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!
Delightfully retro Northern Soul production on the A side of this one, updated with some 1980s production values like using decent-sounding keyboard synths instead of real horns.
The A side was a mellow hit on the Black Billboard chart, but it's the B side that gets the feet movin' and excitement building today. "Rode By The Place" was re-released on the flip of Ruffin's subsequent single, "You're My Peace Of Mind." That subsequent release is also in high demand among Northern Soul collectors, but it appears to be more common (even though its A side was not as big a hit), and is somewhat less valuable. Take a listen to the mp3 snippet of this Van McCoy production, and you may discover a new favorite!
I'm puzzled why Stax Records would be promoting the unremarkable "Plug Side" of this single, when this flip is the sure-fire winner. Oh well, take a listen to the B side snippet and see if you don't get hooked by its many virtues, including the fine guitar work. :-)