The Joy of 45 Collecting: Lost 45 Tunes Not Available from iTunes, Spotify, or Similar Services
Jukebox "Snippet" 45s: Chronological List of Site Additions
As I add 45s to our inventory, I pick select 45s to highlight with mp3 "snippets" so you can hear the music yourself. I only record "snippets" of tunes I particularly like, ones I think have been under-played and under-appreciated, or ones that are so rare and wonderful I'll never hear them otherwise. For myself, I keep an iTunes playlist of these "snippets," and that playlist is one I listen to most often. These pages chronicle the mp3 "snippets" I've added to our online "jukebox" in reverse chronological order. You can browse the pages to see what was added and when. Click on the blue "Play" button to play the snippet, or click on a song's title to load the page. Many of these 45 records are still for sale, though just as many have been sold. I hope you enjoy perusing these pages as much as I have enjoyed putting them together!
This is a great find... a really terrific Motown-style dancer from this Washington, DC, female trio. It's by far the best track I've heard from this group yet!
Now, here's a case where the A side ("Smiling Faces Sometimes") is already so wonderful that your average fan may never bother to flip the record over to hear the B side. Besides, by the early 1970's, Motown records weren't exactly reliable for having worthy flip sides. So the years go by, and one day you decide to see what the B side holds in store... Lo and behold, it's an even better song than the A side! As amazing as it may seem, it's true in this case. The only caveat is that the two sides are so completely different it's hard to say which is "better." Whoever owns this great single should just feel lucky to have both sides to look forward to!
This beautiful, but heartbreaking, love song is one of my Dylan favorites. This is a copy of the Italian pressing, which has a large spindle hole and a wonderful picture sleeve.
Though they contributed mightily to the sound that made 1970s-80s funk so great, if I had to pick one to include in a list of the 1001 greatest singles ever made, it might very well be this one. For me, it would be hard to choose between this and "Early in the Morning."
Here's a rarely found near mint copy of Marvin Gaye's classic 1971 hit, his first single after asserting creative control over his recorded work. What most don't realize is that the 45 rpm release was a different mix than the LP cut... and different from what you find on today's stereo reissues. The drums and percussion are mixed much more prominently, while the strings are toned down. The single edits out the jive talk at the beginning of the LP cut, but adds an odd fadeout-surprise fadein right at the ending. There are other differences as well — for example, the LP cut adds finger-popping that's absent from the 45 version. Listening to this version is like hearing this one for the first time!
The A side ("Back on the Chain Gang") is a terrific, almost-retro, power pop hit, and it's backed by another song from Dave Marsh's list of the 1,001 greatest singles. The very dark but beautiful 'My City Was Gone' places at #949 on Marsh's list. (The A side is at #234!)
One of Elton John's finest rockers, "Saturday Night's Alright" was the first single from his double-album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. On the flip are two — count 'em, TWO — unreleased, non-LP cuts, both well worth the price of admission! "Jack Rabbit" is actually a guitar-led, country rocker that's quite different from anything he ever recorded. Both of the B-side songs are outtakes from the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road sessions.
Rummage through hundreds of original-issue 45's for $6.00 or less!
Now playing:
Sleep by Little Willie John
Private Number by Judy Clay & William Bell
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.
