Does anyone remember giant record store info/catalogs ?

I have been looking for a picture of those massive catalogs that used to be in every record store way back when. This was the catalog that the record store staff would look in to answer your questions like what year did Steve Miller's first album come out, or which Rolling Stone album has the song Money Man on it. They would go to this enormous three ring binder book on a special stand and flip and flip and flip until they found the right section and the answer for you.

I was fascinated by these books and toyed with getting one. I was told they were crazy expensive and updates were sent by subscription only.

I thought about these the other day and wanted to find a picture of one for my blog (www.auralretentive.wordpress.com). I CANNOT find anything.

Anyone remember these, or have a picture of one?

Michael

www.auralretentive.wordpress.com

well, i remember these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonolog

not sure if that's what you're looking for?

Stop fucking spamming, shithead.

aw c'mon emily, he has a legitimate query!

this board isn't very active. might as well fill it with something.

nerve_pylon! That is exactly it! Thank you so much. That was driving me crazy. Everyone seemed to remember them, but no one knew what they were called. Thanks again.

Michael

I'll leave my blog name off. I wasn't trying to spam. :)

that is fascinating, it's like a hard copy version of Discogs.

this one goes up to 1990:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PHONOLOG-Reports-All-In-One-Record-Catalog-Great-Music-Resource-/230830205177?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35be8d68f9

PhonoLog Reporter has largely been overtaken by CDs and the Internet.

Yeah, you could pack up, drive to the mall and search the book for that tantalizing information morsel, or now... click once. A thing of the past for sure. That e-bay post is asking $400! Wow. Interesting artifact though. Thanks for that link scott seward!

I only vaguely remember these, don't remember them being that big. Weren't there also smaller (single thick book) catalogues from the major labels with everything in print for that year? I remember the clerk flipping through, say, a WEA-specific book to see if something could be ordered; there would be a shelf with books from the other big 6 (later 5 or 4) and some larger independents.

and also the Schwann Catalogs, mostly for classical music.

and i still use this:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/242/448318076_8c116214b8.jpg

I remember them but they were about the size of an Encyclopaedia Britannica or something. Used to love browsing them. Reddish brown hardback cover from what I recall

the only reference book i keep around the house :
http://countrymusichalloffame.org/assets/Uploads/Creations-from-the-Collection/CMF-Books/Country-Music-Records-A-Discographylrg.jpg

haha at first i thought nerve pylon's pic was part of ian's post and i was like o_O does not compute

There was also the post-giant-paper-catalog pre-internet interregnum of that touch screen kiosk thingy that never worked right. Was that MUZE? I remember struggling with the one in MediaPlay...