Cygnals Zine - Issue #8, Summer 1996
Sam The Record Man - About That Neon
I'd heard rumours that the spinning neon
records on the front of Sam the Record Man's flagship store on Yonge north of Dundas had
something to do with the weather -- that they'd spin one way if it were raining, or flash
or spin the other way, or whatever... This was backed up by me spotting a rotary knob on
the wall that had "Fair/Rain/Sun" etc. on it.
So after a long time wondering, I asked staff at Sam's. A guy named Jason took me upstairs to the vinyl section and introduced me to his Uncle Sid. Sid came out of the back office with a dusty black and white picture of the old neon display that used to be where the spinning record is now...This is back when Sam's was the single store only...around 1965. What a piece of work!
There was a neon "347" vertically between two windows. On the left side was a thermometer made from neon. On the far right was a neon thing much like the one on top of the Canada Trust tower. Above it all were the names of four record companies. Very very very cool. I love neon. I'd show you a picture, but this is apparently the only remaining picture of how Sam's looked then. But here's a poor sketch of it done on the 'puter. Hope you get the idea.
Issue #8 Page -- Cygnals Zine Page