Columbia Records column brings back memories of good old days

Great to see your retro article on the CBS Records pressing plant in Santa Maria (“Columbia record factory in Santa Maria used to produce 100,000 albums a day,” Nov. 25). I worked there from 1976 until its closing in 1980, due to a temporary collapse in the music business fueled by the new video-game craze.

Although your old article states “the big records stars don’t show up in person in Santa Maria,” one did pass through during my tenure — the newly signed Heart with Ann and Nancy Wilson. What a thrill that was, and I had every last band member autograph my test pressing of their new album.

I was also everybody’s best friend once a month when the plant held its monthly warehouse sale open to all employees plus one guest. We were turned loose in a big room full of brand new, sealed LPs by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Neil Diamond and countless others … all for just $1 apiece.

Ah, the good old days.

This story was originally published December 1, 2016 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Columbia Records column brings back memories of good old days."