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 is an absolutely irresistible pop confection! If you don't believe me, check out the jukebox snippet... If you're a fan of Bubblegum Rock, I don't think you'll be able to resist its charms!
It's a crime to pop music history in America that this classic synth-pop recording failed to get the proper airplay here. Even more criminal is that it wasn't even released on 45 in the group's native U.K and didn't chart there until a 1990 release resurrected it. Fortunately, it was quite well known in dance clubs at the time. Alison Moyet is simply one of the best female vocalists of all time!
The Platters reemerged in the mid-1960s with a string of top-notch soul records, including this one, credited to the "Platters '65." Still produced by Buck Ram, the group delivers choice Northern Soul goods on the flip.
Totally catchy and delightfully right tune about, you know. This great single shows off the group's Power Pop personality on the A side, and a gruffer, grungier side on the flip. Both worthy of instantly adding to my iTunes playlist, and I'm socking the A side in the Classic 45s jukebox as well.
Out of Stock
11/07/10
Charles Wright and The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Seems like it's impossible these days to find a copy of this terrific single. "Express Yourself" is simply one of the premier examples of early Funk. The singer and the amazing Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band were true pioneers of the sound... as George Clinton would later call such guys, "True Funkateers!"
Here's a beautiful copy of one of my personal favorite CCR singles, which, unfortunately turned out to be their last truly great 45. Back in 1971, my awareness of pop music was just awakening, and though I'd heard CCR on the radio, I never paid much attention. But when "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" came over the airwaves, I was suddenly awed by Fogerty's voice, as it was the most amazing rock vocal I'd ever heard. I loved the piano accompaniment, too, being a novice piano player and up to then favoring songs with prominent keyboard bits ("Let It Be," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Your Song," "Country Comfort" (Rod Stewart's single), etc.) None of CCR's other singles featured a piano, and that's one of the reasons the single grabbed me as it did. Today, this song remains one of my 5-Star Creedence tunes, but it's definitely not among the singles that define their legacy — such as "Proud Mary," "Fortunate Son," "Bad Moon Rising," or "Who'll Stop The Rain." Still, when it comes on the radio or through my iTunes playlists, it thrills me in a way the others—though also thrilling—just don't. That's one reason I've decided to put a snippet in the jukebox today...
'Little Sister' is one of Presley's best ventures into pure rockabilly since his Sun sessions. I'm sure John Fogerty learned a lot from the guitar playing here!
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Now playing:
Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips
Ask Me/ I'll Take The Blame by Ecstasy, Passion & Pain
These virtual "boxes" are for you folks who only like new, unplayed or pristine Mint 45s.
