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 third single from Paul Simon's second solo album, "There Goes Rhymin' Simon," is incredibly hard to find in decent condition. It wasn't a big hit like the previous two singles ("Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like A Rock"), but as a song, it tops both of those, IMHO, and doesn't get nearly enough play. As one of Simon's very best songs, I give the single two stars (our highest recommendation). According to Joel Whitburn, the music is based on J.S. Bach's 'O Sacred Heart.'
Here's a very nice copy of this iconic 1962 Blues track, which Rolling Stone magazine pegs at #220 on its Top 500 Songs list. This single version is specially edited from a longer (3:32) album track, about a minute shorter... Concentrated goodness! Even though the audio on this copy is slightly less than Near Mint, it's so powerful I thought an mp3 "snippet" for our "jukebox" was in order, so enjoy!
Besides the hit side ("Little Willy"), be sure to also check out this catchy, harder-rocking B side, which is why I rate this single 2 stars! Have a listen to the mp3 "snippet" which I finally got around to posting.
I don't know how radio missed out on this, but for some reason neither of these dynamite sides charted here in the U.S. This A side, by the way, is so short (despite what the label says... 2:03, it's really only 1:43!) that I made a snippet of just about the entire thing, fading it out just a bit early.
This terrific 1973 hit is a perfect example of how a Motown- and Philly-style Soul sound morphed into what became known as Disco. But at this early date, it was just another Motown soundalike with a bit more percussion than usual. An essential touchstone in early 1970s Soul music history. Oddly, since by 1973 most U.S. retail 45s were released in Stereo, the retail release for this tune has a Mono mix, and I believe this rare promo is the only place you can get a true Stereo mix on 45 rpm vinyl, which is awesome! Check out the mp3 "snippet" of it in our online "jukebox."
The A side is so terrific I had to have an mp3 "snippet" of it in our online "jukebox"... so have a listen! By the way, the group had no albums... just this and perhaps one other single. And you won't find the tune in iTunes or Spotify... you gotta get the 45!
Now playing:
Lover Please
Radio Song/ Love Is All Around by R.E.M.
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.