12 Hours In London - Record Shops

Just UK or US too?

 

Both I'm afraid, world wide. Tower Records - Wikipedia
However I think they might be online from what the wikipedia entry says.

 

I visited a rather big (2 or 3 floors) HMV store on Oxford Street just 5 months ago. Is that the smaller one now defunct?

If so, what are the largest stores left in London to buy new CDs, BDs and LPs?

 

Well the original was huge in comparison with better stock.

The only shop left( new stock ) which is owned by HMV ( sort of subsidiary)in the West End/central London is called FOPP and it’s got better stock the one that just closed in Oxford street. Other places ? maybe someone can chime in.

 

no other places i am afraid as far as large chain stores are concerned . London is almost dead , like NYC or Paris , when it comes to record shopping for new releases

 

I guess they hope you buy your new online....?
Meanwhile I will scour the used collectables with much relish.

 

Online /record fairs ..there’s the Dutch one.

 

Utrecht?

 

Pretty town.

 

The largest store in Central London is now Fopp in Covent Garden, which will have a similar range to the old Oxford Street HMV but with fewer toys and better back catalogue. Well worth a visit but still nothing compared to the old Virgin Megastore or Tower.

 

Thank you both for the recommendation. So next time I'm in London do you guys think visiting that Fopp store is a better option than, for example, ordering online from Amazon with delivery to my hotel? I mean the amount of stuff I would find in one or the other.

For example: does Fopp have a good selection of Beatles-related new CDs, BDs and LPs, as well as Marvel films (Avengers and individual heroes) in 3D blu-ray, like Amazon UK does?

 

Fopp has good stock music & film related films also books 2 for £5.00, but it’s best to check the place out. Prices comparison I don’t buy online ..support your local record store sort of thing.

 

Well, Amazon UK has a much, much bigger range than any bricks and mortar store, of course. I would expect that you could find most of what you want at Fopp but there is often only one copy of any back catalog title at a time so it will depend on when you visit and who else was looking for the same thing. I wouldn't rely on being able to find anything.

For new Beatles-related LPs/CDs, you might also try Sister Ray in Soho which is a short walk from Fopp - they have a pretty good range as well but it's a smaller store so again no guarantees. The days of going to a huge record store with multiple copies of everything you could think of are long gone in London (probably Tokyo is the only place left!)

Obviously in terms of a fun experience, browsing at Fopp is going to be a much better experience than Amazon

 

In comparison he fun quotient of browsing on Amazon might be a F(l)opp.

 

Fopp is not that great unfortunately. Their soul section for example is a joke. It’s not that big.

 

So who has a good soul selection these days ?

 

Sounds of the Universe in Soho, maybe?

 

If so then as I thought, not many these days.

 

Small ish. I would say Sister Ray next door.
I am actually there now. !!
Rough Trade East is a nice store with plenty of stock ( not for soul though) and the area is really cool.

 

Well, yeah , it's small but there's basically no such thing as a large record store in the UK any more. Sad but true...