Disk Union in Kichijoji’s Parco opens at 10am. I think it might be the earliest-opening record store in Tokyo where shops typically open at Noon, 1pm, or even 3pm. If I had a record shop, I’d try to be open 24 hours. I love the idea of visiting records shops super early in the morning, or really late at night.
Because it’s the Golden Week Holiday in Japan, I because I had one extra special free day off, where everybody was at school or at work, I wanted to make the most of the day and get an early start, so I thought I’d show up at the earliest-opening record shop, right when the doors open.
Although record-shoppers were few, I wasn’t the only one with this early-start idea. I quickly found out that the people who shop for records at 10am on weekdays are decidedly a different lot than the after-workers and weekend warriors. For the most part, they were far more pedestrian lot, maybe select-shop or fashion-boutique sales clerks in their plainclothes, off-duty services workers who’d had a good night’s sleep, and a few of, I’m guessing, the recently retired. The one somebody who stood out from the lot and captured all my attention was the one wearing a pink Adidas tracksuit, pink Air Force Ones, pink socks, pink hat, pink mask, some fly pink sunglasses with pink lenses, and not that I saw or asked, but no doubt pink drawers.
Lo-and-behold, it’s “aCKy”, of X-Rated Kayo Funk Band. “Only Love Hurts”, formerly known as “Omokage [SexDoll] Lucky Hall”. Established in ‘92 and having changed their name in 2013, “Only Love Hurts” is a 13-piece band with a long history of critical acclaim, albums released, conceptualized performances, and devoted fandom. I’m gonna have to level-up not only my knowledge of X-Rated Kayo Funk, but of Kayokyoku in general too, the Shōwa-era pop that laid the foundation for J-Pop. I just gave a listen to Ayumi Ishida (Famous Japanese Actress) & Tin Pan Alley Family (comprised of some of my favorite artists including Haruomi Hosono and Shigeru Suzuki of Happy End), the single aCKy scored, and it’s excellent. Nice taste aCKy, in music and fashion, and looking forward to diving into O.H.L.! Thank you for taking the time to chat me up! It made my day 🙂
いしだあゆみ* & ティン・パン・アレイ・ファミリ [Ayumi Ishida & Tin Pan Alley Family] ー 私自身 [Watakushijishin/Myself]
Label: Columbia – HMJA-165
Format: Vinyl, 7″, 45 RPM, Single, Yellow
Country: Japan
Released: Nov 3, 2022 (Originally 1977)
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: City Pop
https://www.discogs.com/release/25115776-%E3%81%84%E3%81%97%E3%81%A0%E3%81%82%E3%82%86%E3%81%BF-%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%9F%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC-%E7%A7%81%E8%87%AA%E8%BA%AB
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