Whenever I travel somewhere new, I always try to set aside a little time for record digging. It has become part of the holiday ritual over the years. I’m never expecting to return home with a suitcase full of vinyl, but there’s something enjoyable about exploring record shops in another city and seeing what turns up.
During a recent family holiday in Nice, I managed to spend an afternoon visiting three very different record shops: Sonic Import, Kosimi and Electric Monk. Each had its own character and offered something completely different, but in the end I came home with just two records – both from my very first stop.
The afternoon reminded me that record digging isn’t always about bringing home a huge stack of vinyl. Sometimes it’s simply about the places you visit, the people you meet and the records that unexpectedly catch your eye.
First Stop: Sonic Import
Sonic Import was first on my list and, as it turned out, it was also the only shop where I bought anything.
The shop carries an eclectic mix of records covering a wide range of styles, so it felt like the sort of place where almost anything could turn up. As soon as I walked through the door, however, one record immediately stood out from all the others.
LES MOGOL
The Les Mogol LP was sitting almost at the front of the shop. In fact, it was one of the very first records I saw as I walked through the door. Before I’d even started searching through the racks properly, I was already reaching for it.
This wasn’t a record I’d discovered by chance. It’s one I’d been hoping to find for several years.
Like most serious collectors, I have a mental list of records that I’d love to own if the opportunity ever presents itself. After years of collecting, you develop a good memory for the albums and singles that are still missing from your shelves. An original copy of this Les Mogol LP has been on that list for a long time.
Among collectors of Turkish psychedelic music, it’s a highly regarded and increasingly difficult LP to find. Original copies don’t appear very often and, when they do, they usually command strong prices — even examples that have seen much better days than this one.
Finding one sitting there almost as soon as I walked into the shop was completely unexpected.
The €3 price tag immediately told me it wasn’t going to be in perfect condition. The vinyl itself is well worn, but at that price there was never really a decision to make. Originals are scarce enough that passing it by simply because it wasn’t pristine would almost certainly have been something I’d regret later.
Collectors are often faced with the choice of waiting indefinitely for a near-perfect copy or buying an honest example when the opportunity arises. For me, this was an easy decision. It may not be the cleanest copy in the world, but after looking for one for several years, I was delighted to finally add an original to my collection.
Freddie Scott – Are You Lonely for Me
After spending a little longer browsing the racks, another record caught my eye: a French pressing of Freddie Scott’s Are You Lonely for Me.
Unlike the Les Mogol LP, this wasn’t something I’d been actively searching for. It’s a well-known soul classic that I’ve known for years, but I’m often more interested in tracking down obscure and lesser-known 45s than filling gaps with records that are relatively easy to find online.
What made this copy appealing was the fact that I was standing in a record shop in France, holding a French pressing complete with its distinctive local label. At around €7, it felt like the sort of record that would always remind me of the afternoon spent digging through vinyl in Nice.
Not every record has to be a rare or expensive discovery. Sometimes it’s simply nice to come home with a good record and a story attached to it.
Second Stop: Kosimi
My next stop was Kosimi, a shop specialising in jazz vinyl.
From the moment I walked in, it was clear this wasn’t somewhere selling a handful of jazz records tucked away in a corner. The shelves were packed with LPs by many of the genre’s greatest names. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Nat “Cannonball” Adderley, Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie were all well represented, along with countless others.
There were some impressive pressings throughout the shop and it quickly became obvious that quality was the priority here. Nothing was particularly cheap, but that reflected the calibre of the records on offer rather than inflated prices. If you’re a serious jazz collector, it’s the sort of place where you could happily spend hours browsing.
Although I enjoyed looking through the racks, I was conscious of the limited space in my suitcase for the journey home. Tempting as some of the records were, I resisted adding to my growing pile and left empty-handed.
Even so, Kosimi was a pleasure to visit and a reminder that specialist record shops like this are becoming increasingly rare.
Third Stop: Electric Monk
My final stop of the afternoon was Electric Monk.
The shop carried a good selection of records across a range of genres, but I headed straight for the boxes of French 45s. Whenever I visit another country, I always hope to uncover records that are much harder to find back home, and France always offers that possibility.
I started by looking for artists I knew I’d love to find, including Jacques Dutronc, Serge Gainsbourg, Danyel Gérard and Erick Saint Laurent. There were certainly records by some of those artists in the boxes, but not the particular releases I was hoping to uncover. Like many collectors, I’m always searching for the scarcer and more sought-after singles rather than the more common titles that appear regularly.
After checking those artists, I carried on through every single record in the boxes. Experience has taught me that it’s surprisingly easy to overlook someone in the heat of the moment, particularly an artist who only released one or two records in the style you’re interested in. Looking through everything takes longer, but it’s the only way to avoid getting home and realising you’ve missed something.
In the end, I didn’t uncover any of the rarities I was hoping to find. That’s hardly surprising. Record collectors have been travelling to shops like this for decades, and I’d imagine those boxes have been searched by countless knowledgeable collectors long before I arrived.
Even so, I wouldn’t have done it any differently. The possibility that the next record might be an unexpected discovery is what makes record digging so addictive, and every collector knows that one great find can make an entire afternoon worthwhile (just like the Les Mogol LP had earlier in the day).
Conclusion
I left Nice with just two records, but they were enough to make the afternoon memorable.
The Les Mogol LP was a record I’d hoped to own for years and never expected to find sitting almost at the front of a record shop for €3. The Freddie Scott single wasn’t a rare discovery, but buying a French pressing while in France felt like the perfect souvenir of the trip.
Perhaps more importantly, the afternoon reinforced why I still enjoy visiting record shops whenever I travel. Every shop has its own personality, every city has its own musical history and every box of records offers the possibility—however unlikely—of uncovering something special.
This time it was Nice. Next time, who knows?
Have you visited any record shops in Nice or discovered a memorable record while travelling? I’d love to hear about your own finds in the comments below.