Gramophone Days: Where To Find LP Vinyl Records In Delhi

Set in the heart of the capital, Radio & Gramophone House was established in 1951 by a Jain family. Presently being run by father-son duo, Sunil and Rishi Jain, the store typically deals in modern music equipment.

A small but honoured section, however, is dedicated to LP records. The assembly includes the hottest imported ones as well as a rare ones; you’ll see a lot of musicians lingering in the shop and drooling over the records. They even sell modern day turntables— talk about the best of both worlds!

In the early years after Partition, Gurukripa Enterprises was popular for its LPs. The owner of the shop, Balwant Singh, kept pace with changing times and started vending audio cassettes {back when walkmans ruled our hearts}, which later paved the way for CDs.

In the past few years, there’s been a renewed interest in LPs and his shop is stocked with them once again. The store has classics like Mughal-e-Azam, Pakeezah and Sholay. Some of the popular ones include RD Burman, Lata Mangeshkar and KL Saigal.

Established in the 1930s, Shah Music Centre, which is now run by the third generation of the family, continues to deal exclusively in LP records and players. With around two lakh records in their assembly, the owner believes that LP records are certainly making a comeback in this digital age. Shah tells us that on an average around 30 – 40 customers from all over the country come scavenging for records and players.

Apart from Bollywood legends, if someone is seeking rare records on LP or wants to get something shipped, Shah can help source the record for them. The shop also deals in gramophones, including the original wind-up players and the electronic record players that were in use until the 1980s.

If you are a regular in Chandni Chowk for the paranthas, there is no way you can miss out on the New Gramaphone House. Slightly on the pricey side, this store boasts of quality records in mint condition and also of the biggest collection in the city.

The shelves consist not only of Indian LPs but some rare western titles as well. Of course, old Bollywood movie sound tracks rule the buyers’ hearts, with the most popular LPs being Mughal-e-Azam, Kabhi Kabhie and Karma.

They also sell record players and can help with repairs.

If you’re too lazy to go hunting for vinyl records, sign up for The Revolver Club’s import subscription service and have them delivered to your doorstep. Check out deets here.