Rasputin Music
| Industry | Record Stores |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Rasputin Records |
| Founded | 1971 in Berkeley, California, United States |
| Founder | Ken Sarachan |
Number of locations | 5[lower-alpha 1] |
Area served | San Francisco Bay Area, California |
| Website | Official website |
Rasputin Music stands as the largest independent record store chain within the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Established in 1971 as "Rasputin Records" by entrepreneur Ken Sarachan in Berkeley, California, the store's name draws inspiration from the early 20th-century Russian figure Grigori Rasputin.
Currently, Rasputin Music maintains five outlets: its primary location in Berkeley, along with branches in Campbell, Pleasant Hill, Modesto, and Fresno.[1] Past locations included Mountain View (closed May 1, 2016), Stockton (closed March 24, 2019), Newark, Vallejo (relocated to Fairfield before closing March 24, 2019), San Lorenzo (closed March 2020), and San Francisco (initially near Union Square before relocating to Haight Street; closed in 2020).[2]
History
The inaugural Rasputin Music outlet was situated at 2523 Durant Avenue, now the location of Sweetheart Café & Tea. The store then relocated to a space on Telegraph Avenue currently occupied by Blondie's Pizza—also once owned by Ken Sarachan. Subsequently, Rasputin moved across Telegraph Avenue into a larger venue at 2401 Telegraph Avenue after Odyssey Records ceased operations. By the late 1970s, the business split into two distinct stores: one dedicated to rock music and another focusing on soul, jazz, and other genres. In July 1982, a fire originating from the neighboring Steve the Greek's restaurant destroyed the soul and jazz location. Following this event, Rasputin consolidated its Berkeley operations into a single store. The current Berkeley location is positioned at the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Channing Way.
Historically recognized for its competitive pricing on new and used CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records—often lower than other Berkeley music retailers such as Leopold and Tower Records—Rasputin’s prices have aligned more closely with industry standards in recent years. The store boasts an extensive inventory of new vinyl records as well as a broad selection of pre-owned CDs and DVDs.
Rasputin Music has occasionally hosted live performances by renowned artists. Notably, Metallica held their first in-store show in nearly ten years at the Mountain View Rasputin location during the April 19, 2008 "Record Store Day".[3] Metallica also performed at Rasputin on Record Store Day in 2016.
Ken Sarachan's business dealings and real estate holdings
Ken Sarachan has gained notoriety in Berkeley due to the apparent neglect of multiple properties he owns along Telegraph Avenue. Among his other ventures are Bear Basics and Anastasia's Vintage Clothing. After extensive coordination and discussions with local authorities, the Mad Monk Center for Anachronistic Media launched in April 2016. This 10,000-square-foot bookstore and record shop had intentions to incorporate a cafe and serve as a venue for events. However, it unexpectedly ceased operations permanently on February 26, 2018. Sarachan also holds ownership of properties at 2503 and 2509 Haste Street, as well as a vacant parcel at 2501 Haste Street.
The vacant lot at 2501 Haste was formerly occupied by a single room occupancy hotel that served low-income tenants until it was severely damaged by fires in 1986 and again in 1990, rendering it unusable. This site has remained empty for over a quarter-century and has been the focus of numerous complaints related to urban blight. Sarachan acquired this lot in 1991, apparently aiming to block the relocation or expansion of Amoeba Music to that address. According to Aaron Cometbus in issue 51 of Cometbus, titled The Loneliness of the Electric Menorah, Sarachan personally delivered over one million dollars in cash to the property owner to secure the lot ahead of Amoeba and its developer. In 2005, Sarachan submitted proposals for constructing a mixed-use apartment and retail building on the site, but these plans never materialized. The City of Berkeley initiated legal action against Sarachan regarding this property in January 2012. Eventually, Sarachan sold the parcel to West Builders, who completed a student dormitory there in 2020.
Sarachan has also developed a reputation for opening imitation businesses adjacent to those he views as rivals. Besides his efforts to impede Amoeba's growth in Berkeley, Rasputin Music launched a store on Haight Street in San Francisco in 2013, located less than a block from an Amoeba Records outlet. That same year, following the success of independent ice cream shop CREAM, Inc., situated at Channing and Telegraph and amidst contentious city hearings, Sarachan opened Scoop Dreams—an ice cream counter directly across the street. Scoop Dreams, now closed, operated from the former security counter area at the front of Rasputin Music, roughly ten yards from CREAM’s location.
Acquisition of Former Tower Records Sites
Rasputin Music took over the leases of four previous Tower Records stores located in Concord (where the Pleasant Hill outlet was relocated), Mountain View, Fresno, and Stockton. Although Rasputin had been operating the Concord store since 2007, the establishment continued to display Tower Records branding without any reference to Rasputin; a window poster described the Tower Records signage as a "Historical Anomaly." In 2013, the Concord store shut down and returned to its original site in Pleasant Hill.
The Mountain View location at the intersection of San Antonio Road and El Camino Real ceased operations at the close of 2011. It reopened approximately one mile southeast along El Camino Real two weeks later. This Mountain View store ultimately closed on May 1, 2016. The Stockton outlet, situated at 6623 Pacific Avenue within Lincoln Center South and opened on April 28, 2007, in the former Tower Records premises, closed on May 6, 2016, with an official eviction occurring on May 10, 2016.
References
- ↑ Dennis Taylor (1997-01-03). "Rasputin Music is hoping for sweet sound of success". Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
- ↑ Joe Goldeen (2019-03-24). "It's 'The End' for Rasputin Music & Movies in Stockton". Stockton Record. Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
- ↑ Ed Christman. "Metallica In-Store Set For 'Record Store Day'". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
Notes
- ↑ Reduced from a high of 11 stores in 2015.
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