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 rare J.J. Barnes single, on the small Detroit label Ring, is a non-stop crazy Northern Soul dancer. For some reason, it's taken for granted by collectors, but perhaps that's because they haven't listened to it in awhile. This is the true Motown sound, since it, like all of Barnes' singles for Ric-Tic, features the legendary Funk Brothers as the backup band.
Wow! I love both of these tracks, especially the A side, which I like so much I must have it in the jukebox immediately. This Columbia, SC, artist, a/k/a Chaz Bundick, plays a mean guitar with a sound reminiscent of mid-1960s garage rock, or even earlier, of Ritchie Valens or Duane Eddy. The production surrounding the guitar is an atmospheric, wall-of-sound with faint glockenspiel percussion that would do Phil Spector or Brian Wilson proud. And I'm always impressed by an artist who can write and record a rock song that clocks in under 3 minutes — like they used to be able to do!
This is one of the greatest of the Stones two-sided monster hits (the A side is "Brown Sugar"). Well, the B side didn't actually chart, but it's so great it really should have. Presumably, radio just wasn't ready to play a song called "Bitch" yet... though they were prepared by 1975 when Elton John hit the Top 10 with "The Bitch Is Back."
I liked this new single so much I had to get a snippet into the jukebox right away! Skuller is apparently a bit of a prodigy... only 14 when he recorded this, his first and only single. The song is a bright Rockabilly/Power Pop tune that's instantly catchy.
OK, EWF fans, here's one of the pinnacles of the group's career, presented on a gorgeous promo copy. This was their first chart-topper on both the Pop and Black Billboard charts, was their first Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and turned out to be the biggest hit of their long career! Quite a lot of accomplishments for one little 45. From the arresting funk guitar line at the beginning, to the arresting a capella vocals at the end, the fun just doesn't stop. (Oh, and did I mention that all the action takes place in less than 3 minutes? That's a 45!) With this single, it was clear that Maurice White & the band had finally found their own unique groove.... and aren't we all fortunate that they did!
This was the group's first chart single ("Last Train To Clarksville"), and what a great debut it was! No, they weren't a new Beatles, but this was first-rate pop for sure. Be sure to check out the wonderful Goffin-King tune on the B side, with its delightful little psychedelic interludes.
Rummage through hundreds of original-issue 45's for $6.00 or less!
Now playing:
Do It Again by Steely Dan
Open Up Your Mind (Wide) by Gap Band
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.
