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!
Willie Mitchell pulled a winner out of his deep coat pockets when he paired Ann Peebles with this swinging Soul tune... An instantly likable number whose happy uptempo music belies the underlying story of a love gone wrong. This is one of the most popular Peebles tracks among Northern Soul aficionados... have a listen to the mp3 snippet we added to the Classic 45s "Jukebox".
What a great surprise this obscure Soul single turns out to be! Both sides are dynamite Northern Soul dancers, with a particularly memorable A side featuring a muscular bass line that just won't quit!
Here's a beautiful copy of Herman's Hermits' debut single, which went to #1 in the U.K., becoming their only chart-topper there. Is this their best single? It's certainly a contender. "Something Good" — yet another terrific Carole King - Gerry Goffin song — was originally recorded (in a good but inferior version) by Earl-Jean.
This one is worth praising for the terrific guitar bits Harrison concocts, blueprints for the guitar-driven Power Pop sound that coalesces in the 1970s and continues to this day. Have a listen to the mp3 "snippet" to hear it.
This group only released a couple of singles, and they're all keepers! This one's another to-die-for Northern Soul rarity that only ardent fans know about. Have a listen to the mp3 snippet, and see why Soul fans go nuts for Adam's Apples singles. :-)
Paul Simon was one of the first non-Reggae artists to flirt with the reggae sound, and this is a damned good experiment, if you ask me! I'm always shocked to hear the incredibly powerful Stereo mix that they pressed these 7-inch releases with: Loud is simply not sufficient to describe the enormity of what's in these little grooves. The mp3 snippet I've provided doesn't do it justice, but hopefully you'll get the idea. :-)
Here's a Chuck Berry song I've only heard through greatest hits compilations like the excellent "The Great Twenty Eight", which thoughtfully preserved the original Mono mixes. "Come On" is a 2-minute wonder (1:53 actually) that should have been a hit! Don't be fooled into thinking this single is a throwaway because it failed to chart... It's an essential part of any complete Chuck Berry collection.
One of Bo Diddley's most sought-after singles, this one, oddly enough was his first to hit the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. None of Diddley's previous classics (including "I'm A Man" and "Bo Diddley") got that far. Simply quintessential Bo Diddley, this is the first copy (original or reissue) I've been able to offer in the store.
This single is sought after mainly for the amazing B side dancer, which I liked so much right away I had to put a snippet of it in the "jukebox!" Although the A side is quite good, the B side is so obviously wonderful I'm surprised no one thought to "Plug" it instead. Both of these are early writing credits for Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, who went on to craft a sound that became one of the foundations of Philly Soul.
This rarely seen, uncharacteristic rocker has a distinctive Northern Soul groove — making it perhaps the most desirable Tommy Hunt single for Northern Soul fans.
Yes, the A side ("A Million To One") is a nice Soul ballad, but the reason Northern Soul fans seek out this rarely seen Austin single is the tremendous dance number on the flip (have a listen to the mp3 snippet)!
This is the kind of instantly likeable and imminently danceable Soul rarity I'm constantly on the prowl for. There's still such a vast universe of 1970s Soul that lies unexplored (by me), and so much of it is like this one: Catchy and fun, great arrangements and vocals, and irresistible rhythm tracks. Plus, it's a nice love song, too!
This song is just wonderfully strange. :-) This audio is so clean I decided to make a snippet, so if you don't already know and love "Zabadak," have a listen! The song takes a number of twists and turns during its entire 3:40 length (long for 1968!)... the snippet captures the first 1:45.
The single has a slightly different—and shorter—mix than the longer (3:38) LP cut. This was the tune that got the Fleetwood Mac hit machine rolling in the mid- to late-1970's. It's also perhaps my personal favorite cut from their first album in their revitalized configuration (with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham added to the mix). Interesting to note that that album, simply called Fleetwood Mac, generated three Top 20 singles, but none that made the Top 10 in Billboard's Hot 100 chart:
"Boogaloo" is considered the A side of this single purely on the strength of that raw guitar/bass line that underpins the rare Northern Soul dance number.
Both sides of this rare single deserve serious listening, but it's the A side, "The Change," that really grabs your attention. No wonder it's highly sought after... Have listen, and you'll hear why!
Here's a beautiful, pristine Mint copy of this essential early Soul classic, which Dave Marsh pegs at #758 in his Top 1,001 Singles list. This copy's audio is so pure, the music so joyous, and Wilson's voice so magical, I had to capture the audio for my iTunes library. Then I realized I had very little Jackie Wilson in the Classic 45s "Jukebox," so I added an mp3 snippet for you to enjoy!
Rummage through hundreds of original-issue 45's for $6.00 or less!
Now playing:
Jolene by Dolly Parton
Hijack/ The Orient Express by Herbie Mann
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.
