Specializing in 60s and 70s Rock, Jazz, Soul and R&B, Hot Vinyl has an impressive vinyl-only collection. One block over from Disk Union and Tokyu Hands, it is a small store with rows of cardboard boxes jammed with gems of original pressings. The records are meticulously organized by genre. UK and US artists are shelved separately, and US rock, for example is sub-categorized into “funky rock, country rock, soft rock, psychedelic rock.”
In addition to LPs, Hot Vinyl has a huge collection of EPs and 45s. Their collection of 60s music is pristine and exhaustive, and the staff person, Junji, is serious and knowledgeable. When I expressed my admiration for a beautiful specimen of Captain Beefheart’s first album, Safe as Milk (12,000 JPY), Junji pointed out that it was from the first French pressing. The boxes are full of original pressings; Miles Davis’ Quiet Nights from 1964 (3800 JPY), and the Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request (25,000 JPY) are not for the casual shopper, but they do have a section with some nice pickings for 500 JPY, and even some boxes in the hall for 100 JPY.
Hot Vinyl is for the serious collector of hard-to-find wax slabs from the golden era of British and American rock. You’ll find not only every album by the Beatles in varying grades of quality and rarity, but also nearly every solo album by John, Paul, George, and Ringo that was released on vinyl in the ‘70s.
Twist and Shout in your Fresh Threads
Hot Vinyl also puts on occasional DJ nights at local clubs where they play exclusively ‘60s rock, funk, garage, surf, and soul. Ask the helpful staff about their next event. And if you’re going to twist, you’ll need some fresh threads! There are some great clothing shops with second hand and new sneakers, jeans, flannel, t-shirts, and bags geared toward the hipster set on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the same building. High-Kicks and Rama are two of the standouts in the building. Their staff are as friendly and helpful as they are fashionable!
Hot Vinyl: 045-322-9144 (Type the phone number into your smart phone map application to pinpoint their location.)
High-Kicks & Rama (two other record shops): Suites 212 and 206 in the same building as Hot Vinyl
