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!
On this rare Joe Cocker record, the singer teams up with legendary New Orleans songwriter/producer Allen Toussaint... and the result is pure Funky Soul magic, New Orleans style. If you doubt me, listen to the mp3 snippet I've added to our "jukebox:" This is the Joe Cocker sound that I, for one, fell in love with!
Yes, I'm a sucker for a well turned melody and a sweet arrangement (even the fake "audience" is part of the experience), both characteristics of Sunshine Pop, and I thought enough of this one to make an mp3 snippet for the "jukebox". If you're a fan of Sunshine Pop, I think you'll want a copy of this one some day!
"Woman, Woman" was the group's first hit, credited as "The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett". As impressive as the A side is, appealing to fans of both Sunshine Pop and Northern Soul, a lot of collector interest is directed to the equally impressive, but rarely heard, B side. "Don't Make Promises" was written by Tim Hardin, who released his own, folky version on the B side of a 1968 single, "Lady Came From Baltimore." This Union Gap recording is the first version released on 45 rpm, and somehow Jerry Fuller and Al Capps transformed Hardin's simple folk number into a catchy, crescendoing Northern Soul toe-tapper with a hypnotic bass line. As I listened to it again just now, I decided it deserved a place in the Classic 45s "jukebox", so have a listen to the mp3 snippet! (Please forgive me! To keep the snippet under 2 minutes and still capture the climax, I edited out the first verse following the first chorus. You wouldn't notice it if you were unfamiliar with the song.) The song's soul pedigree was further enhanced by Z.Z. Hill, who released his own soulful version in 1969 on Kent Records.
What a great record! If you've forgotten why Dave Marsh might put "Needles and Pins" by the Searchers at #239 in his list of the 1,001 greatest 45s of Rock & Soul, have a listen to the brief snippet I'm adding to our "jukebox!" Those opening guitar chords sound like something Roger McGuinn will concoct for a Byrds song in 1965, evoking Chuck Berry's description of how Johnny B. Goode could "play a guitar just like ringing a bell."
I fell in love with the A side dancer right away, and even made an mp3 snippet for our jukebox (have a listen)! These were Denise LaSalle's first recordings; they had first been released, earlier in 1967, on the small Tarpon label, and Chess apparently picked up her contract based on that single. Have a listen to the mp3 snippet, and you'll understand why! Despite Chess' faith in LaSalle, it would still be 4 years before she found a national audience with her first hit on the Motown-derived Westbound label, "Trapped By A Thing Called Love."
Especially when listening to the popular B side, "Here I Am," it's easy to hear why some Northern Soul fans claim this one as their own, while fans of Deep Soul make equally valid claims. Whatever you call it, the B side chugs along with a crisp, tight rhythm section that will definitely set toes tapping. :-) In fact, I liked "Here I Am" so much I made a brief mp3 snippet of it — have a listen!
Yeah, OK... The A side is a truly drool-worthy early Funk workout — so fine, we had to have a snippet of it in the Classic 45s "jukebox", so have a listen!
This was the group's first chart single under their new name (they had previously had singles as The Ohio Untouchables, who were the backup band for the Falcons on LuPine). It would be several years until their second chart single in 1971, and at this juncture the group is clearly feeling its way toward Funk on the awesome A side.
Again, it's the B side that gets Northern Soul fans' juices going — have a listen to the mp3 snippet in our "jukebox!" It's worth noting that Blast finally hit the U.S. National Black/RnB singles chart with two singles in 1980 and 1984.
Besides the classic A side ("Bernadette"), which makes #37 on Dave Marsh's list of the top 1001 singles ever made, be sure to listen to the flip, which a collector/dealer I respect greatly once opined was the greatest Four Tops side ever released! You may not agree with that assessment, but I think you'll have to admit it's a must-have Tops track!
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Now playing:
Leroy by Jack Scott
Groovy Train/ Stepping Stone by The Farm
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.
