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!
In the pantheon of great psychedelic rock, this has got to be one of the best two-fers around! I can't help but rejoice when I find a copy worthy of selling on Classic 45s... and this one's a real beauty. Stephen Stills' "Bluebird" was the chart side of this 45, but Neil Young's "Mr. Soul" is just as — if not more — essential. The single is also a study in how compact rock songs still were in 1967: "Mr. Soul" clocks in at only 2 minutes, 35 seconds. Even more surprising, "Bluebird" is actually just under 2 minutes, at 1:59! (It turns out that the version of "Bluebird" on the single is less than half the length of the album cut, which is about 4 minutes long.)
Here's a beautiful promo copy of Buddy Holly's second single release, following the equally unsuccessful Decca single, "Blue Days, Black Nights." "Modern Don Juan" is a delightful early rockabilly number and a must-have rarity for Holly fans. After the guitar rave-up in the instrumental bridge, Holly sings the verse in a style that will soon become his trademark: With a kind of grin in his voice and a proto-hiccup on display.
I'm a huge fan of Hancock's classic synth/funk instrumental, "Rockit," and some of his followup singles sound like sequels rather than new ideas. "Metal Beat," though it didn't chart, is entirely new and fresh... and wonderful! Take a listen to the jukebox snippet to see if you don't agree.
Simply amazing. You can bet a whole truckload of producers and musicians took notes when this baby hit the streets... and they're still doing it today. For Brown, of course, it was just another step in the path he was leading toward Funk.
These are two dynamite funky soul instrumentals from this new group from Ohio. Remember the Mar-Keys and Booker T & The MG's? I suspect that The Jive Turkeys remember them, too. Great breaks and extremely funky beats!
On this outing, Barry, his wife Ellie Greenwich, and co-conspirator Artie Butler concoct a note-perfect Motown-style soul record that stands the test of time and the dance floor. It's now a favorite in the U.K. Northern Soul scene.
Now playing:
Body Electric
I Like To Do It/ Come On In by KC & The Sunshine Band
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.