many are compilations.
My question for you: given the list above, which glaring omissions can you see? Which artist or composer am I in dire need of?
Why have I suddenly decided to share this topic with you? On the weekend drzero and I solved a long-standing shop issue and purchased a proper stereo. Needless to say, it's already revolutionised my life, or rather, time spent at the shop. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you what an improvement it's made. Now all we need to do is get one for our home.
Music is a major contributor to this ambiance - despite the fees paid to groups like APRA and PPCA, it's an invaluable addition and one I would never do without. I dislike walking into any establishment (be it shop, cafe, bar or restaurant) and hearing silence - or worse - the radio. As it is, establishments that play the radio are still subject to fees, so there is really no excuse: it's just laziness. Of course, some stations are better than others, but any that play advertisements or the news will disrupt your pleasurable experience.
Because Circa is a vintage clothing shop, I get to ransack many decades of music: I try to stick to the eras relating to the clothes that I sell, so play mostly music from the 1920s to the late 1960s. Generally, I go for music that is upbeat and sophisticated, that may have been played in WW2 ballrooms or 1950s cocktail lounges.
Usually the CD of the day will be played for the entire seven hour day, so it has to be something that my staff and I can cope with many spins of. I find it's a good test of the music, and sometimes it's surprising what gets rejected - also, an album needs a certain consistency so that the mood will remain the same.
Some of my favoured records;
- Big Band 1940s (style) swing: Benny Goodman, Royal Crown Revue, Lee Press-on and the Nails,
- Sophisticated 50s sounds: Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Eartha Kitt, Julie London, Peggy Lee,
- 1930s-1960s popular: Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Cab Calloway, Dusty Springfield, Noel Coward
- 1920s-1960s blues: Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin
- French pop: Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier,
- Bosa Nova - Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto
- Classic tunes: Cole Porter, George Gershwin,
- 50s pop: Roy Orbison, early rock 'n' roll, Jerry Lee Lewis,
- Soundtracks: Amelie, Cirque de Soleil, Betty Blue
- Jazz: Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Hot Club Swing (local Gypsy Jazz band)
Please don't criticise my choice of categories above! Many fall into more than one, and these are just an indication of what I play as many are compilations.
My question for you: given the list above, which glaring omissions can you see? Which artist or composer am I in dire need of?
Why have I suddenly decided to share this topic with you? On the weekend drzero and I solved a long-standing shop issue and purchased a proper stereo. Needless to say, it's already revolutionised my life, or rather, time spent at the shop. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you what an improvement it's made. Now all we need to do is get one for our home.