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!
Does it strike you how often a singer's debut single turns out in retrospect to have been their greatest song, or at least one of their greatest? "Solitary Man" is not just a great song, it's a masterpiece in which Diamond writes of a personal pain in a way that makes it universal. I'm always touched listening to it, which is why I can't believe I've not put a snippet into the Classic 45s "jukebox" until now! Originally released as Diamond's first 45 on Bang 519, "Solitary Man" tanked on the National Billboard charts (reached only #55p) in 1966.
Here's a terrific discovery... A great Girl Group record that the guidebooks don't even seem to acknowledge. And yet, a copy like this one sold in May 2015 on eBay for $256.00! Obviously, this rare record has its fans ... including me! Have a listen to the mp3 snippet and decide for yourself!
No one seems to know when this rare 45 was released, but I'm guessing early 1960s. The A side is a raucous Soul shouter with a great group sound, and the mid-tempo flip is just as good. As far as I can determine, this was the only vinyl output by Joey Lee Thomas. Upset was a small New York City label.
Here's a beautiful copy of one of the Grateful Dead's classic (and rare) Warner Bros. singles ("Truckin'), featuring two iconic Dead tunes. Don't underestimate the power of the lesser-known B side, "Ripple": Its beauty can really sneak up on you!
Rummage through hundreds of original-issue 45's for $6.00 or less!
Now playing:
The World I Knew by Paul Wagnar
I Can Never Go Home Any More/ Bull Dog by The Shangri-Las
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.
