As the music played on a turntable in the main showroom, customers found their way up the stairs to find a massive collection of vinyl, organized by genre, inside. Zachary Ferro of Terryville, a regular shopper, purchased a Guess Who album along with recordings by Jay and the Americans, Ray Charles, the O’Jays and James Taylor. “Clocktower Records has a great atmosphere, and it’s a great place for value,” he said, noting how pleased he was with his purchases. Prices vary from $1 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the album itself. Rare recordings, forgotten names and one-hit-wonders can all be found at Clocktower Records. Since they opened in July, co-owners Chris Carey and his daughter, Sarah Carey, hold record store hours on Saturdays and Sundays, though it’s a good idea to call or check the Facebook page to confirm. During the week, Sarah’s Clocktower Yoga business, which opened in May, uses the main room for classes. “We just push the tables back so we can hold sessions,” she said. “Before I came here, I had private clients, but now we can have between 10 and 15 people here. “We do a slow, restorative style of yoga,” she said. “When you do yoga here, I want you to get a big sigh of relief.” On the weekends, Chris Carey enjoys talking to his customers, revealing rare finds and probably bargaining a little here and there. He’s got albums by Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Harold Vick, to name just a few, included in his curated jazz, blues and soul collection. New record stores are cropping up in Connecticut, as customers who like to browse and learn return to shopping in person. “I’ve got some from the Blue Note label, which was very well known for R&B and jazz recordings,” Chris Carey said. Rock and roll albums from the 1950s and beyond offer browsers everything from the Rolling Stones to Little Richard, vintage finds like actress Tina Marie’s one and only recording, “Time for Tina,” and genres from big band to punk rock. When a musical artist dies, Chris Carey said, the demand goes up. “We’ve sold a lot of Kiss lately, because (member) Ace Frehley just passed away. Ozzy Osborne too; we don’t have any Ozzy left at all.” Queen, Pink Floyd and the Beatles remain in high demand, he said, as young people continue to discover “vintage” rock and roll music. There are also plenty of novelties, like singer Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love” on a heart-shaped single-song recording, made of red vinyl. One room is dedicated to 45s, and Chris Carey is tuning up a jukebox so customers can play their favorites. “I’m still getting this organized,” he said. “There are thousands of 45s in here.” The space on the second floor of the historic Seth Thomas building, once a well-known clock making factory that evolved over many decades for other uses too, has plenty of room for Carey’s collection; he started with a mass of albums left by a family member. “I’ve always loved music, and Sarah, in her teens, collected album covers and put them on her wall,” he said. “I started collecting by going to private homes for tag and estate sales, and I started accumulating. I ended up with about 65, 000 records.” On the third floor of the building, the Careys have more records, organized by name and genre. “I keep adding to this area, and it’s only halfway organized, but people love coming up here and just browsing on their own,” Chris Carey said. “We have a whole wall dedicated to musicals, Broadway and movie recordings, and children’s stuff up here.” Chris Carey’s still employed full time for a medical component manufacturing company, and travels a great deal. “He’s heading for China again next week,” Sarah Carey said. “My company manufactures in China and Mexico, as well as here in the U. S.,” Chris Carey said. “My wife, Lisa, works behind the scenes; she also owns Carey Automatic Door. They sell to pharmaceutical companies.” For the father-daughter duo, Clocktower Records is something they can do together. “There’s a bridal shop downstairs, and an illustrator just moved into another space here,” Sarah Carey said. “It’s nice to see people getting interested in this building. It’s part of history.” To reach Clocktower Records, call 860-605-3918, visit Clocktowerrecords. net or on Facebook.
https://www.courant.com/2025/11/21/ct-father-and-daughter-team-up-to-run-two-businesses-in-historic-building-a-great-place-customer/
CT father and daughter team up to run two businesses in historic building. ‘A great place’: customer