Orbit Records
Orbit Records is an amalgamation of cofounders John and Ron’s obsession with vinyl, as well as pulp novels, trashy films, Japanese toys, and album cover art. Their goal is to pass their passion on to you with hopes that your online shopping experience is simple, enjoyable, and recurring!
John and Ron instantly became friends when they started working together at the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago back in the early 2000’s. They worked side by side for a number of years before John left the store to raise his family. The pair stayed in touch as John worked with the online store Get Left Records and Ron continued in retail. Meanwhile, John befriended Patrick Roberts, the biographer of the famous DJ Richard Stamz. Stamz was a pioneering disk jockey that was also one of the first African Americans to host his own television show. It wasn’t long before Roberts was introducing John and Ron to the legendary Stamz himself and the trio immediately hit it off. Unfortunately, Stamz passed away at age 101 in 2007. Sometime after his passing, Patrick Roberts along with Stamz’ daughter, Phyllis Stamz, approached John about purchasing the late legend’s record collection. This transaction was the seed of what is now Orbit Records.
After realizing that they actually enjoyed each other’s company while also sharing the same inherent passion for jazz, blues, rock, soul, and gospel music, Ron and John teamed up in the fall of 2012 to create the online store Orbit Records. Since then, the two have been working hard to refine their store’s online shopping experience. It’s a learning process and they would love to hear what you have to say!
Feel free to email us at: orders@orbitrecords.com
Or give us a call at: 773-931-6857
Ron
The first one is always from someone close and it’s always innocent. For me, it was one of those little yellow 78’s from my mother when I was just two years old. It didn’t take long for me to become addicted. By the time I was six, I had already started hoarding records in our house. Every gift I received was on vinyl, and when LP’s and 45’s weren’t enough to satisfy my musical cravings, I took to playing classical and jazz piano, followed shortly by the guitar and the cello. Soon I was playing in orchestras, rock bands, and piano competitions. Still, the writing was on the wall; I craved vinyl.
Eventually that craving turned into an absolute need. I quit the cello concerts and the piano competitions, spending all of my time and money on records and music magazines. I let my desires get the best of me and started working countless hours in the one place that would continue to harbor my vinyl obsession: record stores. It was there that my musical taste took true form. My time outside the shop was spent in seedy bars and lavish concert halls, witnessing the Beastie Boys, Alfred Brendel, and everyone in between. The lines under my eyes are memories; scars I’ve accumulated from too many late nights listening to song after song, whether it was at home or in the clubs.
I’m a classical aficionado that wades through the masses at rock shows; I’m a Jazz enthusiast who worships Charles Mingus while still believing that Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” sounds like the future; I’m a step dancer who loves moving and grooving to the sounds of Bollywood long after the northern soul records are done spinning on my turntable. Every single moment of my 36 years in music retail has led me to this: Orbit Records. This is where I’ve come to purge my eternal passion for music. Orbit has given me the chance to be surrounded by an ever-growing musical collection while simultaneously teaching me that it’s OK to let go.
Thanks for listening,
Ron
John
Vinyl became an obsession at a young age thanks to my six older siblings. Records were always on at our house, whether it was Sabbath, Coltrane, the Stones, Miles, and Eddie Cochran when the guys were spinning, or David Cassidy, Simon & Garfunkel, Carole King, and Elvis when the girls had control. When we weren’t fighting over the turntable, our parents would share their timeless favorites like Sinatra, Ink Spots, Weavers, Seegers, and all sorts of other folkies. From there, my own musical exploration began, as I fell in love with Elvis Costello, Blue Note, The Ramones, The Clash, Buddy Holly, and countless others.
After college, I worked in music retail for several years, played in a couple bands, saw more shows than I can count, and amassed an unruly amount of records, toys, mags, and anything else I deemed “cool.” I started selling vinyl online with Get Left Records in 1990, and have admittedly grown in both size and stature since then.
What started as a passion and a hobby has exploded into a business now called Orbit Records. My aim has always been to never wear a suit to a “real” job, and I’ve managed to fulfill that goal so far. Lucky me! This website is filled with love, so if you’re a fan of good music, robots, monsters, pin-up girls, and other assorted weirdness, you’ve landed in the right place – lucky you!
Have fun!
-John
