Remembering Mike Pollack of Sanford’s Mike’s Music

I went shopping for Phil Collins, but came out a lifelong fan of Cream.

Well, not exactly. However, Mike Pollack of Mike’s Music had a way of exposing customers to music they didn’t know they needed, but would be lost without once the song was heard on his turntable. Throughout decades of shopping at his store on Main St., this type of thing happened over and over again. Yes, it started with Phil Collins. Today, “I Wish It Would Rain Down” is easily one of the most substantial songs in Phil’s canon. Schmaltzy, but epic.

Being 16, I’d tell you all day I listened to Metallica, Skid Row, and whatever else I thought everyone thought was cool. Don’t get me wrong—I loved those bands—but I also enjoyed Phil Collins and Richard Marx. Walking in there, looking around to see if any other shoppers were there, I sheepishly asked the record store owner if he had the new Phil Collins. Seems like a weird request now, but this was an age where music allegiance was everything, and it was a pretty uncool request. Would this guy cut me any slack?

Nope.

“You want Phil Collins, huh?” this gravelly voice boomed, with a bit of sarcasm. Maybe he thought I was joking, or getting it for my grandma—I never asked. Looking only at the cassettes on the wall, I piped back, “Yeah, the one with ‘I Wish It Would Rain Down’… it’s kinda cool.” He didn’t say anything for five seconds. Then, seemingly out of the blue, he asked, “Hey, you like Eric Clapton?”

I blanked.

For context, he probably hadn’t yet made Tears in Heaven, MTV Unplugged, or any sort of comeback. Honestly, I knew him from a beer commercial. Not wanting to look uneducated, I said, “Yeah, of course…” A light went on in Mike’s head.

“Then you gotta listen to Cream!”

Without hesitation, he ran over to his record player and put on what was probably the first Cream record. For poetic sake, let’s just say he played side one, and “I Feel Free” came out of the speakers. By the time it played in The Sopranos (Season 1, Episode 12), I had their entire discography, two greatest-hits collections, their boxed set, and a few import CDs. They were—and still are—one of my three favorite bands.

What happened to Phil Collins? Great question. Mike pointed out that Eric played the solo in “I Wish It Would Rain Down,” and from there he thought I might like his music instead. For Mike, Eric’s best work was with Cream, and that’s where his mind went.

The above was not an isolated incident. Mike was Spotify’s Discover Weekly before streaming impacted the business he was in. He was Jack Black’s Barry Judd before High Fidelity. Mike was a world-class ambassador of music.

You like Guns N’ Roses? Try Thin Lizzy. No, not “The Boys Are Back in Town”—the early stuff is better. “You ever hear ‘The Rocker’?” To this day, “The Rocker” is still my favorite Thin Lizzy song. Even if you liked the band, Mike would sell you on the lesser-known material, and you’d be better for it.

“Brother… The Wall sucks. I hate it! Here’s Ummagumma!”

Present day, I like The Wall, but it’s not even close to my Pink Floyd Rushmore, thanks to Mike. He was right. It’s the bloated, pompous sound of Roger Waters taking over the band. Then he would send you further down the spiral. From Eric Clapton, we’d land on Muddy Waters.

“Yeah, you should get the Fathers & Sons record. It’s out of print, but it’s Muddy Waters, Mike Bloomfield… oh, and it’s $25. No—$30.”

Sanford was lucky to have a place like Mike’s Music, and even more fortunate to have Mike Pollack running it. The ultimate salesman, he loved his product, and it showed in his expertise. He steered customers to artists we hold dear to this day, taught us how to haggle (hence the above upsell), and even took me to a few record shows.

Mike’s Music was a companion for kids who didn’t fit in—somewhere to hang out for hours, and maybe buy a CD. We are extremely fortunate this moment in time happened right here, in our hometown.

Just checked—But Seriously by Phil Collins is still not in my library.